Drug abuse

Drug Abuse is a situation where the victim is either knowingly or unknowingly ingested with drug, causing harm to his/her physical or mental health. Usually, it refers to the initial exposure to drugs which could cause the victim to develop a habit of substance abuse leading to its addiction. Alcohol, cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, marijuana are some of the common substances associated with drug abuse. Even taking sleeping pills over a specified limit comes under drug abuse.

What makes People Abuse Drugs

The reason for drug abuse differs from person to person. Someone might use drug to get some kind of high or pleasure while someone might use it to escape boredom or depression. An overdose of drug taken to escape reality could cause fatal physical and psychological consequences to the abused, even resulting in death in serious cases.

Someone may become a victim of drug abuse during rave parties or any such gathering, in which the participants have access to different drugs. Many of them might have first time exposure to the drug and its effects, often resulting in its overdose, causing serious health issues. Drug abuse could result from anyone being forcibly ingested with drug or being fooled into consuming something laced with drug.

In some cases, the social status of the victim and his/her environment plays a vital role in substance abuse. People belonging to the deprived section of society, like rag pickers and small workers are more susceptible to drug abuse which often develops to drug addiction.

World Statistics on Drug Abuse

As discussed above, the participants of a rave party or people belonging to lower strata of society are more susceptible to drug abuse. However, the statics from around the world reveal a set drug abuse pattern based on age of the victim and other factors.

World Statistics reveal that drug abuse is more prevalent in Eastern Europe and United States, affecting 5-6% of the total population. One may think that the poorer the nation, the more will be the incidents of drug abuse, but statics reveal just the opposite. Across Africa and Asia, only 1-2% of population is affected by drug abuse, which is considerably low from developed United States and Europe. Males constitute over 60% of all globally reported drug abuse cases.

Number of deaths caused due to drug abuse in United States has shot up to twice than the previous decade.

Drug Abuse and Children

Drug abuse by children is a matter of prime concern, mainly in underdeveloped and developing nations. Children belonging to poor, deprived and socially backward sections of the society are often trapped into drug abuse by an organized syndicate for easy money. Such children are also subjected to physical and psychological abuse.

Often, school going children are also reported to be involved in drug abuse. Initially they use drug simply to satisfy their curiosity but either they overdo it resulting in serious health hazards and death, or they end up developing an addiction to the drug.

Incidents have also been reported of children subjected to physical exploitation after being offered food or drink laced with drug.

In India children belonging to the age group of 10-12 who are into drug abuse are repeatedly being rescued by authorities from different corners of the country. Majority of the rescued children belong to the poor class, who do rag picking and other menial jobs for a living. The drug used by such children isn’t costly and mainly consists of substances used in domestic work, like – whitener, shoe polish and fevicol etc.Drug Abuse, in a way, could be the initial stage of drug addiction. A drug abuse victim might be able to overcome the damages and lead a normal life; though, the possibility of his/her developing an addiction for the drug, can’t be neglected.

Initially the decision to take drug might be voluntarily taken with no long time commitments. But a strong drug will have you craving for it, once again, even when you have completely recovered from its first time’s detrimental effects. This is so, because a powerful drug makes neurological changes into your brain which leaves you asking for more.

The pleasure feeling that we get on eating, suppose a chocolate, or while being cuddled by someone, is because of neurotransmitter named “dopamine”, which is also called the pleasure hormone. The problem with drug is that, its consumption releases much more dopamine than a chocolate ever could. This causes the brain to anticipate more drug intake in order to release more dopamine. Thus, it is evident that an isolated case of drug abuse might develop into drug addiction if the victim isn’t provided with proper medical care and guidance.....