Increase in Methamphetamine Addiction in Iran

Women under headscarves and men in tattered clothes are taking hits from a glass pipe, their faces obscured in rings of smoke. These images, which have been published in Iranian media and blogs in recent months, indicate a rise in addiction to a drug known as "shishe" (methamphetamine) in Iran. Reuters reports that in less than a decade, the consumption of shishe in Iran has "skyrocketed." According to official statistics, nearly 345,000 people in Iran are addicted to methamphetamine. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime states that the seizure of methamphetamine in Iran increased by nearly 128% from 2008 to 2012, the highest rate in the region. Government statistics and reports from the police indicate that 3.6 tons of methamphetamine were seized just last year. According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), a senior official from Iran's Drug Control Headquarters stated that "shishe can be obtained in Tehran in less than five minutes." Reuters further notes that experts say methamphetamine addicts in Iran are generally young, middle-class individuals in urban areas. Notably, a significant number of women are also using shishe. One reason for the rapid spread of shishe in Iran is the lack of information about this drug. Experts say this ignorance has led those who use shishe recreationally to mistakenly believe it is not addictive. Some students have turned to methamphetamine to stay awake at night and focus more on their studies. Iranian media reports that this drug is sold in beauty salons as an effective weight-loss remedy for women. Azarakhsh Makari, an Iranian psychiatrist and professor at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, who has dealt with issues arising from shishe addiction, states, "Convincing people that this substance is addictive is a difficult task." Opium addiction has long been a problem in Iran, and smoking opium is even tolerated in rural areas that are culturally traditional. On the other hand, Iran shares long borders with Afghanistan, one of the world's largest opium producers. Shishe surged into Iran nearly a decade ago. Advocates of this psychoactive substance preferred its exhilarating effects over the lethargic effects of opium, which in Iran is associated with the poor and elderly. Iranian media describes this trend as a shift from "traditional" drugs to "industrial" drugs. Experts say the roots of the inclination towards a drug like shishe stem from the rapid advancement of urban life and the increasingly complex and fast-paced lifestyles of Iranians in the past decade. Methamphetamine, which initially entered Iran from abroad, has gradually been produced domestically. Statistics from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime show that domestic consumption of pseudoephedrine (a decongestant and one of the main ingredients for producing methamphetamine) increased tenfold in Iran from 2006 to 2012, rising from five tons to 55 tons. The Iranian state news agency IRNA reported in early November, citing a senior official from Iran's Drug Control Headquarters, that drug use in Iran is such that it is the second leading cause of death in the country after traffic accidents. Anti-drug laws in Iran are among the strictest in the region, with drug traffickers and major distributors regularly executed. Experts say Iran has had some success in treating addiction. Saeed Kafrahi, a consultant and rehabilitation therapist at a specialized addiction treatment clinic called Ayandeh in Tehran, states, "Shishe is a substance that has a severe impact on an individual's behavior in a short time compared to other drugs." This clinic aims to involve families in the stages of addiction recovery and rehabilitation for shishe addicts to examine all social factors contributing to an individual's inclination to use this drug. Saeed Kafrahi adds, "Families play a role in this matter, and to change an individual's behavior, the family must also change its behavior." Despite some successes in overcoming shishe addiction, the fight against this drug in Iran is still in its early stages. Azarakhsh Makari further emphasizes, "We are trying to ensure they do not die, do not kill themselves, and do not kill others. We must strive to prevent them from developing mental illness, be able to quit, and free themselves from addiction."