TEHRAN - To mark “International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking” Tehran Times took the opportunity to conduct an exclusive interview with Leik Boonwaat, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime representative in Iran.

“Iran has paid a very heavy price in addressing the drug problem,” Boonwaat says.

Following is the full text of the interview:

Q: Would you please express your idea on the long-term strategy of Iran in the campaign against drug trade originating from Afghanistan?

A: Neighboring Afghanistan accounts for the production of more than 80% of the illicit opium in the world. Globally the sale of illicit opiates generates an estimated $68 billion. The Islamic Republic of Iran is a victim of its geographical location and is a transit trafficking route for an estimated 145 tons of Afghan heroin in 2009. Much of this (an estimated 80%) was trafficked to the West. However, there is a significant spillover effect that has resulted in a serious drug abuse problem in Iran. An estimated 2.26 percent of Iran’s adult population or 1,325,000 persons are using illicit drugs.

UNODC supports IR of Iran in taking a long term strategic balanced approach to address this serious problem of illicit drugs utilizing community based approaches. This includes strengthening law enforcement and effective border control, developing appropriate criminal justice responses in line with the United Nations treaties and conventions on transnational organized crime and corruption, providing a holistic approach to prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of drug use as well as the prevention and care of HIV/AIDS, providing alternative development assistance to reduce opium production in Afghanistan as well as enhanced international and regional cooperation and support to research and trend analysis to enable informed policy and strategic decisions.

Q: Iran has been at the forefront of the war against drugs produced in Afghanistan since the former Soviet Union invaded the country in 1979. However, the EU and the United Nations have given little aid in the drug fight. Have you taken any steps or plan to take steps to convince the EU and the UN to give more aid to Iran?

A: The field of cooperation in counter narcotics and crime remains one important political field for which technical cooperation with IR of Iran is a common international interest. Iran is one of few countries to identify drug control in its United Nations Development Assistance Framework. Since I arrived in Tehran just under two years ago, UNODC has been working closely with the Mini Dublin Group of like minded countries in Tehran, to raise awareness and enable bridges for constructive dialogue. I greatly appreciate the field visit organized by the Drug Control Head Quarters to the Afghan-Iran border in June 2014. Representatives from 13 countries of the Mini-Dublin Group (MDG), including 7 Ambassadors, visited the Eastern border with Afghanistan at Iran's Khorasan Razavi Province. This enabled diplomats to see firsthand the threat of drugs faced by Iran, the responses available as well as the needs for more effectiveness. Other useful visits have also been organized to treatment and drop in centers in order to see the treatment and rehabilitation as well as harm reduction services provided. This included a visit to the Iranian National Centre for Addiction Studies (INCAS) in Tehran by H.E. Mr. Borge Brende, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway, during his official visit to IR of Iran in November 2014.

In consultation with the international community, UNODC together with the Iranian government has developed a new Country Partnership Programme from 2015-2019. This new programme has been designed to promote justice, health and sustainable development in addressing drugs and crime in Iran. It takes concrete steps to increasing aid and visibility in efforts against drugs and crime that are a threat not only to IR of Iran but also the entire world.


Q: Which measures should be adopted to further activate the NGOs to play their part in the anti-drug campaign?

A: There are over 1,200 NGOs reportedly working in the field of Drug Demand Reduction in Iran. Involving and encouraging NGOs to play their part in addressing the issues related to illicit drugs is an important element of a community-based approach that has been adopted by Iran’s government. The government has been providing these NGOs with important support and recognition. This has been instrumental in further activating the NGOs to play a useful and important role. For example, the NGO Rebirth Society has not only been very active in organizing drug demand reduction activities including drop in centers and harm reduction services in Iran. Rebirth Society has also played a key role in the establishment of the Asian Drug Demand Reduction/ Harm Reduction NGOs Association (ADNA) that brings together many NGOs from the Central Asia and West Asia region to jointly address drug demand reduction issues.

