BACKGROUND The stigma attached to substance use is considered as a barrier to treatment, resulting in continued dependence and harmful consequences for the health of drug abusers and society. METHODS In the current study, stigma and its relation with patient characteristics and secrecy was examined in people who were in treatment of drug dependency. Participants were 144 patients from two ref...

The purpose of the current study was to assess the rate of substance use in patients with medical diseases who were admitted to different wards at Shiraz hospitals affiliated to the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Data were gathered from 600 randomly selected patients by a structured interview that included DSM-IV criteria for substance dependency. The mean ages for men and women were 45...

On February 14, 2016, a patient with known addiction to oral opium and no occupational or other lead exposure was admitted to Loghman-Hakim Hospital and Poison Center (LHHPC) in Tehran, Iran, with abdominal pain, anemia, constipation, and a blood lead level (BLL) of 137 μg/dL (normal = <10 μg/dL). Over the next 8 months, approximately 3,000 oral opium users were evaluated at LHHPC, and found to...

Background Studies have shown that Iran has a high rate of opiate abuse and the most prevalently used is opium. This study was aimed to evaluate risk factors in patients with acute opium intoxication who referred to Loghman Hakim Hospital, Tehran, Iran, in 2011. Methods A total number of 383 patients with acute opium overdose, who were referred to the Emergency Department of Loghman Hakim Hos...

BACKGROUND This study aimed at determining the drug abuse pattern and the frequency of high-risk behaviors among the clients of Methadone Maintenance Treatment Centers and Drop-in Centers in Shahroud County of Semnan Province. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, the data collection tool was a questionnaire including 10 general and 32 specific items about drug abuse pattern and high-risk be...