



Facts
Despite a 30-year effort, the eradication of the illegal drug trade has proven to be nearly impossible. At the heart of the difficulty, according to observers, is the amount of money involved. It has evolved into a $300 to $400 billion multi-national business. Americans alone spend $58 billion a year on narcotics. Over two-thirds of that, or $40 billion, comes from the four to five million regular users. Ironically, the country spends about $42 billion to fight drugs. By the mid-1980s, when it was declared illegal, ecstasy had already found users among college students. However, the drug found its most visible place in the rave and club scene of the 1990s. Even though it is illegal, ecstasy use increased dramatically among partygoers and rave attendees. Taking a small pill seems far less extreme than snorting, smoking, or injecting a drug, so many young people thought ecstasy was not dangerous. Peer pressure added to the drug's popularity. In a crowded club, friends could easily persuade other friends to try it. With increased ecstasy use came increased information on how the drug behaves, its side effects, and its dangers. This information seems to have filtered into the population of ecstasy users—and those who might consider using it. According to the 2004 Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, ecstasy use peaked among eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders around the year 2000 and has since sharply declined for all of those age groups. The 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) likewise reported a decrease in repeat use between 2002 and 2003, as well as a decrease in the number of first-time users, from 1.8 million in 2002 to 1.1 million in 2003. Young people also reported that the drug became harder to find than it was in the past. Semi-synthetic opioides are produced by chemical modification of natural opiumalkaloides obtained from the opium poppy (heroin, dihydrocodeine). The younger a person begins using alcohol, the greater the chance of developing alcohol dependence or abuse some time in their life. Of those who begin drinking at age-18, 16.6% subsequently are classified with alcohol dependence and 7.8% with alcohol abuse. If a person waits until age-21 before taking their first drink, these risks decrease by over 60%. |
Residential Treatment
Residential treatment offers intensive drug addiction help over a period of weeks or months. This form of treatment has some advantages over out-patient treatment, although it may not be suitable for everyone. For example, those who are responsible for caring for young children may be better suited to attendance at an out patient treatment program. Residential treatment offers a safe, drug and alcohol-free environment where individuals can confront their own drug addiction and associated issues, with the help of qualified staff. Therapy usually consists of a mixture of group counseling, individual counseling and an introduction to the principles of a drug recovery program.
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.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal is what happens when a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol discontinues use. There are numerous symptoms that take place both physically and emotionally when an addicted individual stops using. Withdrawal can last a few days to a few weeks and may include nausea or vomiting, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety. Keep in mind; this only occurs if a person has regular, heavy use of a drug or alcohol. Withdrawal can be extremely uncomfortable without professional help. Treatment for withdrawal from alcohol or drugs may require a medical professional to be present. Drug and alcohol rehabilitation is often the best way to overcome withdrawal and its symptoms as well as recovery from drug addiction.
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.
Drug Addiction
Drug addiction is a pattern of repeated drug taking that usually results in tolerance (the need for greater amounts of the drug to achieve the same effect), withdrawal (physical and cognitive effects when drug use declines or stops), and compulsive drug taking behavior (drug taking that persists despite efforts to reduce intake and despite problems with family, friends, and work). Drug addiction encompasses a diverse range of drugs (such as alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines, and cocaine) and is caused by many different factors.
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