Cannabis and Opium Abuse Patterns and Their Associated Complications in a Sample of Young Iranians

Abstract

The prevalence of drug abuse has been reported to be up to 17.0% in Iran. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of two frequently abused substances—cannabis and opium—in samples of the young population in Isfahan, Iran. In a survey done from January 2005 to December 2006, 537 individuals aged 13–20 years were recruited using a multistage probability sampling method. Demographic and clinical data were recorded through face-to-face interviews, physical examinations, and reviews of the patients’ medical records by trained interviewers. Morphine and cannabis were detected by Enzyme–Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) on each blood sample. The rates of morphine and cannabis abuse were 2.2% and 3.2%, respectively. They were abused in 0.5% and 15.3% of cigarette smokers as well. Male-to-female ratio in addicts was 4:1, and the mean age of addicts was 17.54 ± 1.86 years old. There was a significant relationship between male gender and addiction (P = 0.002). The prevalence of substance abuse in urban and rural areas was 6.3% and 9.5%, respectively. A total of 2.5% of rural females were addicted, compared to 2.4% in Isfahan (city). In Isfahan, opium was the most commonly abused substance while in rural areas cannabis was the most commonly abused. Substance abuse among adolescents has increased dramatically and has a significant negative effect on society. It seems that substance abuse is more prevalent than it is estimated. Therefore, developing and implementing appropriate solutions for solving this problem seems necessary.

KEYWORDS:

• adolescence
• cannabis
• opium
• psychological disorders

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Farzan Institute for Research and Technology for technical assistance.

Notes

Notes. Data are presented as mean ± SD or percentage.

p < 0.05 significant.