Easy money gives Kolkata high BPO

Kolkata: The drug scene is moving from parties to workplace in the city, and the problem is becoming a big headache for BPOs.

Rehabilitation centres in Kolkata are increasingly being asked to treat former BPO workers. A sizeable chunk of them are former call centre employees, whose job contracts were terminated because of drug abuse at workplace.

But why are these youngsters getting hooked to drugs? "To earn my living and sustain my drug addiction I went to call centres. Because it's easy money and they really don't care whether you are into addiction or not. Basically it's a hub for drug addicts," says a former BPO employee.

"Some people do it because they want to be hip and happening, some people do out of curiosity and some people might be doing it out of work stress and some for more personal reasons. But the majority of them—from what I have seen is—they do it because every body is doing it so why shouldn't I do it," says a former BPO professional and recovering addict.

Drug addiction in Kolkata's call centres has reached such proportions that more and more NGOs are now focusing their attention on addicts from call centres.

"We are designing a programme and are planning to work with the call centres in future. We'll work with them," says Raj Kapoor, Project Director, De-addiction Centre.

In the serpentine lanes of Kolkata, where drugs are bought and sold freely, people consume adulterated concoction.

The effect of these substances laced

with toxic chemicals are reportedly much worse than the real stuff.

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