Iran. Exploring Iran’s History of Drug Use and Prohibition
Iran. Exploring Iran’s History of Drug Use and Prohibition
As the sun set over an ancient riverside town in Iran, I was sat down with Sam (not his real name) and his mates for a picnic when he pulled out a vafoor – a traditional Persian opium pipe – and passed it to me. It left me with a warm, cozy feeling, kind of like smoking some good hash, but also heavy, like my body was suddenly weighed down with stones.
What made this encounter memorable was Sam’s profession.
“I joined the PAVA fifteen years ago, but for me it’s just a job I do for money to support my family, and then retire to a good pension,” he later told me.
PAVA is the domestic security branch of Iran’s national police force. (Talking Drugs, UK, 08.07.2025)
https://www.talkingdrugs.org/exploring-irans-history-of-drug-use-and-prohibition