Given narcotics, dealers start getting tough (7)
I believe the answer is:
drugged
'given narcotics' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both related to consumption as well as being past participle verbs.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'dealers start getting tough' is the wordplay.
'dealers start' becomes 'd' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'getting' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'tough' becomes 'rugged' (similar in meaning).
'd'+'rugged'='DRUGGED'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for drugged that I've seen before include "knocked out" , "Anaesthetised" .)