In recent years, the growing tendency among young people, particularly university students, to use drugs has sounded a major alarm for officials and families. This warning has made it more important than ever to adopt appropriate strategies for addressing this problem in a systematic and effective manner.
Alongside the activities of official and governmental institutions in combating drug use, individuals and groups within Iranian civil society, motivated by humanitarian concerns and operating on a nonprofit basis, have made considerable efforts to address the drug crisis, particularly by helping people overcome addiction, recover, and return to normal life. Congress 60 Human Revitalization Society is one such group, this nongovernmental organization, founded and headed by Hossein Dezhakam, was established in September 1999.
Congress 60 has now become one of the largest nongovernmental organizations in Iran. It has helped thousands of drug users get liberated from addiction and has provided them with the necessary conditions and training to return to society as functioning members of the community. The organization has numerous branches in Tehran and throughout Iran. Its main branch, commonly referred to as the “Academy,” is located at the beginning of Sohrevardi Street in Tehran [now it is located on Barzande street]. At present, nearly 800 people work voluntarily with the organization, and all of its financial support is provided by the public.
Treatment at Congress 60 is carried out gradually and step by step, through a phased reduction in the amount of drugs consumed [called the DST method], and all stages of the process are provided free of charge.
With the aim of examining the activities of civil society groups in combating addiction, and Congress 60 in particular, IRNA’s News Research Group interviewed Hossein Dezhakam, the founder and head of Congress 60, and sought his views on the prevalence of addiction, its causes, and ways of combating this devastating phenomenon.
Hossein Dezhakam was born on November 16, 1949, and graduated in Electronic Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology. His several years of research into the development of electronic eyes, intended to protect the health and lives of workers as well as for other industrial applications, began in 1980 in collaboration with a group of other specialists. Three years later, the research produced results, leading to the design and manufacture of electronic eyes for the first time in Iran and the establishment of an electronic-eye factory in the Iranshahr area of Sistan and Baluchestan Province.
Dezhakam himself began using drugs regularly in 1979. This continued for 12 years, during which he made numerous unsuccessful attempts to quit. He attributes his repeated return to drug use to the failure of the systems in body damaged by drug use to recover, the failure of the body’s endogenous opioid glands to become functional again, and the resulting loss of balance in the body’s systems.
Dezhakam, who was also interested in mysticism, self-knowledge, psychology, history, and philosophy, began his independent studies in these fields in the early 1970s. He subsequently pursued the study of mysticism and self-knowledge more seriously from the 1980s onward, driven primarily by a desire to understand and find a way out of the darkness and addiction.
His years of drug use and his studies eventually led Dezhakam to overcome his addiction in 1997 and to develop a method that was the outcome of years of research and his identification of what he regarded as the fundamental problem underlying addiction. The results of his research were published in the book Crossing the 60-Degree Below-Zero Zone and in the articles “Detoxification,” “The Problem of Addiction,” and “What Families Need to Know.”
After overcoming his addiction, he decided to make his experiences and knowledge available to other drug users and their families. On September 22, 1999, he founded the Congress 60 Human Revitalization Society in cooperation with the Drug Control Headquarters.
In his interview with IRNA, Dezhakam identified the lack of appropriate entertainment and activities for young people as the most important reason for their inclination toward addiction. According to him, the first step in formulating policies for overcoming addiction is to recognize that the problem of addiction in our country is extremely serious and has reached crisis. We will never be able to eliminate it completely; rather, by taking the right steps and making the right decisions, we can only control it and then hope to gradually reduce its prevalence.
Dezhakam noted that all organizations and institutions in the country can play a role in controlling the problem of addiction. At the same time, he criticized existing policies, saying: “When our young people do not have suitable opportunities for recreation and entertainment, particularly at universities, and have not received appropriate education in this area, how can we hope to overcome their addiction?”
Another point Dezhakam emphasized was the need for an organization with strong, round-the-clock management that could devote all of its time and resources to this issue. According to him, the fact that the Minister of the Interior is responsible for the Drug Control Headquarters is useful and understandable insofar as it gives the headquarters the authority and power necessary to make sensitive decisions. However, the Minister of the Interior has many other responsibilities as well, which inevitably place the management of the Drug Control Headquarters among his lower priorities.
