In the city of Abadan, which was built around one of Iran's largest oil refineries, a furious crowd assembled July 5 outside the governor's office, with temperatures well above 40 degrees Celsius, to protest the lack of drinking water. The authorities responded by shooting tear gas canisters into the crowd, but that only further provoked the population, resulting in even larger crowds. The next day protests expanded to neighbouring cities. On June 27 in Shatereh slum dwellers marched to protest a lack of water and gas supplies. Many of the women who participated in the demonstration complained to the press about the lack of drinking water, the terrible poverty, unemployment and widespread drug abuse among young people.
Some sources place opium consumption in Teheran at five tons a day.