Egypt combats rise in substance abuse

Egyptian authorities have been struggling to contain drug and alcohol abuse among one of the biggest populations of young people in the Middle East and North Africa region. Opium and hashish abuse has been a problem in Egypt for centuries and recent tests have even revealed traces of cocaine in the remains of mummies.

Narcotics experts say Egypt has become one of Africa’s leading black market cultivators of cannabis and opium poppies and the levels of consumption have jumped alarmingly in the past three decades, particularly among the young and disadvantaged.

Addicts in Egypt are spending upwards of 3 billion dollars on drugs each year, and rehab centers are struggling to meet the needs of more and more young people seeking a way out of addiction. And according to Dr. Mohamad Elhendawi, a psychiatrist with Egypt’s office for Addiction Services at the Ministry of Health, authorities have seen substance abuse jump further since protesters took to the streets of Cairo earlier this year, demanding freedom and democracy after 30 years under the rule of President Hosni Mubarak.

Susy Hodges caught up with Dr. Elhendawi during a recent visit to Rome where he conferred with Italian colleagues about addiction treatment and prevention strategies.
listen to the interview: