Member of Parliament: The Costs of Addiction in Iran Equal Total Development Budgets

The head of the Social Commission of Parliament stated that the 'cost of addiction' in Iran is equivalent to the 'total development budgets' of the country, noting that about 52% of addicts use traditional drugs and 26% consume crystal meth and synthetic drugs. According to a report on Saturday, March 8, from the 'House of the Nation' news agency affiliated with the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Abdolreza Azizi mentioned that approximately 1.3 million people in Iran are addicted. Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Iran's Minister of Interior, has previously announced the official number of addicts in Iran as 1.3 million, while also stating that unofficial statistics suggest the number exceeds three million. Azizi also indicated that around 52% of addicts in Iran use traditional drugs such as opium, while 26% consume crystal meth and synthetic drugs, with the remainder using other substances. Meanwhile, some Iranian officials have expressed concern over the increasing use of synthetic drugs in Iran. For instance, Alireza Jazini, Deputy Secretary of the Drug Control Headquarters, noted that in 2009, only 3% of addicts consumed crystal meth, but by 2014, this figure had risen to 26%. The head of the Social Commission also mentioned that the number of smokers in Iran is between 10 to 13 million, adding that 'the money spent on cigarettes and treating their side effects is about 10 trillion tomans.' According to Azizi, approximately 7 trillion tomans are spent annually on 'crystal meth' and about 14 trillion tomans on other drugs. He added, 'The total annual figures amount to about 30 trillion tomans; meanwhile, the costs of combating drugs and preventing addiction should also be added to this figure, resulting in a very high total.' He stated that the development budget of Iran in 2014 was around 35 trillion tomans. The statements of the head of the Social Commission come after the Minister of Interior mentioned on June 20 of this year that the financial turnover related to drugs was 'three billion dollars,' equivalent to '10 trillion tomans.' Alireza Jazini also reported on January 7 that the damages caused by the production and consumption of drugs in Iran amounted to 10 trillion tomans, with 47% of this damage affecting consumers, 24% the government, and 29% society. In this context, doubts have been raised by some Iranian officials regarding the effectiveness of the death penalty in combating drug trafficking, with reports indicating that '20% of workers in industrial environments use drugs.' Additionally, '300,000 individuals' were arrested in connection with drugs over a period of 10 months in Iran. The Minister of Interior stated that drug money has entered the political arena, leading to calls for his presence in Parliament regarding 'the entry of drug money into elections.' Furthermore, '39,000 deaths over 10 years' have been attributed to substance abuse.