He also pointed to the rapid and alarming growth of addiction, while the country’s resources for combating it, particularly those of the relevant organizations, have failed to keep pace. He said these resources must be modernized and upgraded so that they can adequately respond to the critical scale of addiction in the country.
In his remarks, the Base of Congress 60 also referred to many conventional methods of overcoming addiction and described as unsuccessful, those approaches in which the sole objective is to clean body from drugs. According to him, liberation from addiction becomes lasting only when the body, spirit, and psyche are addressed together, enabling the person to achieve psychological and emotional balance after physical recovery.
The full text of IRNA News Research Group’s interview with Hossein Dezhakam, Base and head of the Congress 60 Human Revitalization Society, follows.
IRNA: Mr. Dezhakam, how many of the people who come to Congress 60 to overcome their addiction are young people, particularly young people who became addicted while living in student dormitories?
Dezhakam: There are many young people among those who come to Congress 60. Many of them turned to drug use while living in dormitories, or even years before that. However, neither I nor anyone else can claim that reliable statistics exist on the number of young people who have become addicted in student dormitories. You may find it interesting to know that I myself became involved with addiction in a student residence about 30 years ago.
IRNA: At that time, what was the main factor that drew you toward drug use and ultimately addiction?
Dezhakam: There are many different reasons why people become inclined toward addiction, but the reason behind my own addiction was rather insignificant to me. More than anything else, I turned to drugs out of curiosity and because I wanted to be part of a group of friends.
IRNA: Do you think the same reason is still driving young people toward drugs today?
Dezhakam: In my view, the main reason today is the lack of places where young people can spend their leisure time. We need to ask ourselves: How should a university student spend their free time? Should all students devote this time to religious activities, studying, and reviewing their coursework? People in the old days used to say, “If you don’t keep your Self (the essence of a human being) occupied, it will occupy you.” So the most important issue is to create appropriate conditions for students to spend their leisure time, and in doing so, we must take different tastes and preferences into account. Students are expected to live healthy lives, study, and graduate, but very little attention is paid to their recreation and leisure time.
IRNA: Mr. Dezhakam, some reports and observations indicate that drug use among students living in dormitories has increased dramatically. Even more concerning is that many students describe drug use as a kind of “pleasure”, and something limited to a particular period of their lives that they will eventually move beyond. How seriously do you view the dangers of this kind of temporary or periodic drug use?
Dezhakam: People in the old days used to say that one mange-ridden goat can infect an entire herd. It is enough for there to be one drug user in a student dormitory. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, that person will undoubtedly draw others toward drug use. Unfortunately, one point that officials have never paid sufficient attention to is that drugs have many attractions. Many people assume that young people use drugs for no particular reason and simply to pass the time. In reality, it is the seductive appeal of these substances that draws many of them toward drugs.
IRNA: Could you explain these attractions in greater detail?
Dezhakam: The findings of one study show that when people have a choice between an overpass and an underpass, they tend to prefer the latter. The reason is that they first experience the ease of going downhill and then the difficulty of going uphill. The attractions of addiction create a similar sensation in human beings. One of the attractions of these substances, which has now become an excuse used by many students to justify drug use, is their performance-enhancing or “doping” effect. In addition to making people feel more powerful, this effect may even serve as a source of inspiration and motivation. By using drugs, they may be able to work at their computers for hours, increase their self-confidence when interacting with other people and members of the opposite sex, stay awake for hours and study for their exams, write stories, practice music, and engage in dozens of other activities. Under such circumstances, it is very difficult for them to think about the harm that experiencing these attractions will eventually cause them in the future. The devil always sets his trap for human beings in the most beautiful form possible, entering their thoughts and ideas, and its beauty captivates them. Drugs, too, initially deceive people with their mesmerizing appeal.
IRNA: Are these attractions alone sufficient to lead someone toward drug use?
