Situating the local in global drug policy debates:historical overview of political and drug market developments in Azerbaijan

As a post-Soviet, Muslim-majority, and secular state, Azerbaijan has historically stood at the intersection of European and Eastern influences. Among other geopolitical relations, this has affected the use, control, and production of psychoactive drugs, and eventually Azerbaijan’s place in the international drug control system. Located on the Caucasus trafficking route through its Southern border with Iran, the state has maintained an official drug policy of monitoring trafficking in this one region. At the same time, the country’s political regime has ensured a relatively ‘uneventful’ national drug discourse for almost three decades by strictly controlling publicly accessible information and statistics around seizures, prevalence, user population, and public health concerns. Despite its financial strength from oil and gas resources, the state allocates minimal support to harm reduction and other medical and social services for people who use drugs. This gap has historically attracted international donors, but in recent years, most initiatives ceased, and harm reduction programs were discontinued. With more stimulants entering the market and cheaper synthetic alternatives replacing heroin, the need to design more nuanced policies has been exacerbated. This article draws on expert interviews and the developments of the past 30 years since Azerbaijan’s independence from the USSR to offer a historical overview and highlight the current challenges amidst increasing need for local drug policy reforms.