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Substance abuse among Iranian high school students
Saeed Momtazi1, Richard Rawson
1Department of Psychiatry, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Office, Tehran, Iran. dr.momtazi@gmail.com
Current Opinion in Psychiatry
|March 24, 2010
Summary
Drug abuse is a significant issue among Iranian high school students, with alcohol, opium, and cannabis being common. Early tobacco use is a risk factor, necessitating targeted prevention programs.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Drug use and abuse represent a serious mental health challenge in Iran.
- Cultural factors, including support for opium and tolerance for tobacco, influence substance use patterns.
- Emerging concerns include anabolic steroids, ecstasy, and crystal methamphetamine.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review data on drug use patterns among high school students in Iran.
- To identify prevalent substances and risk factors associated with drug abuse in this demographic.
- To inform the development of effective drug prevention strategies.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of published epidemiological studies from domestic and international journals.
- Analysis of data on substance prevalence, age of onset, and demographic factors.
- Synthesis of findings to understand the scope of the drug abuse problem.
Main Results:
- Alcohol is the most frequently abused substance (≥9.9% lifetime rate), followed by opiates (1.2-8.6% lifetime rate, primarily opium).
- Early onset of daily tobacco smoking (4.4-12.8%) is a significant risk factor for other drug abuse.
- Drug use, excluding prescription drugs, is more common among boys.
Conclusions:
- A substantial drug abuse problem exists among Iranian high school students, influenced by parental role modeling and cultural tolerance.
- Implementing comprehensive drug prevention programs, including life skills training and education, is crucial for protecting students.
- Existing programs target students from kindergarten through university levels.
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