The Tehran Province Headquarters to Control Social Harms will meet fortnightly to address, in particular, the issue of drug addicts on the streets of the capital.
At present, there are 15,000 addicts in city streets while the drug rehabilitation camps have capacity to house 3,000 inmates. The Tehran Municipality and the SWO were committed to increasing the capacity of the provincial rehab camps to 6,000 by the end of September so that police could round up addicts and send them to the camps.
The headquarters’ first meeting was held recently in the presence of provincial governor Seyed Hossein Hashemi, head of Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation Seyed Parviz Fattah, Head of Social Welfare Organization (SWO) Anoushiravan Moheseni Bandpei, Tehran police chief Hossein Sajedinia, deputy head of Tehran Municipality Hojatoleslam Meysam Amroudi, and provincial officials.
An assessment of the current situation was made and suggestions floated. Hashemi pointed to the separate detention center for drug dealers in Fashafuyeh District, Rey County, Tehran Province that can accommodate up to 10,000 people. He instructed all organizations to collaborate with the SWO and police to help resolve the problem of illicit drug trafficking.
Tehran Police Chief Hossein Sajedinia said police were prepared to round up addicts once provision was made to increase the number or capacity of rehab camps.
Given that 70% of the addicts are from outside Tehran Province, it was agreed that they would be sent back to rehab camps in their provinces with the help of the Judiciary.
Bandpei said besides arresting addicts “we should also help them in their rehab and recovery.”
They should be kept under strict vigil after being transferred to rehab camps.
Specific treatment protocols should be planned after rounding them up, including screening tests, counseling and vocational training.
“The rehab camps should be kept healthy and safe, as we don’t want addicts to enter the correction facility with a few problems and leave with more,” Bandpei said without elaboration.
