Drug Abuse Information - Report Example

Drug Abuse by Drug abuse has become a serious world problem in the past century with pharmaceutics development and advanced methods of drugs production and trafficking established. Drug abuse concerns almost every family in this or that way as almost 230 million people on the planet which constitutes 5 % of adult population of the globe have tried different types of drugs in the recent decade at least once. This is official statistics while unofficial numbers must be significantly higher. The consumption of illegal drugs remains on the same level in most countries with its use growing slightly in developing countries (World Drug Report, 2012). The most common substances that are abused worldwide are the following: heroin, cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines, inhalants, club drugs such as ecstasy, alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs. Drug abuse is not only a health problem for consumers it is also a serious social problem involving a number of negative consequences such as road accidents due to drunk driving, domestic violence, and psychological disorders. Drug abuse is often connected with marginal way of life as addicts are often involved into criminal lifestyle, unemployment and complicated personal relationships. It is proved by numerous cases of drugs dependence that prevention is often more effective than treatment. That is why the efforts of world community are directed to preventing drugs spread and popularization. It is important to define what drug abuse is and when the line between abuse and addiction is crossed. Drug abuse is consumption of any drugs that is harmful to the individual in physiological or psychological way. Though the first intake of drugs is voluntarily, later a person can lost control over substances consumption and became addicted. Many people consider that drug addicts lack stamina and control over their desires but in reality the mechanism is far more complicated as repetitive consumption of drugs changes brain reactions which leads to addiction appearance (Addiction is a Chronic Disease, 2010). According to the National Institute of Drugs Abuse, addiction can be regarded as a chronic disease since irreversible changes in person`s psychological and physiological health take place and the behaviour of an addict is characterized by compulsive desire to consume drugs despite evident (Drug Facts, 2012). According to APA classification substances abuse can be diagnosed if the following criteria are met: The person fails to fulfill general obligations at home, work, school, and college. He neglects his obligations or does not perform them properly. He is frequently late or may be often absent. Consumption does not cease even in physically hazardous situations such as driving a car. The person has problems with the law connected with violent behavior or related to substances consumption Substances consumption despite problems in family relationships Drugs are usually divided between categories of soft and heavy depending on the speed of dependence development and overall effect on organism. Heavy drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, alcohol, ecstasy, and GHB cause relatively fast psychological and physiological dependence and tolerance. Production and selling of these drugs leads to criminal responsibility. Drugs, such as marijuana and psilocybin are believed to be less addictive and harmful that is why their consumption is legalized in some European countries. It is possible to classify heavy and soft drugs abuse as dependence if the following criteria are met: A person has tolerance toward a drug which means that he requires an increased dose of a substance to have the same level of euphoria, and that effects diminishes with time despite frequent administration of the drug; Withdrawal symptoms and continuation of consumption to relieve these symptoms; Inability to plan consumption, overestimating the period and the degree of consumption; Inability to control consumption; failed attempts to quit (APA, 1994). So how do people become dependent on drugs if their harmful effects are well-known? The reason is that most drugs are created in such a way that their structure resembles chemical structure of neurotransmitters, chemical messengers involved in the process of signals transmittance. Neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin for example take an active part in the numerous important nervous processes of a human brain. Dopamine is responsible for mood control, motivation, sexuality, and endocrine functions. This neurotransmitter is also involved into brain “reward system” influencing the degree of satisfaction. Serotonin in its turn influences mood, controls sleep, attention, and learning skills. These chemicals are generally produced naturally in the human brain while drugs imitate their effect in an artificial way. Drugs have the possibility to intervene into the communication system and prevent from normal signals production and delivery (World Drug Report, 2012) But different drugs influence brain in a different way. Such drugs as marijuana and cocaine resemble neurotransmitters in their structure and make the cells which send signals active. Most often drugs disrupt natural flow of information either by imitating neurotransmitters or by intervening into the “reward system” of the brain. Some drugs, such as amphetamine and methamphetamine