Fatma Zehra FİDAN, Ziynet APAYDIN, Zafer AKAN
Medical Science and Discovery - 2026;13(5):77-86
Objective: This study aims to analyze the socio-demographic, epidemiological, and mortality dynamics of the drug addiction profile in Türkiye, and to propose a multi-layered alternative treatment model against the institutional and clinical barriers encountered in both civil society and the correctional system. Method: A systematic literature review and secondary data analysis were conducted, utilizing recent datasets (2023-2026) from the WHO, UNODC, the Turkish Ministry of Health, the General Directorate of Security (EGM), TUBIM, and the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses (CTE). Findings: The data reveals a sharp gender asymmetry (88.4% male) in the treatment-seeking population. While the age of onset is heavily concentrated between 15-24 years, the mean age of treatment admission is 31.2, highlighting a "clinical lost decade" of approximately 10 years. Structural unemployment is critically linked to addiction, with 43.2% of patients lacking regular employment. Methamphetamine (29.1%) and synthetic cannabinoids (8.1%) remain highly dominant in clinical settings, triggering a 42.3% aggressive increase in drug-related deaths (DRD), totaling 427 acute fatalities. From a judicial perspective, individuals incarcerated for drug-related offenses constitute approximately one-third (36%) of the total prison population in Türkiye. Conclusion & Policy Suggestion: Traditional medical detoxification and punitive correctional regimes fail to prevent relapse and recidivism. As a macro-political solution, this study proposes an original -Collective Living and Therapeutic Community Village (Sanative Village)? model. Designed for both post-detoxification civil patients and well-behaved inmates, this model merges eco-rehabilitation with the philosophy of work-integrated restorative justice to foster identity reconstruction through spatial production.
