Drugs have existed as an issue that closely concerns societies and states throughout human history. Among the narcotic substances, opium and cannabis have attracted attention as the products used for pleasure as well as therapeutic properties in the field of health since the ancient societies, and the use of opium and cannabis for pleasure in drugs has also been valid for Turkish-Islamic societies. In the same way, opium and cannabis have shown themselves as the most frequently used drugs among the enjoyable substance uses in the Ottoman society. Since opium, cannabis and its derivatives were recognized as products used in the field of health in the Ottoman period, they were included in the category of goods that can be easily supplied by the relevant tradesmen groups in the market. Although these goods are placed on the market as health products, when using for pleasure purposes, they negatively affect human health. Therefore, the role of the state increased spontaneously in this process, since the issue is seen as a public health problem that concerns the society. This research, which aims to analyze the use of drugs in the Ottoman society and the state’s strategy to struggle against it, aims to reveal the general situation of drug use affecting the Ottoman society and the perspective of the society and the state on drugs. Therefore, the problems in society and human health when the drug is used for pleasure purposes, and control policies of the state in areas such as legal, administrative, economic and health are tried to be considered within the framework of the holistic structure of the Ottoman state system.
Keywords: Drugs, addiction, opium, cannabis, Ottoman
http://dx.doi.org/10.17822/omad.2020.174
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