MEMIHA HELBIN ZEYDAN

WAN –Civil initiatives and community platforms continue to organize awareness campaigns and field activities aimed at curbing the spread of addiction and promoting prevention. This comes in parallel with calls to adopt comprehensive policies addressing the socio-economic root causes linked to this phenomenon.

These efforts coincide with data released by the World Anti-Drug Union, which confirmed that the number of drug addicts globally rose from over 10 million people in 2024 to nearly 15 million in 2025. According to the 2025 Drug Report, the average age of initiation for drug use in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan is 22 years old; however, the report did not include any data regarding children under the age of 18 who use or sell drugs.

Although drug abuse and trafficking are considered a global dilemma, in Northern Kurdistan, it is also viewed as part of what is described as "special war policies." In Kurdistan, drugs are not treated merely as a health issue, but are also perceived as a "weapon of war." It is argued that their proliferation has been carried out systematically, targeting young women and men with the aim of alienating them from their cultural and national identity.

The "Şiyar Be" (Be Aware!) Platform to Confront the Spread of Drugs

To confront the spread of drug abuse and trafficking, particularly among the youth, a platform named "Be Aware! Platform for the Struggle Against Drugs" was established in the city of Amed/Diyarbakir in Northern Kurdistan in 2025, initiated by democratic institutions. Following nearly five months of preparation, the platform launched its operations with the aim of raising community awareness about addiction and working to address its underlying causes.

The "Be Aware!" platform operates on two main axes: prevention and awareness, and community activities within neighborhoods. It aims to keep children and youth away from addiction, relying on voluntary work with the participation of trade unionists, politicians, teachers, shopkeepers, political party representatives, and healthcare workers.

Branches of the platform have been established in the cities of Mardin, Amed/Diyarbakir, Van, and Şırnak. Furthermore, on June 6, the platform announced the launch of a new campaign in Amed under the slogan "Rise Up."

"Addiction is a Societal Crisis"

In this context, Ruken Kılıç, the co-spokesperson for the "Be Aware!" platform in Van and a member of the Health and Social Service Workers' Union (SES), stated that addiction is a comprehensive social crisis affecting all aspects of life, which served as the primary motivation for founding the platform.

She explained that restricting the concept of addiction to drug abuse alone is insufficient, pointing out the existence of other forms, such as digital addiction, online gambling addiction, and alcohol addiction.

Kılıç emphasized that the primary goal of the platform is to spread awareness:

"Addiction is not a problem that can be solved simply by establishing a rehabilitation center or through medication, nor is it an issue that can be easily eradicated permanently. It is a public health issue; therefore, it requires preventative measures. Public institutions, civil society organizations, political parties, and all components of society must unite to mitigate this crisis."

Social Problems and Addiction

Ruken Kılıç pointed out that social problems can lead to addiction, and addiction, in turn, generates new problems. "Addiction is not an individual problem, but rather the result of a structural crisis. Poverty, deprivation, economic crises, displacement, wars, earthquakes, and epidemics are all factors that drive individuals to seek a sanctuary, viewing drugs as a means of escape."

She added that heavy exposure to technology and virtual media since childhood negatively affects the nervous system and emotional development, increasing children's susceptibility to addiction. She noted that children who lack a healthy socio-economic environment turn to drugs at an early age, whether in schools or on the streets, placing them, their families, and their community before a major crisis.

She also highlighted that the drug trade has transformed into a global industry that began in Latin America, moved to Europe, and has now made Turkey one of its most prominent markets, with an increasing impact on women, youth, and children.

Decline in the Age of Initiation in Northern Kurdistan

Ruken Kılıç stated that the age of drug initiation in Northern Kurdistan has dropped significantly, reaching as low as nine years old in some areas. She noted that the heavy use of technology and virtual media since childhood leaves children more vulnerable to addiction, and that children growing up in unsafe environments as a result of current policies become more prone to addiction in the future.

She pointed out that women are among the groups hardest hit due to the patriarchal system, poverty, domestic violence, domestic care burdens, social pressures, and the culture of shame—making them more vulnerable to addiction and less likely to seek help.

Over 20,000 Users in Van

She stated that the number of drug users in the city of Van alone exceeds 20,000 people, and that the age of initiation in some of the region's cities and rural areas has dropped to nine years.

She added: "Van is a border and coastal city possessing a beautiful nature, and it is also a city with a clear political stance. The spread of drugs on this scale within it indicates that the so-called special war policies have a major impact."

"Drugs are a Reflection of Security Policies"

Ruken Kılıç drew attention to the strict security measures that accompanied the announcement of the platform’s establishment and the release of its statement. She mentioned that security officials detained platform members for long hours, even though their goal was to combat the spread of drugs—an objective supported by various local actors in the city.

"We are not saying that the state distributes drugs itself, but the policies that produce economic and social crises, wars, and displacement drive people into poverty and deprivation, leading them to resort to drugs as a way out, which they find easily."

She questioned: "How are drug dealers able to sell them so easily in cafes, neighborhoods, and in front of schools, while surveillance cameras and security vehicles are deployed everywhere? This raises a crisis regarding public responsibility; the rise in addiction is also a result of security policies, and drugs represent one aspect of the so-called special war policies."

Platform Activities

She noted that the platform has organized awareness seminars in the streets at the request of municipalities and shopkeepers, and has provided training programs on combating addiction within municipalities. She added that a cooperation protocol was signed with the Edremit Municipality, and other municipalities have requested cooperation with the platform.

Concluding her remarks, the co-spokesperson for the "Be Aware!" platform, Ruken Kılıç, said: "We will not allow our streets, our city, our children, our youth, and our women to fall victim to the drug industry. We call upon all components of the city—including intellectuals, writers, thinkers, and all people of conscience—to rally around this platform."