




Facts
Unfortunately, despite popular belief, marijuana is not as safe as it seems. In fact, it is downright dangerous, particularly with extended use. Most teens who try pot once continue to use it on a fairly regular basis, with roughly a third of users smoking or ingesting marijuana at least 20 days a month. The toxins contained in marijuana are actually worse than many of the ones in tobacco when smoked and can do just as much damage. While marijuana is often used as a treatment for cancer, it can actually cause it. Apart from that, this drug has many other nasty effects that few people talk about. Short term use can cause some relatively minor issues, like forgetfulness, a loss of motor skills, and difficulties solving problems. Many teens who use marijuana end up doing very poorly in school because of these effects. The abuse of PCP distorts perceptions of sight, sound and produces feelings of detachment from the environment and from them-selves also. These effects are caused by disruption of the interaction between nerve cells and neurotransmitter serotonin. This is distributed throughout the perceptual and regulatory system, results in changes in mood, increases the hunger and body temperature etc. All drug use has built-in disadvantages that handicap the user. Drugs have a way of reshaping lives to accommodate their use. People who decide they want to experiment or "have a little fun" with any of the drugs covered in this overview may discover somewhere down the line that their relationships, particularly with non-drug users, have changed—some irrevocably. Academic or work-related pursuits may seem less important, and may suffer as a result. Family members may be neglected. Heroin, the narcotic derivative of the opium poppy plant, poses grave threat to our society. It is a highly addictive drug, and its presence and use is a serious problem in America. Heroin addiction causes crime as its result as well as danger to users, families, and others. As evidenced by crime and health reports, heroin is a clear and present danger to society due to its devastating health consequences, increasing abuse, and continuing expanded availability. The by-product of this opiate drug is derived naturally and extracted from the seedpod of the Asian poppy plant. It usually appears as a white or dark brown powder. Pure heroin is a white powder with a bitter taste. Most heroin is distributed in powder form and may vary in color because of impurities left from the manufacturing process or the presence of additives. It is packaged for distribution in small, postage stamp sized plastic bags. They are sold individually for 10 dollars or 180 dollars for a "bundle" of 20. Street names include smack, H, junk, horse, and tar. Most users dissolve it in water, and then use a needle to inject it directly into a vein. The effect of the powerful narcotic properties of heroin appears soon after a single dose and disappears in a few hours. After injecting heroin, the user reports feeling a surge of euphoria or "rush" accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin and heavy extremities. Following this initial euphoria, the user goes "on the nod", an alternately wakeful and drowsy state. Mental functioning becomes clouded due to its effects on the central nervous system. |
Drug Abuse
Drug abuse is defined as the chronic or habitual use of any chemical substance to alter states of body or mind for other than medically warranted purposes. Drug abuse is a problem which has an effect on people of all income levels,
ages, and stations in life. Quite often the last person to see that there is a
problem is the drug abuser them self. Every year, more and more people become
drug addicts in their pursuit to get "high".
Drug Side Effects
Drug addiction and abuse comes with a heavy price. There are drastic drug side effects associated with drug misuse and abuse. Drug side effects from legal and illegal drugs can range from mild itching to comas and death. In addition to the physical drug side effects mentioned, there are many psychological drug side effects of drug abuse; the most serious being drug addiction and overdose.
Addiction Treatment
Addiction treatment is needed when an individual finds that they have developed a drug or alcohol addiction which they are not able to successful end on their own. With the help of addiction treatment, addicted individual can get help to control their drug taking behavior and live happy and successful lives. There are several addiction treatment options available for drug and alcohol addiction. Some of these options include self-help groups, counseling, drug rehabilitation programs (in and out-patient), and residential treatment facilities. Each of these differ
in their aims and outcomes and elements of these addiction treatment options are often
combined.
Tolerance
Tolerance to a drug takes place when an individual is exposed to the same drug repeatedly and begins to build up an resistance to the drugs effects. The body then adapts and develops a tolerance for the drug. The addiction that is produced is so powerful that it creates cravings in the user. These cravings for the drug are the result of its impact on the individual's memory with feelings of pleasantness and euphoria which the individual has come to associate with the taking of the drug.
Therapeutic Community
An effective therapeutic community attends to the many needs of the individual, not just his or her drug use. Care given at a therapeutic community addresses the individual's drug use and associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, and legal problems. Also, a therapeutic community will continue to be flexible and provide ongoing assessments of the individual's needs, which may change during the course of care.
Remaining in care at a therapeutic community for an adequate period of time is critical for treatment effectiveness. The time depends on an individual's needs. For most people, the significant improvement is reached at about 3 months in treatment.
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