Dezhakam: No, not by themselves. The point I have always emphasized is that addiction, like a seed, needs a suitable environment in which to grow. At present, that environment has been created in the best and easiest possible way—not only at universities and in student dormitories, but throughout the country. We need to think carefully about how to help our young people and adopt the right solutions.
IRNA: Who should be responsible for doing this?
Dezhakam: Everyone should play a role, particularly the Ministry of Sports and Youth, municipalities, and the national broadcasting organization. The Ministry of Sports is not merely responsible for producing champions and sending our athletes to international competitions in specialized sports. Its greatest responsibility is to expand and facilitate public participation in sports. At present, such opportunities are largely absent in the country.
Admission fees for sports facilities are too expensive for most of our young people. Almost all sports grounds have been transferred to the private sector and now require payment. Even to participate in the cheapest and most popular sports in the country, such as football, futsal, and volleyball, people must spend at least 50,000 to 100,000 tomans. Municipalities have also performed very poorly in this area.
The idea that the only organizations responsible for combating drug addiction should be the police, the Anti-Narcotics Police, and the Judiciary is fundamentally mistaken. These institutions should intervene when the problem of addiction has already exceeded a certain threshold.
While the Ministry of Sports and Youth should prevent the creation of conditions that drive young people toward addiction, unfortunately, in recent years it has failed to adopt appropriate strategies for expanding public sports participation among young people, something that would undoubtedly help reduce the number of people affected by addiction. Municipalities have likewise fallen seriously short in this regard.
IRNA: How important do you consider the role of universities in this matter?
Dezhakam: To assess their role, we need only ask university officials a few simple questions. Have they provided free or inexpensive swimming pools, sports halls, motor-racing tracks, and equestrian clubs for male and female students? Are recreational trips sufficiently numerous, varied, and affordable for all students to participate in them? Are the breakfasts, lunches, and dinners provided to students, particularly those living in dormitories, adequate in both quality and quantity? Are university tuition fees proportionate to the level of inflation in society and affordable enough to ensure that no student is forced to abandon their studies for financial reasons?
If we speak about the attractions of addiction, then we must offer our students attractions that go far beyond simple exercise, jogging around a field, or playing chess. We need to provide everyone with access to free education, sports, and adequate nutrition.
IRNA: Would that make it possible to eradicate addiction in the country?
Dezhakam: Never. Under these circumstances, we should not think in terms of completely eliminating or eradicating addiction. The eradication of addiction is not merely an optimistic idea; it is an illusion. Under present conditions, with sound decisions and appropriate strategies, all we can do is bring addiction under control.
IRNA: Does that mean that despite all the efforts made in this field, we have not yet even reached the stage of controlling addiction?
Dezhakam: No, we have not. Controlling addiction means that if, for example, we have 2,000 people with addiction, we are able to keep that number at approximately the same level. Yet under current conditions, not only have we failed to control the number of people affected by addiction, we are not even capable of preventing that number from increasing. The relevant institutions need to make sound decisions in this area.
IRNA: Where should these reforms begin?
Dezhakam: They should begin with the organizational structures used to combat drugs. By saying this, I am by no means trying to diminish the value of the efforts already made in this area. But why should the Minister of the Interior be appointed Secretary-General of the Drug Control Headquarters, which is the country’s primary authority in combating addiction?
The Minister of the Interior is one of the busiest officials in the country. He must devote most of his time to matters related to the Ministry of the Interior. The Drug Control Headquarters, however, is itself a very large and complex organization that requires one hundred percent of a person’s time and energy. In addition, the President serves as the head of the Drug Control Headquarters.
The President’s responsibilities and workload simply do not allow him to be directly and continuously present or to personally supervise the activities of the Headquarters. Of course, no one denies the sincere efforts of the Minister of the Interior in this area. Nevertheless, combating drugs requires someone at the head of the organization who can devote themselves to the task around the clock.
Every so often, the Minister of the Interior has to clear space in an already packed schedule simply to find time for a brief visit to the Drug Control Headquarters. Interestingly, in many cases, because of this heavy workload, the Minister appoints a deputy to act on his behalf, but that deputy, too, is generally unable to devote themselves fully to the Headquarters.
