Drug use spreads among Iraqi youth
Many Iraqi youths are using drugs to escape the hardships of their lives, as some are unemployed or come from fragmented families.
BABYLON, Iraq — Iraqi youths refer to a drug addict as a "moukabsel,” a word originating from “capsule.” Visits to cafes and casinos, makes it readily apparent that many youths cannot make it to the end of their day without taking pills, which are available in markets with sellers trading them discreetly.
A young man from Babil province, 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Baghdad, told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that he refuses to called a "moukabsel.” But he said he takes pills whenever he feels down and unable to survive the hardships of his life, being unemployed and not having finished his education.
One of his friends, however, contradicted the young man. He told Al-Monitor privately, “He is a drug addict; he cannot focus and he has wasted a lot of job opportunities that were offered to him.”
Addicts often start with pills, usually as tranquilizers used to treat epilepsy, schizophrenia and other mental disorders. These pills are easily obtained from sellers who make a quick profit from such trade.
