The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) addresses addiction!
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “Children should not be seen as hopeless cases!”
President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, NPİSTANBUL Hospital Psychiatrist Prof. Onur Noyan, and Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences Head of the Child Development Department Prof. Nurper Ülküer participated in a meeting where the results of the “Substance Addiction Consultation Meeting” held at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) were shared and discussed. In the online meeting, the necessary steps to combat addiction among children and youth were discussed. Emphasizing the importance of teaching children the concept of meaningful happiness, Prof. Tarhan underlined that children should not be seen as “lost causes.”
The “Children’s Movement,” an initiative formed within the TBMM as a cross-party group, convened to take a comprehensive look at the fight against addiction among children and youth and to develop new policy proposals. The group brought together leading experts to discuss and present the outcomes of the “Substance Addiction Consultation Meeting.”
Among the attendees of the online meeting were DEVA Party Istanbul MP Elif Esen; President of Üsküdar University Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan; Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences Head of the Child Development Department Prof. Nurper Ülküer; and NPİSTANBUL Hospital Psychiatrist Prof. Onur Noyan.
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “Those at risk of addiction use substances because they are unhappy”
Stating that substance use is often employed as a coping strategy for stress, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that “Addiction has four pillars. The first is primary prevention, which refers to efforts made to prevent healthy individuals from becoming patients. There is much work to be done in this regard within the current system in Türkiye. People at risk of addiction often turn to substances because they are unhappy. They mostly use it as a way to relieve stress, rather than for excitement or pleasure. Many young children fall into such traps at an early age.”
“Sharing responsibility also brings pleasure”
Prof. Tarhan highlighted the importance of positive psychology education for children and made the following remarks: “For example, in China, they teach children aged 4 to 6 methods that introduce the brain to new sources of pleasure. Sports is one of them. Another is teaching universal values to children. Pleasure does not come only from physical activity. Helping others, sharing responsibility, and these also generate pleasure. There are structured modules developed for children based on this. There are also specific curricula in positive psychology for kids. When these are taught effectively, children can learn to enjoy life without relying on substances.”
"We need to teach our children the joy of meaning"
Emphasizing that the joy of meaning can be taught to children through human values, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that “Mindfulness is now being referred to as capitalism’s new refuge. It is an approach that seeks a solution to the helplessness felt in the Western world. In reality, this is teaching the wisdom of Anatolia as well as ancient wisdom. Aristotle divides happiness into two types. Instead of hedonistic happiness, he speaks of eudaimonic happiness, which means the happiness of meaning. Thus, we need to teach our children the joy of meaning. This can be done by instilling human values. Preventing healthy individuals from becoming ill is the easiest and most efficient approach, but its benefits are only visible after ten years.”
"Families feel helpless in the face of substance addiction…"
Tarhan noted that reducing demand for substances is the responsibility of state institutions and said, “There’s a serious crisis regarding families feeling helpless when it comes to substance addiction. One of the key policies in combating addiction is reducing demand and preventing supply. These must be addressed together. The Ministry of Interior is doing an excellent job on the supply side. Few countries in the world are as competent. However, the reduction of demand should be handled by other state institutions.”
They should not be labeled as hopeless cases!
Tarhan emphasized the importance of focusing on positive development rather than just fixing what’s negative and made the following remarks: “The Ministry of Health has an excellent team. Many specialists have been trained in mental health hospitals. As Üsküdar University, we developed a rehabilitation program and submitted it to the Ministry of Justice under the name REHAKOR. The project has two pillars: one is tertiary prevention to prevent relapse — not just correcting the negative but strengthening the positive and teaching people how to be happy. It is a treatment approach that includes teaching individuals how to derive internal pleasure. This is difficult for those struggling with addiction, but if they have strong social support, many can recover. We must not label them as hopeless cases. Even if we can save a few, it’s worth working in this field. In tertiary prevention, a change in rehabilitation methodology is essential.”
The perception of impunity is a serious form of decay!
Mentioning the concern among youth about the future, Tarhan stated that “One of the reasons for declining birth rates is people’s fear of marriage. Children are anxious about their future. There is widespread social unhappiness. The solution is actually simple, that is we need to spark hope in people. Türkiye is a land full of abundance. We have overcome many difficulties in this region; we can overcome this too. Without despair or pessimism, by activating even our existing infrastructure in the short term, and by implementing preventive policies in the medium and long term, it is possible to produce solutions to addiction. The teams within the Ministry of Family must also be active in the field to reduce risks. AMATEM (Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Centers) are currently doing a great job in detox, but they are also helpless because they cannot carry out tertiary prevention effectively. Right now, there is a perception of impunity among offenders… and that perception is a serious form of societal decay. It could lead to further incidents and alarming statistics related to addiction.”
