|
Oxytocin is a hormone
secreted and stored by the posterior pituitary gland which causes the
womb to contract. An octapeptide, one of the major hormones made in the
magnocellular hypothalamic neurones and stored in the posterior lobe of
the pituitary, it has uterine-contracting and milk-ejecting actions. It
contributes to the second stage of labour. Natural oxytocin causes milk
to be ejected from the breasts during lactation, the amount of oxytocin
produced naturally, however, does not stimulate labour.
In order to duplicate
the hormone and create an artificial drug Oxytocin (Syntocinon) was developed
by Vincent du Vigneaud. It was first synthesised in 1953.
When synthetic oxytocin
or Oxytocin (Syntocinon) is infused in large amounts, it causes the smooth
muscle in the wall of the uterus to contract and initiates the process
of labour. Smooth-muscle cells in the uterus contain proteins that bind
specifically to oxytocin; the number of these oxytocin receptors increase
during late pregnancy.
Oxytocin (Syntocinon)
is a very potent artifical hormone and its use in labour is intended to
mimic the natural hormone. It is administered intramuscularly or by intravenous
infusion to induce active labour, increase the force of contractions in
labour, contract uterine muscles after delivery of the
placenta, control postpartum haemorrhage and stimulate milk ejection.
The manufacturers of
this drug are emphatic in their advice that this hormone is to be used
only in emergencies and that it should only be administered by a qualified
gynaecologist. Any error in the administration of the drug can lead to
the rupture of the uterus forever because high titration can cause hyper
tonus (excessive contraction of the womb), and in rare cases, rupture
of the womb. Oxytocin predisposes the newborn baby to jaundice. Oxytocin
also reduces the supply of oxygen to the baby's brain.
Your milkman uses the
very same oxytocin injection twice a day to extract milk from his animals.
This is a locally made cheap product known as veterinary oxytocin. (Oxytocin
for humans is priced at Rs. 15 per ampule while veterinary oxytocin is
priced at Rs. 0.50 per ampule).
Greedy dairymen inject
cattle with veterinary Oxytocin in the mistaken belief that this produces
more milk when all it does is make the milk come faster. It is used to
force the cow to give milk even after severe beatings and stress. However
it destroys the cow's reproductive system and she goes dry in just 3 years.
She is then abandoned. Cows are kept permanently pregnant so that they
continue to lactate- the dairymen do not want the calf, only the milk
so these calves too are either killed or abandoned.
Any mother would
know the kind of pain experienced during labour. The cow experiences the
same pain twice a day.
A substantial part of
the oxytocin injected into the cow seeps into the milk. It is very harmful
for humans who unwittingly are made to consume an artificially created
hormone. Humans face all the harmful effects of this drug. Children are
most susceptible to its effects and it is known to have caused imbalanced
hearing and weak eyesight. Common symptoms are exhaustion and loss of
energy. Expecting mothers should avoid milk that may has been adulterated
with oxytocin because:
- Oxytocin increases
the risk of post-partum haemorrhage
- Individual women
may be hypersensitive to oxytocin and it can inhibit breastfeeding.
- Oxytocin seriously
affects the growth of hormones especially in females because of which
minor girls attain early puberty.
Oxytocin is also found
in phenomenal proportions in beef and other meat. Over 75% of all beef
are known to have high and dangerous oxytocin content.
The Government of India
has acknowledged the negative effects of oxytocin and has declared it
as a scheduled substance. It is illegal under the Food and Drug
Adulteration Prevention
Act to give these injections without the advice of a gynaecologist. It
is certainly illegal for animals.
Even the supporters
of this drug are very clear regarding one fact, oxytocin is a hormone
and to induce even one dose of a hormone into the human body is dangerous.
Oxytocin is a schedule
H-drug that means that it cannot be bought or sold without a prescription.
This makes its use by dairies illegal. It is specifically banned under
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 section 12 of and the Foods
and Drug Adulteration Prevention Act, 1960. Therefore, the laws already
exist. What is required now is efiective local enforcement.
But it is the lack
of enforcement which is responsible for its widespread use. Most reports
have shown the absolute failure of enforcement authorities to prevent
the drug from being freely available and used.
It is a fact that almost
every dairy and milkman in India uses the oxytocin injection on his cow.
Oxytocin can be procured for as little as 25 paise from local shops and
chemists. Some states that have a significant role in its illegal production
and distribution are Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The Department of the
Drug Controller, Delhi, claims it has no information of any manufacturing
unit of oxytocin operating in
the city. However Rohtak is said to be the prime area of illegal manufacture
of oxytocin coming into Delhi. Following press reports and articles on
the misuse of oxytocin by dairymen, the Drug Control department claims
to have wiped out major distribution networks over the last one year.
