Iran burns 56 tons of Illicit Drugs on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
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"Youth are the first victims of drug trafficking" said H.E. Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran in a message to the conference for the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking held in Tehran. The message was read by H.E. Mr. Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, Minister of Interior and Secretary General of Drug Control Head Quarters.
 President Rouhani said that this was a good opportunity to raise awareness about the harms of drug abuse as well as to draw up effective strategies against drug trafficking and abuse. Iran is neighbor to Afghanistan which is a major source of drug production and this has harmed Iran in terms of both drug trafficking and abuse. He urged the international community to consider the following points:
1. Paying attention to alternative livelihoods in the main areas used for drug production with the support of the international community. 2. Increasing cooperation to prevent illicit drug related money laundering 3. The principle of joint responsibility in providing technical assistance to countries, such as Iran that is located on major drug transit trafficking routes as well as the exchange of operational information. 4. Transfer of collective experiences in reducing demands for narcotics and to raise awareness about their harms. The Interior Minister said that the campaign against drug trafficking and abuse can be promoted if various countries and specifically the UN and international bodies expand their effective and useful cooperation. 
Mr. Leik Boonwaat, UNODC Representative to the IR of Iran, read the message of the UNODC's Executive Director, Mr. Yury Fedotov, for this occasion. The message states that robust action is needed to strengthen criminal justice systems to address criminal networks that deal in misery and suffering and to nurture health and human rights based responses. It is important to understand that drug use is a social and health condition that requires sustained prevention, treatment and care. Access to evidence based prevention and treatment can be the difference between life and death. Only one in six people who use drugs globally have access to treatment and only one in five users in treatment are women although one in three drug users globally are women.
Opium cultivation in Afghanistan remains a formidable challenge as is the production of cocaine in Latin America. Countries must work hard to protect the promise of future generations. The UN General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem to be held in April 2016 can assist in helping to achieve the goals of the Political Declaration and Plan of Action. Certificates of acknowledgement and gifts were presented to the widows and families of service men who gave their lives in fighting armed drug traffickers as well as to servicemen who had been disabled. 
UNODC has been in the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1999 and has supported programs to address the serious drug problem. The IR of Iran has many successful drug treatment and HIV prevention programs. It is a leading country in the region providing harm reduction services to many needy persons. There are over 750,000 persons receiving treatment. Oral Substitution Therapy including Methadone and Buprenorphine maintenance therapy is widely available. Harm reduction packages are available in prisons and for some of the most vulnerable communities. Non Government and civil society organizations are actively involved in providing drug demand reduction and harm reduction services in the IR of Iran. |
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