It was the look of the 90s for models like Kate Moss, but could it be that the onset of wealth brings with it a demand for “cool” drugs?

The latest round of overdoses in Mumbai, India means the question should be asked.

Several high profile stars have recently taken accidental overdoses of “lifestyle drugs” in Mumbai - a category of narcotics that includes heroin, cocaine, ecstacy and acid.

According to this article in the India News paper, the growth the the use of such drugs is “rampant” on the party circuit of India’s wealthier cities. The demand for them among India’s newly wealthy is what is driving cartels from South America and China to increase their activity in India as well as the lucrative western markets.

The question of whether this phenomenon is part of India’s overall growing economic prosperity is therefore something that needs to be raised. Is a rise in recreational drug use simply part of a wealthy society?

With the rise and rise of India’s economy, it remains to be seen if the tide of recreational drugs can be cut off, but if the profit is there to be made, then it doesn’t look good. If the flow of drugs is to be cut off, then a radically different approach to that taken by western countries would seem logical, considering the lack of success in those countries.

Perhaps, removing the image of the drugs as being part of “the scene” would be a good place to start. Attack the demand, and the supply will dry up automatically.