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 MIX Alprazolam and Romilar, and they could kill you.
They can also ruin your family, said Madam Ira (not her real name), who saw how her husband’s behaviour change when he started abusing the pills.
Her husband, who had been in remand after an alleged armed robbery, was released on bail earlier this month.
He allegedly committed the crime after taking several Romilar and Alprazolam pills at the same time, said Madam Ira.
Said the 35-year-old housewife: “I’m surprised it (the cocktail of pills) didn’t kill him.
“What he did was stupid. All for what? To rob another man of a cheap mobile phone?”
Her husband, Ali (not his real name), 40, had been buying the illegal pills from the syndicate at Golden Mile Complex since last September after being introduced by friends.
Used daughter
He often took along their six-year-old daughter to appear less suspicious.
The housewife soon began to notice a change in her husband. He became irritable and more talkative, said Madam Ira, who has another daughter aged 10.
When Ali was high, he would shout at his wife for asking him to do household chores.
The first sign of trouble came late last year when Ali was caught shoplifting. He was jailed eight weeks. She said: “When I asked him why he did it, he said he couldn’t remember. All he could remember was the voice in his head and the pills he took. I feel like crying every time this happens. Why does it have to happen to our family?”
After her husband was released from prison, he started consuming the pills again a few weeks later,
the wife said.
Madam Ira’s older sister, Madam Ida, 58, had also confronted him over his addiction.
She found the pills in Ali’s pocket after searching him.
Said Madam Ida: “He would often cry and beg for forgiveness after he sobered up. Deep down, we know he is a good person and a good father. But it’s hard for us to trust him because all too soon he would go back to his old ways.”
In March, Ali fell unconscious in his flat, apparently from an overdose. He was taken to a hospital.
Even while he was recovering, he apparently couldn’t resist shoplifting from a pushcart at the hospital, the sisters said.
The next day, he ran away before being discharged.
Said Madam Ira: “I was so fed-up that I told him that if he continued this way, it’s better for him to kill himself. He shouldn’t torment the family this way.”
Twice, he threatened to do so. Once, by cutting himself with a knife and another time by attempting to jump from a ninth storey flat where he was attending a religious function.
Madam Ira said she remembered screaming for help and holding on to her husband’s legs. Ali’s upper body was already over the railing.
It was a close call, but it wouldn’t be the last time he would run into trouble.
In May this year, Madam Ira said her husband allegedly robbed a foreigner after consuming large amounts of Alprazolam and Romilar.
Added Madam Ira: “I would rather he stay in jail because I don’t know what he is capable of when he takes those pills. He could murder someone and may not even recall what he did.”
Those who are addicted and need help can call the Institute of Mental Health’s All Addictions helpline at 6732 6837 or visit www.nams.sg for more information.
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