'We started to use drugs in circle of friend'
Young people who have been treated in Diyarbakır ÇEMATEM have warned their peers that they are starting to use drugs in friend's circle.
Young people who use drugs in Diyarbakır have been treated in Selahaddin Eyyubi State Hospital Treatment Center for Child and Adolescent Drug Addiction [ÇEMATEM].
Young people ranging in age from 15 to 17 say that the biggest factor in starting drugs is due to their friends’ circle, and their lives are blackened by drugs.
Drug addicted E.D. 18-years-old, who is treated in ÇEMATEM, said that he first started smoking and then he got used to drugs. E. D. said, “Everything started at age 17. I started smoking, then stated substance. Everything depends on friends. There are good and bad friends. They need to stay away from the people in the parks and those who stay in streets, otherwise, their lives will be dark. Troubles first start in the family for someone using drugs.”
“My friend passed me drug and said, ‘take this and forget everything’
Describing when he started to use drugs, E. D said: “My friend said to me, ‘let's sit somewhere together.’ We went together. Then he took something from his pocket, passed me and said, ‘have this, really good. You will forget everything.’ We started having half of the pills. We felt trance and forgot everything. Then I started to have 10 pills a day. Troubles have started. First I ended up feeling strange from my family, then people. It was like people are insulting you.”
“Drugs take you away from environment”
E. D, who stated that he was starting to steal to buy drugs, said, “I am currently being treated. We are doing handicrafts, doing sports, going to the swimming pool, drawing pictures. It is not in our mind when there is something to do. Someone who ended up using drugs, first start stealing. Don’t say you won’t. You will. Because I am one of the examples. Well, you do it because you do not have the money, actually, you do not have enough money. The drugs get you away from your environment. You family start having troubles. Maybe those who use of the drug is not aware but it is really a disgusting thing. The major problems I had with my family. Because you start stealing from your family.”
“At first I took marijuana, it came back”
The A.T. another addicted, 17-years-old, who stated that he had left the school because of the drug he started to use, said what he had experienced: “I used the drug for 3 years. At the beginning, friends called me. Said, ‘’let’s have sit together.’ A friend took the drug from his pocket in the street, asked us to smoke. Then we smoked. I feel so regret. I first smoked weed, then it came back. I rattled. It is a very disgusting thing. After having drug, I started fighting family members. I left school due to the use of the drug.”
“Allah may keep anyone away”
A. T, stated that he was treated in ÇEMATEM by doing various activities, said, “We take our treatment at 07:30 in the morning and we take it in the evening at 19.30. God bless them our teachers are all very good people. We make beads, we play ball in the evening, we go to the pool, and we are playing music with all our favors. I advise all our brothers and sisters not to smoke, so that Allah may keep anyone away from drug or even keep enemies away from using drugs.” (Emrah Deniz, Mehmet Çelik - ILKHA)