Pubdate: Sun, 12 Jul 2015 Source: Today's Zaman (Turkey) Copyright: 2015sFeza Newspaper Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.todayszaman.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4547 Author: Adem Elitok Bursa ADDICTS JOIN FORCES IN THEIR BATTLE WITH DRUGS A newly established association has brought together dozens of drug addicts to continue their treatment and rehabilitation, in an effort to lend a helping hand to addicts and to combat abuse. Drug use has been dramatically on the rise in Turkey in recent years. A report released by the National Police Department last year shows that the use of illegal narcotics, particularly bonzai, a synthetic cannabinoid, is 17 times higher than it was three years ago, and that the number of deaths caused by illicit substances has increased drastically, from 162 in 2013 to 648 in 2014. The Association for Meeting with a Sober Life (AYBUDER) has been recently established to combat drug addiction. Members of this association, former and current drug addicts, share their experiences, work toward rehabilitation, and engage in efforts to curb addiction. All those who have joined the association have heart-wrenching stories. Many have shared them with Sunday's Zaman, hoping to provide a lesson to others. One is 23-year-old Gulşah Kayrak, who became an addict herself while trying to save a friend from substance abuse. "She drowned me as I was trying to rescue her," she says. "I was drinking alcohol while she used heroin. You cannot get on well together when one of you is sober. Finally, I said I was going to begin using heroin if she did not quit. I took heroin that day, and again the next day, the next and the next," Kayrak said. She said she decided to seek treatment after she used bonzai and had a close brush with death. "I felt that I should call my mother at that moment and I called her," she recounted. Kayrak believes that families have a great responsibility both to prevent their children from using drugs and to help addicts quit. Zeyd Ustun, a 24-year-old who began using marijuana when he was a teenager, agrees. He says a lack of communication within his family and an authoritarian father figure played a major role in his decision to begin using marijuana. He says he also came face-to-face with death when he was injecting himself with marijuana in the toilet of a mosque. "I fainted while I was trying to inject marijuana into my arm. My brother was taking heroin in another stall. He says he tried to bring me around for 45 minutes. I would have died if my brother had not been there," he said. Attesting that a call to AYBUDER saved his life, he stated: "I have not used anything for nearly 13 months. I saw peace in the eyes of may parents after I fully sobered up." There are also volunteers working for the association. One of them is Duriye Ozlu, whose son began using drug when he was seven and is still trying to get clean at AYBUDER. Ozlu has been staying with drug addicts who receive treatment at the association in order to provide them with psychological support. "I came to AYBUDER and I continue my life here. I will do whatever I can as a volunteer," she says. State failing fight against drug abuse A report recently released by the National Police Department revealed that the government is inadequate in combating the illegal drug market, which mainly targets young people between the ages of 15 and 30. According to the report, in 2014 one victim of drug use was under the age of 15, 26 victims were between the ages of 15 and 19, another 54 victims were aged 25 to 29 and 25 deaths were of people between the ages of 30 and 34. According to the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat), the number of people in jail for drug possession increased by 355 percent between 2009 and 2013, rising from 2,605 to 11,851. The number of those in jail for crimes related to the drug trade has increased 481 percent, rising from 1,576 to 9,177 in the same period. The number of people in jail for the crime of buying and using drugs has increased 160 percent, from 1,009 to 2,674. The use of the drug bonzai has increased by 300 percent over the same period according to official figures. Murat Erilgin, who is 21, says he started taking drugs at the age of 13 and also worked as a drug dealer in İstanbul for three years. "The state is very weak on this issue. They are afraid of street children [selling drugs] in Beyoğlu and Taksim. In fact, there is nothing to be afraid of. They do not harm you if you know how to approach them," he says. Stating that he has personally known people who use drugs since the age of 11, Erilgin says it is easy to get drugs in İstanbul. "There is not a specific area where this [drug dealing] is done in İstanbul. It is everywhere," he said. Addicts need affection before medication A volunteer at AYBUDER, Cihan Savaş, who is a former drug addict, says addicts need affection and love before medication. "Whenever an addict comes here, we first hug him or her. Society always ostracized us and embracing them gives them confidence. The fact that some of the volunteers are former addicts who continue their lives without any chemicals is a great example for them. They need hope," he told Sunday's Zaman. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt