As many as 3,500 chemists belonging to the All Kerala Chemists and Druggists Association (AKCDA) took a solemn pledge that the members of the association would not sell narcotic and psychotropic drugs to any person without a valid prescription by registered medical practitioners.
 
The collective pledge was taken at the ‘chemists' function’ held at Thrissur in Kerala on November 11, organised by the state committee of the trade body. As part of the programme, a massive rally was also organised by the chemists group, in which more than 3,500 chemists and druggists from across the state participated. The function was inaugurated by the deputy inspector of police, P. Vijayan who said more than 26 types of narcotic and psychotropic drugs are sold through the medical shops in Kerala without valid prescriptions. According to him, the police has identified the drugs and action is being taken against their illegal sale.
 
Citing examples of drug addicts in educational institutions, the DIG said that 40 per cent of the Indian population is below the age of 14 years and the number is more than the total population of America. So, we have to be cautious because the enemy countries may try to ruin the country’s younger generation by way of narcotic drugs. This is an area police is suspecting, he said.
 
AKCDA was persuaded to take the pledge because of recently increasing indiscriminate inspections and raids by the officials of the excise enforcement and anti-narcotics special squad at the medical shops in Kerala.

While welcoming the audience, the state president of AKCDA, A. N. Mohan, said as per the report of national agencies no fake drug is dispensed in Kerala. He said it is time for the government and the regulatory body to think of changing enforcement style and introduce educative style in place. Mohan wanted the authorities to help create smooth situation for ethical way of medicine business rather than forcing the traders to close down their shops. He pointed out that 782 chemists surrendered their licences to the department during last year after closing down their shops.

Earlier in August this year, the association had decided to stop procurement and sale of Schedule H1 category of drugs because of every day inspections by the police and excise department. The secretary of AKCDA, Thomas Raju, said the organisation is committed to do services for the humanity, hence an amount of Rs. one lakh will be given to a de-addiction centre. Further, the association has decided to constitute an ‘Ethics Committee’ within the organisation to educate its members about the menace of narcotics and to advise them not to sell any such drug without prescriptions.