6/25/00 Tehran consumes 5 tons of opium everyday

Feature story Bahar daily, 25 June 2000

While the production, distribution and consumption of narcotics is soaring in neighboring countries, no serious solution has been adopted by the authorities yet. Meanwhile authorities have announced that each year 200 people lose their lives in the struggle against drugs. According to unofficial information, the consumption of drugs and particularly opium amounts to five tons a day, which is a considerable figure in comparison with other countries. A report shows that there are 1.2 million drug addicts in Iran, 70 percent of whom are married. The ministry of education identified 78.480 students who are in danger of drug addiction and smuggling or sexual abuse. Deputy foreign minister Sayyed Ali Mousavi said: "After a long time during which, drug addiction was dealt with as a crime, not only the number of addicts did not fall, but negative results were achieved. Now the addicts can refer to private rehabilitation centers without being prosecuted." "More than 80 percent of the total smuggled opium is seized in Iran. So far 3,000 forces have been killed in clashes with drug smugglers, and hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on measures to prevent the transit of drugs though Iran," he added. A drug expert holds that in any case the number of drug addicts in Iran will not drop, because the country is on the way of drug traffic. This expert who did not wish to be named added: "Many countries have found a proper solution to this problem. For example, they take delivery of the drugs from smugglers on the border, and deliver the cargo on the other border. Therefore the drugs are not distributed within the country, nor has anyone managed to create a market for drugs." He further said: "Considering the enormous turnover of the drug business, it is unlikely that anyone would find an appropriate solution. Reducing demand will not be efficient, because you will have to replace drugs with kinds of entertainment for the youth." Translated for payvand.com by Kaveh Basmenji kavbas@altavista.com