Illegal drug use is a scourge on society for a number of reasons. I stand before you today to address some of the dire effects drug use has. Firstly, why do people take drugs? Popular legal drugs like alcohol change the mind in the short term offering mild stimulation. Many heavy drinkers like the rush alcohol provide, helping them escape from everyday problems. Some illegal drugs which are invariably more expensive, give much stronger stimulation in varying ways. Or that is what the user hopes. The risks of taking illegal drugs are invariably higher which we will address shortly. Invariably, the user takes illegal drugs to escape reality and everyday problems. Maybe if the user is a teenager there is a temptation to show off to peers.
Let us discuss the side effects of drug use: cocaine is a popular illegal drug among some partygoers. Cocaine releases dopamine into the blood which gives boosts of pleasure. However, the short term side effects include paranoia, jaw locking, and nose bleeds. Long-term use can be deadly including heart disease and lung problems among others.
Heroin is usually injected which risks HIV and hepatitis from shared needles. When heroin enters the brain it is converted to morphine and sends a pleasurable rush in the short term. When the initial rush fades the user becomes drowsy and breathing slows. This can cause death.
Amphetamines are often used as a cheaper high, though can be just as deadly.
War on drug use
Amphetamines release CNS stimulants. You may sometimes hear the drug, referred to as Ya Ba. Sudden death and serious cardiovascular problems may occur with misuse of amphetamines.
These are just a few of many illegal drugs, the war on drugs is fighting. They share a common trait – a short-lived sense of pleasure and many times there is no pleasure, just terrible physical damage and even death. As illegal drugs are not checked for quality, they are often mixed with even more poisonous substances to cut costs.
Another trait of illegal drugs is they are nearly all very addictive. Some people will go to any lengths to obtain their next fix including theft and even murder to find money. The more people hooked on illegal drugs, the more families and the very fabric of society are dragged into a downward spiral.
Even if the drug abuser can control the financial side of drug-taking personal relationships can often slip away. Heroin abuse often leaves the taker in several hours of a ‘zombie’ like state while Ya Ba takers suffer illogical spells of extreme aggression. Cocaine users will often become paranoid and avoid social contact.
If you are worried a family member is taking illegal drugs you should look for the following side effects:
- A change in personality, including anger bouts and reluctivity.
- A lack of personal hygiene and the desire to look after one’s self.
- Valuable items going missing
- Jaw grinding and out of place physical traits
If your loved one is found to be addicted you should contact your local hospital for advice and even consider calling the police who will advise you on the next step to take. If the user is your child, let the school know for it’s their duty to help ensure drugs are not being sold at school.
There are no safe illegal drugs. Marijuana is rated as a class c drug and sometimes you’ll hear from users, it’s a, ‘safe drug’. However, marijuana, which is often smoked, has mind bending qualities and can cause harm to some people. It contains THC, which stimulates the part of your brain that responds to pleasure. Scientists say it often can heighten the affects of symptoms of people with mental disorders.
Countries in general have harsh sentences for drug suppliers. In some countries such as Indonesia class, A drug smugglers will face a death sentence. Western countries are somewhat more lenient depending on the circumstances. Nigerian born, UK citizen, Samantha Orobata was sentenced to life imprisonment in Laos for smuggling half a pound of heroin in 2009. She became pregnant within 6 months in uncertain circumstances. She was transferred to a UK prison where the judge sentenced her to no less than 18 months. Meanwhile, UK grandmother, Lindsay Sandiford, 62, has now spent six years on death row in Indonesia and faces the firing squad for the same type of offense. Many countries jail foreigners for tens of years for drug smuggling.
