Since the 2003 US-led invasion, Iraq has witnessed a dramatic rise in the cultivation and trafficking of drugs.

Reports indicate that drug abuse is on the rise among a large segment of Iraqi youth.

Drug dealers in Iraq are making big profits and armed militias have muscled in on this lucrative trade.

There are also reports of drug traffickers bribing custom and security officers.

Many blame the increase in drugs on the presence of foreign troops, but what, if anything, is Iraq doing to combat drug trafficking?

To discuss this Jasim Azzawi is joined by Mustafa Alani, the director of security and terrorism studies at the Gulf Research Centre, and Sadegh Zibakalam, a professor of political science at Tehran University.

This episode of Inside Iraq can be seen from Friday, September 18, 2009 at the following times GMT: Friday: 1730, 2230; Saturday: 0300, 0830; Sunday: 0600, 1230; Monday: 0130.