THE
IRANIAN YOUTH IS IN DEPRESSION!
In Iran, a
statistics on the social situation was published in late
September by the publication organs known by their closeness
to the reformist section. It was reported that changes in
comparison to those in 2005 were reviewed in the mentioned
statistics, which was prepared in March 2006.
According
to the statistics which covered surprising figures; the age
of committing crimes of robbery, usurpation, etc. in Iran
has gone down to 10 and below. In the mentioned study, which
points to a 37 % increase in the drug addiction rate
compared to the previous period, it is expressed that the
age of starting to use drugs has gone down to 13; the rate
of drug addicts especially among the youth has increased by
60 %; and furthermore, the young people at the age of 14 who
can still be considered as children have been stuck in the
quagmire of prostitution. While it is stated that the rate
of those running away from home has increased by 23 % and
the rate of divorce by 7 %, it is indicated that
approximately 30 million people throughout the country feel
unhappy, depressive and oppressed.
Meanwhile,
in a statement he made in late September, Mayor of Tehran
Muhammed Bekir Galibaf drew attention to the social problems
seen especially in major cities. Galibaf, who mentioned that
the number of unemployed people only in Tehran had reached
400 thousand as of September, stated that they had been
expecting help both from the state and the people in order
to create employment opportunities for the jobless. Also
some Iranian economic experts note that the unemployment
rate in the country is higher than 20 % and emphasize that
this situation disappoints the Iranian youth in terms of
their future plans. Experts stating that people are being
dragged into a social explosion, underline that the
tendencies towards prostitution, narcotics, running away
from home for a better life, getting involved in organized
crimes, etc. stem from the unemployment problem and that the
statistical figures will go much higher unless immediate
action is taken.
