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Nationwide drug prevention measures in the I.R. of Iran
Project Number: IRNI55
Title: "Nationwide drug prevention measures in the I.R. of Iran"
Background:
I.R. of Iran is located along one of the major drug trafficking routes. Its neighbour, Afghanistan, is widely known as the main producer of opiates for the global market. Historically, I.R. of Iran has been a society predisposed towards drug abuse. The 1980s saw extensive population dislocation and the psychological impacts of post-war traumas with other transformations in the Iranian society. Additionally a baby boom transformed the population pyramid into an extremely young majority (over 60% of the population are under the age of 30). These social and psychological patterns acted as precursors to addiction.
Iranian Health authorities report that lowering of the mean age of drug abuse is becoming a serious health challenge. Iran has the highest opiate consumption prevalence rate worldwide with 2.8% of its population aged 15-64 using opiates. The mean age at which hashish consumption is commenced is about 18.9 years and for opiates, 22-24 years. About a quarter of those persons in I.R. of Iran who begin to use opiates have at least one close family member who also abuses opiates. Preliminary reports indicate a rise in the abuse of amphetamine type stimulants (ATS), particularly among Iranian youth. Drug abuse is also a problem in prisons, linked to the individual and social stresses of incarceration.
Drugs and Women
There is preliminary evidence indicating increase in proportion of women using drugs in Iran. Due to social and gender issues, drug use among women is usually accompanied with additional magnitude of personal, familial and social harms compared to men.
Drugs and HIV
Drug use is closely interlinked with HIV. According to statistics of the Iranian Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education about 60% of the HIV transmission in the country is related to injecting drug use. Some studies illustrate higher prevalence of HIV infection not only among injecting drug users but even among non-injecting drug users in contrast to the general population, which further emphasises the value of primary drug prevention beside other measures of HIV control. In recent years a concerning trend of increased use of hard drugs seems becoming evident.
New Drugs
According to reports from drug demand reduction authorities and experts, treatment centres and NGOs, purified heroin is entering the illegal drug market under various misleading brandings. Drugs traded in the illegal market under brandings like
"crack" (heroin) and
"norgesic" (usually contains Buprenorphine, however name used to sell heroin at street level) proved to contain purified heroin according to some preliminary examinations. These products seem to be vigorously marketed among the youth and women, who were not heroin users traditionally.
Executive Summary:
The project: IRNI55- "Nationwide drug prevention measures in the I.R. of Iran" - Phase I, will be implemented in the I. R. of Iran in 36 months period. The second phase could further strengthen and intensify impact of the envisaged outputs of project's Phase I.
The project will be striving to achieve the main result of: "Enhancing national capacity to prevent drug abuse" as reflected in the UNODC Strategy 2008-2011. This project is part of the Strategic Programme Framework (SPF) of UNODC Iran which contributes to the development of effective prevention, treatment and rehabilitation measures in drug abuse and HIV/AIDS in I.R. of Iran.
Drug use exhibits a serious problem in Iran affecting communities, schools, workplaces and families. A concerning trend of intensifying drug use among youth and especially young women together with the introduction of new and more harmful drugs is visible in the country. Lowering of the mean age of drug abuse is becoming a serious health challenge.
Drug use is closely interlinked with HIV. Some studies illustrate higher prevalence of HIV infection not only among injecting drug users but even among non-injecting drug users. Drug abuse is also a problem in prisons. Although many stakeholders in drug prevention in Iran have acquired knowledge in tackling social challenges of drug use and have taken certain steps in drug prevention, however, the yardstick of national drug prevention measures indicates that prevention oriented programmes and activities have occurred in a rather isolated fashion.
Accordingly, the objective of the present project is the strategic strengthening of drug prevention measures in Iran. Improvement, systematisation, coordination and launching of effective drug prevention measures in the country, is the envisaged outcome of the project.
The implementing outputs of the project encompass launching drug prevention activities in relevant settings and the introduction of a monitoring and evaluation mechanism for drug prevention:
- Drug preventive measures launched in the community;
- Increased general awareness among youth and high risk groups, particularly spouses and children of drug users, about HIV and drugs through the mass media, NGOs and research institutes; - Drug prevention campaign launched in the education system; - Drug prevention initiatives launched in the workplace; - Drug prevention measures improved in the prison system; - Establishment of a monitoring and evaluation system in drug prevention activities. The Drug Control Headquarters of I.R. of Iran will assist in ensuring coordination and timely implementation of project activities. Technical expertise will be obtained from Iranian and international experts and organisations involved in drug prevention activities whenever deemed appropriate. UNODC Iran will further consult with relevant UNODC Country and Regional Offices and Vienna Headquarters to ensure coordination and to maximise the impact of project activities. Close coordination with other relevant UN agencies will be ensured as well. IRNI55 Project Objective: Strategic strengthening of drug prevention measures in Iran Target Groups: · Students · Youth · High risk children and adolescents · Communities · Employees · Family members of drug users · Prisoners · NGOs and CSOs · Drug prevention experts · Mass media experts · Relevant research institutes and organizations · Relevant training centers Envisaged Outcome: Improvement, systematization, coordination and launching of effective drug prevention measures in the country: Governmental and non-governmental organizations working conjointly within a coherent and coordinated strategic context on prevention measures; Increased knowledge on evidence-based preventive measures that will allow relevant national stakeholders to carry out prevention activities more accurately; Defined monitoring and evaluation capacities will be in place, enabling assessment of the general impact of activities; A high coverage of preventive activities that will affect prevailing attitudes and opinions among the general public, in particular youth, about drug use; More effective life skills will be conveyed to large groups of the general public, especially youth, together with the enhancement of coping strategies and the utilization of alternative behaviors to drug use. IRNI55 Project Strategies: · Promoting cross-fertilization · Awareness raising · Capacity building · Research and evaluation initiatives
Output 1: Establishment of a Project Management Unit in the UNODC Office in Tehran- Iran Output 2: Drug preventive measures launched in the community Output 3: Increased general awareness among youth and high risk groups, particularly spouses and children of drug users, about HIV and drugs through the mass media, NGOs and research institutes Output 4: Drug prevention campaign launched in the education system Output 5: Drug prevention initiatives launched in the workplace Output 6: Drug prevention measures improved in the prison system Output 7: Establishment of a monitoring and evaluation system in drug prevention activities | |||||||||
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