Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

Rajab Abu-Zeid (member of the MB parliamentary bloc for Shebeen al-Koum City) has submitted a suggestion to the parliament calling for establishing hospitals in all public prisons specializing in addiction treatment for prisoners.

He clarified that addiction is a national problem impeding development and prosperity of the country, especially with the skyroketting numbers of addicts in the Arab world, nearly ten million according to UN statistics.

"According to recent global measures, drug addicts are not criminals. They are patients in need for sympathy and treatment instead of violence and exclusion. It is true that the decision to be a drug addict is a crime, but these people would be dangerous for the society if not cured, rehabilitated, and integrated within the society," he said.

Egypt’s prisons have a significant number of addicts who don’t receive treatment. Those would absolutely pose threats to society when they are released, he added.