Drug and substance abuse article task 3

 

Drug and Substance Abuse

Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a disease that affects a person's brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medicine. Substances such as alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine also are considered drugs.

When one is addicted to drugs, one may continue using the drug despite the harm it may cause. People especially students do not realize the gravity of the situation. Drug addiction can start with an experimental use of a recreational drug at times by peers and friends more as a mere fun thing but it may have long-term implications. For others, particularly with opioids, drug addiction begins when they take prescribed medicines or receive them from others who have prescriptions. The risk of addiction and how fast you become addicted varies by drug. Some drugs, such as opioid painkillers, have a higher risk and cause addiction more quickly than others. As time passes, you may need larger doses of the drug to get high. Soon you may need the drug just to feel good. As your drug use increases, you may find that it's increasingly difficult to go without the drug. Attempts to stop drug use may cause intense cravings and make you feel physically ill. These are called withdrawal symptoms.

Peer pressure is a strong factor in starting to use and misuse drugs, particularly for young people. Lack of family involvement or difficult family situations or lack of a bond with your parents or siblings may increase the risk of addiction.

Here are the top five ways to prevent substance abuse:

·       Avoid Temptation and Peer Pressure - Develop healthy friendships and relationships by avoiding friends or family members who pressure you to use substances.

·       Seek help for mental illness. Mental illness and substance abuse often go hand in hand. If you are dealing with a mental illness such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder you should seek professional help from a licensed therapist or counselor. A professional will provide you with healthy coping skills to alleviate your symptoms without turning to drugs and alcohol.

 

·       Examine the risk factors. Look at your family history of mental illness and addiction, several studies have shown that this disease tends to run in the family, but can be prevented. The more you are aware of your biological, environmental and physical risk factors the more likely you are to overcome them.

 

·       Keep a well-balanced life. People often turn to drugs and alcohol when something in their life is missing or not working. Practicing stress management skills can help you overcome these life stressors and will help you live a balanced and healthy life.

There are various consequences of Drugs and Substance Abuse which are -

Ø Cardiovascular disease.

Ø Stroke.

Ø Cancer.

Ø HIV/AIDS.

Ø Hepatitis B and C.

Ø Lung disease.

Ø Mental disorders.

 

The negative effects of addiction on the life of youth, family and society?

Ø The effects of a substance use disorder (SUD) are felt by the whole family.

Ø The family context holds information that can positively or negatively influence the treatment of the disorder.

Ø Social workers can help address the issues in multiple ways.

 

The Government has initiated various programs for Drug and Substance Abuse Prevention

Ø The government has constituted a fund called the “National Fund for Control of Drug Abuse” to meet the expenditure incurred in connection with combating illicit traffic in Narcotic Drugs; rehabilitating addicts, and educating the public against drug abuse, etc.

Ø During the past 20 years, there has been a substantial increase in the data available on the prevalence and consequences of the use of drugs that are liable to abuse. The studies evaluated include those that surveyed populations of hundreds, thousands, or even more, covering a range of common drugs of abuse and using specified research methods. A complex picture has emerged, confounded by an array of factors, such as youth alienation, the changing role of women, and the increasing sophistication of criminal networks.

Ø  The major set of problems appears to be related to primary pattern drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, cannabis and opioids. Cocaine may also be a worldwide threat in view of the problems it has created in some regions.

Ø Drug abuse usually starts in adolescence, and both sexes now appear to be involved whereas in the recent past it was predominantly men who were affected.

Ø Drug-related problems correlate with one another and with somatic, psychiatric and social pathology.

Ø Substances with therapeutic effects such as antidepressants and benzodiazepines, require careful consideration by policymakers because the risk: benefit ratio is different to that of primary-pattern intoxicants, especially taking into consideration the broad and proven therapeutic use of these substances and the need for their availability for patients and physicians.

Ø Even Bollywood has woken up to the sad impact of Drugs on our lives and has made movies talking about the negative impact of Drugs. Movies like Dum Marro Dum, Udta Punjab, Dev D etc have spoken about the impact of drugs and substance on our lives.