Deadly narcotic tablets overtake ganja as choice drug of TN youth

What are the origins of these narcotic tablets, and why have they become popular among Tamil Nadu’s younger generation? The answer reveals a troubling shift in the state’s drug culture, with far-reaching consequences for public health and law enforcement.

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Ganja seizures

Tamil Nadu’s anti-drug efforts over the years yielded results against ganja, long the backbone of the state’s illicit drug trade. Seizures dropped from 28,383 kg in 2022 to 21,424 kg in 2024, with only 3,767.3 kg nabbed in early 2025.

Tablets like tramadol, tridol, and nitrazepam are fuelling a dangerous drug trend among Tamil Nadu’s youth and transforming the state’s illegal narcotics landscape.

Superintendent of Police (SP) A Myilvaganan, head of NIB-CID, credited this decline in the ganja trade to zero local ganja cultivation and tighter border checks, especially targetting supplies from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

“We’re booking more cases, and seizures are high,” Myilvaganan told The Federal. He noted that since the police are ramping up enforcement efforts, dealing in ganja is no longer profitable. Gone are the days when it used to be bought at ₹2,000-4,000 per kg and sold at ₹20,000, he pointed out.

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As ganja fades into the background, tablets seem to be flooding the market.

Tablet trafficking

The NIB-CID data is stark: tablet seizures fell from 62,750 in 2022 to 39,910 in 2023, probably due to temporary supply hiccups, but then exploded to 141,760 in 2024 — a 255 per cent leap.

Early 2025 data suggests that this trend is holding, and it is projected that 145,000 tablets will be seized this year.

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Meanwhile, cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS) climbed from 10,665 in 2022 to 11,025 in 2024, and arrests soared from 14,394 to 17,903, hinting that tablet trafficking has become the norm.

While ganja comes from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, tablets seem to be originating from local labs, smuggled shipments, or diverted pharma supplies, forcing Tamil Nadu to scramble to build its forensic expertise.

Heady mix of tablets

According to the police, tablets like tramadol, tridol, and nitrazepam are fuelling a dangerous drug trend among Tamil Nadu’s youth and transforming the state’s illegal narcotics landscape.

Tramadol and tridol, both opioid painkillers, are crushed and snorted or injected for a potent high. They are sourced cheaply from rogue pharmacies and sold for just 100–200 per tablet. Nitrazepam, a benzodiazepine for anxiety, seduces students with its calming effects, but when mixed with alcohol, can lead to coma or addiction.

Popular among 16–25-year-olds in Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai, these discreet pills evade border checks, appealing to youth for their “safe” image and easy concealment, police said.

Police said that these tablets are often obtained without prescriptions from pharmacies, ordered online via e-commerce platforms, or smuggled from neighbouring states. Some are even produced in clandestine labs, making their composition unpredictable and dangerous.

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It is not an accident that young people have moved to tablets. Unlike ganja’s bulky loads, tablets can slip through borders in small packets, evading vehicle checks. A single courier can carry thousands in a backpack.

Tablets also carry less stigma than ganja or heroin. Popping a pill feels a hip and chill thing to do, and is often marketed as a good way to unwind, focus, or party.

User base

According to a senior police officer, youngsters are increasingly turning to pharmaceutical tablets to cope with the undue stress of intense competition and pressure in academic and professional environments today.

The user base is young and diverse. In Chennai, police have arrested peddlers as young as 18, who come from low-income groups, along with professionals like Sharmila, a software engineer nabbed in 2024 for selling ganja and tablets from her Choolaimedu apartment.

Migrant students are also targets, with drug syndicates using intermediaries to push drugs on campuses.

The tablet craze is a ticking health crisis. Synthetic opioids like tramadol can cause respiratory failure, while methamphetamines trigger heart issues or psychosis.

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Enforcement and awareness

Tamil Nadu is actively countering this menace with awareness programmes.

The state’s ‘Drug Free Tamil Nadu’ campaign was launched in 2022 by Chief Minister MK Stalin, with 1.86 lakh programmes reaching 56.5 lakh people in 2024.

Over 30 lakh students took an anti-drug pledge, earning records from the World Records Union. The Enforcement Bureau CID, which merged NIB and Prohibition units, has intensified raids, like the April 2025 cocaine bust netting 2 kilograms worth ₹6 crores.

Tamil Nadu police are also pushing for reforms — writing to the Drug Controller General of India to tighten prescription drug controls — but loopholes persist.

Technology, like parcel scanners at bus depots, can help, as can sniffer dogs trained to nose out narcotics.