Rehab Centre for Drug Addicts in Kirkuk: Treatment Efforts, and Community Awareness

Reports 04:58 PM - 2025-11-23

Kirkuk Drug Addiction Treatment Centre.

Drug abuse continues to pose a serious threat to individuals, families, and society. Its effects extend well beyond the user, leading to the erosion of social values, the breakdown of family and community ties, financial hardship, and exposure to legal consequences.

In Kirkuk, a specialised drug addiction treatment centre operates under the province's Health Directorate, providing medical and psychological support for addicts. Many patients arrive after being referred by their families, while others are transferred from prison following their arrest.

A Patient’s Story

“Sherzad” (a pseudonym), an inmate currently undergoing treatment, recalls how his addiction began:
“Two years ago, I started spending time with a group of friends. We would meet in markets or in someone’s home, smoke shisha, and stay out late. After a while, I started feeling weak and exhausted, and some nights I wouldn’t return home. Later, I discovered that the shisha was mixed with drugs, and I had unknowingly become addicted.”

Before his addiction, Sherzad was married, employed, and lived a stable life with his two children. He says his situation deteriorated rapidly: “I became addicted to crystal meth. My friends abandoned me, I lost my job, and everything fell apart. One night, the National Security Forces arrested me along with others. Even though I’m in prison, I am receiving treatment at the addiction centre while I await the end of my sentence.”

Statistics on Treatment

According to the Kirkuk Drug Addiction Treatment Centre, around 100 individuals registered for treatment in the past eight months, and 40 have successfully completed the programme and returned to normal life.

How Treatment Works

Describing the centre, Saman Yaba Ali, spokesperson for the Kirkuk Health Directorate, stated: “This is one of the leading addiction treatment centres in Iraq and has been ranked first in medical rehabilitation.”

He explained that patients undergo a three-month treatment programme, after which a specialised medical committee evaluates their progress. If improvement is evident, patients are discharged. Otherwise, the programme may be extended for up to another six months.

Legal Provisions for Addicts

Article 40 of the Anti-Narcotics Law of the Iraqi Constitution stipulates that individuals who voluntarily seek treatment are not prosecuted and are granted legal protection—an important safeguard meant to encourage addicts to come forward.

However, according to the Health Directorate, many young detainees refuse to visit the treatment centre due to stigma or fear of their family finding out. As a result, medical teams sometimes conduct visits directly in prisons to offer guidance and treatment.

Awareness and Prevention

The Kirkuk Health Directorate continues to hold seminars, workshops, and public awareness campaigns highlighting the dangers of drug use. Clerics and religious leaders have also been encouraged to address addiction in their sermons to help curb its spread.

Officials emphasise that treatment and prevention must go hand in hand, calling for greater community involvement to safeguard young people and reduce the growing threat of narcotic abuse.

Article was originally published by Kurdistani Nwe Newspaper and was translated to English by PUKMEDIA editorial team.



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