Investigating the Role of Immigrants in the Prevalence of Addiction in Yazd City, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Immigration is known as an effective factor in crime. The probable assumption is that immigration can also contribute to the spread of addiction. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of migration on the prevalence of addiction.

Methods: The study population consisted of all drug addicts referring to well-being centers and addiction treatment camps. As a result, 384 addicts were selected by available sampling method and studied by a researcher-made questionnaire. The results were analyzed using SPSS.

Results: According to the results, the proportion of addicted migrants was more than the natives. We found that 47.4% of the addicts were immigrants, while immigrants constitute 33% of the statistical population of Yazd City. In other words, in proportion to the population size, a larger percentage of immigrants are addicted than the natives. The population of drug addicts outside the province was almost twice the number of immigrants inside the Yazd province. In addition, about one-third of the drug addicts were immigrants outside the province. The immigrants' mean of addiction was between 23 and 25, while this rate was 22.4 for the natives. Non-native addicts typically consume psychotropic pills and opium. Furthermore, a significant difference was observed in the amount of social control, social support, cultural attraction, marginalization between immigrants, and non-immigrants.

Conclusion: Comparing immigrants with natives, immigrants had more tendency to addiction, drug distribution, and the history of quitting drugs. Social marginalization and lack of social control, social support, and cultural attraction among immigrants were effective in increasing their addiction rate.