INTRODUCTION :

Addiction is the habitual, physiological, psychological dependence on a

substance or practice which is beyond voluntary control. A person who
is habituated to a substance or a practice, especially a harmful one, is
called an addict. Addiction is a chronic, progressive and sometimes
fatal disorder with both genetic and environmental roots. It manifests
as a compulsion that drives an individual to continue to behave in a
way that is harmful to self and loved ones, despite an intense desire to
halt that behavior. It is a disease of "more"- an active addict needs an
increasing amount of substance to get high and is unable to cease
usage without painful withdrawal symptoms. This is true whether the
addictive substance is a drug or tobacco or alcohol or behavior.
Medically, addiction is of three types: Tobacco Addiction, Alcohol
Addiction, Drug Addiction.

Drug abuse, also called substance abuse or chemical abuse, is a

disorder that is characterized by a destructive pattern of using a
substance that leads to significant problems or distress. Teens are
increasingly engaging in prescription drug abuse, particularly narcotics
(which are prescribed to relieve severe pain), and stimulant
medications, which treat conditions like attention deficit disorder and
narcolepsy.

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Any substance, other than food, used in the prevention, diagnosis, all
aviation or treatment of a disease is called a drug. Drugs are also
known as medicines. Generally, the term drugs applied to any
stimulating or depressing substance that can be habituating or
addictive. A drug, broadly speaking, can be categorized in many ways;
hard or soft, uppers or downers, addictive or non-addictive, most
harmful or least harmful, legal or illegal.

History Of Drugs Timeline :

● 8000 BCE: The ancient Egyptians used cannabis for medicinal

● purposes and religious ceremonies.
● 5000 BCE: The Sumerians use opium for pain relief and to
induce sleep.
● 1500 BCE: The Indians use the hallucinogenic plant, soma, in
their religious rituals.
● 1200 BCE: The Chinese began using ephedra as a stimulant.
● 400 BCE: The Greeks and Romans started using opium
recreationally.
● 1500 CE: Europeans begin importing tobacco from the Americas
and smoking it recreationally.
● 1804 CE: Morphine is isolated from opium by a German
pharmacist named Friedrich Sertürner.

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 ● Late 19th century CE: Coca-Cola was invented, containing
cocaine as one of its ingredients.
● Early 20th century CE: Heroin is synthesized by Bayer
Pharmaceuticals and marketed as a non-addictive substitute for
morphine.
● Mid to late 20th century CE: LSD became popular among
counterculture movements in the US and Europe.

CLASSIFICATION OF DRUGS:
There are a large number of drugs on which people become dependent.
These are classified into four major groups

● Sedatives and Tranquilizer , opiate narcotics , stimulants

and hallucinogens

Type of Drugs Effects Examples

❖ Sedative and Depress CNS activity Barbiturates

Tranquilizers give feeling of Benzodiazepines
calmness , relaxation ,
drowsiness

❖ Opiate Narcotics Suppress brain activity Opum

and relaxed pain Morphine
Codeine
Heroin

❖ Stimulants Make a person more Amphetamines

wakeful , alert and Caffeine
active , cause Cocaine
excitement

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❖ Hallucinogens Make a person more LSQ
wakeful and Mescaline,
perceptions Psilocybin
Ganja
Chares
Hashish

TYPES OF DRUGS ABUSE :

HEROIN:
★ Opioids are the drugs, which bind to specific opioid receptors
present in our central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract.

★ Heroin commonly called smack is chemically diacetylmorphine

which is a white, odorless, bitter crystalline compound.

★ This is obtained by acetylation of morphine which is extracted

from the latex of the poppy plant Papaver somniferum . Generally
taken by snorting and injection, heroin is a depressant and slows
down body functions.

★ As a destructive opioid, heroin can lead to seizures, psychosis,

and hallucinations when it is abused.

★ Heroin injections can also spread diseases such as human

immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis.

★ This drug is known to cause serious health issues when it is

abused because it interferes with the brain's receptors.

★ Once heroin enters the brain, it is converted to morphine and

binds rapidly to opioid receptors.

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 ★ With heroin, the rush is usually accompanied by a warm flushing
of the skin, dry mouth, and a heavy feeling in the extremities .

★ Opioids can depress breathing by changing neurochemical

activity in the brain stem, where automatic body functions such
as breathing and heart rate are controlled .

COCAINE :
★ Coca alkaloid or cocaine is obtained from coca plant Erythroxylum
coca, native to South America. It interferes with the transport of
the neuro-transmitter dopamine .

★ Cocaine is a very dangerous stimulant even when taken in small

amounts. It induces euphoria, increases blood pressure, and
accelerates the heart rate.

★ The drug may lead to fatal strokes or heart attacks for some
users.

★ Cocaine, also known as coke, is a strong stimulant most

frequently used as a recreational drug.

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 ★ Cocaine has a small number of accepted medical uses such as
numbing and decreasing bleeding during nasal surgery.

★ It is commonly snorted, inhaled as smoke, or dissolved and

injected into a vein.

CRACK:
★ A potent form of cocaine, crack is often smoked and suddenly
creates an intense euphoric sensation for a short while.

★ Crack has turned into a problem because it is cheap and easy to

buy and use. Abusing the substance,however, can lead to
immediate addiction.

★ Abusers are also at risk of suffering heart attacks and strokes

with every use. Long-term use can cause liver, kidney, and lung
damage.

★ The short-term physiological effects of cocaine include

constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, and increased
temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure .

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HALLUCINOGENS:
★ Hallucinogens are a class of drugs that cause profound
distortions in a person's perceptions of reality, otherwise known
as hallucinations.

★ PCP (phencyclidine) and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) are

hallucinogens, which means that they make users feel, see, and
hear things that are not real.

★ While they experience hallucinations with these drugs, users lose

touch with reality and enter mental states of disconnection.

★ Atropa belladonna and datura also contain hallucinogenic

properties.

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CANNABINOIDS:
★ Cannabinoids are a group of chemicals which interact with
cannabinoid receptors present principally in the brain. Natural
cannabinoids are obtained from the inflorescences of the plant
Cannabis sativa. The flower tops, leaves and the resin of
cannabis plants are used in various combinations to produce
marijuana, hashish, charas and ganja. Generally taken by
inhalation and oral ingestion, these are known for their effects on
the cardiovascular system of the body .

★ Cannabinoids is the most common illegal drug that is abused, and

many people begin using it as a recreational drug in social
situations.

★ Continued abuse of marijuana can lead to addiction, and the

substance can affect the physical coordination, memory, and
mental functions of users over time.

★ In humans, psychoactive cannabinoids produce

euphoria,enhancement of sensory perception, tachycardia,
antinociception, difficulties in concentration and impairment of
memory. The cognitive deficiencies seem to persist after
withdrawal.

★ Although there are studies that show potential benefits from

Cannabinoids, there are many side effects from taking the drug.
This shows that an addiction to this natural drug can be
hazardous.

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ALCOHOLS:
★ Abusing alcohol can cause psychological, physical, and social
problems, and it can lead to the destruction of relationships,
friendships, and marriages.

★ Furthermore, alcohol abuse can lead to injury or death to the

people around them while they are under the influence.

★ Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal because of delirium tremens,

which is a symptom with the potential to trigger heart failure or
stroke. Refraining from drinking also is not easy when it becomes
a habit because of mental and physical issues.

★ The liver is an organ which helps break down and remove harmful
substances from your body, including alcohol. Long-term alcohol
use interferes with the process. It also increases your risk for
chronic liver inflammation and liver disease.

TOBACCO:
★ It is a native of South Africa, where the Red Indian first started
smoking. Now the tobacco plant has spread the world over. It has

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 large, quote to Lancelot leaves and terminal clusters of tubular,
white or pink flowers.

★ Tobacco is used for smoking, chewing and snuffing. Its main

stimulating component is poisonous volatile alkaid nicotine,
which causes addiction.

★ Nicotine synthesis occurs in the roots of the plant but it is stored

in the leaves. The leaves contain 2 to 8% nicotine. Inhaling
tobacco smoke from cigars, cigarettes, biddies, pipes and
hubble-bubble is called smoking.

★ Cigar is a roll of tobacco leaf. Cigarettes are cut tobacco wrapped

in paper. Bidi is tobacco wrapped. In a piece of leaf. Tobacco
smoke is drawn directly from pipes and through water is
hubble-bubble. Smoking may give some temporary relief to the
strained nerves but in the long run it proves a dangerous health
hazard.

The quantity of nicotine contained in one cigar may prove fatal if

injected intravenously into a person. When smoked only 10% of
the smoke is inhaled. Hence, no immediate ill effect is observed.
Smokers may develop a physiological craving for nicotine and
then they cannot give up smoking.There are many factors that
lead people to drug addiction.

