A study of fifty drug users in Ankara, Turkey

Abstract

The purpose of the present article is to explore the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics of a sample of drug users in Ankara, Turkey and their stated reasons for using drugs from the perspective of changes taking place in that country. Interviews were carried out with 50 drug users found by means of snowball sampling. The respondents were all male, young (mean = 21.26 years; SD 4.30), mainly unmarried (64%), their age of starting to use drugs was low (mean = 18.21 and SD 2.30), but their level of education was not low (mean = 10.84 years; SD 2.41). Findings indicate that psychological reasons (concern about future, curiosity, and lack of spiritual values) and socio-psychological reasons (peer pressure) were more powerful than economic reasons for starting drug use. The level of education of the addict and the type of drug used (mostly hashish) appear to be the most important demographic variables. These emerging drug users in Ankara are not unlike those in countries currently in the European Union, although hashish is their drug of choice and they appear to start rather later in life.