Addicts rejoice as narcotics’ prices stabilise after Covid-22 supply crunch

Drug addicts in the capital smoked a sigh of relief as prices of their favourite narcotics began to fall, thanks to some stabilisation in the supply chain which was disrupted following the outbreak of Covid-22.

"First of all, I only smoke dry leaves. I am not even a drug addict," said an addict when asked about the prices.

"Look, grass is not really a drug. It's more of a mood stabiliser," he added when prodded some more to speak on the prices.

With not much progress in conversation with members of addicts anonymous, this correspondent decided to try and reach famous drug lord and now owner of a bus to make his deliveries, Buslam, to learn a little of their pandemic woes.

"They killed a lot of us during this lockdown. Can you please write about that instead of our prices, which are low by the way?" Buslam, visibly fuming said.

"My beef isn't with the grass, but more with the pill. That is concerning. This is just for relaxation. Why isn't the crackdown targeting more of that?" he added. 

Buslam's comment on deaths is valid. The numbers show that 35 people had been killed so far in "shootouts" till July 26. Not just that, many are languishing in jail over false cases over the pill.

"We are respectable farmers, selling grass and do not believe in this chemically manufactured pill."

Professional Smoker E Gaza pointed out that a lot more needs to be done than just killing drug dealers.

"This eulogising of killing drug dealers needs to stop. This war against drug is wrong. Just look at our prison system. It's about punishment and not rehabilitation. That needs to change. This baying for blood is symptomatic of a bigger problem in our society," he said while smoking.

The more E Gaza consumed, the more complex his thoughts became.

"We need to look way back into our history. We, as a people, have always been subjugated. If it wasn't the Aryans, it was the Mughals, the Brits…it was always somebody and maybe that's something that has become inherent in us. We want to conquer drugs, instead of taxing it," he said.

At the mention of tax, an official from the international board of revenue appeared on the scene and proceeded to institute a tax on drugs.

"It's like black money at the end of the day. And that's kind of what the country runs on. Please don't ask any questions about black money," he said before disappearing.

As for the supply situation, which was the original point of the article, it's pretty stable, sources say.