Pubdate: Wed, 15 May 2002
Source: The Daily Star (Lebanon)
Contact:  http://www.dailystar.com.lb/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/547
Author: Hadi Khatib

ANTI-DRUG EFFORT COULD GENERATE FUNDING FOR DEVELOPMENT

Conference Surveys Good And Bad News On Illicit Substances

Success In Fighting Illegal Cultivation Is Tempered By Statistics Showing 
Increased Use

Lebanon's efforts to fight drug cultivation and production could pull in 
much-needed international funding for development, although the country 
faces sobering new statistics about the rise in drug use, particularly 
among young people.

The good and bad news was heard by participants at a conference on Tuesday, 
held by the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (ODCCP) and the 
Institute for Development and Applied Care (IDAC).

Conference speakers hailed the government's efforts to combat drugs and 
revealed a plan to curb demand for illegal substances within a five-year 
period beginning in 2003.

A Rapid Situation Assessment (RSA) study on drug abuse commissioned by the 
ODCCP and carried out under the auspices of the IDAC revealed disturbing 
numbers on illegal drug use among youth and created the impetus for the 
formulation of the plan. The study showed that drug use is growing among 
young people, with high school-age students exposed to drugs such as 
ecstasy and tranquilizers.

Speaking on behalf of Interior Minister Elias Murr, judicial police 
commander Colonel Samir Sobh said that "when drugs are concerned, there can 
be no compromises and no easing up, because we cannot compromise on the 
killing of youth and endangering our society."

"Our decision is clear and final: We will make 2002 the year of eradicating 
drugs in Lebanon and regardless of the sacrifices, we will not back away 
from our decision to pursue those who farm, manufacture, and distribute 
illegal drugs," Sobh said.

The commander added that last year's arrest of 1,500 suspected drug dealers 
"is one of the highest numbers in the history of Lebanon."

Sobh praised the widely publicized destruction of 10 million square meters 
of marijuana and poppy plants in the country. According to Mehdi Ali, ODCCP 
regional representative for the Middle East and North Africa, "the 
determined and well-organized efforts of the Interior Ministry's Central 
Bureau for Drug Enforcement and the various security forces involved in 
eradicating the farming, manufacturing and distribution of illicit drugs 
have gained international and UN acclaim."

Ali stressed, however, that efforts to combat the drug problem are doomed 
to fail unless the issues of supply and demand are tackled.

He said the organization had already contributed $6.5 million on 
alternative development programs and expressed hope that other donor 
countries will participate in a new program aimed at replacing drug 
cultivation and trade while dealing with their social side-effects.

Ali added that curbing demand is an ongoing effort between the Interior, 
Health and Social Affairs Ministries as well as nongovernment organizations.

He said the Interior Ministry had the responsibility of "reducing demand 
through a wide awareness campaign, facilitating the work of NGOs and 
providing essential statistics to facilitate the RSA study on demand 
reduction."

Abdool Reychad of the UN's ODCCP said the methodology of the RSA findings 
combined qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques.

"We construct hypotheses to arrive at the nature of the crimes and the 
patterns of behavior and the related social, health, professional and 
familial factors, which allow us to generate an accurate picture for policy 
makers," Reychad added.

Ali said the ODCCP plan tackling demand reduction will strive for concrete 
results by 2008 "and will put Lebanon at the forefront of countries" that 
have abided by UN resolutions supporting international cooperation in 
fighting drugs.

Abiding by the resolutions will reinforce Lebanon's position in the 
international community and may prompt donor countries to give more aid, he 
continued.

The plan includes awareness strategies concerning social problems leading 
to drug use along with rehabilitation and treatment issues. He added that 
Murr's resolve had contained the problem, "but we (must) thank President 
Emile Lahoud and Prime Minster Rafik Hariri for their full support and 
efforts that will benefit the youth of this country."

Ali later told The Daily Star he was "tired of the accusations that UN 
programs for rural alternative development in the last 10 years have failed."

"I said it and I repeat it, we have provided $6.5 million," he said, 
indicating that while this is not a significant amount on its own, it was 
commendable in light of the reneging of France, the US and the United 
Kingdom on promised funds for the programs.

Ali said there are many reasons for the lack of funding support, "one of 
which was Lebanon did not live up to its commitment, giving the impression 
the government wasn't committed."

However, Ali said, "we have prepared another program and we have started 
contacting donors with the leadership of Elias Murr, who is . agile, 
forward-looking, committed and determined and I am optimistic it will be 
better . this time."

As for the situation concerning farmers who had their illicit crops and 
only source of income swept from under their feet, Ali responded saying 
that "you have to be innovative in finding alternative sources of income, 
because although drugs bring in a lot of money, this is an illegal activity."

He added that "everyone is sympathetic with the conditions of the farmer" 
and that his organization is studying possibilities for agricultural 
development in the region.

Ali asserted his belief there is no longer a drug problem in the Bekaa: "It 
has already been cleaned up by the Lebanese and Syrian armies and Lebanon 
is considered a clean country by us."

In a nutshell: study's findings on legal and illegal drug use

The Rapid Situation Assessment study on legal and illegal drug use in 
Lebanon was commissioned by the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime 
Prevention and was conducted by the Institute for Development, Research and 
Applied Care. Its findings revealed that:

* 11 percent of high school students and 22 percent of university students 
have tried drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, opium or ecstasy at least once.

The number of male users was double the number of female users.

* One-third of those surveyed had used drugs in the past 30 days.

* About 37 percent of the high school sample reported having at least one 
close friend who frequently used drugs.

* About 6 percent of upper-level high school students sampled reported 
buying licit drugs from a pharmacist without a prescription and 70 percent 
of those did not face objections from the pharmacist.

* The average age for substance use of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs ranges 
between 14 and 17.

* About 63 percent of the high school sample reported being exposed to 
anti-drug or anti-alcohol advertisements on TV, radio, or in newspapers 
within the past year.

* One third of substance users in hospitals have previously been arrested 
or imprisoned.

* Among the users who were previously treated, 85 percent did not stay off 
drugs following treatment.

* Heroin is the most commonly reported substance for those seeking 
treatment in hospitals, followed by cocaine, alcohol and tranquilizers.

* Heroin is the substance most commonly reported as a reason for arrest 
followed by marijuana and cocaine.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager