Hamas in Gaza burns drugs used for recreation

[oberliner]

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Gaza's Hamas rulers have burned more than 1 million pills of a pain killer many Gazans take because they say it relaxes them.

Hamas Health Minister Basim Naim said Tuesday that the drug, Tramadol, was confiscated from smugglers who sneak it through tunnels under the Gaza-Egyptian border. At Gaza's largest hospital, workers tossed sacks of the drug into an incinerator.

Naim said many in Gaza are addicted to Tramadol, which is supposed to be available only by prescription. The drug is a mild opioid and experts say regular use can cause flulike withdrawal symptoms.

Hamas has also banned smoking in government offices and recently seized cigarettes from shops across Gaza to collect taxes on them.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5giOOpCmNM_NZpz1XV1S9hI4qJV5wD9F6PKFO0

[ProgressiveMuslim]

1. Beats putting casual users in jail, like the American government does.

[sabbat hunter]

2. I am pretty sure that

The US government also burns any illegal drugs seized, once the trial is over and it isn't needed as evidence any longer.

[oberliner]

3. Why is Tramadol illegal there?

It appears to be available by prescription in most countries, and over the counter in others.

Edit to ask: Is abuse of this drug a problem elsewhere in the world?

[sabbat hunter]

4. I think it is because

that it was smuggled in, not being sold legally.

[shaayecanaan]

5. As you said, the drug is being used recreationally, not medicinally...

I believe the problem started when Jordan and Egypt made Tramadol available only by prescription rather than over the counter. That limited the market and left a lot of Tramadol with nowhere to go.

On the other hand, the blockade on Gaza meant that traditional working class drugs such as khat and hashish became less economical, because khat leaves are bulky and when you are smuggling materials through the tunnels, space is at a premium. At the same time, you had spiraling unemployment due to the war and blockade on Gaza and the consequent mass appetite for drugs that tends to follow.

Also Tramadol, like any opoid, suppresses hunger, which is an added benefit for many residents of Gaza. By breaking the time release seal on the tablet, the effect is enhanced, comparable to morphine or even heroin.

I dont think Tramadol is used recreationally in a big way elsewhere largely because meth, which is as popular in middle East as it is elsewhere, is generally cheaper to obtain. It is only because of particular circumstances that Tramadol is now as cheap in Gaza as it is.

[Alamuti Lotus]

6. Actions represent Hamas' increasing 'Respectability'

Note that I do not view this term ("respectability") favorably or use it with endearment.

This is Hamas (what passes for "The Man" in Gaza) vs. underground networks, probably chaos-sowing salafists linked to what passes for al-Qai'dah's attempt to move in on Gaza.