Peer pressure forces addicts to new highs

MUSCAT: A convicted drug dealer who once smuggled hard drugs into Oman is now helping young Omanis beat their addictions.

Mohammed, ( name changed) ran heroin across the border from Yemen and was caught after a deal went wrong.

He spent time in prison in Oman and is now reformed and helping to run a group that helps young people kick their drug habit.

Mohammed shared his story with Times of Oman in the hope that others might avoid taking the same path.

From hash to heroin or morphine, drug addicts often opt for stronger drugs as a result of experimentation and peer pressure, Mohammed said.

“Drug addicts always start with hashish. When they get into the harder drugs like morphine and heroin, it’s almost always as a result of experimentation. They say they just want to see what it feels like and then get hooked from the first hit,” said Mohammad (name changed to preserve identity), a rehabilitated addict who turned his life around.

“Even though the addicts prefer hashish over other drugs, they need morphine or heroin to relieve them of their pain. It’s easier to get off of hash but not the other drugs,” he added.

Foiled smuggling attempts by authorities are reported often which in turn decreases the amount of narcotics available in the country, however, addicts find ways to get their ‘high’. “Nowadays the authorities are doing a great job busting the smugglers, but most of the time they catch them in possession of hash more than morphine or heroin,” he said.