Correlates of duration between initial drug use and first drug injection among people who inject drugs in Iran, 2020

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The transition to injection drug use among PWID in Iran often occurs within a decade of initial drug use and is influenced by demographic, social, and psychological factors. Prevention strategies should focus on early intervention for at-risk youth, address mental health needs, and leverage peer influence. Policymakers should prioritize evidence-based, multi-faceted approaches that target both individual and structural factors to delay or prevent the transition to injection drug use and reduce associated health risks.