drug abuse is a growing issue all over the world, and while the concentration on drug awareness has dramatically increased over the years, the number of families effected by drug use continues to rise at an alarming rate. Drugs are defined as “: a substance that is used as a medicine: an illegal and often harmful substance (such as heroin, cocaine, LSD, or marijuana) that people take for pleasure. ” (“Merriam-Webster”, n. d).
People that abuse drugs and the effects of this abuse can happen to anyone, in any walk of life and it happens all over the world every day.
Drug abuse has happened to a great deal of people regardless of social status, financial stability, gender, or race. Drug abuse has been in in all societies for ages and it seems that the number of people effected by drug abuse continues to grow more each day. More and more people are becoming addicted to drugs and more and more families are being effected. Just as we start to learn about a one type of drug, another one is created. Drugs are imported into countries, exported out, smuggled in and out and some drugs are made at home and could be the house right next door.
Drug abuse not only effects the person abusing the drugs but the people around them as well. The effects of drug abuse has many layers and sometimes can be a vicious cycle that lasts for generations. I grew up as a child that was around drugs from the day I was born. There is not a time in my childhood that drugs were not involved at some point. I was around so many different things that I actually thought it was normal. As I got older I realized that it was not right, but it was what I had always known so I didn’t think it was a big deal.
The Review on Drug Abuse within University Students in Ottawa
... students abusing drugs is higher than those of female abusing drugs. Researcher: what are the effects of drug abuse by the students? Student six: drug abuse causes ... this, there is lack of treatment centers for people suffering from drug related disorders thus causing long waiting lists for ... who happened to be drug abusers were given packets of capsules which they were to take two times each day during ...
When I moved out of my mother’s house at the age of 15 it was then that I realized just how abnormal my childhood was. My mother abused heroin, cocaine, marijuana and alcohol throughout my childhood. When I was 11 years old I walked in on my mother shooting up heroin. That day was a very devastating day for me as a child, however it was a day I will never forget because that was when I set it in my mind that I would never touch drugs. When I was 26 my mother passed away due to the long-term abuse she caused her body.
When I became a parent myself I held on to a great deal of anger against my mother for exposing me to the drugs, but I realized that I although my mother subjected me to many harmful things it gave me knowledge to know firsthand what drug abuse does to the person and their family. I have been tempted to try drugs many times but each time I would think about the hardships I went through due to drugs and have always stopped myself from even trying them. I have seen how using a drug recreationally can turn into a habit and I would never want to put my child through the things I was subjected to.
The medical effects of drug abuse can damage the human mind and body. There are numerous effects on the human body regardless of the type of drug used or the way it is used. Sometimes, the effects are short term such as memory loss or nausea, however there can also be long term effects that could damage your body and/or ultimately lead to death. Alcohol, amphetamines, and marijuana all have tremendous side effects and they can all damage your body. Some of the health issues related to drug abuse include cancer, stroke, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, hepatitis and even HIV/AIDS.
Some of the dangers of abuse can happen with high doses of drugs or prolonged use of the drugs, however these dangers as well as death can still happen in just one use. Drug abuse not only effects the body, but the mind as well. Some of the mental effects of drug abuse can cause long term changes in the brain that can cause depression, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations and anger issues. Drug addiction is a brain disease. Although initial drug use might be voluntary, drugs of abuse have been shown to alter gene expression and brain circuitry, which in turn affect human behavior.
The Term Paper on Drug Abuse in Africa
Apart from cannabis abuse in northern and southern Africa and khat chewing in north-eastern Africa, the history of drug abuse in Africa is relatively short. The abuse of drugs in Africa is nevertheless escalating rapidly from cannabis abuse to the more dangerous drugs and from limited groups of drug users to a wider range of people abusing drugs. The most common and available drug of abuse is ...
Once addiction develops, these brain changes interfere with an individual’s ability to make voluntary decisions, leading to compulsive drug craving, seeking and use. ” (National Institute on Drug Abuse, n. d).
There are many effects on society from drug abuse as well. Drug abuse effects the crime rate in many ways. With the number of drug users and drug distributors on the streets the use and distribution of illegal drugs causes huge crime problems. There is violence that comes from the lifestyle lead by those that sell the illegal drugs as well as from those that use the drugs.
People that use illegal drugs are more likely to commit crimes and it is usual for many different offences including violent crimes. There are a large number of these offences that are committed my people using drugs or alcohol or ones that had used them previous to the offence. People that abuse the illegal drugs are often committing crimes like burglary and assault to get money to buy the drugs. This is an increasing problem in every society all over the world.
According to “Bureau Of Justice Statistics” (n. d), and “FBI Uniform Crime Report” (n.d), In 1973, there were 328,670 arrests reported by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) for drug law violations, out of a total 9,027,700 arrests nationwide for all offenses. Also that year, authorities reported 380,560 arrests for all violent crimes and 1,448,700 arrests for all property offenses. In 2012, the number of arrests for drug law violations rose to 1,552,432 out of a total 12,196,959 arrests nationwide for all offenses. Also in 2012, authorities reported 521,196 arrests for all violent crimes and 1,646,212 for all property offenses.
The Essay on Illegal and Prescription Drug Abuse; How Do We Prevent It?
Drug abuse is a psychological or physical dependency with a mind altering substance1. There is continued drug use even though a person knows that the drug causes harm. Physical dependency is the result of the body building up a tolerance to the drug and needing to increase its dosage to have the effect desired and to prevent symptoms of withdrawal. Psychological dependence has something to do with ...
Due to the number of children that are starting to use drugs, drug education is now more important than ever. “Adolescent Substance Abuse: America’s #1 Public Health Problem,” ” (2011) “Teen users are at significantly higher risk of developing an addictive disorder compared to adults, and the earlier they began using, the higher their risk. Nine out of 10 people who meet the clinical criteria for substance use disorders involving nicotine, alcohol or other drugs began smoking, drinking or using other drugs before they turned 18.
People who begin using any addictive substance before age 15 are six and a half times as likely to develop a substance use disorder as those who delay use until age 21 or older (28. 1 percent vs. 4. 3 percent).
” Drugs is an uncomfortable thing for parents to talk to their children about, but with the ease of access to drugs and alcohol it can make or break a child’s future. The age that children can access different types of drugs can start as early as 10 years old so drug awareness has to be started at an earlier age. Drug education has to start with the adults, parents and teachers.
I feel that if this education were taught with more openness within adults then the effects of the education taught would affect layers of people. The effects of drug education would also trickle down through generations as well, just as the drug abuse itself effects families for generations. I feel that every person in all walks of life can relate to the effects of drug abuse on society in one way or another, almost everyone has had a loved one addicted to drugs or knows someone who has. I feel that awareness is the main key to decreasing the effects of drug abuse.
I also feel that the awareness must be taught at an earlier age and without an age limit. People of all ages are tempted by the excitement or escape that drugs seem to offer and the effects of drug abuse can be endless. Drug abuse can affect the human body, human mind and can be fatal in many cases. Drug abuse can also affect the quality of life for the person abusing the drugs as well as the quality of life of loved ones. This battle is ongoing and must be fought restlessly to see results. This is a battle that society as a whole has to decide to fight in order for society as a whole to overcome.
The Essay on How To Handle Drug Abuse
There are many different ways to deal with drugs & drug abuse, and there are wrong ways & right ones! It depends on how you look at it & handle it! Many young people experiment with drugs. This is a fact of life. There is no getting away from it; we are a drug using society. Many of us seek a easy way out solution for a variety of conditions both physical and emotional, and alcohol and ...
