Increase in Drug-Related Deaths in Iran

Research from Radio Farda's data mining group indicates that approximately one in every 70 deaths in Iran is due to drug abuse. Data in the 2023 Cultural and Social Status Report shows that around 6,500 drug-related deaths were recorded in forensic medicine this year; this figure represents the highest recorded number in the past five years. By comparing this statistic with the total official mortality data in Iran, it can be stated that last year about one and a half percent of all deaths were due to drug abuse. According to reports from the Civil Registration Organization, in 2023, a total of 442,182 death certificates were issued, marking the highest recorded mortality rate in Iran after the records set during the COVID-19 pandemic (in 2020 and 2021). The forensic reports categorize drug-related deaths into four categories: 1. Poisoning from drugs 2. Poisoning from stimulants 3. Poisoning from multiple substances 4. Poisoning from narcotic medications. More than half of these deaths are attributed to poisoning from narcotic drugs. These drugs encompass a wide range of narcotics, some of which, like methadone, have high consumption rates in Iran and can occasionally lead to accidental deaths. For instance, in one county in Razavi Khorasan province, four children died from narcotic drug consumption in the first four months of 2024. Following narcotic drugs, poisoning from multiple substances, stimulants, and narcotics rank in subsequent positions. Narcotics include a wide range of natural and synthetic substances, with opium and its derivatives, such as heroin, being among the most common examples. Among stimulants, crystal meth and cocaine are the most well-known examples. According to some unofficial estimates from Iran's Drug Control Headquarters, about one-third of addicted individuals in the country have turned to crystal meth.