Epidemiology of Drug Abuse and Drug Dependence in Individuals Visiting Drug Abuse Treatment Centers in Kermanshah Province in 2013
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Today's World. 2015 July; 4 (7): 156-164 ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ Journal of Biology and Today's World ISSN 2322-3308 Journal home page: http://journals.lexispublisher.com/jbtw/ Received: 25 July 2015 • Accepted: 27 August 2015 Research doi:10.15412/J.JBTW. 01040703 Epidemiology of Drug Abuse and Drug Dependence in Individuals Visiting Drug Abuse Treatment Centers in Kermanshah Province in 2013 Masoud Moradi1, Abbas Aghaei1, Farid Najafi1, Mohammad Mahboubi2, Mari Ataee1, Bahare Lotfi3, Vahid Farnia1, Toraj Ahmadi-Jouybari1* 1 Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran 2 Abadan School of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran 3 Clinical Research Development Center, Emam Khomaini Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran *correspondence should be addressed to Toraj Ahmadi-Jouybari, Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; Tell: +989181317417; Fax: +988337272049; Email: [email protected]. ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine drug consumption and dependence in those visiting drug abuse treatment centers in Kermanshah province in 2013. This study was a cross-sectional study that was conducted on those visiting drug abuse treatment centers in Kermanshah province voluntarily during the year 2013. Using checklist, information was collected from the files of the individuals by trained experts and, if necessary, by asking individuals, physicians or the experts of the center. The analysis was performed using SPSS version16. Overall, 2652 patients’ information (in 80 centers) was studied. The mean age of individuals was 37.98 (±11.18) years and more than 97% of the individuals were male. Opium, tramadol and hashish were the most frequently used substances that were consumed for the first time by the individuals. The mean of years of use for traditional (natural) substances was much more than that for synthetic substances. Proportion of drug use did not differ between men and women. However, the proportion of synthetic materials and non-narcotic substances was significantly different. Based on the results it can be said that that drug abuse is more prevalent among young individuals, educated individuals and those with family history. Since the synthetic drug abuse is increasing, new strategies for prevention of access to these drugs and treatment should be a priority in the related programs. Key words: Drug abuse, Drug addiction, Drugs, Synthetic drugs Copyright © 2015 Masoud Moradi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License. 1. INTRODUCTION 1989 showed that 49 percent of the homicides, 68 percent owadays drug abuse and drug addiction are of the fights leading to murder, 50 percent of the deaths in considered as health, social, economic and car accidents, 20 to 35 percent of suicides, 52% of sexual Ncultural problems in most countries and they are assaults, 50 percent of domestic violence, and 38% of child creating serious concerns as devastating phenomena that abuse were associated with drug abuse (4). The interaction destruct human capitals (1). The increase of drug use, of the process of transition from developing and traditional similar to some epidemic diseases, has exceeded society to industrial society in Iran with the unique cultural expectations and thus many sources refer to it as an and social characteristics has resulted in significant epidemic (2). This, despite of macro planning, policy- problems such as drug addiction. Given the centuries-old making and necessary actions, destroys millions of lives history of opioid use in Iran, the severity of the and costs states considerable sum of money to compensate. vulnerability of the society can be understood (5). Among This problem quickly goes beyond all social and cultural the population of 14 million Iranians before the revolution, boundaries and threatens human health (3). Drug abuse there were 1.5 million addicts and drug control center does not only ruin the lives of individuals, but also reported that in 1997 there were 2 million drug addicts in threatens norms and values of the society. UN statistics in Iran (6). During the 80s and 90s, the average annual 156 J. Biol. Today's World. 