Crystal meth -- or sheesheh -- has recently become Iran's second-most popular drug, second only to opium.
Both methamphetamine production and abuse are skyrocketing in Iran because of the country's proximity to the region’s top drug exporter, Afghanistan, according to the AP. Iranian dealers are raking in profits, primarily from students and the exhausted working class. In Iran, those caught producing, selling, or using sheesheh face potentially lethal criminal penalties.
In 2012, Iran was the world's fourth-highest importer of pseudoephedrine, the main chemical used in the production of crystal meth, and it now has one of the highest rates of addiction in the world. More than half a million Tehranis between the ages of 15 and 45 have used it at least once. Anti-narcotics and medical officials say more than 2.2 million of Iran's 80 million citizens are addicted to the illegal drug. A little more than 1 million users are now on registered treatment programs.