Evaluation of sociodemographic characteristics of substance users applying to toxic screening unit

PURPOSE: In this study we aimed to investigate the sociodemographic charecteristics of the cases that they claimed to use which sent to Gaziantep University Medicine Faculty Emergency Medicine Toxic Substance Screening Unit MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study; between 24-03-2021 and 24-03-2022, the data were obtained by questionnaire method and it is a cross-sectional study conducted in Gaziantep University Medical Faculty Emergency Medicine Clinic. Sociodemographic charecteristics such as age, gender, education level and which substance for how long they use, the factors affecting the initiation of substance use, the mother and father; data such as cohabitation, occupation, education status, and whether they were alive or not were collected and statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS 22.0 program. RESULTS: The study was conducted with 148 patients, 17 women and 131 men, who met the inclusion criteria. It was observed that the participants used cigarettes and drugs at similar rates, and most of them committed crimes related to substance use. It has been observed that most of the substance users are secondary school graduates, live in the city center, work in the private sector for minimum wage or less, their parents live with together and are primary school graduates and are alive. It was observed that the factor affecting the initiation of substance use was the highest rate of friends. Participants' age, gender, sociodemographic characteristics and their families' sociocultural, socioeconomic and educational characteristics; when evaluated in terms of smoking, alcohol consumption and substance use, no statistically significant difference was found (p>0.05). A statistically significant difference was found between alcohol use in the family and the individual's alcohol use (p=0.027). CONCLUSION: In the struggle against substance use, multi-faceted intervention programs should be developed including school, family, individual and friends. The education system has the most important place in developing and implementing prevention programs. Educational programs should be prepared and implemented for students on issues such as substance abuse, its negative effects on health, and the problems it creates in social life KEYWORDS: Addictive substance use; sociodemografic characteristics