But health workers say there, too, the numbers are clearly large and growing. Many of these countries now face the challenge of coping with addiction to narcotics for the first time on a mass scale. And, so far, their responses have varied from efforts to raise public awareness of the problem to denial that any such problem exists. The Islamic Republic, which in the past has considered an addict a criminal, in recent years has been re-thinking its policy and stressing prevention and treatment instead. Signs of the change in Iran are a de-emphasis of sweeps for addicts, and a rapid growth of public and private treatment clinics advertised in the media.
Addicts can seek treatment programs voluntarily or be referred by courts.
And anonymous hot-lines have been set up for advice over the telephone. He told the Persian Service's Golnaz Esfandiari that local authorities are issuing public information brochures to families to raise awareness among children of the dangers of narcotics. At the same time, Tehran has plans to rehabilitate addicts within its prison population. If this succeeds, then they would transfer all addicted prisoners to these camps. We have to see how these camps will function.