Drug Abuse in Egypt Declined by Nearly 50% Since 2015
The Fund for Drug Control Treatment of Addiction reported a 400% increase in requests for drug addiction treatment.
According to a recent statement from the Fund for Drug Control Treatment of Addiction (FDCTA), drug abuse in Egypt fell by nearly 50% between 2015 and 2020. The fund attributed this success to the viral awareness campaign ‘Enta Akwa Mn El Mokhadarat’ (‘You are Stronger Than Drugs’), which they claim also helped increase requests for treatment through the national drug addiction hotline, 16023, by 400%.
The announcement went on to show that 94% of people seeking treatment were male, while 6% were females. The largest age group ranged between 21 and 30 years old, while 13.6% were younger than 15. In 2022 160,000 people reached out for treatment through the hotline, compared to 34,000 in 2014.
The FDCTA also reported the results of a survey that detailed the motivation behind drug abuse, with the most common being peer pressure at a rate of 35.2%, stress at 34.8%, depression at 30.6%, a desire to boost productivity at 29.1%, and low self-esteem at 24.9%. To accommodate the increase in demand and further curb drug abuse rates, 28 drug addiction treatment centres are set to open across 17 Egyptian governorates, with an aim of establishing centres within all governorates by 2025.
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