University Students’ Views Regarding Reasons for Drug Abuse Among Youths

In recent years, the prevalence of drug abuse has increased throughout the world. On an annual basis, drugs
such as heroin, cocaine, and so on cause the deaths of
200,000 people worldwide; drug abuse also leads to the
disintegration of families (1). Furthermore, it imposes
heavy economic and social costs through its effects on
human health and increased crime and death in community; thus, it has become a major threat to society (2).
Although massive resources are dedicated to preventing
the spread of drug abuse, it is common in the community
regardless of people’s age, economic status, education
level, race or ethnicity, and location. Moreover, young
people tend to be most at risk for drug abuse (3).
As a developing country, Iran is currently experiencing
major changes at different economic and cultural levels.
Along with all these changes, the population is growing,
and the number of young people is increasing. Alarm bells
are going off as new studies show the high prevalence of
addiction and risky behaviors in the Iranian youth population (4). Drug abuse among youths increases the risk of
problems related to their well-being and health, resulting
in an increased risk of injury and death from interpersonal
violence, road accidents, risky sexual behaviors, unintended pregnancy, diseases such as acquired immune defciency syndrome (AIDS), and academic problems. Therefore,
a survey to determine the causes of drug abuse among
youths and how to prevent them is crucial (5). Preventive
science suggests that negative health outcomes resulting
from substance abuse can be prevented by reducing risk
factors and enhancing protectiv