Sociological Survey of Drug Trafficking by Women in Zanjan City

The present research is aimed at identifying factors impacting drug trafficking by women in Zanjan. In line with this, while adopting quantitative method for reviewing various dimensions of the issue through interviewing women in the central prison of Zanjan, the study is aimed to identify environmental, social and family factors contributing to involvement of women in drug trafficking in Zanjan. Some theories related to social pressure, social learning and social control are utilized for adopting a theoretical outlook for the research and analyzing the data resulted from the interviews. Reviewing the remarks of the interviewees in the research, one can notice the substantial significance of factors such as addiction, drug trafficking by some members of the family. Divorce, lack of family relations integration, not being loyal to religious norms, have led them to get involved in drug trafficking. In many other cases, harsh economic conditions and poverty on the part of women responsible to lead the household paved the ground for getting involved in drug trafficking and trading it. In some other cases, lack of sufficient support of the affected families by the relevant organs has led the women to follow their husbands' way, and despite being punished in a period, they resumed drug trafficking and trading. In a few cases, women not being aware of the consequences of drug trafficking and being deceived, got involved in it unwillingly. It is noteworthy that all the women interviewed had not finished their high school education.