Tehran – The 17th Addict Science Conference, held at Iranian Medical University in Tehran, focuses on the importance of appropriate organizations and synergies to tackle drug-related issues and identify addiction as a major social issue.
Observed from February 12th to 14th, the event brought together academics and practitioners. It served as an excellent platform to share the latest findings and benefit from numerous contributions from other scholars from different disciplines and approaches.
During the opening session of Parliament, representatives of non-governmental and governmental organizations highlighted the progress made over the years and pointed out the challenges facing efforts to curb addiction, the UN Iran website announced in a March 3 press release.
Parliamentary Chairman, Professor Mohammad Tagi Jogatae, made his opening remarks and thanked the participants who attended the Parliament. Congress’s Secretary of Science, Ramin Radoffer praised the efforts of Iranian scholars and encouraged up-and-coming scholars to carry out more research on addiction. Nadar Tabakoli, dean of the Iranian Medical University, and Mohammad Rayzaday, president of the Iranian Medical Council, also welcomed participants, highlighting the important role healthcare professionals play in reducing addiction in the country.
Brigadier General Hossein Zolfahari, executive director of Iran’s Drug Management Headquarters (DCHQ), reflected his early experience in addiction treatment and acknowledged the complexity of drug-related issues beyond cultivation and human trafficking. He emphasized the need to utilize all the expertise and experience available to effectively contain drug addiction.
Zolfaghari also called for the establishment of a knowledge hub and network of national addiction to share valuable insights. He highlighted the evolving nature of drug production and human trafficking, including increased global addiction rates, illegal trade on social media, and the need for measurable and effective interventions.
Emphasizing the importance of both national and international experience, he noted that innovation and diverse treatment approaches are extremely important. He highlighted the importance of appropriate organizations and synergies in addressing drug-related issues, identifying addiction as a major social issue.
Finally, he outlines the need for strategic policymaking and structured implementation, in line with the Seventh Development Plan and the Supreme Leader’s directives to enhance addiction prevention, treatment and management.
Deputy Health Minister Alileza Reisi announced the establishment of a specialist centre for poisoning prevention, highlighting the importance of teaching health skills in schools to reduce long-term risks. He highlighted the potential role of 35,000 health centers across the country in addressing the issue. He emphasized the need to prioritize at-risk individuals, such as children of addicted parents, and sought innovative and effective preventive models for limited resources. Dr. Raeisi advocated early intervention, highlighting the need for harm reduction along with addiction treatment.
Iran has 1,383 rehabilitation centres supporting around 300,000 affected individuals, but Javad Hosseini, head of the state welfare agency, emphasized the translation of scientific evidence into operational approaches and policies. He advocated education, culturalization, skill building and community-based initiatives primarily targeting high-risk groups.
He also called for reforms to welfare policy and secured employment support for rehabilitated individuals. Hosseini added that state welfare organisations will launch major community-based programs and leverage schools, professional associations and self-help groups to tackle addiction through grassroots engagement, particularly among women and young people.
Alexander Federov, the head of the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the Islamic Republic of Iran, highlights the key findings of the UNODC World Drug Report 2024, saying that 292 million people worldwide use illegal drugs and 64 million suffer from substance use disorders. He emphasized that addiction has a serious impact on health and well-being. This highlights that the most vulnerable groups, including women, youth and marginalized groups, support the greatest burden.
Substance use disorders impose significant social costs, including medical costs, reduced productivity and legal challenges. Fedulov highlighted that, like other chronic diseases such as HIV, scientific research has established drug addiction as the complex health problem best addressed within the public health system.
He emphasized the importance of evidence-based treatments and harm reduction programs, such as methadone maintenance therapy. The formula reaffirmed UNODC’s commitment to supporting Iran’s Drug Management Headquarters in the development of a comprehensive drug policy.
Fedulov welcomed the 17th Addict Science Conference as a valuable platform for developing a comprehensive public health-centric strategy to share knowledge and address drug use. He highlighted UNODC’s openness to cooperation and advancement in drug policy analysis to enhance treatment and rehabilitation efforts.
The ASC provided the opportunity to share the latest scientific discoveries to government and non-governmental organizations, academics, researchers, students, therapists, and top decision makers and officials of self-help groups aimed at advances in knowledge management for domestic addiction interventions.
Iran’s UNODC has always supported the Iranian scientific community to better understand this issue and guide policymakers to make decisions that support science.
The UNODC set up an information booth in the parliamentary region, explained to participants about their work in Iran, and distributed scientific and correspondence materials to students, academics and experts.
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