Opioids Use in Male Population Referred for Mandatory Urine Opioid Screen Before Marriage in Shiraz-Iran

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence of opioid abuse in a sample of male population in Shiraz, Iran. METHODS A representative sample of 1219 subjects (aged 16 years or older) who were referred for urine opioid screen (UOS) as a mandatory test before marriage in Shiraz in 2005 were enrolled in this study. RESULTS Mean age of the participants was 26.17 years (SD=6.12), ranging from 16 to 75 years. From them, 121 participants (9.93%) had positive urine opioid test. They were retested at least few days later by thin layer chromatography (TLC). The results showed that 22 (1.80%) had positive urine opioid test (based on TLC), whose mean age was 25.7 years, ranging from 19 to 32 years. CONCLUSION It can be concluded that at least 1.80% of men referred for UOS as a mandatory test before marriage used opioids. These results should be considered when preventive and therapeutic programs are being planned.