Sehlikoğlu Kerem, Kamalak Murat, Dağlıoğlu Mehmet, Gülçiçek Seval, Köse Fatma, Demir Hicran Nermin, Çakır Tuğba, Ülkü Duygu, Koca Melek Rüveyda, Dönmez Demet, Kılınç Beyza, Bilge Zeynep
Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Adıyaman University, Adıyaman, Türkiye.
Gaziantep Group Presidency, Council of Forensic Medicine, Ministry of Justice, Gaziantep, Türkiye.
Turk J Pediatr. 2025 Jul 6;67(3):293-303. doi: 10.24953/turkjpediatr.2025.5744.
Substance use is rapidly increasing in the pediatric age group worldwide. There is not enough toxicological data on substance use among children and adolescents in Türkiye. This study aims to reveal the forensic toxicological characteristics of cases under the age of eighteen with substance use detected.
In our study, forensic toxicological reports of biological samples taken from 587 cases brought to our institution by law enforcement officers due to allegations and/or suspicions of substance abuse between January 1, 2022, and June 30, 2024 were retrospectively examined. The cases were reviewed in terms of variables such as gender, age, age group, substance type (if any), and presence of multiple substance use.
Out of the cases, 89.1% (n=523) of the cases were male and 10.9% (n=64) were female. The majority of cases (93.2%) were observed in the 15-17 age group, accounting for 547 individuals. Of the cases, 29.0% (n = 170) were identified as multiple substance users. Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) were present in 68.7% (n = 403) and cannabis was found in 48.2% (n = 283) of cases. It was observed that only cannabis use was significantly higher among males and only ATS use was higher among females (Cramer's V = 0.202, p < 0.001). The association between gender and substance type was statistically significant; however, the strength of the association was small to moderate.
This study assessed substance use profiles in adolescent populations through substance testing. ATS were the most frequently detected substances. The analysis revealed a significant increase in the proportion of female cases over time. While cannabis use was more prevalent among males, ATS use was more common among females. Collecting objective, valid, and definitive data will facilitate the identification of substance use issues and support the development of effective preventive policies.
全球范围内，儿科年龄组的物质使用呈迅速上升趋势。土耳其儿童和青少年物质使用方面的毒理学数据不足。本研究旨在揭示检测出有物质使用情况的18岁以下病例的法医毒理学特征。
在我们的研究中，回顾性检查了2022年1月1日至2024年6月30日期间因涉嫌和/或怀疑药物滥用由执法人员带到我们机构的587例病例的生物样本的法医毒理学报告。根据性别、年龄、年龄组、物质类型（如有）以及多种物质使用情况等变量对病例进行了审查。
在这些病例中，89.1%（n = 523）为男性，10.9%（n = 64）为女性。大多数病例（93.2%）出现在15 - 17岁年龄组，共547人。其中，29.0%（n = 170）被确定为多种物质使用者。68.7%（n = 403）的病例中存在苯丙胺类兴奋剂（ATS），48.2%（n = 283）的病例中发现了大麻。观察到仅大麻使用在男性中显著更高，仅ATS使用在女性中更高（克莱姆相关系数V = 0.202，p < 0.001）。性别与物质类型之间的关联具有统计学意义；然而，关联强度为小到中等。
本研究通过物质检测评估了青少年人群的物质使用情况。ATS是最常检测到的物质。分析显示女性病例比例随时间显著增加。虽然大麻使用在男性中更普遍，但ATS使用在女性中更常见。收集客观、有效和确凿的数据将有助于识别物质使用问题，并支持制定有效的预防政策。
