Estavet, an ampoule of antihistamine injection used to cure allergies for cattle heads, is now being used as an alternative for heroin by many drug addicts in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj.
A police patrol team of Chapainawabganj Sadar thana recently identified this new drug. The team arrested Altaf(40) son of Ayub Ali of area Polladanga under Chapainawabganj Municipal area with Estavet Injection ampoule and disposable syringe while he was taking drugs.
Drug addict Altaf informed, earlier he used to take heroin but the heroin being costly, he failed to provide money to purchase it and opted for the anti-histaminic cattle head allergy injection Estavet. He said an ampoule of Estavet is available at any veterinary drug store at taka 10 to 15. Being cheap and effective, he along with other drug addicts have been using Estovet for the last three years through injectable syringes.
Kalyan Kumar Fouzdar, Animal Husbandry Officer of Chapainawabganj district informed, Estavet is an antihistamine injection pushed to cows for curing allergies, but he could not tell if the injection is used as a drug.
Meanwhile, Dr Sharifqur Rahman of RMCH informed using antihistamine injection of cattle heads as drugs is highly risky for the users.
The injection can totally damage the liver, kidney and the nervous system of a drug addict.
He further mentioned some hardcore drug addicts might use this anti-histamine cattle inection as drugs withut considering the adverse side effect of it. There is also apprehension of sudden death by taking the drug.
Police sent drug addict Altaf Hossain to the court and he was awarded a three-month imprisonment on the allegation of taking drugs and possessing of those.