367 Addicts Die Monthly in Iran - 2003-12-23

The Secretary General of Iran's Drug Control Headquarters stated that the number of deaths due to substance abuse has increased from 105 in 1994 to 3,158 in 2002, with 1,834 deaths recorded in the first five months of 2003. Ali Hashemi, in an interview with ISNA, noted that the increase in deaths from substance abuse in 2002 compared to 1994 has risen 30-fold, describing this growth as very concerning and significant. He added that from 1994 to 2003, there have been 13,000 cases of deaths caused by drugs. Hashemi also highlighted the annual costs associated with drugs in Iran, stating that the total damages from all direct and indirect costs related to drug use and combating drug issues amount to approximately 4,300 to 4,500 billion tomans annually. Furthermore, he mentioned that there have been 2.7 million arrests of addicts over the past two decades, with a tenfold increase in prisoners, half of whom are related to drug offenses. In 1979, with a population of about 38 million, there were 8,557 prisoners, equating to 23 prisoners per 100,000 people. By 2002, with a population of 65.5 million, this number rose to 156,000, or 239 prisoners per 100,000 people, with at least 50% of them, or around 80,000 to 90,000, being drug-related prisoners. Experts believe that the widespread poverty, corruption, severe frustration, and social laxity in Iran are among the main factors contributing to the alarming increase in drug consumption.