IRAN HAS 1.2 MLN DRUG ADDICTS - OFFICIAL

TEHRAN (Reuters) - There are some 1.2 million drug addicts among
Iran's 60 million people, a senior official said in remarks published
Wednesday. The daily Iran newspaper quoted Mohammad Fallah, the
country's top official in charge of fighting drugs, as saying
educating the youth would be far more efficient in fighting drugs than
using force.

Iran is a major transit route for opium and heroin headed to Europe
from Afghanistan and Pakistan - the so-called "Golden Crescent."
Iranian police killed seven armed drug smugglers in two separate
clashes near the Afghan border in the last week, newspapers reported.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry