2 Spoons Of Cough Syrup Can Make You Fail The Dope Test In Punjab

From the ruling Congress, to the opposition AAP, politicians in Punjab are lining up to take dope tests in an attempt to prove they are serious about fighting the drug menace in the state. This comes after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh earlier this week ordered bureaucrats in the state to get themselves tested. 

Dr Debasish Basu, Professor drug de-addiction centre, PGI, Chandigarh, explains how the test is conducted.

"The common test is called immunoassay. It is a rapid screening test, like a common pregnancy test which can be done within minutes. It is only a screening test and there is always an issue about false positive and false negative... because it does not diagnose addiction or dependence. Nobody can diagnose drug dependence by a simple screening urine test", he tells NDTV. 

Experts in Punjab say the dope tests will only detect the presence of narcotics in samples but will not diagnose addiction, that is, it tests use not abuse. For example, a person who had smoked cannabis in a party a few days ago but is not a regular user could test positive, whereas a regular user of heroin who had abstained for three to four days prior to their test could come out negative. 

"When we do these dope tests on under treatment patients, that's to test re-lapse etc, in that context it makes sense but this way even a cough syrup, which contains chemical called Dextromethorphan - that will give positive opium. So it will appear that the person has taken heroin", Dr Basu says.

To check whether cough syrup can also lead to a positive result, this reporter bought an over-the-counter cough syrup, consumed two teaspoons within four hours, and then got herself tested for Rs 1,500 at the district civil hospital in Mohali.

Within minutes the result is out and shows that the reporter has failed the test. So, a person seeking a government job or hoping for a promotion as a government employee could possibly be rejected based on a cough syrup.

The dope test is, however, not completely pointless, explains, Dr PL Garg, Former Executive Director, State Health System Resource Centre, Punjab. 

"This can be seen as a psychological warfare... to send out a message amid the ranks of police, bureaucrats", he says. 

There are 3.87 lakh government employees in Punjab, which is barely 2 per cent of the 2.7 crore population of the state.

According to the government's own survey in 2017, conducted by PGI Chandigarh, every sixth person in Punjab is dependent on some drug. But just the checks for government employees will cost the state an estimated Rs 48 crore.

Cabinet Minister of Punjab, Tripat R Bajwa explains the government's need to make this test mandatory. "It is a strong message that anyone found involved, from DGP to a Constable, from secretary to a clerk no one will be spared", he tells NDTV.