Drugs in the Global Village
Middle East Regional Report

Regional Variation

BAHRAIN
Heroin abuse is reported more common among the urban population (U.N. 1990).

EGYPT
Drug abuse is more common in the urban areas and big cities than in
rural and semi-rural areas of the country (U.N. 1989, IDAAS 1989).

IRAQ
No information reported in Annual Reports Questionnaire by 31st December 1993.

IRAN
Due to the warm and humid climate in the northern provinces, people are reported to have a higher tendency to use opium. More drug dependent abusers are reported in the eastern provinces, which is attributed to their proximity to the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan (U.N. 1992).

Opium abuse is reported more frequent in the rural areas, heroin abuse is more common in the urban areas, and cannabis abuse is found in both urban and rural population in the eastern provinces (U.N. 1990).

ISRAEL
From a survey of the pupils in the Tel-Aviv and Jaffa areas, it appears that drugs are more often found in the Arab sector (U.N. 1991). The religious sector is usually less exposed to drugs than the secular sector, however, it is not completely drug free (U.N. 1991).

KUWAIT
No information reported by 31st December 1993.

OMAN
Abuse is reported more prevalent in towns than in villages (CMO 1990).

PAKISTAN
Heroin is the predominant drug in the urban areas of Pakistan. Cannabis is equally popular in both the urban and rural areas. Opium abuse is more predominant in the rural areas (Fourth National Survey 1989). In the province of Baluchistan 8.5 per cent of the drug abusers started using drugs when they were only 11-15 years of age, compared to 2.9 per cent for the same age range in the Sindh province (Fourth National Survey 1989).

QATAR
No information reported by 31st December 1993.

SAUDI ARABIA
Abuse is more common in cities and towns than villages (U.N. 1988).

SYRIA