As many as 54 people including 12 women died due to substance abuse in Mizoram last year with heroin being the main killer drug, according to the records of the state excise and narcotics department.
Heroin claimed at least 27 lives, while the rest died due to misuse of multiple drugs last year, the records said.
State excise and narcotics department officials said that 12.5 kg of heroin was seized in 2019.
At least 3,254 people, including 35 foreigners were arrested in drugs and alcohol related issues last year, they said.
"Until 2015, clinical drugs like spasmo proxyvon and parvon spas (prominent pain-killers) caused maximum drug- related deaths in the state. With increasing supply of heroin from Myanmar and neighbouring states, it has become main killer drug," officials said.
Mizoram, which is sandwiched between Myanmar and Bangladesh, has been grappling with drug abuse since 1984. The hilly state shares 820 km international border with these two countries.
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The state government is making massive effort to curb the menace, the officials said.
The government has also decided to introduce a chapter on drug abuse from the new academic session of 2020-2021.
Excise and narcotics department's data showed at least 1,578 people, including 184 women have died of drug abuse in Mizoram since 1984 when the first drug-related death due to heroin was reported in the state.