UN Envoy Praises Iran's Campaign Against Narcotic Drugs

Tehran, Dec 3, IRNA -- Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Iran Antonio De Leo said on Sunday that Iran is the most progressive state in the world in terms of promoting addiction rehabilitation using the medicare method of methadone maintenance treatment. De Leo told officials of Iran's drugs control headquarters that enforcement of addiction treatment programs, extensive and integrated involvement of non-governmental organizations in addiction treatment, implementation of the comprehensive document on early prevention of addiction and using sports for addiction recovery have been among good measures Iran has taken for treating and preventing addiction. He said the methadone maintenance treatment method has been among the most successful methods for controlling HIV spread in Iran. Based on statistics released by the prison organization, the HIV spread rate has dropped to 1.4 from 3.6 percent using the treatment method. He said Iran can serve as a model country for many other countries in cutting drugs demand. He added that his office plans to help the Drugs Control Headquarters in establishing a network of non-governmental organizations in the region to acquaint groups of other countries with the measures Iran has taken , thus helping them apply the expertise in their countries. Iran lies on a major drug route between Afghanistan and Europe, as well as the Persian Gulf states. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian police have lost more than 3,720 of their personnel in the country's combat against narcotics. According to official estimates, Iran's battle against drugs cost the country around $1 billion annually. Strategies pursued by Tehran include digging canals, building barriers and installing barbed wire to seal the country's borders, specially in the East./end