The Role of Addictive Substance Use in Adolescent Deaths Between 12-18 Years of Age

Aim: The increasing use of addictive substances day by day is causing serious health problems and even deaths among adolescents. Obtaining more comprehensive information about the prevalence of addictive substance use is a necessary and important step for preventive studies. Methods;Within the scope of this study, 5 years of files were scanned retrospectively at the Ankara Headquarter, Council of Forensic Medicine, and then the autopsy reports, forensic investigation files, and toxicological analysis results of 258 cases whose autopsies were performed between the ages of 12–18 were examined. The children’s ages, genders, causes of death, origin of death, blood alcohol, and addictive substance levels were recorded on the Excel program and statistically analyzed using the Jamovi program. Results;In our study, it was determined that the most commonly detected addictive substance in the blood of deaths in the 12-18 age group was alcohol, with a rate of 10.5%. In deaths between the ages of 12-18, the rate of narcotic-stimulant substances in the blood was determined to be 5%. It has been determined that the most common non-alcohol addictive substances in fatal incidents during adolescence are volatile substances. Conclusion:The findings of this study indicate that alcohol consumption and the use of sedative and stimulant substances play a significant role in deaths among the adolescent age group. The development of effective strategies aimed at preventing alcohol and substance use within this demographic—particularly by policymakers, public health professionals, and mental health experts—has the potential to reduce mortality rates