influence the quantity on neurotransmitters release making cells create huge amount of dopamine and serotonin. Alternatively they can intervene into normal cycle of neurotransmitters delivery blocking its natural relapse. Opiates affect the opiate receptors in the brain and in the body causing euphoria and providing analgetic effect. Human organism is capable of producing endorphies that influence these receptors and control many physiological processes (Opiates Mechaism of Action, 2011). As a result the level of neurotransmitters in the brain is abnormally high, and the person`s movement, emotional state, motivation are different from normal causing the feeling of high. The sense of euphoria experienced by the person becomes an obsession very soon depending on the type of the drug. With opiates and amphetamines people get hooked after several doses, cocaine requires more time, marijuana and club drugs cause psychological dependence. All the drugs disrupt natural mechanism of the reward system which is responsible for the survival behaviour. The adaptation of the brain to the abnormal level of neurotransmitters happens rather fast as the brain is forced to reduce the quantity of naturally produced neurotransmitters. The consumer is then forced to repeat drugs consumption and increase the dose to stimulate the reward system again because receptors get used soon to the level of stimulation. The consumer experience anhedonia which means that his capacity to receive pleasure from normal habitual things decreases. That means that the person has elaborated tolerance to the drug. This psychological dissatisfaction with reality makes the person seek for a new dose and increase it to repeat the initial feeling of euphoria (Drug Facts, 2012). Most drugs lead to immune system suppression and subsequent diseases. High blood pressure can be provoked by excessive stimulation of sympathetic nervous system which often results in cardiovascular impairments which may lead to hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes. Despite the fact that some drugs are believed to act like aphrodisiacs any overdose causes serious sexual dysfunction. Moreover, drugs consumed by a pregnant woman can cause abruption placenta and substantial development problems for an infant (Drug Facts, 2010). Substances usage inevitably leads to problems with gastrointestinal tract and digestion. Cocaine addicted, for example, especially crack addicted, suffer from malnutrition and anorexia. Repetitive consumption of substances inevitably leads to alterations in brain structure and mechanisms. These changes influence the ability of the person to take decisions, think critically, learn, control behavior, and remember things. As a result a consumer is prone to impulsive antisocial behavior which affects negatively his social, professional, and personal life. The border between drugs abuse and addiction is very delicate and subjective. Genetic predisposition, the type of the drug consumed, psychological state are those factors that define how soon a person can cross this line. Drug abuse presupposes drugs consumption despite evident harm to psychological and physiological health of a person. Drug addiction is the state that is similar to chronic disease affecting all levels of the person life: social, personal, and professional. It is important to take into account that drugs are often divided into two categories: heavy and soft depending on the mechanism of influence on the brain. Heavy drugs such as opiates, amphetamines, and alcohol cause tolerance rather fast while soft drugs, such as marijuana or club drugs, lead to serious psychological dependence (Drug Facts, 2010). All drugs change natural mechanisms of reward system in the brain causing abnormal release of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin. In order to adapt to these changes human brain is forced to alternate natural mechanisms provoking tolerance in consumers. People taking drugs soon find themselves unable to receive pleasure from habitual things such as eating, spending time with the loved ones or working. As a result drug addicts have to increase the frequency of consumption and the dose in order to achieve the effect of initial state of euphoria but this also leads to brain adaptation. Psychological problems, disruption of normal work of body systems, immune system supression soon become common for the consumer. Therefore, the effects of drugs abuse are very harmful regardless of the type of the drug and the frequency of consumption. Though drug addiction can be treated medically most experts claim that prevention is the best way of avoiding negative effects from drugs consumption. References Addiction is a Chronic Disease. (2012). National Institute of Drug Abuse. Retrieved from: http://archives.drugabuse.gov/about/welcome/aboutdrugabuse/chronicdisease/ American Psychiatric Association.(1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th edition). Washington, DC. Drug Facts.(2010). Drug Free World. Retrieved from: http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/cocaine.html Opiates Mechanism of Action. (2010). Teen Drugs Abuse. Retrieved from: http://teens.drugabuse.gov/educators/nida-teaching-guides/mind-over-matter/teachers-guide/opiates/mechanism-action World Drug Report.(2012). United Nations Organization. Retrieved: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/WDR2012/WDR_2012_web_small.pdf Read More