The World Health Organisation (WHO)

Country: Oman
Delegate: Polina Sobakina
Topic B: Combating addiction as an illness

Drugs have been familiar to people for several thousand years. According to the Oxford
dictionary definition, a drug is “a medicine or other substance which has a physiological
effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body”. They were consumed by
people of different cultures, for different purposes: during religious rituals, to restore
strength, to change consciousness, to relieve pain and unpleasant sensations. Already in
the pre-writing period, we have evidence that people knew and used psychoactive
chemicals: alcohol and plants, the consumption of which affects consciousness.
Currently, the volume of drug use is simply huge, although alcohol and illegal drugs are
two examples of psychoactive chemicals that the WHO has made significant progress in
combating, and the policy of most countries is aimed at fighting drugs through restrictive
measures against the distribution of drugs and different methods of treatment of the
addiction caused by drug consume, however, not everyone considers addiction as illness
and this is the case of delegation of Oman. Oman as the general public does not
recognize addiction as a real medical condition requiring compassionate care as a health
issue, rather than a criminal justice issue. and this is the c A lot of people see in drug
addiction more legislative violation than health and social problems that, as Oman
considers, an addicted person needs help to fight with. Oman is concerned about the
attitude of other countries to such a serious problem as combating addiction as an illness
and is interested in participating in this debate in order to defend this attitude towards drug
consume problem.

Oman is an Arab country where Islam, the main religion, affects almost all aspects of life
such as family life and social interaction. The delegate have zero tolerance for drugs-
related offences. The penalties for importing, traf cking, smuggling and possession, of
even residual amounts, of drugs are severe. In some cases, the death penalty could apply.
There is no distinction in Omani law between 'soft' and 'hard' drugs; both are treated with
equal severity. Due to the delegate’s religion, Oman can’t consider addiction as an illness
but only as a crime that goes against religion. Government of the delegate helps and will
help addicted people to get on the righteous path by means of free psychiatric hospitals
and religious puri cations. Moreover, Oman will tighten laws on drug importing, traf cking,
smuggling and possession and penalties for their violation, which will make people think a
hundred times before taking them. Besides, Oman believes that in order to prevent the
occurrence of discussions about whether addiction should be combated as illness or not,
we must eradicate the root of the problem which is narcotraf c and this what Oman
focuses on.

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