The government may soon ban the manufacture and sale of codeine-based cough syrups. This policy is being reviewed. Many MPs have expressed concern about cough syrup being used more for addiction than medicine. These leaders demanded Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to ban cough syrup containing codeine. Based on this, the Health Minister asked the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) in March to review the matter and give necessary advice. Now the DCGI has given their review report to the Ministry of Health.
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Will codeine cough syrup be banned? Drug use for addiction
Codeine is an opiate-derived pain reliever, commonly used to treat coughs, pain, and diarrhea. It is a natural plant-derived alkaloid found in opium extract. Some well-known brands made using codeine are Pfizer Company’s Corex, Abbott’s Fensdil, and Labrate Pharmaceuticals’ Escaf. Government officials say it is widely used in many states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal and Karnataka. According to officials, rules on codeine-related drugs need to be tightened, though a holistic approach will be adopted.
NCB has been demanding a ban since 2015
Although there have been calls to ban cough syrups containing codeine since 2015, no drastic action has been taken. In 2017, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) asked the DCGI to reduce its availability. The NCB said that this drug is being misused as an intoxicant. In such cases, its availability should be reduced so that the Bureau can easily identify it in the market. After the ban on codeine-based drugs and NCB’s intervention, several pharmaceutical companies have changed its dosage in their popular syrups. For example, Alembic Pharma removed codeine from its popular cough syrup Glycodin.
The mind numbs the body
Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Pratap Singh from Kanimozhi, Tamil Nadu, Dr. Dr. Kerala. V. MPs like Shivdasan, Ilamram Karim, Fauzia Khan of Maharashtra and Amar Patnaik of Odisha have demanded a ban on such cough syrups. Singh also told the Rajya Sabha on March 15 that these days Corex syrup has become an important product for addicts in the market. Although Corex is a cough syrup, it is used more for intoxication than treatment. Many other MPs also supported Singh’s words. He warned that using it completely numbs the mind and body. Nowadays its use is increasing rapidly among young people.
Codeine is used to suppress expectoration
Corex cough syrup is manufactured by the US pharma company Pfizer. It is a combination of several medicines, which are used to treat dry cough. However, not all forms contain codeine. Corex T Cough Syrup is a combination of two drugs – codeine and triprolidine. Codeine is used to suppress expectoration. This codeine reduces the activity of the brain’s cough center. At the same time, Triprolidine acts as an anti-allergic.
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