The number of drug addicts in Egypt are estimated at 3 to 4 million, said Dr Mostafa Hussein, a psychiatrist and addiction specialist.
He pressed for the need for an effective plan to stand against all forms of addiction and combat the addiction phenomenon.
The announcement was made at a symposium on "Risks of Addiction among Adolescents" held on Sunday at the Physicians Syndicate.
He attributed the increase in the number of drug addicts to Egypt’s changing social structure, the uncertainty in the post-revolution era together with urbanization and crippling unemployment rates, saying they are among other factors contributing to addiction.
Treating addiction is demanding and complicated, requiring a two-week detoxification period usually in a hospital, in addition to a rehabilitation phase, which takes months, said Dr Hussein.
According to a 2009 report by the Cairo Medical College in collaboration with the ministry of health, the percentage of drug abuse in Cairo is 7 percent higher than the world average of 5 percent. Abuse is most prevalent in the impoverished districts of Egypt.