OPIUM ADDICTION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00423R001800090002-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 1, 1999
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: September 7, 1957
• Content Type: REPORT

FORAM NO A51-49
DEC. 1848
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO-
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
IOU NTRY Iran
UBJECT opium Addiction
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1. Bearing the common habit of the Eastern people, who seek in opium the best consola-
tion in life, nearly two and a half million of Iran's estimated 17,000,000 popula-
tion are opium addicts, according to reliable sources as the official figure is
unobtainable.
2. According to international investigations, Iran is probably the second largest
illicit opium supplier in the world next to China.
3. Strangely enough, the opium is the source of both good and evil in Iran--good in
the eyes of the backward rural classes and the old-fashioned feudal and semi-
feudal landowners who use the opium not only as narcotics but as fain-killing
drug, and find it the remedy for all their indispositions. Evil it is for all
modern Iranians who see the root of a great part of their compatriots' laziness
and inefficiencies in opium addiction, and fighting against this evil has become
their solemn duty.
4. In theory, the government exercises a strict monopoly over the trade of the raw
opium inside the country, aid also any export of the opium should be effected
through a special government agency, which deals with marketing the product in
the countries where it is largely used in drugs. The cultivation of poppies is
out of government control, but it claims an exclusive right in purchasing the
crop in the fields. But, in fact, there is a loose control organization, making
possible the unencumbered use of the opium in thousands of established dens
throughout the country, most of them being run without any serious trouble on
behalf of the police and controlling authorities.
5. All this is freely practiced even though the opium smoking is legally forbidden by
law passed from the Majlis two years ago, making the infringent liable to six
months imprisonment and heavy fines.
6. The most regrettable fact about the opium addiction in Iran is its penetration in
the tribes. Ethnologically speaking, the tribes constitute the creamy part of
Iran's population, and are considered the most robust specimen of the Iranian race.
7. The production of the opium in Iran, according to the figure published by the
International Anti-Narcotic Organization, is 300 tons per year. But this figure
is completely fictitious since every Iranian knows that roughly this much is the
countryes annual export, and moreover this much raw opium is smuggled from Iran
to the neighboring countries and Egypt, the international center of the opium
smuggling organizations, inconsiderate of the quantity consumed inside the country.
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8. opium smuggling has been one of the most profitable trades since the early
days in the Middle East. Today, anyone succeeding to get into the ring of
the internationally-organized smugglers will be able to make a fabulous
fortune in a short period, since one kilogramme smuggled opium from Iran,
for instance, to New York fetches roughly seventeen times as much as the
original price.
9. The smuggling inside Iran is very prosperous but risky business, as any dis-
covered case brings about the confiscation of the smuggled staff and heavy
fines.
10. Despite the law imposing a ban on opium cultivation--which is enacted quite
against the will of the government, who is the major profitor of the opium
export, by a group of liberal and progressive-minded deputies--the secret
cultivation throughout five major provinces of Iran is in full swing. Poppy
plantation is a very profitable business, fetching about $1,300 per hectare
while the wheat brings'in about $600; so there is a strong tendency to grow
poppies especially in drier areas where the plantation has a better yield.
11. In the rural areas, where the earnings are generally low, a day's smoke cost
almost a day's wage of the poor peasants, and it can be bought rather secretly
at the rate of 30$ for about 3.50 grammes.
12. In the dirty and low-ceilinged dens in Tehran and in other great cities, the
opium smokers can be seen sitting cross-legged on the carpeted floors, using
a long pipe with small porcelain or China bowl at the end and a piece of char-
coal fire constantly burning the opium which must be stuck to the end of the bowl
right over a hole made to lead the smoke to the pipe. The charcoal should be
kept glowing steadily as the operation goes on, because the opium doesntt
burn itself like tobacco. The smoker drinks also a cup of strong tea from time
to time during the opperatior o assi ge the dryness e,nd bitterness of the smoke.
13. It is a common practice in the opium infected areas of Iran that the children
also get a daily dose to keep them from crying when the working parents go to
work; likewise they get an ever-increasing addiction since the early days of
life, and in adolescence, they will have every symptom of the physical and
mental deficiency.
14. The government has tried many ways to fight against the opium addiction all
over the country, but never succeeded to uproot the habit. The hospitals
have been set up to cure the addicts, the anti-narcotic drugs and injection
services have been provided free of charge to an one desirous to be cured.
But all this has proved to have little effect. There has been only one very
rude way of fighting against the evil, which was practiced boldly by the
Azarbaijan's so-called "Democrat Party" (Kremlin puppets) during their
revolt in 1946, which was merely the shooting of anyone seen smoking or sell-
ing opium. The practice proved very effective, it is recorded, as the number
of smokers greatly diminished.
15. Beside this cruel way of struggle against the opium addiction, there are small
movements that are trying some other ways in this campaign. They suggest the
government should set up special prisons to keep the addicts completely locked
up from outside under the constant watch of the reliable wardens. They should
be kept under the strict diet for at least six months. That is probably the
way that the evil can be removed.
16. However costly this method should become for the government, speaking intrms
of working efficiency of the people and the deterioration resulting from the
opium addiction, the government's loss will be greater if the process of ever
increasing habit leads to the steady par,lyzation of the body and mind.
tYPE ACT-DATE INFO-TFA-DATE AREA
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP83-00423RO01800090002-1