Context:In the present review study, authors investigated Iran’s activities regarding prevention, abuse and harm reduction of drugs nationwide. The issue appears to be important in order to show the trend of activities in the country.Evidence Acquisition:In this report, authors gathered data from different Farsi/English peer review journals issued both in printed and online versions. These journals have been indexed in PubMed, ISI, ISC, SID, Magiran, UN, etc. These are among the most referred and cited databases.Results:Summarizing the data led to three distinguished sections: 1) drug supply reduction activities; 2) drug demand reduction activities; 3) harm reduction activities.Conclusions:As the results showed, the trend of activities was encouraging and some additional activities could be included to future programs relying on early-onset preventions.

Major opium trafficking routes traverse rural Iran, but patterns of drug use and HIV infection in these areas are unknown. In 2004, Iran's Ministry of Health integrated substance use treatment and HIV prevention into the rural primary health care system. Active opium or heroin users (N = 478) were enrolled in a rural clinic. Participants received counseling for abstinence from substances, or daily needle exchange and condoms. On enrollment, 108 (23%) reported injecting; of these, 79 (73%) reported sharing needles. Of 65 participants tested for HIV, 46 (72%) tested positive. Participants who received daily needle exchange/condoms stayed in the program longer than those who did not (AOR 2.08, 95% CI 1.1-3.88). This project demonstrates that HIV risks exist in rural Iran and suggests the innovative use of Iran's rural health care system to extend prevention and treatment services to these populations.

Background:Due to the chronic and recurrent nature of addiction, many people who quit drug addiction may slip back into the pattern of using drugs shortly after the detoxification period. Emotion-regulation strategies and resilience play an important role in preventing the recurrences of substance abuse.Objectives:This study aimed to compare the effects of methadone-maintenance therapy (MMT) and interactive therapy (a combination of MMT and cognitive-behavioral therapy) on improving emotion-regulation strategies and resilience among opiate-dependent clients.Patients and Methods:This pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study was performed on 60 patients with substance abuse admitted to Methadone Addiction Treatment Centers and Detox Centers in Sari within three months of therapy for their addiction (from October to December 2013). Then, the participants were randomly assigned to two different groups (n = 30) were examined in two groups of 30 people targeted to be available in the selected population. Participants in all three groups, before and after the intervention, filled out the questionnaires of Schutte emotional intelligence scale and Connor-Davidson resiliency questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance method.Results:The results showed that an interactive therapy would be significantly more effective than the MMT on improving emotion-regulation strategies and promoting the resilience level among opiate-dependent clients. Moreover, the results showed that cognitive- behavior therapy combined with MMT may improve emotion-regulation strategies, and promote the amount of resiliency and recovery.Conclusions:The cognitive-behavior therapy combined with MMT can improve emotion-regulation strategies and resiliency and thus prevent the substance-abuse relapse.

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Places where people deal and/or use drugs publicly are known as open drug scenes (ODSs). Drug-related community impacts (DRCIs) refer to drug-related issues that negatively influence public and individual health, communities, businesses, and recreational and public space enjoyment. There are no well-established criteria for identification of DRCIs. We therefore performed a scoping review of literature to determine DRCIs indicators associated with ODSs. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The review was performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScP). We searched English articles in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases from 1990 to 2021. The keywords were drug-related crime, drug-related offense, misconduct, social marginalization, homeless drug users, open drug scene, drug-related street disorder, public nuisance, and community impact. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Sixty-four studies were identified. Twenty-five studies were included. Two studies (8%) were about drug-related public nuisance, 1 (4%) considered drug-related social problems, 2 (8%) focused on drug-related social disorder, and 18 studies (72%) discussed indicators of community impacts such as crime, drug-related litter, safety, noise, and drug use in public. Two studies (8%) included the frequency of drug use in ODSs. <b><i>Discussion:</i></b> DRCI indicators are heterogenic, and various factors affect the indicators. The factors include social mores, political discourse, and historical approaches to dealing with and using drugs. Some societies do not tolerate the existence of ODSs. In contrast, many countries have adopted harm reduction programs to manage DRCIs. Identified DRCI indicators were drug using and dealing in public, drug-related litter, crime, drug-related loitering, street-based income generation activities, noise, and unsafety feelings in inhabitants. To solve the problems associated with DRCIs and to make a major change in ODSs, it is necessary to pay attention to the improvement of the economic conditions (e.g., employment opportunities), amendment (e.g., determine the limits of criminalization in drug use), and adoption of social policies (e.g., providing low-threshold and supportive services for homeless drug users).

