Iraq destroys record amount of drugs in 2023

Shafaq News/ The Non-Governmental Organizations Department at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers revealed on Thursday that 2023 witnessed the largest campaign to destroy drugs and psychotropic substances in the history of the country.

In a statement to Shafaq News Agency, the department's director, Aref Al-Dahan, said that "one million tablets of Artane were destroyed, as well as 17.69 kilograms of drugs, psychotropic substances, and chemical precursors."

He added that "10,323,261 tablets of drugs were also destroyed, as well as 68 bottles of codeine, 4,199 ampoules of Tramadol, 1.451 liters of methadone and cannabis, and 22 drops of Medribid."

Al-Dahan said "drugs are considered the most prominent danger in all societies, including Iraqi society in all provinces, as they have begun to cause the disintegration of its social fabric."

"The major steps the government took and the role civil organizations played in raising awareness to its risks helped combat this scourge," he added.