Which is probably the best place to mention drugs

Appears in
Persia in Peckham
Persia in Peckham

By Sally Butcher

Published 2007

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Drugs are illegal in Iran, and the penalty for drug trafficking is death. But the sad truth is that in a society ill at ease with itself, and in a time of growing unrest and lack of direction amongst the young, drug use has never been more widespread. Marijuana is popular, but there is a vast and increasing problem with heroin usage.

Opium, on the other hand, is nothing new, but its use is, if anything, perhaps on the decline. It may not be legal, but it is socially acceptable in Iran. It is generally recognized as a hobby for older men (by which they mean over 40) to pursue as the young run greater risks of addiction. Used occasionally and in company, it is actually considered beneficial to health, as it lowers blood pressure and eats cholesterol. The truth is of course that even mature men can and do become addicted, and although formerly it was only the rich who could afford it, there are now somehow great numbers of ageing opium addicts from all social strata in the country. It is on the decline simply because the government has finally been forced to recognize the problem and set up widespread rehabilitation programmes.