Iran and Nigeria grapple with expanding drug addiction crises

Iran faces a mounting addiction epidemic, with an estimated 3.8 million people dependent on substances and a rapid influx of synthetic drugs such as Flakka, crystal meth and novel cathinones. Officials say poverty, unemployment and mental‑health strain drive use, while new psychoactive compounds spread faster than treatment capacities can respond.

Nigeria’s drug policy remains centered on law‑enforcement, resulting in high arrest rates but little reduction in use. About three‑quarters of people who need treatment lack access, and prisons increasingly house untreated addicts. Critics argue that criminalisation deepens stigma and overlooks the socioeconomic roots of substance abuse, while community‑based harm‑reduction centres offer limited alternative support.