A Public Health Approach to Alcohol Use and its Related Harms in Iran
In Iran, alcohol consumption, production, and trade are criminalised for Muslim citizens; however, bootleg alcohol and harmful alcohol consumption is a burden that should not be overlooked.
Currently the Iranian Ministry of Health has developed a national programme that aims to reduce alcohol consumption by 10% between 2015 and 2025 through three main action steps: first, integration of alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment in primary health care. Although this is a positive move forward, the rollout of the programme faces several barriers including insufficient...