Other Mona Lisas

Drugs and narcotics use have by turns played a formative role in, and cast a long shadow over, social, economic and political life in Iran. More than 90 percent of the world’s intercepted opium passes through Iran. Inside the country, the per capita number of opioid addicts is – according to the UN’s records – also the highest in the world. Three million people in a population of just over 80 million are regular drug users. But despite the myriad, complex reasons for their situation, and their obvious vulnerability, the current government also believes enforcement and jail time are the best reactions to problem drug users. This series of tender, nuanced portraits for IranWire show the isolation of female drug users who face hostility from the state on several fronts, their grim acceptance, and inner strength.