Topic Content:
- Effects of Drug Abuse
- Levels of Health
- Examples of Drugs, their Sources & Effects of Abuse
- Evaluation Questions
The effect of drug abuse is not only on the users, it also affects the family, friends, and community at large. Some of its effects are stated below:
1. Bad social behaviour.
2. Depression.
3. Poor performance in school.
4. Drowsiness.
5. Brain damage.
6. Family disruption.
7. Increase in the crime rate in societyThe term society is derived from the Latin word 'socius' meaning friendship or companionship. Society is a community, nation or group of people who share the same traditions, institutions, rules and... More.
8. Violence and impulsion.
9. Damage to vital organs of the body.
10. Increase in drug-related accidents.
11. Financial trouble. Drugs cost money, and dependence on drugs can render someone poor.
Examples of drugs and their sources are shown in the table below;
Examples of Drugs, their Sources & Effects of Abuse:
Drug | Source | Group | Effect of abuse | |
1. | Marijuana | Indian hemp plant (Cannabis sativa) | Hallucinogens | Hallucination |
2. | Opium | Poppy plant | Narcotic | Drowsiness, hallucination |
3. | Morphine | Extracted from opium | Narcotic | Complete loss of the senses |
4. | Heroine | Derived from morphine | Narcotic | Addictive drugs |
5. | Cocaine | Coca plant | Stimulant | Stimulation which later leads to depression |
6. | Cigarettes | Tobacco plant | Stimulant | Respiratory tract diseases e.g. lung cancer |
7. | Alcohol and palm wine | Chemical | Stimulant | Induces sleep, damages internal organs e.g brain, liver, etc |
Marijuana: Common name for a drug made from the dried leaves and flowering tops of the Indian hemp plant, scientifically called Cannabis sativa. People smoke, chew, or eat marijuana for their hallucinating and intoxicating effects.
Opium: Is used primarily as a source of the drug morphine. Morphine is used mainly to kill pain arising from an accident or disease. It also controls coughing in diseases of respiratory organs.
Heroine: This is an artificial derivative of morphine. It is used medically and is perhaps the most dangerous of addictive drugs.
Cocaine: This is the only widely used local anaesthetic of plant origin, though there are several synthetic ones. An injection of cocaine weakens the response of nerves in small areas of the body to pain for a period of up to one hour.
Tobacco/Cigarettes: Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants of the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide, or at times as medicine.
Alcohol: Alcohol is a chemical which is present in varying amounts in palm wine, wine, beer, stout, and strong alcoholic drinks such as whiskey, gin, schnapps, etc.
Barbiturates: Medically recommended doses of barbiturates are used to induce sleep, relieve tension, and treat ulcers, hypertension, insomnia, and a variety of mental disorders. An excess dose, taken over an extended period, causes physical and psychological dependence on the drug.
Drug Addiction:
A person who uses a drug frequently, after repeated use, the person not only uses the drug again and again but is unable to do without the drug. This situation is described as addiction or dependence.
Once a person is addicted to a particular drug, he or she is known as a drug addict and may find it difficult to do without it.
Drug addicts are at higher risk for mental health problems, including depression, conduct problems, personality disorders, suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, and suicide.
Evaluation Questions:
1. What is a drug?
2. What is drug abuse?
3. List five (5) causes of drug abuse.
4. Mention 5 medical uses of drugs.
5. Mention 5 side effects of drug abuse.