Consequences of Drug Abuse

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Table of Contents

Benefits of Using Drugs
Drawbacks of Drug Use
Conclusion
References

Currently, people around the globe have access to a wider range of substances than ever was available to the mankind. While some substances are prescribed by healthcare practitioners to relieve pain or combat virus, others are purchased illegally for recreational purposes. The endless stream of drugs, obtainable to the individuals with little or no restrictions, poses a serious inquiry. The question is as follows – is drug use a curse or a blessing of the twenty-first century?

Attributable to environmental, social, and cultural factors, research behind drug use fails to explain why some people tend to abuse substances while others can control themselves when it comes to developing addictions. Essentially, addiction does not develop overnight rather being a consequence of using drugs with habit-forming characteristics. Therefore, there is no absolute answer to the everlasting dilemma of using drugs, and two sides need to be evaluated separately.

Benefits of Using Drugs

When assessing the advantages of using pharmaceutical drugs, it is essential to consider the severity of health conditions existing. Advanced pharmaceutical drugs allow to decrease or completely eliminate the suffering of people, minimizing their physical pain (Earp et al. 136). Apart from serving as painkillers, medical substances frequently prevent individuals from getting diseases. Vaccines, immune modulating drugs, and vitamin supplements constitute only a small portion of such substances. For example, cases of smallpox were almost annihilated with the introduction of Fleming’s vaccination in 1800. Similarly to polio, a life-threatening illness leading to permanent paralysis, which was eradicated with the help of vaccines.

Medical drugs also allow people with incurable diseases to live longer and more comfortably. With the use of daily treatments, patients with diabetes, HIV, and depression substantially improve their quality of life, reducing symptoms and pain associated with them (Earp et al. 146). Antibiotics are vital for the treatment of bacterial infections, while marijuana is effective for cancer patients. Consequently, the aforementioned advantages of using drugs advocate for the positive side of the discussion.

Drawbacks of Drug Use

At its core, drug use is not harmful to people, bringing a variety of benefits to patients suffering from severe diseases. Yet, the problem arises when individuals start confusing drug use with abuse. A clear line should be drawn between consuming prescribed medical substances to treat a health condition and taking drugs without medical assistance (Earp et al. 136). The three major clusters of the issue should be addressed:

recreational drugs;
prescription drugs;
unethical healthcare treatment.

First, abuse of recreational drugs is prevalent among common people due to the availability and accessibility of the so-called street substances. Reasons why individuals decide to take drugs vary depending on their ultimate goal. For instance, heroin and cocaine lead to euphorical feelings; LSD causes hallucinations; Marijuana relaxes and induces good mood. Abuse of recreational drugs is likely to result in loss of employment, crime, divorce, lower performance at school, and other consequences discussed later (Earp et al. 137). Second, Abuse of prescription drugs occurs when patients decide to present misleading information to the doctors in order to obtain necessary drugs.

One of the most commonly abused prescribed substance is marijuana. As people are seeking to use medical characteristics of cannabis to induce mood without the corresponding health condition, the addiction appears quick to develop (Earp et al. 147). Third, unethical healthcare practices constitute another cluster of drug abuse. When doctors refuse to seek causes for the real diagnosis of the person and prescribe a painkiller to ease the symptoms, patients are likely to grow the addiction to the substance consumed.

All the aforementioned constituents of drug abuse may have similar negative effects on the individual’s wellness. People facing drug abuse are more likely to engage in delinquency and commit crimes than those refusing to take substances (Earp et al. 141). While there is no proven causal relationship between drug addiction and felony, the established positive correlation suggests that individuals abusing drugs often fall under the influence of negative peer groups (Earp et al. 142).

Such adverse impact of the peers is the primary reason for higher crime rates among the addicts. With the loss of judgement and independence, addicts can find it difficult to combat stress, irritability, and anxiety, searching for alternative sources to restore the lost feeling of control over one’s life. In this case, violence and behavioral misconduct appear as accessible options.

Drug addiction oftentimes results in distorted social interaction with friends, colleagues, and family members. There is an observed tendency for drug users to distant themselves from their significant others which leads to psychological, financial, and emotional crisis of the social units (Earp et al. 138). Substance abuse impairs judgment and decreases decision-making ability, contributing to the feelings of hostility and aggression (Earp et al. 139).

Furthermore, drug abusers may alienate themselves from peers, disengaging from the usual community events. Other psychosocial dysfunctions prevalent among drug addicts include but are not limited to apathy, withdrawal, and depression, proving that people who abuse substances are more susceptible to mental problems (Earp et al. 140). In this case, mental impairments range from personality disorders to learning disabilities, as individuals struggle to maintain healthy psychomotor skills and memory capacity.

Apart from distorted social interaction, drug addiction is closely associated with the decline in the academic or professional performance. One explanation behind such finding is that drug abusers are subject to absenting from work-related activities. Another reason is cognitive and behavioral problems induced by alcohol and drug addiction that interfere with the academic performance (Earp et al. 142).

For example, drug abuse has harmful effects on the patient’s perception skills, concentration, and motor function that is one of the reasons why driving under the influence of substances is so dangerous. Behavioral problems associated with drug addiction are closely linked to the lack of judgment and controlled impulse among the substance abusers (Earp et al. 142). Adverse behavioral patterns vary from sharing used needless to engaging into non-consensual sexual activities with a high risk of getting STD.

Conclusion

It is evident that drugs are strongly beneficial for people suffering from severe illnesses. Minimizing pains, decreasing the risk of obtaining contagious disease, and treating existing conditions are few of the advantages of medical substances. Yet, the issue arises as drugs in harmful doses remain highly accessible for common people to purchase. Damaging to health, substances can also have negative consequences on the person’s social interactions, resulting in job losses, imprisonment, and toxic relationships. When making an informed decision to consume drugs, an individual should be able to find a balance between medical drugs that save lives and abused substances that substantially decrease life quality.

References

Earp, Brian D., et al. “Addiction, Identity, Morality.” AJOB Empirical Bioethics, vol. 10, no. 2, 2019, pp. 136–153. Web.

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Consequences of Drug Abuse

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