The Problem of Drug Addiction: Causes, Effects and Solutions

Causes of Drug addiction

There are various reasons why people experiment with drugs and continue to use them regardless the negative consequences are visibly clear. Due to the article named “Youth begging for drugs” on the Mayo Clinic, the most significant factor that contributes to the drug addiction in the youth in the whole country today is lack of knowledge about drugs. Psychological Studies and support to Drug Users also is known as PSD opened a research on teenagers with the topic drug using in 9/2014. Sadly, the result showed half of the subject believed that some drugs cannot be addicted, furthermore, 11% of them confirm that even the drugs can make them stronger and comfortable. That is a true story, because nowadays many and many youngsters take drugs as one of the hobbies and they even convince their friend to join them to fall into the desire of illusion. Besides, a person’s environment can be part of what causes drug addiction. Drug addiction is more common in environments where drug abuse is seen or where it’s seen as permissible. Children who grow up in homes with drug addicts often become drug addicts themselves. Because most drug use starts in adolescence. Those with inattentive, abusive or neglectful parents are more prone to drug abuse. Drug addiction can be the combination of drug experimentation with the lack of parental oversight.

Effects of Drug addiction

We are well aware that there are devastating consequences following by drug addiction, no matter where they take place. Illegal drugs that are being used by consumers throughout the world negatively affect the consumer both physically and psychologically. There are both short-term effects and long-term effects of drugs. Even though each type of drug has its own specific effects, there are common short-term and long-term effects. Common short-term effects include increased or decreased appetite, extreme anxiety and restlessness, short-term alertness, change in heart rate, impaired vision, reduction of ability to make decisions, and slow reflexes. Common long-term effects include cardiac arrest, damage to vital organs, confusion, anxiety, paranoia, overdose, impaired thinking, violent behavior, depression, and suicide or death. Club drugs tend to give out effects of relaxation and pleasure since teenagers want to forget about the world while they are at a party or in a club. Thus, ecstasy produces the effect of a relaxed mood. Hallucinogens produce effects of hallucinations and altered sensory experiences. They also produce dilated pupils, elevated body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, appetite loss, sleeplessness, tremors, headaches, nausea, sweating, heart palpitations, blurring of vision, memory loss, trembling, and itching. Inhalants only produce short-term effects such as drowsiness and agitation or a mind-altering effect. These effects do not last long. The most addictive drugs are the ones that produce dangerous short-term and long-term effects. For example, they could affect the heart rate, the blood pressure, or the nervous system. However, they could also damage vital organs and lead to death. For example, for heroin, abusers typically report feeling a surge of pleasurable sensation. According to Sourav, addiction itself is a dangerous effect of heroin. Thus, illegal drugs negatively affect the consumer both psychologically and physically.

How to prevent Drug addiction (essay)

Illegal drugs tend to be highly addictive compared to those that are legal and cause far more damage to the body and organs than prescribed drugs. Unfortunately, consumers continue to buy and consume illegal drugs through the illegal drug trade that includes several developing countries that make a fortune out of that business. Increased education could lower the amount of teenagers that consume illegal drugs. Stricter control by the government is needed to prohibit illegal drugs from being sold. Governments are trying to prohibit illegal drugs from being sold by imposing strict laws. For example, dogs are put in schools to sniff and locate any drugs. “Dogs in hallways, their noses turned to the air for the scent of contraband, are increasingly common in public schools on Long Island and in Westchester, New Jersey and Connecticut”. (New York Times, 2009) Therefore, the governments are trying decrease the amount of drug consumers, especially in the U.S. School administrators need to request to bring dogs to schools to locate any consumers that consume drugs. “The school board voted to sign a memorandum of understanding with the police department that will allow drug-sniffing dogs on school property if requested by school administrators”. (Doan, 2007) If governments keep trying hard to keep consumers away from drugs, then the number of consumers will definitely decrease. Obviously, it is very hard for the government to stop the illegal drug trade completely. However, it could decrease the amount of drugs in the illegal drug trade by imposing strict laws and controlling the borders severely. Corruption also needs to be taken care of and completely abolished so that drug traffickers have no way of bribing police that are at the borders. Developing countries have a far worse problem than developed countries because of corruption and poverty. Some countries actually need the drug trade to boost their economy and that is why the police and the government allow drugs to be sold illegally in their countries. Therefore, they will never actually cease the drug trade and put an effort to stop it. Unless they become developed countries, the illegal drug trade would always be allowed in their countries. Colombia is a great example of a country heavily involved in the illegal drug trade. Thus, Colombia is always associated with drugs, especially since it is sold everywhere in Colombia. Nowadays, however, it has decreased tremendously, but it still continues to have drug lords that sell drugs inside Colombia and export to other countries. It is one of the richest businesses in the world, especially since it is an illegal business. Because Colombia is a poor country that produces drugs in its lands, it has to use the drugs to promote its economy and improve its conditions. However, it is the government’s responsibility to do something about the drug trade, especially since it is killing millions of people around the world who consume drugs, whether through long-term effects, or short-term effects. Thus, there should be a war on the illegal drug trade as well, not only focusing on terrorism and extreme fundamentalists. Therefore, illegal drugs should not be sold since they negatively harm the consumer, physically and psychologically.

Works Cited

1. Doan, H. (2007). Police dogs will sniff out drugs at city schools. The Roanoke Times.
2. Mayo Clinic. (2019). Drug addiction (substance use disorder).
3. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2022). Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide (third edition).
4. New York Times. (2009). Drug-sniffing dogs are in demand.
5. Psychological Studies and Support to Drug Users. (2014). Teenagers and drug use: Facts and figures.
6. Smith, M. J., & Stevens, A. (Eds.). (2013). Drug Policy and the Public Good.
7. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2018). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
8. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2021). Treatment for substance use disorders.
9. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2021). World drug report 2021.
10. Volkow, N. D., Koob, G. F., & McLellan, A. T. (2016). Neurobiologic advances from the brain disease model of addiction. New England Journal of Medicine, 374(4), 363-371.