Years of Healthy Life Lost Due to Illegal Drug Use in Iran : A National Registry-Based Study

Rostami, M. and Jalilian, A. and Mahdavi, S.A. and Jalilian, M. and Karamouzian, M. (2025) Years of Healthy Life Lost Due to Illegal Drug Use in Iran : A National Registry-Based Study. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. ISSN 1557-1874

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Abstract

Illegal drug use mortality remains a leading cause of death among individuals aged 15–64 years worldwide. This study aimed to quantify years of healthy life lost (YLL) and relative risks (RR) due to illegal drug use mortality in Iran. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the Iranian Forensic Medicine Organization’s national registry between March 2022 and March 2024. Among 11,944 drug-related deaths (mean age 37.3 years), total YLL reached 387,681.5 years (247.4 per 100,000 population), with significant sex disparities (385.3 (males) vs. 91.8 (females) YLL per 100,000). Eight provinces showed significantly lower relative risks of drug-related deaths compared to the national average, while eight others demonstrated higher risks. Compared with the national average risk, the relative risk of drug-related death was also higher in the 15–29 and 30–44 age groups and lower in the 75+ age group. Geographic and demographic variations in drug use–related mortality across Iran highlight the need for age-specific interventions, targeted resource allocation to high-risk provinces, and expanded community-based overdose prevention programs.