TEHRAN – The World Narcotics Day theme for 2022 is "Addressing drug challenges in health and humanitarian crises'" with the objective of responding to transnational challenges generated by crisis situations.By resolution 42/112 of 7 December 1987, the General Assembly decided to observe June 26 as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.This World Drug Day, UNODC addresses existing and emerging transnational drug challenges stemming from situations of crisis.

UNODC continues to advocate to protect the right to health for the most vulnerable, including children and youth, people using drugs, people with drug use disorders, and people who need access to controlled medicines.In Iran, the event entitled "Human Dignity - International Cooperation - No Addiction" is being held in the presence of officials of organizations active in the field of drug control and representatives of UN agencies.In Iran, this year’s event entitled "Human Dignity - International Cooperation - No Addiction" is being held in the presence of officials of organizations active in the field of drug control, representatives of UN agencies, and the international community and organizations active in this field.The day is marked during a week, each day of the week has been assigned a special theme this year as follows:Wednesday, June 22: Call for photos and drawings on the subject of addiction and drugsThursday, June 23: Presence at the tombs of counter-narcotics martyrsFriday, June 24: Addiction prevention training on the sidelines of Friday prayersSaturday, June 25: Celebration of salvation for those recovering from addiction in TehranSunday, June 26: World anti-narcotics day conferenceMonday, June 27: Specialized meeting with knowledge-based companies and innovation centersTuesday, June 28: Collaboration with donors, entrepreneurs, and non-governmental organizationsWorld record of narcotics seizureIran holds the record for narcotics confiscation in the world, Eskandar Momeni, the director of anti-narcotics police headquarters said in December 2021.However, great achievements in the field of countermeasures have been gained, and the United Nations has officially announced that 90 percent of opium, 70 percent of morphine, and 20 percent of world heroin have been discovered by Iran.In the Iranian calendar year ended in March 2021, about 1,200 tons of drugs were discovered, which was the highest rate of discovery in the world.According to figures released by the United Nations in 2000, Afghanistan produced about 200 tons of narcotics, but in 2018, it has grown to 9,500 tons.In other words, the production of narcotics has increased fifty times, which has doubled the need for prevention efforts, he highlighted.Despite the conditions caused by the coronavirus outbreak and the imposition of harsh sanctions against the country, fortunately, with the efforts of anti-narcotics police in 2020, drug detection increased by 41 percent.After the Islamic Revolution (in 1979), 3,800 were martyred, and 12,000 were wounded and disabled in the fight against drug trafficking.The UNODC has praised Iran’s efforts to fight against narcotics trafficking on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.The organization also officially announced that the world’s first place in the discovery of opium, heroin, and morphine belongs to Iran.According to UNODC, Iran remains one of the major transit routes for drug trafficking from Afghanistan to European countries and has had a leading role at the global level in drug-control campaigns.UNODC World Drug Report 2020 estimates that in 2018, 91 percent of world opium, 48 percent of the world morphine, and 26 percent of the world heroin were seized by Iran.FB/MG