The primary reason for appointing the President as the head of the Drug Control Headquarters and the Minister of the Interior as its Secretary-General is to give the organization greater authority, power, and consequently greater influence. For the same reason, provincial governors are responsible for the Drug Control Headquarters in their respective provinces. However, that power and influence become ineffective if these individuals cannot be fully present and provide continuous, round-the-clock supervision.
I myself am responsible for managing a relatively small nongovernmental organization. Yet I work from early morning until evening, and often beyond that, and even then I may not have enough time to attend to everything that needs to be done.
IRNA: How important do you consider the role of experience in enabling these officials to perform successfully?
Dezhakam: Extremely important. The people who are appointed to these positions generally have no direct experience in the field of drugs; their experience is primarily managerial.
Another problem with appointing the Minister of the Interior as Secretary-General of the Drug Control Headquarters is that at the end of a four-year presidential term, the Secretary-General will also change. As a result, the positive developments and policies established during those four years may effectively return to square one. In other words, even if someone has gained sufficient experience for such a position during those four years, they must then hand the position over to someone else.
The Secretary-General of the Drug Control Headquarters should therefore be someone who, in addition to having sufficient authority, is able to devote all of their time to the Headquarters.
Since 2002, we have had nearly seven Secretary-Generals of the Drug Control Headquarters. This kind of expertise should not change whenever the government changes. All of these individuals and organizations are sincerely trying to combat drugs, but if we want to achieve satisfactory results, we need to reconsider the current structure.
IRNA: Mr. Hossein Dezhakam, could you give us some specific examples of the kinds of structural reforms you are referring to?
Dezhakam: One example is the issue I mentioned earlier regarding leisure activities and recreation for young people and the general public. Another important point is that the resources and books currently being used by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the Ministry of the Interior in the fight against drugs need to be updated. These materials are not being updated at the same pace at which drugs and patterns of drug use are evolving.
We need to move university education on addiction into a new phase and even establish specialized academic disciplines such as addiction psychology, addiction counseling, and addiction medicine.
Today, we have specialist physicians in virtually every area of medicine because there are patients and people suffering from those particular conditions. By the same reasoning, we should have specialized academic fields dedicated to the millions of people suffering from addiction, as well as to helping those who may be affected by people with addiction.
According to government statistics, we currently have two million drug users. It is said that 1.3 million of them are regular users and 700,000 are recreational users.
IRNA: Do you believe these figures are accurate?
Dezhakam: Let me answer your question with an example. A man was once asked how old he was, and he replied, “Sixty.” Ten years later, he was asked the same question and once again answered, “Sixty.” When he was asked why he was giving the same answer, he said, “A man never changes his word!”
For nearly ten years, we too have been saying the same thing: that we have two million people affected by addiction. Even if that number had not increased—which it undoubtedly has—I can assure you that those 700,000 people described as “recreational users” have by now become regular users. I should also add that dividing people with addiction into “regular” and “recreational” users is fundamentally incorrect.
IRNA: So, do you also consider people who use drugs in small amounts or only occasionally to be regular addicts?
Dezhakam: Do you have such a thing as recreational knife-wielding? Recreational theft? Recreational murder, wrongdoing, or corruption? In the context of addiction, there is no such thing as “recreational use.” I have called these people candidates for addiction, and these candidates will undoubtedly become addicted, because their “marriage” to addiction is solemnized from the very first instance of use. Everyone who has engaged in recreational drug use has eventually become addicted. People who justify 20 years of drug use by claiming that it was merely for recreation are only deceiving themselves. Therefore, our first priority must be to develop a precise and appropriate plan to contain and control the number of people addicted to drugs. If we succeed in doing this, we will have achieved our greatest success.
IRNA: At the same time, what other strategies can be pursued?
Dezhakam: Supporting nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) is another important factor that can be effective in this regard. These organizations should be expanded, and their activities should be extended throughout the country. When one or ten people are injured in a traffic accident, ambulances are capable of treating and transporting them. However, if the number of injured people exceeds 50, transporting them becomes extremely difficult. Now imagine that the number of injured people reaches two million. Can they be helped easily? NGOs are like private cars that can transport large numbers of injured people and save their lives. Addiction has reached a stage throughout the world where governments alone are no longer capable of controlling and dealing with its problems. Therefore, people and NGOs must come to the government's aid. At the same time, the government should support these organizations and facilitate their activities.
IRNA: Do you mean the government should provide these NGOs primarily with financial support or moral support?
Dezhakam: I do not support financial assistance in this field at all. These organizations (NGOs) are meant to come to the government's aid, not to become an additional burden on the government themselves. By “support,” I mean granting them licenses and permission to operate in this field. Of course, in some cases, the government can provide these organizations with a place from which to begin their activities. But in my opinion, the government should not provide these organizations with funding, because if it did, the primary purpose of such organizations would change.
IRNA: Has such support been provided to Congress 60, as the best-known nongovernmental organization working to combat drug use?
Dezhakam: We have never sought financial support, and fortunately, we have received moral support as well. As I said earlier, I am opposed to financial support in this field.
IRNA: Under the current circumstances, don't you think that combating addiction requires greater financial support?
Dezhakam: No. Many people may disagree with me on this, but I believe the harm caused by financial support outweighs its benefits. The current situation regarding addiction in the country will not improve simply by spending more money. Instead of providing financial assistance, the government and other institutions could combat addiction by making facilities available to NGOs as places where they can begin their activities, such as Hosseiniyehs. What is wrong with making places such as Hosseiniyehs [buildings were Ashura ceremonies are held], whose doors remain closed until the following Ashura, available to NGOs so that they can hold meetings there with people who have decided to break free from addiction? What is wrong with allocating the Tehran Mahdieh [buildings were religious ceremonies are held], mosques, and similar places for this purpose on certain days? Why don't we open the doors of mosques—the houses of God— at night to helpless addicts left out in the cold on the streets? If we are concerned that they might steal items belonging to the mosque, we can roll up the mosque carpets at night and spread ziloo mats instead. Even having the mosque provide hospitality to these individuals could help guide them toward a better path. We claim that an addict is a patient. But do we actually treat addicts like patients?
IRNA: You mentioned that the doors of mosques and Hosseiniyehs are closed at night. Don't you think that the absence of a nighttime social life in the country, in addition to failing to account for changes in the habits of the younger generation, is a factor driving them to seek refuge in groups that may steer them toward addiction?
Dezhakam: Without a doubt. A young person may suffer from insomnia at midnight and feel the need to leave the house. At that hour, the doors of all swimming pools, sports halls, and gyms—and even cafés and restaurants—are closed. Even if some of them are open, using their facilities is expensive. Yet this young person can obtain some crack (cocaine) with only five thousand tomans and fill the loneliness of the night alone.
IRNA: Where and how should the fight against addiction begin?
Dezhakam: First and foremost, the fight against drugs and addiction should not be limited to financial support. Our organization currently has nearly 40 branches throughout Iran, with 800 employees working there on a voluntary basis [this number has now increased to 112 branches in 2026]. Therefore, our problem is not a financial one. We must eradicate the notion that all addicts in society are poor and homeless people living on the streets. In my opinion, perhaps only one or two percent of addicts are homeless, while the rest have families and lead normal, active lives within society. Drug users can be found across all occupations and social classes. Therefore, it can be said that among these individuals there is considerable capital, knowledge, artistic talent, and power. If people feel that NGOs are helping these individuals sincerely and through the proper channels, they will readily trust such organizations and may even volunteer to work with them.
Furthermore, all organizations and institutions in the country must come to believe that each and every one of them can play an effective role in combating addiction. There is no organization that cannot contribute to this effort. All ministries, the Basij, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Traffic Police, religious schools, the Ministry of Science, and others can all help. Another point that must be taken into consideration in combating drugs, particularly with regard to addiction-treatment methods, is that we must understand that simply stopping drug use is completely different from fully curing addiction. We have three stages: first, cessation of drug use; second, reaching cure; and finally, achieving balance. If this balance is not achieved, a return to addiction will inevitably be possible. Treatment takes at least one year and ultimately comes to an end when the individual achieves balance.
