AUTHOR=Assari Shervin , Moghani Lankarani Maryam , Dejman Masoumeh , Farnia Marzieh , Alasvand Ramin , Sehat Mahmood , Roshanpazooh Mohsen , Tavakoli Mahmood , Jafari Firoozeh , Ahmadi Khodabakhsh 

TITLE=Drug Use among Iranian Drivers Involved in Fatal Car Accidents

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=Volume 5 - 2014

YEAR=2014

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00069

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00069

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=Background: 
Although the problem of substance use among drivers is not limited to a special part of the world, most published epidemiological reports on this topic is from industrial world.
Aim: 
To determine drug use among Iranian adults who were imprisoned for vehicle accidents with fatality. 
Methods: 
This study enrolled 51 Iranian adults who were imprisoned for vehicle accidents with fatality. This sample came from a national survey of prisoners. Data was collected at entry to prisons during the last 4 months of 2008 in 7 prisons in different parts of the country. Self reported drug use was registered. Commercial substance use screening tests were also done. 
Results: 
Drug test was positive for opioids, cannabis and both in 37.3%, 2.0% and 13.7%, respectively. 29.4% tested positive for benzodiazepines. Using test introduced 23.5% of our sample as drug users, who had declined to report any drug use. 
Conclusion: 
Opioids are the most used illicit drug in the case of vehicle accidents with fatality, however, 20% of users do not declare their use. This high rate of drug use in vehicle accidents with fatality reflects the importance of drug use control as a part of injury prevention in Iran. There might be a need for drug screening after severe car accidents.