However, the content of our milk tells a different story.
Veterinary Oxytocin
is not only available at retail outlets; it can be purchased in wholesale
in markets of Bhogal, Azadpur Mandi, Chandni Chowk and Chandrawal amongst
others. It is true however, that following media awareness of this issue,
the dealers are more guarded and sell only to known customers or after
detailed enquires.
Another problem is
the eagerness of the animal husbandry department to promote the use of
oxytocin injections. From their point of view oxytocin would lead to quicker
milking of underfed cows as well as increase the production of meat from
abandoned calves. Although the department now has issued directives stating
that no one should use oxytocin without the necessary prescription, the
directive does not in any way state that use of oxytocin for milking is
illegal and harmful. As a matter of fact, the animal husbandary department
is not quite convinced of the harmful effects of oxytocin. They have stated
that nothing conclusive has been established as yet on this issue.
When two government
departments are working at cross-purposes, it is hard to hope for an early
solution anytime soon. The situation
is similar, if not worse all over India and Delhi is simply a reflection
of the rest of the country.
It is difficult to get
the government to take the initiative. The best way to combat this problem
is to sensitise the public. Once people are aware and demand action against
its use, the authorities will be forced to act and take notice.
So your society must
start directing your work towards dairymen and chemists. There are several
ways you or your group can help to do this:
- Go to all the dairies
and the chemists in your area with a copy of the laws (Section 12 of the
PCA, 1960) as well as the notification declaring oxytocin a prescription
drug. Inform them of the consequences of their continued use and that
you will not hesitate to report them to the police. Should the charge
be substantiated, the proprietor shall be liable to lose his license as
a pharmacist and shopkeeper in addition to criminal charges with punishment
of up to 5 years in prison. Most of these laws shall also apply to the
milkman using the drug.
- Inform the police
stations in the area of the problem and enlist their support. Show them
the relevant Acts and sections and urge them to lodge a FIR. It can be
lodged under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, Food and
Consumable Substances Adulteration Act, and
the Drug Control Laws. As oxytocin leads to abandonment of calves or transporting
them to slaughter the offenders can also be booked under the Prevention
of Cow Slaughter Acts. Most are cognizable offences and arrests can follow
immediately after filing of the FIR.
- Contact the local
media and ask them to take the issue up as a campaign by featuring regular
articles on the dangers of oxytocin to human health. Furnish them with
this information based on your research. Give them photographs of this
drug being sold and administered. Request them to cover your campaign
against oxytocin.
- You can also print
and distribute flyers on the subject explaining the relationship of what
is injected into the cow's body and the milk that she produces. You should
address women's groups and schools. Once consumers realise the danger
that oxytocin poses to their own health, they will join the movement to
stop its use in our dairies.
- Meet the Municipal
Commissioner in this regard and see what help he can provide. Maybe you
can get a directive from him to all chemist stores warning them against
selling oxytocin without a proper prescription.
- It is the responsibility
of the Drug Controller to enforce these laws. You must contact the area
Drug Controller with details
and names of all chemists and dairies selling and administering oxytocin.
You may insist on being present during the raids.
- If the drug inspector
is ineffective, tackle the problem from the other end - raid dairies and
if you find evidence like needles and syringes file an FIR against them
with the police. Send the name and address of the drug inspector who is
not performing his job to his superiors so that action will be taken.
- Oraganise raiding teams that will visit dairies on a regular basis.
Look for evidence such as used syringes and discarded vials. Ask locals
from where they get their milk and whether they have seen milkmen using
injections. Use this as evidence to file a FIR in the closest police station.
- Get a vet to accompany you on your visit to the dairies to explain to
milkmen the damage they cause to the cow by using oxytocin and how she
will go dry in just 3 years, which will cause enormous loss to them. Also
make sure that they understand that oxytocin does not cause the production
of more milk but only makes it rush out faster. The only way to increase
the milk yield is to feed and rest the cow properly. - Similarly, find
a sympathetic/co-operative police officer that will accompany your group
to the chemists in the area and inform them that all sale of oxytocin is forbidden
without a doctor's prescription. Tell them that oxytocin has been declared
a schedule H drug vide notificaiton by GSR 282 (E) dated 16.7.1996 w.e.f.
16.7.19196 Warn them that any violation will be prosecuted by your organisation.
File complaints against
any chemist store that is selling oxytocin without prescription with the
Food & Drug Department.
|
