The drug use situation in university students in Iran: A literature review

Objective (s): In recent years, many studies have been conducted on drug use among university students in Iran. The objective of this study was to review the findings on prevalence and patterns of drug use among these groups. To systematically collect data and analyze the information available on the prevalence and patterns of drug use among university students in Iran since 50 years ago. The review included papers published in both international and national journals, theses, presentations in seminars and reports. The findings of studies about three indicators including "life time use", "current use" and "daily use" on opioids, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, and amphetamines use have been reviewed. This review shows that almost all studies (n=16) have been conducted after year 1997. Many studies have methodological problems that limit their utility. Nevertheless it can be concluded that alcohol followed by opium and cannabis are the most common illegal drugs used by this population. In Iran, the number of students that are dependent to one of the illegal drugs and the number of students using an opioid drug in a month has been roughly estimated to be more than 50,000 and 150,000, respectively. Provision of an accurate monitoring system, as well as continuous updated drug use prevention, counseling and treatment interventions are recommended.