2015 July; 4 (7): 156-164 ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ growth rate of drug abuse was 8 percent. It means that the Kerman province showed that drug use was more common rate has doubled every 12 years. Considering the fact that in than in women and opium with 17.1 percent was the the rate of population growth in that time has been 2.63 on most commonly used drug and analgesic, heroin and average, the growth rate of drug abuse has been three times hashish were next in the ranking (6). In a study that was that of the population growth (7). United Nations Office on conducted by Behdani et al. from 2005 to 2006 to Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has considered the addiction determine the demographic characteristics of patients as one of the four crises in the world and it has considered undergoing methadone treatment in Hejazi hospital in Iran to be among high-risk countries (8). According to Mashhad, the results showed that 96.6 of the individuals estimates of this organization in 2007 around 172-250 were male and 3.4 percent were female. The patients were million people ages 15-64 years old have used at least one in the age group of 31-49 years and those with diploma illegal substance. Patterns of drug abuse in different parts education and full-time jobs were the highest percentage. of the world are different. Cannabis (Hashish) has the Inhalation method with 52.6 percent was the most common highest number of consumers, most of them in North method and oral with 5/19%, inhalation and oral with America, Western Europe and Oceania. Amphetamines 12.1% and injection with 8.6 percent were next in the (Southeast Asia), cocaine (North America, Western and ranking; also 5/59 percent of people consumed crystal Central Europe and South America) and opiates methamphetamine (13). In the study of Azizi et al. on drug (Afghanistan) are next in the ranking (9). In the 90s in Iran, addicts that voluntarily visited the addiction unit of Farabi the drug use in the form of injection has increased by about Hospital, the average age of addicts was 31.82 years and 33% per year (7). In Iran, opium and its derivatives had the 49% of them were married. 87% of the addicts were highest number of reports on. However, no study has been experiencing their first effort for quitting, 85% were conducted, so far, on the population of the country in employed and 66.5 of them had lower than diploma relation to drug abuse (6). Drug use in men and women in education. The most commonly used substance was heroin developed and developing countries are different from with the percentage of 48.6 and the most common method each other in a way that 35 percent of men and 25 percent was injection with 33.1 (14). As understanding the extent of women in developed countries and 50% of men and 9% and frequency of illegal drug use in any population is the of women in developing countries consume tobacco. The starting point for discussions of the relevant policies, percentage of women in developing countries is exploring the public as a common practice to measure the continuously increasing. Eastern Mediterranean region, as prevalence of drug abuse as an important requirement in a region that is very important in the transport of drugs and drug information systems is important in this context. If also as a region with countries that have rapid social these studies are systematically repeated, they will be a change and conflicting positions regarding each other, is good tool to identify trends of abuse over time. These increasingly at risk of health, economic and social studies can also provide basic information on the problems of drug addiction and drug consumption (10). In demographic and other drug-related risk factors and act as a study by Palo et al in 2007 titled “epidemiology of an early warning system (2, 6). According to what has substance abuse among professional college students of been mentioned so far it can be said clearly that drug abuse Berhampur town”, 32.5% of men and 4.5% of women is one of the priorities and issues in the international reported drug abuse. 18.7% of the population had community and hence in our society. Through this research, consumed cannabis and other drugs (11). In Mokri’s study in addition to gaining knowledge of the epidemiological in 2002 that was conducted with the aim of looking at the situation and pattern of drug use in Kermanshah, the situation of drug abuse in Iran, the results showed that the relevant authorities can be guided for fundamental policy mean age of drug abusers was 33 years and the average age making and planning. of onset was 22 years. Also, more than 90 percent of the drug abusers were men and more than 50 percent of them 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS were married and more than 80 percent reported that they This study is a cross-sectional study conducted on patients were employed. In these cases, opium was the most widely visiting drug abuse treatment centers in the province of consumed substance and heroin and opium sap were the Kermanshah during the year 2013. Based on information next most widely consumed drugs respectively (2). In a from deputy of treatment of Kermanshah University of study by Shekarchizadeh et al. in 2013 titled “patterns of Medical Sciences in 2013, 80 addiction treatment centers pre-treatment of drug abuse, drug treatment history and were active in the province of Kermanshah and 70 units of characteristics of addicts in methadone maintenance them were in the city of Kermanshah and 10 units were in treatment in Iran” the results clearly showed that the other cities of the province.