Iranian authorities launch a new website on primary drug use prevention
As part of their fight against drugs, the Iranian authorities launched in 2011 a new website on drug use prevention (Pishgiri Novin:
www.pishgirinovin.com). Primary drug use prevention is considered one of the most important measures to promote the non-use of drugs in society. The website, which contains a wide range of drug related information in Farsi, was developed by the Ministry of Sciences, Research and Technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran in cooperation with the Drug Control Headquarters and the Counseling Center of Tehran University. This innovative initiative aims at enhancing the public's knowledge on drugs and targets a diverse audience in Iran but also in other Farsi speaking countries of the region.
The website contains general information on drugs including related national legislation, articles and researches, posters and brochures intended for different groups and meant to promote information dissemination and enhance the level of knowledge of professors, teachers, university and school students in the field of drug use prevention; provide information and educational resources for experts, parents and general population; share the best international drug use prevention practices and the latest drug use prevention strategies and models; and act as a platform for drug use prevention experts to exchange their experiences in the field.
In the framework of its Country Programme 2011-2014, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the Islamic Republic of Iran has been supporting the country's efforts to prevent the use of drugs. In line with the national policies, UNODC Iran compiled in 2010 and 2011 two comprehensive training packages on "Drug and HIV/AIDS prevention for drug abusers' spouses" and "Drug prevention among high-risk students in schools". These packages were published in the Pishgiri Novin website and can be downloaded by the academia, experts and general population.