IRNA: Based on what you have said, there are undoubtedly people in the artistic, musical, athletic, and even political communities who have used drugs in the past and may still be using them today. Do you think the presence of these well-known individuals among people who have decided to overcome addiction would be effective? Would society reject them?
Dezhakam: In my opinion, society will not only reject these individuals; it will also welcome them. Of course, this is provided that they speak honestly about their addiction and use an appropriate treatment method that enables them to achieve the balance I mentioned earlier. We must eliminate an addict's fear of society. Building a culture around this issue must begin with the help of everyone and every institution. Whenever I write a letter to the military service authorities, the army, a court judge, a university, various government offices, or any other individual or organization introducing someone who is undergoing addiction recovery, all of these people cooperate with and support that individual. It may take a little time, but everyone helps and encourages a person who has made the decision to overcome addiction. Therefore, society will also encourage and welcome well-known individuals who make that decision.
People value honesty, and if these individuals are sincere, people will undoubtedly welcome them with open arms. I myself am an example of one of these individuals. When I was a drug user, everyone around me knew about it, but they never confronted me about it because I repeatedly denied the fact, and they had come to believe that there was nothing more they could do to help me. However, when I appeared on television and announced that I had been a drug user and had now overcome my addiction, everyone supported me. People also hear various reports about addiction among well-known figures, and if these individuals deny it, people will become upset and lose trust in them. But if they enter the system of treatment and ask for help as drug users who have decided to overcome their addiction, people will accept them.
IRNA: To what extent has society been receptive to addicts whom you have helped to receive treatment?
Dezhakam: Very much so. After overcoming their addiction and completing treatment, these individuals are readily accepted by their families and friends because those around them come to believe that their recovery is definitive and witness their transformation firsthand. In some cases, a person who has completed treatment comes to me and expresses doubts about whether he should disclose his history of addiction to the family of a girl he intends to marry. I always encourage them to be honest. In every case, I know of and have personally witnessed, after conducting thorough inquiries, visiting Congress 60, and speaking with other people here, the prospective bride's family has agreed to their daughter's marriage to these individuals. Many of these people's children now attend Congress 60 celebrations and ceremonies alongside their fathers.
IRNA: So, building this kind of culture may take time, but it is possible.
Dezhakam: Without a doubt. A war without casualties and bloodshed is meaningless. But boldness and courage can change all the calculations. When a well-known figure openly acknowledges their addiction and asks for help to overcome it, that is an act of tremendous boldness, and people will welcome such a courageous step. Of course, these individuals must also be prepared for many arrows to be fired at them by some people. Nevertheless, society and the public will welcome them and their courageous and honest action.
IRNA: Why are there so few programs at the community level, particularly on radio and television, devoted to helping these individuals return to normal life?
Dezhakam: Unfortunately, when al-Qaeda carries out a terrorist attack and kills four people, the news becomes the top headline in our news coverage. But the news that four addicts have returned to life and been given a new beginning is not considered to have the same value. Even the limited television programs dealing with addiction do not have a regular place in the broadcasting schedule. We are an organization that has cured thousands of addicts and helped them return to the embrace of society, yet when these individuals are interviewed on radio or television, they are asked not to mention Congress 60 or me. Neither I nor any of the people working here are seeking recognition or awards, but why should the individuals and organizations that have been effective in this field not be honored? This atmosphere, and the creation of such a major taboo around addiction, causes even well-known figures in some cases to believe that entering an addiction-recovery program will destroy their own reputation and that of their families.
IRNA: To what extent has the national broadcasting organization been effective in education, prevention, or encouraging people to overcome addiction?
Dezhakam: As I mentioned earlier, television programs that address addiction from a problem-oriented and educational perspective are extremely limited. The only program currently dealing with this issue is A Good Beginning (Shoroo-e Khoob) on Channel 3, and even that program does not have a fixed broadcast schedule. We should have programs addressing this issue on all channels, and they should be broadcast during the best and most widely watched hours of the evening.
