Ensuring Jobs for Ex-Junkies

A lawmaker has called for measures to ensure recovering drug addicts find employment as soon as possible after kicking the habit to prevent relapse.

According to Abdolreza Azizi, 60% to 70% of recovering drug addicts in Tehran fall off the wagon after receiving treatment in rehab centers.

“In order to prevent relapse, we must provide vocational training to recovering addicts,” Salamat News quoted him as saying. He says that it will help increase the chances of former junkies to land jobs.

Earlier, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli had said that during the past four years vocational training has been provided to more than 155,000 recovering addicts—a 143% increase compared to what was achieved during the previous administration (2009-13).

There are around 8,100 rehab centers provide treatment to an estimated 785,000 people every year.