The IR of Iran has many successful drug treatment and HIV prevention programmes. It is a leading country in the region providing harm reduction services to many needy persons. There are over 750,000 persons receiving treatment including harm reduction services. Oral Substitution Therapy including Methadone and Buprenorphine maintenance therapy is widely available. Harm reduction packages are available in prisons and for some of the most vulnerable communities. Non-government and civil society organizations are actively involved in providing drug demand reduction and harm reduction services in Iran.


Q: Iran plans to replace opium poppy cultivation with certain cash crops. What role can your organization play in this regard?

A: Providing alternative development to opium poppy farmers in order to reduce opium poppy cultivation is crucial if opium elimination programmes are to be sustainable. UNODC has extensive experience in implementing and researching alternative development as part of a balanced approach strategy. In the new Country Partnership Programme for the Islamic Republic of Iran (2015-2019), the role of UNODC as an important partner with Iran in its efforts to replace opium poppy cultivation with alternative development measures is clearly highlighted. UNODC provides valuable support to create awareness of international standards and norms, valuable exchange of experiences and best practices, capacity building as well as enhancing international cooperation.

An international conference to exchange experiences on how neighboring countries can cooperate to provide alternative development assistance aimed at reducing illicit opium poppy cultivation is being planned to be held in Tehran in the near future.

Q: Which countries have honestly paid a heavy price in the fight against the drug problem in recent years?

A: The Islamic Republic of Iran has paid a very heavy price in addressing the drug problem. Over 3,700 officers have lost their lives fighting drug traffickers; over 10,000 officers have also been disabled. More than 1,325,000 persons are drug users and over 3,000 persons died of drug related causes in the previous year.

The authorities have seized over 500 tons of various drugs in 2014. This includes some 13,459 kg of heroin, 12,717 kg of morphine and 393,013 kg of opium. Iranian government should be commended for this achievement in preventing such large amounts of illicit drugs from affecting people not only in Iran but also other countries.

Q: Does the UN have any plans to take action against drug cartels and bandits in Afghanistan?

A: The UN works with member states to promote international cooperation through the UN conventions against transnational crime and corruption to take action against criminals.

This entails a comprehensive integrated approach that involves all levels of society to deal with traffickers, at the same time providing protection to those that are vulnerable.

The United Nations General Assembly special session on the world drug problem will be held in April 2016. Countries of the world will come together to share their knowledge and experiences to forge common solutions to the world’s drug problem.

Q: Would you please present the latest figures on production of narcotics and drug abuse in the world?

A: UNODC published its World Drug Report for 2015, on 26 June 2015. It is estimated that a total of 246 million people or 1 out of 20 people between the ages of 15 and 64 years used an illicit drug in 2013. More than 1 out of 10 drug users is a problem user, some 27 million people. About half (12 million) inject drugs and an estimated 1.65 million of those that inject drugs were living with HIV.

Global opium production reached 7,554 tons in 2014 from 6,810 tons in 2013, the second highest level since the late 1930s. Cocaine production continued to decline from an estimated 714 tons in 2012 to 662 tons in 2013. Cannabis use is increasing and continues to be high.

Methamphetamine use continues to be a very serious concern as well as the increasing use of new psychoactive substances especially amongst youth. There was an estimated 187,100 drug related deaths in 2013 worldwide. The Drug Control Head Quarters annual report states that there were 2,219 deaths from drug related causes in IR of Iran in 2013 compared to 3,056 in 2012.


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The Islamic Republic takes concrete steps to increasing aid and visibility in efforts against drugs and crime that are a threat not only to Iran but also the entire world.
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Involving and encouraging NGOs to play their part in addressing the issues related to illicit drugs is an important element of a community based approach that has been adopted by Iran’s government.
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Iranian government should be commended for this achievement in preventing such large amounts of illicit drugs from affecting people not only in Iran but also other countries.


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Over 3,700 (Iranian) officers have lost their lives fighting drug traffickers; over 10,000 officers have also been disabled. More than 1,325,000 persons are drug users and over 3,000 persons died of drug related causes in the previous year.



Caption: 56 tons of illicit drugs burnt on Saturday in Mashshad, northeast of Iran, on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
Photo by Saeid Goli/ Mehr