Aim: Substance abuse has become a universal crisis in our modern age. Among illegal substances, opium and its derivatives have been ranked second in terms of usage after cannabis in the world. In many Asian regions, the use of opium enjoys a high social acceptance; hence, some common people and even medical practitioners believe that opium lowers blood glucose and pressure and treat dyslipidemi...

Background & Aims: Based on an experimental trial, we tried to test the effects of opium addiction through different administration routes on inflammatory and Coagulation Factors. Methods: This study was performed on 30 adult male Syrian golden hamsters allocated to one of three groups: control group which received no opiate; the first study group received oral opiate; and another study group r...

BACKGROUND Iran (I.R.) is suffering the growing problem of opiate abuse. In evaluation of the treatment plan for opium dependent patients, a valid and reliable instrument is needed to measure patients' severity of dependence. This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the "Substance Dependence Severity Scale" (SDSS). METHODS After translating the English...

BACKGROUND The use of narcotics such as opium exposes addicts as susceptible targets of different diseases so that they might easily be exposed to different diseases such as fungal infections. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of addiction to opium and fungal infection on plasma levels of certain cytokines including interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-17, Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) an...

INTRODUCTION One of the newest non-occupational sources of lead contamination is drug addiction, which has recently been addressed as a major source of lead poisoning in some countries. The present study aimed to investigate the blood lead level (BLL) of asymptomatic opium addicts. METHODS This case-control study was conducted during a one-year period to compare BLL of three groups consisting...

BACKGROUND The main goal of this study is to determine the relationship between opium dependency and frequency of urolithiasis renal colics. METHODS In a cross sectional study we compared opium dependency in urolithiasis patients (case group) with non-urolithiasis patients (control group) and assessed urolithiasis related renal colics as risk factor to opium dependency prevalence. Dependency ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the reliability and validity of self-reported opium use in a rural Iranian population at high risk for esophageal cancer in preparation for a large cohort study. METHOD 1,057 subjects ages 33 to 84 years were recruited from Gonbad city and three surrounding villages in Golestan province of Iran and completed a questionnaire and provided biological samples. The history and ...

BACKGROUND Drug abuse, especially opium abuse, is a major public health problem in Iran. Recent reports suggest that opium sellers cheat their customers by adding lead to the opium. Contaminated opium can threaten the health of consumers. The present study aimed to compare the serum level of lead between opium dependents and a control group. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study in which 5...

BACKGROUND Opium is widely used among addicts in the Middle East countries such as Iran. Recent reports suggest that opium sellers cheat their customers by adding lead to the opium. Contaminated opium can threaten the health of consumers. This study was designed to evaluate the lead concentration in blood sample of oral and inhaled opium user's referring to Amir Al-Momenin Hospital in Zabol, Ir...

Although in India drug addiction has existed on a more extensive scale than in any other country in the world with the exception perhaps of China little is known regarding the problem. Two commissions were appointed to go into the matter at the end of the last century; a Royal Commission was appointed in 1893 to enquire into the prevalence of the opium habit, and a commission to go into the que...