Author/Authors :
Ahmadi، Jamshid نويسنده Substance Abuse Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran , , Naghshvarian، Mojtaba نويسنده Research Center for Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran , , Afshari، Ramin نويسنده Research Center for Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran ,
Abstract :
Objective: To assess the prevalence of opioid abuse in a sample of male population in Shiraz, Iran.
Methods: A representative sample of 1219 subjects (aged 16 years or older) who were referred for urine
opioid screen (UOS) as a mandatory test before marriage in Shiraz in 2005 were enrolled in this study.
Results: Mean age of the participants was 26.17 years (SD=6.12), ranging from 16 to 75 years. From them,
121 participants (9.93%) had positive urine opioid test. They were retested at least few days later by thin layer
chromatography (TLC). The results showed that 22 (1.80%) had positive urine opioid test (based on TLC),
whose mean age was 25.7 years, ranging from 19 to 32 years.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that at least 1.80% of men referred for UOS as a mandatory test before
marriage used opioids. These results should be considered when preventive and therapeutic programs are being
planned.
