Methods and patterns of drug abuse among young addict women

Abstract: Although we do not know the exact number of addicted women in our country, but based on some investigations, 9.6% of addicted person are women. Ministry of Health reports show that we have a ratio of one woman per eight addicted men. Our data show that, different factors are playing role at the beginning the drug abuse between women and men. In this study, we investigate the pattern of drug abuse, including different methods and substances, between two groups of addicted women. This case-control study have been done on 160 randomized samples of addicted women in two groups , vulnerable addict women (in prison) and addicted women (without history of being in prison), in Mashhad between 2011 and 2012,respectively.The results showed that the most common methods in vulnerable addicts were inhalation and oral methods, respectively. Of them, up to 6%'s used drugs by injecting method. Considering the substances they used, the most common drug (with regards to multi-addicted groups),were Cristal and methamphetamine, respectively .The less common substance was tablets ,which have been abused in combination with all other drugs in all cases. The most drugs abused simultaneously, were Cristal and methamphetamine together. Also, heroin, cannabis and psychotropic tablets were far more abused in vulnerable group. The results of this study showed that a history of imprisonment was associated with a change in the method of abusing to the intra venous drug abuse. The result showed that Cristal and methamphetamine was the most drug abused in women.