"The transmission of violence ıs not genetic but epigenetic"
Emphasizing the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the transmission of violence, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said: “The transmission of violence is not genetic, but epigenetic. If a child learns it within a family, epigenetic mechanisms are activated. If the learning continues, the behavior is transmitted; but if the learning is interrupted, the cycle of violence, anger, and addiction can be broken. For this to happen, a sociological process is needed—one that takes around six months. First, we need to believe in this change. When that belief is present, epigenetic mechanisms begin to shift. If families also support this process, if a gradual rehabilitation is applied, and if an awareness of harm and consequences has developed, then after six months, success rates can reach 60–70%. Therefore, there’s no need to wait 10 years. There are urgent steps we can take now. If we implement essential measures in six-month policy cycles, we can start bringing these statistics down and protect future generations.”
"There can be no social change without mental transformation"
Highlighting that social change is key to solving societal issues, Tarhan continued:
“For example, Silicon Valley in San Francisco is not just a physical valley—it's a mindset. It’s a mental mechanism, a mental project. Without transformation in our minds, there can be no social change. And without social change, we cannot solve the problems of our society. First, we need mental transformation—then social transformation will follow.”
Prof. Onur Noyan: “We have a serious data deficiency regarding addiction”
NPİSTANBUL Hospital Psychiatrist Prof. Onur Noyan emphasized that, as a country, we have a serious lack of data concerning addiction Noyan stated that “Unfortunately, we don’t have regular, transparent statistical data. This is why we need strong and up-to-date national statistics. I work in the field of addiction, but if someone asks me, ‘What is the addiction rate in our country?’ unfortunately, I cannot provide a number. And if we can’t provide a number, we can’t improve anything.”
"There must be continuity in addiction efforts"
Stressing the importance of continuity in addiction-related initiatives, Noyan stated that “When it comes to working on child addiction, there must be continuity. Currently, many things depend on individual initiative. Someone shows interest, a project is launched—but then it doesn't continue. A workshop is held, decisions are made—but sadly, no results follow. Because the next year, someone else takes over, and then someone else. We still haven’t established an institutional structure. There is no central authority. We need a single statistical institute, a national addiction science institute. Everyone should conduct their work under that umbrella. Early warning system statistics are also vital. And we have a serious lack of rehabilitation services. Without addressing this, we won’t get anywhere. If we’re going to talk about tertiary prevention, we must ensure that the patients we treat and help recover don’t relapse. Only then will we see a decline—and that can only happen through rehabilitation.”
Prof. Nurper Ülküer: “Substance addiction is an issue that concerns us all”
Prof. Nurper Ülküer, Head of the Department of Child Development at Üsküdar University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, spoke during the meeting. Ülküer stated:
“It is very important for children to be raised in an environment filled with love, where they can build their self-confidence starting from ages 4 to 6. However, not every story begins well—but we can change the story even in the middle. That means we can transform the narrative by involving parents in the process. Substance addiction is an issue that concerns us all. Today, I’ve once again realized the importance of emphasizing that not only the child, but also the parents and society, are all part of this issue. Primary health care services are truly crucial. We need to identify risk factors very early. Instead of starting home visits after a problem has arisen, we must begin these visits from the child’s developmental process onward, based on family dynamics and interactions. This type of early intervention through home visits is already practiced in many European countries and is a highly effective preventive measure. If we write the story of substance prevention well from the beginning and include all stakeholders in the process, we can achieve very positive results ten years from now. We can start now with small steps.”
“We need to work more on this issue”
Speaking about the benefits of adopting a positive perspective, Ülküer said:
“The topic of dopamine addiction really caught my attention. At the same time, we know that art, play, and physical movement naturally stimulate dopamine in children and in people in general. This made me ask myself the following question: ‘How can we more intentionally reintroduce play, art, and movement into our daily lives?’ We cannot just leave everything to rehabilitation centers, AMATEMs (Alcohol and Substance Addiction Treatment Centers), or ÇEMATEMs (Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Centers). Of course, these are vital and essential institutions—but one way to start and continue the story on a positive note is through movement, play, art, and music.
Approaching this issue with hope, through the lens of positive psychology, and tackling it in collaboration with society, families, and children—before it escalates—is one of the most effective strategies. In this context, social workers, child development specialists, psychiatrists, and psychologists all play an essential role in the process. I believe primary health care services need to deliver much stronger support to ensure families, children, and society as a whole can live happier and healthier lives. Perhaps we need to invest more in this field. It is promising to see that the Ministry of Health is also showing considerable interest and implementing meaningful projects such as the ‘Healthy Living Academy.’ That gives us hope.”
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)