Crime of Encouraging the Use of Narcotics on Social Networks

Abstract

Under the second paragraph of Article 190 of the Turkish Criminal Code numbered 5327, titled “Facilitating the Use of Narcotics or Psychotropic Substances,” encouraging the use of narcotics or psychotropic substances or broadcasting messages with such an intent is ruled as a criminal act. If the encouragement is in the public domain, it constitutes a crime. Evidently, the message-sharing in social media adds publicity to any content. If an individual uses a picture, text, or photograph to publicly encourage the use of narcotics or psychotropic substances by stating that it brings relief and peace of mind and eliminates all problems, it will be constituted as a crime, regulated under the second paragraph of Article 190. This study discusses the criminal act of encouraging the use of narcotics or psychotropic substances to the detriment of public health, the ways in which it is propagated, and the role of social networks in the execution of this crime.