Drugs of choice, drugs of change: Egyptian consumption habits since the 1920s

Abstract

Much has been written and published about the 25 January 2011 Egyptian revolution from the perspective of contemporary history and political science. Much less attention has focused on social policy. I am unaware of any scholarly material that has dealt with illicit drugs during the critical 2011–2016 period, yet increasing drugs consumption provided a social backdrop to the events of that period. This paper identifies historical trends in illicit drugs consumption over the course of the last century to the beginning of the Arab Spring. During much of this period hashish was the drug of choice. This paper argues that drug consumption was on the rise in Egypt well before the downfall of President Husni Mubarak in February 2011, but that it has grown markedly since the ousting of the former president. It will ask which have been and are the drugs of choice in contemporary Egypt. It will further ask how this composition has changed and why, giving special focus to the relatively new mass, opioid drug, Tramadol.

Keywords:

• Egypt
• illicit drugs
• Tramadol
• Arab Spring

Notes

1. Russell, Egyptian Service.

2. Youssef, Quarter of a Gram, 429.

3. Al Masry al Youm, January 2012.

4. Al Masry al Youm, February 2012.

5. Interviews with author, 2011–2012.

6. Scott.

7. Interview with the author.

8. Davenport-Hines, Pursuit of Oblivion, 227.

9. Interview with author, 13 April 2011.

10. These include such functional areas as money laundering, international cooperation and the implementation of international agreements and conventions.

11. Krasner, International Regimes.

12. McAllister, Drug Diplomacy, 105.

14. Author participant observation, 18 November 2012.

15. Walter Armbrust, the well-known social anthropologist of Egypt and a colleague at St Antony’s College, notes that the number of feature films being made during the Sadat period certainly gave the impression that drugs consumption was sharply increasing in Egypt. Conversation, 5 April 2011.

16. Confidential interview with author, 7 April 2011.

17. Al Tahrir, “Army Returns to Bombing.”

18. Interview with author, 20 November 2012.

19. Interview with author, 19 November 2012.

20. Interview with author, 31 October 2012.

21. Youssef, Quarter of a Gram.

22. Interview with author, 5 April 2011.

23. Interview with author, 9 April 2011.

24. Interview with author, 5 February 2012.

25. Sleem, Status Quo of Social Work.

26. Interview with author, July 2011.

27. Interview with the author, April 2011.

28. Interview with author, 3 November 2011.

29. Interview with author, 11 July 2012.

30. Interview with author, 12 July 2012.

31. Nabil.

32. International Herald Tribune.

33. Interview with author, 3 November 2011.

34. Interview with author, April 2011.

35. Interview with author, 31 October 2012.

36. Interview with author, April 2011.

37. Interview with author, April 2012.

38. Interview with author, October 2011.

39. See Crabtree et al., The Cup, the Gun, 252–254, for more on poverty, demography and other contributory factors.

40. Interview with author, February 2012.

41. Confidential interview with author, 8 February 2012.

42. Interview with author, 9 April 2011.

43. Interview with author, 11 April 2011.