The national broadcasting organization earns sufficient revenue from advertising and broadcasting various programs. Why shouldn't it allocate a substantial budget to producing programs on addiction? The television series that address this issue are also highly stereotypical. Their production teams tend to present viewers with an image in which addicts are disgusting, homeless people dying in miserable shanties and regretting what they have done. People have seen these images over and over again; these images have become repetitive and predictable to them. By presenting such an image of addiction, these productions attempt to prevent addiction, whereas such portrayals will only upset people and make them lose motivation.
Alongside educational programs, we should produce entertaining, cheerful programs that are appropriate to society's needs, give people motivation and happiness, and instill energy in addicts so that they become inspired to enter the battle against addiction. We should send these individuals the message: You have the ability and capacity to recover and free yourself from addiction—not: You are miserable and a criminal, and your mistake of using drugs is irreparable and will ultimately lead to ruin. What matters is not whether we have numerous programs on this subject. What matters is that these programs communicate a sound and meaningful message in the right format.
Only then will these programs reach the right audience. The right message must come from the right source. Not everyone can be an expert on addiction. We must draw on sound expert opinions and on people with extensive experience in this field when producing programs about addiction. In addition, interviews with and biographies of athletes and other individuals who have broken free from addiction should not be limited to the blogs of Congress 60. These people should be honored as heroes.
IRNA: Where can a definitive fight against addiction begin?
Dezhakam: A truly decisive fight will begin when the organizations whose official responsibilities include combating drugs take this issue seriously. All organizations must begin visible and coordinated activities in this area, and their managers must work on this issue with dedication, around the clock. This is because their own children may become caught up in this problem in the future. Our approaches to combating drugs must be revised and brought up to date. Drugs can affect every aspect of the country's affairs; therefore, this issue must not be relegated to a secondary priority compared with other matters. If the Ministry of the Interior cannot devote the necessary time to addressing this growing crisis, what would be wrong with turning the Drug Control Headquarters into a ministry and appointing a minister to head it? In addition, greater professional and specialized expertise must be used in this field.
IRNA: How can families help in this effort?
Dezhakam: Families must receive education on this subject; otherwise, they cannot help their children. You have to invest considerable time and money to learn foreign languages, music, or any other art or skill. So why do some people believe that combating drugs can be accomplished simply by offering a simple verbal solution? In most cases, families' behavior toward their drug-using children resembles that of people trying to extinguish a small fire with shovels and pickaxes. This is the result of a failure to provide proper and up-to-date education.
IRNA: In your opinion, should this education also be provided to students in schools?
Dezhakam: Children of this generation know things that even their parents are unaware of. This knowledge relates not only to addiction but also to many other areas, such as sexual matters and so forth. However, through proper education, we can prevent the dangers that this awareness and information may pose for them. We have turned addiction into a taboo and prefer to deny its existence. Our country, like all societies, faces this problem. If we accept this reality and begin providing proper education, we can prevent many young people from falling into the trap of addiction. When we are aware of students' knowledge about and access to drugs, why shouldn't our textbooks include a chapter entitled Addiction Prevention, covering different types of drugs, the effects of their use, how people become addicted, and the physiology of addiction?
IRNA: Mr. Dezhakam, if you have any final remarks, please share them with us.
Dezhakam: There is a great deal that could be said on this subject. Each of us, as an individual, must take the problem of addiction seriously so that, at the organizational level as well, we can deal with this issue seriously. Those who are struggling with addiction must also remember that the first step in combating this problem is honesty. They must sincerely take the first step on this path, while at the same time receiving sufficient support from officials and organizations.
https://congress60.org/News/507906/%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5%DB%8C-%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%A7-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D9%85%D9%87%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%B3-%D8%AD%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%AF%DA%98%D8%A7%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%85
Report and Interview by: Atiyeh Mirqara-Cholu
Source: IRNA News Agency
Translated by Elahe
