Trends of Substance Use in Southern Iran: A qualitative study

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the demographics of substance users in a rural area of Iran. Seventy-six semi-structured interviews were conducted with drug users who were referred to a treatment facility. Participants were primarily male (72/76), with a mean age of 28.4 years for all participants, and a range of 20 to 43 years. The most common drug of use was opium, followed by heroin, prescription medication, buprenorphine, and hashish. Over 91% of the respondents reported a history of illicit drug use in at least 1 family member. The first injection drug used was: Buprenorphine at 55% (12/22) and heroin at 45% (10/22). The sources of needles were reported to be pharmacies, and both pharmacies and close friends, 64% (14/22) and 36% (8/22) of the times, respectively. Also, 64% percent of IDUs stated they shared needles in the last month.