Hyderabad: June 26 is observed as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking after the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution on December 7, 1987, as an “expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.”
According to the UNODC, nearly 200 million people are using illicit drugs such as cocaine, cannabis, hallucinogens, opiates and sedative hypnotics worldwide. A frightening number considering the activity eventually leads to death, a painful one at that.
According to government data released last year, India has more than 10.7 million drug abusers, which is surprisingly more than the population of Sweden.
This year, the theme for International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is ‘Health for Justice. Justice for Health.’ It highlights that “justice and health are two sides of the same coin when it comes to addressing drug problems.”
As usual, everyone expects at least the responsible social media buffs to actively participate by trending a hashtag. But surprisingly twitteratis kept a partial silence on the subject.
Overall, we can't ignore the fact that illicit drugs and their trafficking pose a large health threat to humanity. Long term use can even cause poor health, contraction of diseases through needle sharing, poor self-hygiene, psychological illness, death from overdose etc.
Do you know what is drug abuse?
Drug abuse is also known as drug addiction which is a psychiatric, social and psychological problem that not only affects the youth of the entire world but affects a large area of people of different age. It ruins the people and society socially, physically, culturally, emotionally and economically.
Drugs generate a condition of fear, anxiety and a sense of insecurity in the people. It directly affects grey matter of the brain and nervous system which makes difficult for them to give a proper response. Addiction to drugs can cause severe loss of appetite and weight, constipation, increased anxiety and irritability, sleeplessness and gradual impairment of intellectual functioning. They arouse as pain relievers and sleep inducers.
Symptoms
Drug addiction symptoms or behaviours include, among others:
- Feeling that you have to use the drug regularly — daily or even several times a day
- Having intense urges for the drug that block out any other thoughts
- Over time, needing more of the drug to get the same effect
- Not meeting obligations and work responsibilities, or cutting back on social or recreational activities because of drug use
- Driving or doing other risky activities when you're under the influence of the drug
Recognising unhealthy drug use in family members
Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish normal teenage moodiness or angst from signs of drug use. Possible indications that your teenager or other family member is using drugs include:
- Problems at school or work — frequently missing school or work, a sudden disinterest in school activities or work, or a drop in grades or work performance.
- Physical health issues — lack of energy and motivation, weight loss or gain, or red eyes.
- Neglected appearance — lack of interest in clothing, grooming or looks.
- Changes in behaviour — exaggerated efforts to bar family members from entering his or her room or being secretive about where he or she goes with friends; or drastic changes in behaviour and in relationships with family and friends.
- Money issues — sudden requests for money without a reasonable explanation; or your discovery that money is missing or has been stolen or that items have disappeared from your home, indicating maybe they're being sold to support drug use.
Sources of drugs:
People use cannabis by smoking, eating or inhaling a vaporized form of the drug.
Cannabis often precedes or is used along with other substances, such as alcohol or illegal drugs, and is often the first drug tried.
Prevention
There is an old proverb 'Prevention is better than cure.' Therefore, the best way to prevent an addiction to a drug is not to take the drug at all. Take these steps to help prevent drug misuse in your children and teenagers:
- Communicate. Talk to your children about the risks of drug use and misuse.
- Listen. Be a good listener when your children talk about peer pressure, and be supportive of their efforts to resist it.
- Set a good example. Don't misuse alcohol or addictive drugs. Children of parents who misuse drugs are at greater risk of drug addiction.
- Strengthen the bond. Work on your relationship with your children. A strong, stable bond between you and your child will reduce your child's risk of using or misusing the drug.
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