substance abuse

         

Surname 3

         


The issue of substance abuse is a major challenge in the current society. The main purpose of this paper is to discuss the topic of drug abuse, highlight major classes of drugs and how they affect the environment including people. This article discuss the topic under two classification thus hard and soft drugs, then it proceed to enhance on factors influencing drug abuse. It concludes on general view of the topic at large and states that drug abuse has negative impact on the society and should be restricted or banned.
Substance abuse is a crucial topic that touches all aspect of today's life. Behind the curtains there are cartels that sell drugs in major cities all over the world. This cartel starts from Mexico City, Colombia and all the way to streets of Nairobi. Drug abuse remains a major challenge in society. This is the foundation of this paper. Substance abuse is the inappropriate usage of mood altering chemicals that are prescription or street sale based. They are classified in two major classes as hard drugs and soft drugs.
Hard drugs
These are prescription bills that are usually abused to create a feeling of highness. Nowadays some quacks also manufacture their cheap products and sells them on the street market. Most known examples of street hard drugs are heroin, cocaine and valium. Heroin is one of the most addictive drugs in the world.
Some people get hooked to it even after a single use. It withdrawals creates uncomfortable feeling that makes the user to rush and use again. Cocaine also has a similar pattern of addiction as heroine but the post acute withdrawals are very severe that can kill a person. Heroine is obtained from processing mature flowers of opium. Cocaine is manufactured from processing the leaves of poppy plant.
They are smoked, sniffed or injected into the body according to the amount an individual want to consume. The immediate effect is a feeling of highness that creates a head rush. This euphoric experience makes users feel nice. Valium is a prescription drug inform of small tablets that are swallowed. They create a feeling of drowsiness that makes users feel comfortable and relaxed.
Meth is a form of purified heroin and cocaine smoked in a pot to create a better feeling than just consuming raw forms. It is common in western countries and other nations with advanced sophisticated technology. It is used among college students and young adults mostly (Drug Abuse, 2014).
Soft drugs
Soft drugs are substance of abuse when consumed creates highness effect but doesn't posses' high affinity of addiction like hard drugs. The commonly abused soft drugs are Alcohol, Marijuana, anti depressants, pain killers and tobacco.
Soft drugs are cheaply available within the community. Alcohol is sold in every bar and local brews in all local dens. Alcohol is the most abused soft drug in Kenya which is supported by its ready availability. The high classes enjoy it packed available in bottles with variable brands, flavors and alcoholic content. The low classes are exposed to vulnerability coming from cheaply processed unpacked liquor. Several deaths have been reported relating to over consumption of this cheap stuff.
Even though the high classes also suffer deaths but alcohol is normally an indirect cause of death. For example accidents that result from driving when drunk, chronic disease caused by chemicals used to manufacture industrial liquor. This is a clear indication that generally non alcoholic drinks are good than alcoholic ones in terms of health.
Marijuana is a soft drug consumed through inhalation of smoke from dried mature flower. The dried flowers can roll into cigarette then are smoked just like tobacco. Some people prefer using a pipe or bong. Bong is an apparatus which passes the weed smoke through liquor or water.
When alcohol is used in a bong the highness effect is maximized. People who prefer minimized highness of weed smoked from bong prefers using water instead of liquor. Currently in Nairobi there is a trend of smoking weed through shisha. An apparatus stuffed with high potent marijuana smoked through alcohol. Users get extremely high with just a few deep puffs of shisha. A single puff costs hundred and fifty Kenyan shillings, half cost of heroin which a sachet is three hundred shillings.
Factors influencing substance abuse
The following factors promotes substance abuse in today's society, they include traumatic experience, poor parenting, lack of exposure, availability of drugs, peer influence and lack of identity.
Research shows that people whom have undergone traumatic experiences like loss of loved ones or tragic accidents are more likely to abuse drugs. Consumption of drugs brings a euphoric feeling that makes them forget the traumatic incident. Those whom have undergone major surgery are at a higher risk. This is because of the presence of tetra isoquinoline which is a chemical responsible for tricking human brain into sleep. It normally remains permanent within the body and is responsible for addictive tendencies.
Youths that are not brought up with parents appropriately are likely to experiment and become addicted to drugs. Because their parents did not instill values in them regarding choices, they are poor decision makes and cannot easily evade the trap of drugs. Parents are advised to give maximum attention to their kids right from birth upto six years. This first years are important for formation of character and personality.
People who are not equipped with basic knowledge about substance abuse are likely to use them blindly without knowing their real effects and consequences. It is advisable that one should be well equipped with understanding of substance of abuse. This will help individual to make clear decision whenever faced with situation that predisposes one into using.
Most of these drugs are readily available especially in bars, local dens and quack chemists. People with large amount of money not budgeted for are prone to spending that money on drinking or drugging. Since most of this substances are readily available.
Youths will poor interpersonal skills are usually incapable or relating with their peers freely and positively. They are normally pushed to create a medium of socializing which drugs is a option. Most of these individuals turn to alcohol and drugs to socialize and make they feel better. This gratification of feelings is the root of drug addiction (Zablon, 1998).
Impact of drug abuse on the society
Drug abuse leads to disoriented families. In family setting where the figure head abuses substances, they face financial challenges. Most of the family resources are wasted in buying substance of abuse. This leads to quarrel and fights within the family hence domestic violence. In families affected by this menace most children are semi literate or illiterate because their parents were unable to provide for their school fees.