Drug Addiction - The Effects on Contemporary Society
Many of us are mindful of the hazards of substance abuse. It has been extensively recorded over centuries and up to now. The results of substance abuse can be harmful, not only to the abuser themselves, but to members of the family, friends, colleagues, and society in general. Whether or not the habit continues to be concealed, the result it has continues to be potent. The need for drugs and alcohol is serious enough to alter the course of a life and people around them. This is the reason drug abuse is threatening not just to the person and those around them, but to society as well.
The hazards of substance abuse tend to be physical and psychological. The compulsion can push a person to the edge of their emotions and seriously twist their common sense. The need for drugs for example crack, narcotics and the like may also change personalities and drive away family and friends in the search to satisfy their longing for the drug. The dependence may be both physical and psychological based on the drug of choice. In any case however, the result remains the same as the individual is pushed to fulfill their hungers as the rest of their life falls apart.
Youth is very vulnerable to drug abuse, from those entering puberty to the mid- 20s in particular as they are involved significantly more with those of their age and under much less influence from their parents or authority figures. This is simply not to say that drug abuse cannot strike older people, but that it is merely takes place on a lesser basis. The truth is we are all vulnerable to drug and alcohol abuse. We all cope with life in different ways; as a result the effects will be different from person to person.
The young, however, are definitely the most susceptible since they are exposed to the temptations of drugs via several different means, especially peer pressure. Kids who are abused, poverty- stricken and those under emotional anxiety are also extremely prone to drug addiction. The statistics for addiction vary depending on the drug. Alcohol, for instance, has roughly a 10% addiction rate while marijuana is higher, around 30%. This means that for every 10 people who smoke pot, 3 will become addicted in some form. Statistics also show that people who smoke pot will also be prone to become dependent on more potent drugs like heroin. This may be largely due to how the drug is obtained and the peer pressure that accompany it. Alcoholics conversely, usually remain alcoholics.
Rehabilitation is the typical alternative for anyone struggling to deal with their urges and wanting to break the cycle of drug abuse. Sadly, for many, it is not really a choice nearly as much as it is their last option to realize an ordinary life. Rehab is a commitment that runs considerably longer than their stay at the center. While the preliminary urgings and physical demand for drug might decrease, the psychological effects stay for years. The success of rehab typically is founded on modifying a person's lifestyle and moving away from the temptations. The more a person can remove themselves from temptation, the greater their likelihood of remaining off drugs.
In most cases, the most effective way discovered to deal with drug addiction is prevention. By dealing with the problems which make individuals vulnerable before drugs are experimented with, the much more likely drug use could be avoided entirely. Now is not the time to bury our heads in the sand. We, as a society, need to become involved with the challenges encircling drug use. Our future generations deserve at least that much.
The hazards of substance abuse tend to be physical and psychological. The compulsion can push a person to the edge of their emotions and seriously twist their common sense. The need for drugs for example crack, narcotics and the like may also change personalities and drive away family and friends in the search to satisfy their longing for the drug. The dependence may be both physical and psychological based on the drug of choice. In any case however, the result remains the same as the individual is pushed to fulfill their hungers as the rest of their life falls apart.
Youth is very vulnerable to drug abuse, from those entering puberty to the mid- 20s in particular as they are involved significantly more with those of their age and under much less influence from their parents or authority figures. This is simply not to say that drug abuse cannot strike older people, but that it is merely takes place on a lesser basis. The truth is we are all vulnerable to drug and alcohol abuse. We all cope with life in different ways; as a result the effects will be different from person to person.
The young, however, are definitely the most susceptible since they are exposed to the temptations of drugs via several different means, especially peer pressure. Kids who are abused, poverty- stricken and those under emotional anxiety are also extremely prone to drug addiction. The statistics for addiction vary depending on the drug. Alcohol, for instance, has roughly a 10% addiction rate while marijuana is higher, around 30%. This means that for every 10 people who smoke pot, 3 will become addicted in some form. Statistics also show that people who smoke pot will also be prone to become dependent on more potent drugs like heroin. This may be largely due to how the drug is obtained and the peer pressure that accompany it. Alcoholics conversely, usually remain alcoholics.
Rehabilitation is the typical alternative for anyone struggling to deal with their urges and wanting to break the cycle of drug abuse. Sadly, for many, it is not really a choice nearly as much as it is their last option to realize an ordinary life. Rehab is a commitment that runs considerably longer than their stay at the center. While the preliminary urgings and physical demand for drug might decrease, the psychological effects stay for years. The success of rehab typically is founded on modifying a person's lifestyle and moving away from the temptations. The more a person can remove themselves from temptation, the greater their likelihood of remaining off drugs.
In most cases, the most effective way discovered to deal with drug addiction is prevention. By dealing with the problems which make individuals vulnerable before drugs are experimented with, the much more likely drug use could be avoided entirely. Now is not the time to bury our heads in the sand. We, as a society, need to become involved with the challenges encircling drug use. Our future generations deserve at least that much.