The Polymer Research Center at the University of Basra held a workshop on addiction: The Beginning of the Decline and the End of Hope, presented by Dr. Rawnaq A.Talib.Drugs are among the most dangerous scourges threatening societies, beginning with a small step towards decline and ending with the loss of hope. Young people and adolescents who use alcohol and tobacco are more likely to later use psychoactive substances. Cannabis (hashish) is the most commonly used drug, and the highest rates of drug use are in Europe, followed by the Americas, Oceania, Africa, and Asia. Drugs are classified as natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic. Drug production is abundant in Central America, Colombia, and Mexico, and it is also cultivated in Lebanon, Pakistan, and Morocco. The workshop addressed the causes of drug use and addiction, and their effects on the individual, family, and society. Finally, it discussed methods of drug prevention and treatment.
