Dealing with the problem of drug abuse

1. Introduction

Addiction is a complex disorder characterized by compulsive drug use. People who are addicted feel an overwhelming, uncontrollable need for drugs or alcohol, even in the face of negative consequences. This self-destructive behavior can be hard to understand. Why continue doing something that’s hurting you? Why is it so hard to stop?

The answer lies in the brain. Repeated drug use alters the brain—causing long-lasting changes to the way it looks and functions. These brain changes interfere with your ability to think clearly, exercise good judgment, control your behavior, and feel normal without drugs. These changes are also responsible, in large part, for the drug cravings and compulsion to use that make addiction so powerful.

2. How addiction develops

The path to drug addiction starts with experimentation. You or your loved one may have tried drugs out of curiosity, because friends were doing it, or in an effort to erase another problem. At first, the substance seems to solve the problem or make life better, so you use the drug more and more.

But as the addiction progresses, getting and using the drug becomes more and more important and your ability to stop using is compromised. What begins as a voluntary choice turns into a physical and psychological need. The good news is that drug addiction is treatable. With treatment and support, you can counteract the disruptive effects of addiction and regain control of your life.

3. Prevention is the key

Drug addiction is a preventable disease. Different researches have shown that prevention programs that involve families, schools, communities, and the media are effective in reducing drug abuse. Although many events and cultural factors affect drug abuse trends, when youths perceive drug abuse as harmful, they reduce their drug taking. It is necessary, therefore, to help youth and the general public to understand the risks of drug abuse, and for teachers, parents, and healthcare professionals to keep sending the message that drug addiction can be prevented if a person never abuses drugs.

4. The problem of the legalization of drugs

Arguments for Drug Legalization:

· A person has a basic right to harm himself, if he wants to do so, of course. If a person is allowed to smoke or to drink alcohol (and we know that the problem of smoking and alcohol abuse does exist in the world today), why a person is prohibited to use soft drugs? It’s the same harm.

· There’s an opinion that the legalization of drugs would favour the collapse of illicit drug trade.

· The kegalization of drugs would reduce the profits of the drug dealers.

Arguments against Drug Legalization:

· If we were to legalize soft drugs, who can categorically say that users would no move on the harder drugs?

· If we know that drugs are very dangerous, why should they be legalized? Common sense tells us that if drugs are readily and legally available, more people will use them. If millions become addicted in a period when drugs are illegal, socially unacceptable, and generally difficult to get, then millions will surely become addicts when drugs are legally and socially acceptable and easily obtainable. We should be suspicious of simple solutions to complex problems.

5. Ways to deal with drug problems

Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a drug-free society.

For example, Europe and Australia have needle exchange programmes, which have helped drive down the spread of AIDS. Methadone, a synthetic drug that stops heroin-withdrawal symptoms, is being used to help heroin addicts.

The Netherlands have outlawed “hard drugs” such as cocaine and heroin while “soft drugs” like marijuana and cannabis have been legalized. Heroin addicts can go to doctors and receive a prescription for methadone that will allow them to have a job and function in society.

California has chosen to legalize marijuana in small doses. If they catch you carrying or selling it on the street, chances are you’ll be arrested, but having a small amount in your home is no longer an offence.

6. My own attitude

Drugs are essentially pain-killers. They cover up emotional and physical pain, providing the user with a temporary and illusionary escape from life. When a person is unable to cope with some aspect of their reality and is introduced to drugs, they feel they have perhaps solved the problem itself. The more a person uses drugs or alcohol, the more inflated the problem becomes. More problems are created by their use.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-29