Drug addiction is widespread across Iran. It plagues populations of all ages, from drivers to bazaar vendors to government employees and even college students. Various government policies have been tried to address the matter but so far have failed to lower the numbers of addicts. A large share of these failures is due to faulty perspective and policies in confronting this social phenomenon.

Drug addiction has not been considered a crime since the drug-law reform in 2010. According to Article 19 of Iran's drug law, someone who abuses drugs without suffering from addiction should be punished. Before 2010, addicts were treated as criminals, but addiction itself is no longer considered a crime. Addicts might be punished for other infractions such as abusing drugs in public.

Drug abuse by non-addicts is still considered a crime. According to the law, non-addicts who use traditional drugs such as opium or hashish are to be sentenced to 20-74 lashes and fined 1 million to 5 million rials ($40-$200), and those who consume manufactured drugs such as heroin and cocaine are to be sentenced to 50-74 lashes and fined 2 million to 10 million rials ($80-$400). Possessing, transporting or dealing drugs involve much heavier penalties, and in some cases are punishable by death.

A deputy at the Drug Control Headquarters of Iran announced that 47% of the country’s professional drivers are in direct contact with drug traffickers. In an interview with Al-Monitor, a judicial official in Tehran province also declared that nearly half of criminal cases are connected with the drug use, possession, dealing or transportation. As for addicts, although they ought, according to the law, to be made to abandon drug consumption, there is a lack of adequate resources for this because there is such a small number of rehabilitation centers in the country, and the courts do not get involved in this issue.