ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s national security advisor on Monday warned against the increasing rate of drug abuse in the country, claiming that the drug phenomenon is “important and dangerous”.
Attending a conference on the phenomenon of drugs in Iraq, National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji said that the drug phenomenon in Iraq is an old phenomenon, but its pace has recently escalated, targeting the youth”.
Defining the increasing rate of drug abuse as “dangerous”, Araji said that the solution lies at “concerted efforts to confront the danger of drug spread, through community awareness campaigns”.
Iraq has seen an increase in drug trafficking and use. Numbers have been on the rise since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, despite strict measures taken by the Iraqi government to curb the phenomenon.
The Iraqi General Directorate of Narcotics Control in June said it had arrested more than 20,000 drug users and seized millions of narcotic pills and more than 500,000 kilos of psychotropic substances during the last two years and a half.
The directorate in September said it had seized about 300 kilograms of narcotics and millions of tablets in the first eight months of the year.
Over 1,350 people were arrested for dealing and using drugs in August only.
The directorate arrested two health workers in Basra for drug dealing late August.
Attending a conference on the phenomenon of drugs in Iraq, National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji said that the drug phenomenon in Iraq is an old phenomenon, but its pace has recently escalated, targeting the youth”.
Defining the increasing rate of drug abuse as “dangerous”, Araji said that the solution lies at “concerted efforts to confront the danger of drug spread, through community awareness campaigns”.
Iraq has seen an increase in drug trafficking and use. Numbers have been on the rise since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, despite strict measures taken by the Iraqi government to curb the phenomenon.
The Iraqi General Directorate of Narcotics Control in June said it had arrested more than 20,000 drug users and seized millions of narcotic pills and more than 500,000 kilos of psychotropic substances during the last two years and a half.
The directorate in September said it had seized about 300 kilograms of narcotics and millions of tablets in the first eight months of the year.
Over 1,350 people were arrested for dealing and using drugs in August only.
The directorate arrested two health workers in Basra for drug dealing late August.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment