drug use in Istanbul

[anatolian_goddess]

i have a question about drugs in istanbul.
when i first came here to live in '90, there was no drug
problem in istanbul...then three years later, i learned that
the son of my colleague died from drug complications...but
he was in the 'night club business'...we all know the class of
people that work in that sector...so i wasn't very shocked...
now i'm hearing that drug use among the young is increasing
(i'm surprised because i didn't know it existed at all)...

as turks get more affluent, i think this is going to become
as serious a problem as it is in other parts of the world.

my goodness, after Midnight Express, you'd think it wouldn't
be possible...

have any of you seen signs of drug use in the city?
i live in a region where there was just a 'bust' but it was of a group of guys looking to make a quick buck by growing opium poppies. they didn't get the chance to harvest it and sell it to dealers in istanbul so their prison sentences were rather light.
IF they had been caught selling they would have been put away for years and years...

i assume that the drugs are making their way to the streets...
what do you think?

i'm very sad to learn these things...just like divorce, which rarely existed even 15 years ago, the west has sure brought a lot of changes to this country..and apparently, not all for the good.

thecybele

[kebalta]

I think its interesting that you think its the west that has brought this on. When I lived in my little ghetto most of those people were either Kurdish or Turks from eastern Turkey and alot of them smoked weed, and have for a long time. Opium has been in eastern culture for ages and isnt western influenced. Years ago the US government started paying Turkish farmers not to grow the poppy plant anymore because it was making its way to the US. Thats part of the reason you see so many sunflower plants now a days.

But to answer your question. Drug use among young turks is very prevalent. Most of the people i know take x and smoke hash or weed. Coke has also become more popular, but that is with wealthier people. There are also all the kids who snif glue, not a drug but still an addiction and probably worse than some drugs.

One reason you may not know about drug use in Turkey is because it is not talked about. For example I know a large group of Turks, half do drugs half dont. The half that dont do drugs do not know the other half does. Its very interesting but there is still a certain taboo with it and people dont talk about it.

Maybe the Turks you have met over the years know or think you dont and have never done anything and that is why they have not shared their lifestyle with you. I stared spending a lot of time here in 1995, and I cant imagine the drug culture changing that much over 2 or 3 years (since you said 12 years it didnt exsist).

I will say that I dont think the drug use problem is as bad here as it is in the US or some European countries. The quality isnt as good (or so I've heard, dont do it myself) and people dont do as much of it.

Kelly

[justforfun]

just an indicator how involved turks are in the drug business:
few years back the kurds were controlling 75% of the european heroin market...i'm not sure what their current share is.
and you are right, drug use in turkey didn't use to be a big problem because of the traditions, customs, and family structures, but this is changing in the large cities and especially amongst the youth. however, the concept of divorce is a great thing for turkey...the only downside is that the ones who should be able to benefit from it are still not able to do so on a wide basis because of economic and cultural reasons.

[justforfun]

and kebalta is right, drug use in turkey is still not as bad as in the west. take germany for example. there is such heavy drug use that since a year i think, every single euro note in circulation has been contaminated with cocaine...just to rephrase it for the fun of it: you can pick any euro note from anyone's pocket in germany and you'll find traces of cocaine on it. now that's an indication of a drug problem

[kebalta]

Its the same with the dollar. I dont think its 100% of the bills but it is something like 70, which is a sign of a huge problem.