Patterns of Methadone and Opium Syrup Use in Drug Abuse Treatment in Rasht

Abstract

Background: Currently, there are limited studies on the use of methadone and opium syrup within the Iranian population, with most research focusing on general cases of drug abuse. Objectives: This study aims to examine the frequency of methadone and opium syrup use in treating drug abuse through a case study conducted in Rasht. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with a history of methadone and opium syrup consumption as a census in Rasht from 2018 to 2022. Data were collected from 149 eligible patient records using a census approach, minimizing selection bias. However, as a cross-sectional, single-center study based on retrospective records, the findings may be subject to information bias and are not necessarily generalizable to other regions. These limitations should be considered when interpreting the results. Data were collected using a checklist from patient records, which included demographic characteristics such as age, sex, marital status, occupation, place of residence, and education level. All statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS (version 26.0). Statistical tests used included the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (for normality assessment) and the chi-square test (for analyzing associations between categorical variables). A two-tailed P < 0.05 was considered to be of statistical significance. Results: The average age of individuals in this study was 40.2 ± 11.72 years. The findings indicate that 85.2% of participants reported abusing methadone, while 14.8% reported abusing opium syrup. A statistically significant difference was observed in the average age of individuals referred for substance abuse based on the type of substance used (P = 0.002). Conclusions: These findings underscore the need for gender-specific and geographical interventions and preventive strategies to address the unique challenges faced by men compared to women in substance abuse contexts.