The World - News from Jan. 22, 1989

A severe crackdown on drug traffickers went into effect in Iran, with a mandatory death penalty for anyone found with even small amounts of narcotics. At least 75 smugglers have already been executed this month in the fiercest crackdown since the early days of the Islamic revolution, when hundreds of alleged drug users and pushers were rounded up and put to death. The new campaign follows the Aug. 20 cease-fire in the Iran-Iraq War and an alarming surge in drug abuse blamed on hardships caused by the eight-year conflict, worsening unemployment and Iran’s religious ban on alcohol.