Daily News Dose: MDMA-related deaths rise in Kerala as youths fall prey to drug addiction | Sept 13, 2022

Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. I'm your host, Susan Joe Philip, and these are the major news stories of the day:

1) To begin with, we have news from Vaikom. Stray dogs were found dead and buried here and police launched a probe

2) Journalist Siddique Kappan remains in jail despite the supreme court granting him bail.

3) KN Balagopal defends CM's foreign tour amid widespread criticism of financial mismanagement. He said Foreign visits are essential and that Kerala was not that impoverished

4) MDMA-related deaths rise in Kerala as youths fall prey to drug addiction

5) 2022 Emmy Awards announced. Succession and Ted Lasso win big again

Let's get into the details

1) Several stray dogs were found dead and buried in Mulakulam panchayat in Vaikom on Tuesday. It is alleged that the dogs were poisoned by locals here after authorities failed to cull them. Several people were bitten by stray dogs here in the past few weeks. Post-mortem results are awaited.

Meanwhile, the police have also launched a probe into the incident. Existing laws do not allow the killing of stray dogs. The incident comes against the backdrop of the Kerala government's move to use extreme measures to keep the stray dog menace in check. Local self-government minister MB Ragesh on Monday said that the State will seek the permission of the apex court to cull aggressive and rabies-infected stray dogs.

2) Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan, who was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court, will continue to remain in jail in Lucknow as a case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate against him is still pending, officials of the prison department said.

“Kappan will continue to remain in jail as a case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate is still pending," DG Jail PRO Santosh Verma said.

A court here on Monday issued the release order of Kappan, who was lodged in jail after his arrest in October 2020 while he was on his way to Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, where a Dalit woman had died after allegedly being raped.

3) Amid widespread criticism of financial mismanagement, Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal on Tuesday justified Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's Europe visit scheduled for October. "Visiting foreign countries is important to gain knowledge. Kerala is not that impoverished. The CM's foreign visit will not impact the state's overall expenditure," Balagopal said. He said the real issue that people should delve into is the Centre's GST compensation to the state. He also asserted that Kerala's financial situation is under control and that it won't slip into overdraft.

4) Deaths related to synthetic drug abuse are reported in Kerala too, according to mental health experts. According to a study by the Society for the Study of Addiction, drug abuse-related deaths were reported among youths in the age group of 25 to 34.

Heart attack is the leading cause of death in most people. Other causes are accidents, suicide, and murder. Such deaths reportedly happen within five years of addiction.

That's not all, the drug mafia is reportedly selling fake chemical substances in Kerala that cause more serious health problems than actual drugs.

This was revealed during the tests conducted on seized chemical substances. Even some of the ganja seized in Kerala was found to be fake during tests.

5) The Emmy awards, the highest honors in television, were handed out at a live ceremony in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday morning (Indian time). The third season of the HBO drama 'Succession' secured the best drama series award at the 74th annual Television Academy Awards. Best Comedy Series award was secured by 'Ted Lasso' 'The White Lotus' won the Best Limited or Anthology Series. The Best Comedy Actor is Jason Sudeikis for 'Ted Lasso' and Best Comedy Actress: Jean Smart for 'Hacks'. Lee Jung-jae of 'Squid Game' won the Best Drama Actor while Best Drama Actress was bagged by Zendaya for 'Euphoria. 

That brings us to the end of this episode. Be sure to come back tomorrow. As always, thanks for listening to Daily News Dose