Background and objectivesMany low-income and middle-income countries experience problems with open drug scenes and drug-related community issues (DRCIs). These experiences occur in settings with varying levels of health and law enforcement initiatives, and accordingly a range of approaches are implemented to curb the problem. Most of the published literature stems from Western and high-income societies. With this concern, the present study aims to describe a planned project to explore DRCIs in the open drug scenes of Tehran, including its typology, and predisposing and reinforcing factors. In addition, the study attempts to investigate the perceptions with respect to the required interventions and barriers to their accessibility.MethodsTo this end, the current study focuses on the Farahzad drug scene due to its structure and the difficult access to the scene by harm reduction providers. Data collection techniques encompass field observation, indepth interview and focus group discussion. Further, semistructured interviews are conducted with people who use drugs and other key informants who are engaged at this drug scene, including business, community, voluntary and statutory stakeholders, for an average of 90 min (average of 45 min for each part of the study). Furthermore, as a complementary method, field observation is performed regarding the themes of DRCIs at this scene. Then, focus group discussions are held to further describe the themes of DRCIs as well as to explore the required interventions, for an average of 90 min. Finally, the results are evaluated using qualitative content analysis.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval for the study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Iran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Additionally, participants are to provide written informed consent. The findings of the study are expected to play a role in promoting the current intervention.

Objectives: This study aims to assess the implementation of drug-related harm reduction programs in Iranian prisons and suggest solutions for their improvement. Methods: This study was conducted in three steps. First, library method was used for collecting data from the central library of Iran’s Prisons, Security and Corrective Measures Organization. In the second step, performance indicators were extracted based on the results of first step and two researcher-made checklists were designed. Finally, a field visit and a semi-structured interview with the authorities involved in the treatment and harm reduction services were carried out. Results: In most of prisons, drug-related harm reduction programs were underway. Despite a lack of human resources and budget at the beginning, the quality of measures was gradually increased and the attitude of authorities was improved. Methadone Maintenance Treatment and Triangular Clinics were the most common harm reduction programs, in addition to HIV and tuberculosis screening programs in collaboration with medical sciences universities. The program continued despite the change of officials. Conclusion: Harm reduction programs are able to reduce infection diseases, self-harm and violent behaviors in prisons of Iran. Cultural programs along with other harm reduction programs, briefings and seeking support from the authorities can greatly help with continuation of the programs in prisons. By eliminating the shortage of manpower and redefining the security areas for ordinary prisoners, it will be possible to make better use of the facilities of universities and research centers.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of sexual dysfunction and to investigate whether there is a change in sexual dysfunction after six months of methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) compared with baseline.

Background: Substance use is a growing problem in many countries especially among teenagers. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and complications of substance use in teenagers referring to a tertiary hospital following intoxication. Methods: In a cross-sectional study between 2012 and 2013 in Loghman Hakim Hospital, Tehran, Iran, sixteen substances were checked in teenagers referring due to poisoning. They divided into two groups of young (13 to <16 yr; group 1) and old-teenagers (16 to 19 yr; group 2). History of lifetime substance use and drug use within the week prior to admission were recorded. Results: Mean (range) age of young teenagers was 14.5±0.6 [13, 15] and 17.7±1.1 [16, 19] in old-teenagers with female predominance. Of 264 teenagers, four in group 1 and 27 in group 2 were admitted due to drug overdose. Six and 69 patients in groups 1 and 2 claimed that they had used some kind of substance in the week prior to admission. Twenty (37%) and 106 (50.5%) patients in the young and old-teenager groups were defined as drug users and rates of unreported substance use were 27.8% (15 cases) and 23.8% (50 cases) respectively. Ninety-six substance users (36.4%) had referred due to poisonings other than recreational intoxication (P<.001). Screening toxicological lab data showed significant opioid and sedative exposure in old-teenagers. Conclusion: It seems young adolescents hide their drug abuse more than old teenagers. Using illicit drugs screening tests may help us to provide hidden rate of abuse in teenagers.