Drug Addiction A Chain of Destruction

Drug Addiction A Chain of Destruction

 By Rifat Sadiq

Addiction to drugs leads to gradual destruction of physical, mental, social and spiritual health of an individual. Continuous use of any drug results in biochemical changes; impair all internal system of human body. When this epidemic weakens the immune system, the human body becomes vulnerable to chronic or incurable diseases. Being indulge in addiction, an addict ruins not only his physical health but also embraces psychological problems as well. Addiction deteriorates the addict’s ability to manage his stress and to solve his problems. Feelings of hostility, anger, guilt and hopelessness are vividly seen in addict’s personality.

A drug addict remains isolated from significant one, does not fulfill social responsibilities that further lead to disturbed interpersonal relationships. Avoiding family and relatives, absence from workplace and deterioration of family finances and assets bring disharmony in all aspects of life. Addicts seem to deviate from social norms, religious rituals, loose a sense of right and wrong and appears as a socially dysfunction person.

Unfortunately, an addict ruins himself and his whole family by impacting adversely their mental and emotional health. As a result, they seem to avoid facing society. Deviant behaviors like stealing, pick pocketing, quarreling, using abusing language and involvement in sexual behaviors generate feelings of shame and guilt in family members. Sometimes, they have to give money to their addicted family member and become co-dependent. In South Asian countries, daughters and sisters of addicts are having problems of suitable proposal for marriage. People do not like to have any relation with addict’s family. For this reason, family seems to hide the reality and refuse to provide any kind of support to its addicted family member.

 

Having destruction of family life, addicts have to live away from family, spend time with street addicts, and indulge more and more in drugs that, eventually, put them to death. Sometimes, their funerals are attended by family, relatives and friends and sometimes, these poor addicts are buried by welfare organizations

Abusing of Prescription Drugs

Abusing of Prescription Drugs

Nearly 7 million Americans are abusing prescription drugs*—more than the number who are abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, Ecstasy, and inhalants, combined. That 7 million was just 3.8 million in 2000, an 80 percent increase in just 6 years.
· Prescription pain relievers are new drug users’ drug of choice, vs. marijuana or cocaine.
· Opioid painkillers now cause more drug overdose deaths than cocaine and heroin combined.
· Nearly 1 in 10 high school seniors admits to abusing powerful prescription painkillers. A shocking 40 percent of teens and an almost equal number of their parents think abusing prescription painkillers is safer than abusing "street" drugs.
· Misuse of painkillers represents three-fourths of the overall problem of prescription drug abuse; hydrocodone is the most commonly diverted and abused controlled pharmaceutical in the U.S.
· Twenty-five percent of drug-related emergency department visits are associated with abuse of prescription drugs.
· Methods of acquiring prescription drugs for abuse include “doctor-shopping,” traditional drug-dealing, theft from pharmacies or homes, illicitly acquiring prescription drugs via the Internet, and from friends or relatives.
· DEA works closely with the medical community to help them recognize drug abuse and signs of diversion and relies on their input and due diligence to combat diversion. Doctor involvement in illegal drug activity is rare—less than one tenth of one percent of more than 750,000 doctors are the subject of DEA investigations each year—but egregious drug violations by practitioners unfortunately do sometimes occur. DEA pursues criminal action against such practitioners.
· DEA Internet drug trafficking initiatives over the past 3 years have identified and dismantled organizations based both in the U.S. and overseas, and arrested dozens of conspirators. As a result of major investigations such as Operations Web Tryp, PharmNet, Cyber Rx, Cyber Chase, and Click 4 Drugs, Bay Watch, and Lightning Strike, tens of millions of dosage units of prescription drugs and tens of millions of dollars in assets have been seized.* Prescription drugs refers to abuseable pharmaceuticals controlled under federal law enforced by the DEA