Do Opium Abusers Develop Lead Toxicity? A Study on Opium Abusers in Hamadan, Iran

Background: Raw opium is a kind of drug, often abused in Iran. In a vast majority of cases, various impurities including lead are added to raw opium. This study aimed to evaluate Blood Lead Level (BLL) and probable clinical symptoms triggered by it among opium abusers. Methods: This study was case control and conducted on 40 patients addicted to raw opium (case group) and 40 patients without any kind of addiction (control group) who were hospitalized in the poisoning ward of Farshchian hospital, Hamadan, Iran. BLL was measured by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and compared between the two groups. Para clinical tests and peripheral blood smear were also assessed to check basophilic erythrocytes. Results: The patients’ mean age was 51.9±15.8 years in the control group and 53.2±15 years in the case group. The mean of BLL was 4.02±3.16 μg/dl in the control group and 22.41±21.14 μg/dl in the case group, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001). Moreover, routes of exposure included inhalation (72.5%), oral (12.5%), and both (15%). The results indicated no significant associations between the route of exposure and BLL (p<0.281).Furthermore, no special clinical symptoms were observed in most patients in both groups. Nonetheless, anemia and basophilic erythrocytes were detected in 3 patients who had high BLL. Conclusion: Regarding the high BLL in raw opium abuser, it seems that poisoning with lead should be considered if patients with a history of raw opium addiction are refered to physicians