Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital Psychiatrist Specialist Dr. Güler Özkula made an explanation about the 26th of June International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Özkula, stated that drug use is a globally increasing problem and this poses a serious threat to humanity, and as a result the United Nations General Assembly made a decision in the year of 1987 to reach the goal of a clean society and to strengthen the international action and cooperation by declaring 26th of June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Stimulants such as bonsai, morphine, cocaine and ecstasy, hallucinogens such as LSD, volatile substances such as thinner are addictive and also have serious side effects including death and are widely used especially among young people. Dr. Güler Özkula stated that although the importance of this subject has been understood and for this reason this date has been chosen to raise awareness with various activities, the use of drugs has increased over the years and has become an important public health problem, which keeps increasing every year. Özkula also stated that drug use is increasing among young people and now even children are at risk.
Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital Psychiatrist Specialist Dr. Güler Özkula stated that the importance and solution procedures of this subject should be evaluated again and prevention programs should be taken into consideration.
‘’Once addiction develops, it is difficult to treat and even though the addict stops using drugs there is a high chance of relapse. Therefore, the most effective method is to avoid addiction. At this stage it is important to provide information about drug use, the negative effects on family and society, and also the effective procedures to fight against drug use.
On the other hand, “education’ is very important in order to increase the individuals’ social skills and to increase decision-making abilities to fight against drugs. Young people, who are at risk to develop drug addiction, start using drugs to have fun and relax, therefore another prevention strategy for young people is to encourage them to take part in music, arts, sports and other social activities during their free time. Also creating public awareness plays a key role and studies of non-governmental organizations with core groups are important to reach young people.
However, we know that these approaches are not enough on their own. Policies such as age restriction, advertising bans and sale control must be supported.
In this context, it is essential for the state authority to implement drug addiction prevention programs. It should not be forgotten that; children and young people are valuable and our primary responsibility is to protect them. ”