The "Youth Module with TUBİM" seminar, organized by the Forensic Sciences Criminal Justice Club of the Üsküdar Üniversitesi Institute of Addiction and Forensic Sciences, was held at the Central Campus Ayhan Songar Conference Hall. Police officer Ozan Yelgel from the Istanbul Anti-Narcotics Branch and his team attended the seminar. The event, which also featured a narcotics police dog, highlighted drug use and the hardships it causes.
Ozan Yelgel: “It’s not 'nothing happens from once,' but many things perish from once.”
Police Officer Ozan Yelgel stated that drug users succumb to their curiosity and start using these substances. Yelgel said: “We conducted a 77-question survey with 27,779 individuals whom we previously processed for drug use or drug trafficking. We ask questions like at what age they first used the substance, how they used it, and which substances they preferred. We see that 47.5% of them used it at their own residence. Another point here is that they succumb to their curiosity. There are common misconceptions they hear from their surroundings. Many attractive offers can be presented, such as ‘Use it, you can quit whenever you want, look we have a great environment, are you afraid of this, are you holding back from this?’ Substance users cannot say no because they think they will be subjected to peer bullying and exclusion. It is not enough to just be good; one must also stay away from evil. It’s not 'nothing happens from once,' but many things perish from once.”
“There are those who say, ‘I died and came back…’”
Emphasizing the need to be careful about using medications, Yelgel said; “A drug given to a mouse can sometimes be sold to people. They get poisoned, and then they think they relax by getting high on it. We encounter addicts who say, ‘I died and came back.’ No substance is innocent compared to another. If I need to talk about legal processes, Article 188 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) states that those who trade, possess, or store narcotic substances are sentenced to imprisonment for no less than 10 years. If a person sells this substance to someone under the age of 18, their penalty is increased by 50%. There are many rumors. We sometimes encounter this in TV series and movies. A different perception campaign is being carried out there too. If you don't have a prescription, if you are not using it for medical purposes, if you don't need to use it, do not use anyone else's medication. Also, do not give medication to anyone because these drugs have addictive properties in the long run.” He concluded his speech.
A narcotics police dog also participated…
The event, also attended by Serdar Acı and Alihan Doğaner from the Narcotics Branch, featured a narcotics police dog, also known as K-9, which serves within the Istanbul Anti-Narcotics Branch.
At the end of the seminar, after students' questions were answered, a plaque of appreciation was presented to the Istanbul Anti-Narcotics Branch.
The program concluded after a group photo session.
Photo: Elifnur Öztürk / ÜHA
Photo: Sevde Korkut / ÜHA