Drugs consumption in the Middle east

I just came through this article today in CNN news, which discuses drug consumption in the Middle east. And what really surprised me was the huge consumption of Amphetamines in Saudi Arabia

"The World Drug Report 2010, published by the UNODC, shows Saudi authorities confiscated 12.8 metric tons of amphetamine in 2008. A total of 24.3 metric tons of amphetamine were seized worldwide that year, with 15.3 metric tons seized in the wider Middle East."

I Know there is a drug problem here in Saudi Arabia, and due to my position as a Pharmacist, I can tell. There is a lot of OTC meds and cough syrups which been abused by workers (foreigners and Saudis as well) Meds containing "codeine" like "solpadeine" and "fevadol plus" are the most common. Dextromethorpan tabs and syrups. H1 anti histamines, etc.. All can be easily available from pharmacies, and of course it all depends on the pharmacist evaluation, whether that person is misusing the meds or not. I know there is a drug problem in Saudi especially that it's more commonly known that Pakistanis are the most "blacklisted" nationality in the kingdom who smuggles drugs in Saudi Arabia. The other day my assistant (who is Indian btw haha) told me last time we waited for over 2 hrs because there is plane coming from Pakistan before them and they where accurately checking it because of the drug smuggling problem

I guess the raising drug problem - which by the way is equally worse in Egypt- is due to political suppression in the area, people want to be tranquil, they want their brains to be totally isolated from the painful political and economical chaos their nations going through. Beside that I'll mention in particular why many foreign workers in Saudi abuse or misuse meds that because the high pressure they are facing in this country, especially the unfair work rules and the sponsorship system here in Saudi Arabia, which I need to go deeply into it in a separate blog. Sexual frustration due to the hard customarily laws here which avoids mixing of both sexes is one of the huge factors too. I guess the middle eastern community should fix the roots of the problem which of course they won't cuz the problem is already known, but yet even our governments chose to be isolated and tranquil from the people themselves, leading that both governments and people being separated by a huge gap delusion, but the difference is that one intentionally chose to be, and the other has no choice!

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/07/23/middle.east.drugs.amphetamine/index.html#fbid=KZqhpOLda6H&mtag=soc_fb