Telling Numbers: 2 per cent of Indians use opioids, prevalence high in Northeast

The most commonly used is heroin is (1.14%), followed by pharmaceutical opioids (0.96%) and opium (0.52%).

Opioid, opioid use, Opioid use in northeast, northeast drug abuse, Substance use in India, heroin, heroin use, drugs use, Indian express

The most commonly used is heroin is (1.14%), followed by pharmaceutical opioids (0.96%) and opium (0.52%). (Photo for representation)

The National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India, various aspects of which have been reported in The Indian Express since last week, found that 2.06% of the population use opioids in any of 3 forms — opium, heroin and pharmaceutical opioids (which includes a variety of medications). The most commonly used is heroin is (1.14%), followed by pharmaceutical opioids (0.96%) and opium (0.52%).

Of an estimated 77 lakh problem opioid users (dependent or harmful use), more than half are concentrated in just a few states. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat account for the highest number of people with opioid use problems. However, in terms of percentage of the population affected, the highest proportions are concentrated in parts of the Northeast (Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur) along with Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.

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This Word Means | Moros Intrepidus

A T. rex relative, just 4 ft. When did it evolve into a giant?

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Artist’s impression of M. intrepidus. Jorge Gonzalez/North Carolina State University

Moros intrepidus was a small tyrannosaur, standing 3-4 ft, that lived in what is now Utah about 96 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period. The discovery of this ancestor of the gigantic Tyrannosaurus rex has been reported in Nature; the name means “harbinger of doom”. Medium-sized, primitive tyrannosaurs have been found in North America dating from the Jurassic (around 150 million years ago). By the Cretaceous, around 81 million years ago, North American tyrannosaurs had become enormous. The fossil record between these time periods used to be a blank slate. The new find is the oldest Cretaceous tyrannosaur species discovered in North America, narrowing the 70-million-year gap. But more studies will be required to pinpoint when exactly in the 15-million-year span (between 96 million and 81 million years ago) Moros evolved into the giant T. Rex.

Lindsay Zanno, paleontologist at North Carolina State University, and her team found teeth and a hind limb from Moros. “Moros was lightweight and exceptionally fast. These adaptations, together with advanced sensory capabilities, are the mark of a formidable predator. It could easily have run down prey, while avoiding confrontation with the top predators of the day,” the university quoted Zanno as saying. —Source: North Carolina State University

H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear?

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The White House's decision to impose a $100,000 entry fee on H-1B visa holders has sparked worry among Indian tech workers and students. While uncertainties remain about its implementation and exemptions, major tech companies have cautioned employees against traveling. The policy could lead to a shift towards other visa categories and potentially change the STEM immigration pipeline.

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