Until 2006, Iraq was considered relatively drug-free, but instability over the past 18 years has led to a dramatic increase in drug use. Recent data published last month reported 1,311 individuals incarcerated in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region alone, including 717 substance users and 594 drug dealers. This has led to increased efforts to combat drugs within the territory.

In the Kurdistan Region, on International Day Against Drug Abuse, the CDO organized an event to bolster local drug prevention mechanisms and introduce the Oviedo Declaration to the region. The event was attended by 142 participants from NGOs, judiciary authorities, government departments, and academia.

The event commenced with a speech by the CDO’s general director, emphasizing the importance of collective efforts in combating drug abuse, enhancing coordination, and strengthening links between local and international initiatives. Following this, the general director of reformatories in Iraqi Kurdistan Region presented data on reformatory efforts, highlighting that individuals with substance use disorders, by law, should be sent to rehabilitation centers, but due to their absence, individuals are often sent to jail instead.

A panel comprising representatives from the security department, reformatory, and university emphasized the urgent need for a strategy encompassing prevention and rehabilitation, which is currently lacking in Iraq and Kurdistan Region. Despite the existence of a high-level committee to combat drugs, there remains a critical lack of coordination between governmental and civil society actors, both of whom operate with limited capacity, even as drug use continues to rise.

A presentation on the Oviedo Declaration underscored its significance, prompting the CDO to urge organizations to sign and support international efforts aimed at strengthening drug prevention mechanisms.

At the event’s conclusion, participants received a book detailing the experiences of 21 individuals struggling to overcome drug addiction, aimed at discouraging youth from drug use under any circumstances.