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HOW DRUG ADDICTION BEGINS

★ Curiosity: Frequent references to drugs by public media create

curiosity for having a personal experience of the drugs.

★ Friend’s pressure: Frequent appreciation of drug experience by

friends allures others to start the use of drugs.

★ Frustration and Depression: Some people start taking drugs

to get relief from frustration and depression.

★ Desire for More Work: Students sometimes take drugs to keep

awake the whole night to prepare for examination. It is not
desirable as it may cause mental breakdown.

★ Looking for a Different World: A wrong notion that drugs open

up a new world tempts some young pupils to start taking-drugs.

★ Relief from Pain: A prolonged use of pain-relieving drugs with

physician’s advice at times leads to addiction.

★ Family History: Children may take to drugs by seeing their

elders in the family.

★ Excitement and Adventure: The young take to drugs to satisfy

their instinct for excitement and adventure.

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Smoking, Drinking and Use of
Drugs:
★ Smoking and drinking and use of drugs frequently or regularly are
social diseases. Young people take to these habits for fun, show
off or curiosity, as an adventure or feeling of freedom, or as a
gesture of defiance against the elders who themselves indulge in
these activities but check the youngsters. Temporary escape
from the life problems and mental relaxation felt on taking the
drugs in the beginning increase people’s interest in them. Soon
they become habitual and find it difficult to leave. The daily dose
to get the desired effect increases with time.

Short-Term Effects :
★ Loss of appetite

★ Increased heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature

★ Contracted blood vessels

★ Increased rate of breathing

★ Dilated pupils

★ Disturbed sleep patterns

★ Nausea

★ Hyperstimulation

★ Bizarre, erratic, sometimes violent behavior

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 ★ Hallucinations, hyperexcitability, irritability

★ Tactile hallucination that creates the illusion of bugs burrowing

under the skin

★ Intense euphoria

★ Anxiety and paranoia

★ Depression

★ Intense drug craving

★ Panic and psychosis

★ Convulsions, seizures and sudden death from high doses (even

one time)

Long-Term Effects:
★ Permanent damage to blood vessels of ear and brain, high blood
pressure, leading to heart attacks, strokes and death

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★ Liver, kidney and lung damage

★ Respiratory failure

★ Infectious diseases and abscesses if injected

★ Malnutrition, weight loss

★ Auditory and tactile hallucinations

★ Sexual problems, reproductive damage and infertility (for both

men and women)

★ Disorientation, apathy, confused exhaustion

★ Irritability and mood disturbances

★ Increased frequency of risky behavior

★ Delirium or psychosis

★ Severe depression

★ Tolerance and addiction (even after just one use)

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EFFECT OF NICOTINE :
★ Nicotine is a low concentration.

★ Stimulates conduction of nerve impulses.

★ Relaxes the muscles.

★ Releases adrenaline, increasing heart beat rate and pressure.

★ Increased blood pressure due to smoking increases the risk of

heart disease.

★ Retards fetal growth in expecting mothers and

★ Causes tobacco addiction. High concentration of nicotine

paralyzes nerve cells.

Harmful components of Tobacco Smoke:

Besides the poisonous nicotine, the tobacco smoke contains
carbon-monoxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and tar.

Other Effects:

Smoking affects economy:

A smoker not only wastes money, but also runs the risk of burns and
fires.

Smoking mars personality:

Teeth may become stained. Lips may get discolored and breath
becomes foul. A person with a cigarette hanging from their mouth
looks odd.

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Smoking is annoying to others:
Cigarette smoke is quite annoying to non-smokers. It may prove even
more harmful to them. A smoker should avoid smoking. When in the
company of non-smokers. A smoker makes the nearby people passive
smokers through inhaling smoke released by him.

Reasons for Drinking:

★ Psychological factors are curiosity, poor stress control, escape
from reality, poor impulse control, low self – esteem, positive
attitudes towards alcohol, to get rid of problems, to overcome
loneliness, relief from tension and to gain courage.

★ Social factors are peer pressure, modeling, easy availability of

alcohol in the market, party culture, family environment (Parent/s
drinking alcohol), lack of family support, to keep up social norms
and to show their masculinity.

★ Biological factors are genetic vulnerability like family history of

alcoholism in parents or near relatives and to get sleep.

Impact of Drinking Alcohol:

Unlike other foods, alcohol does not require digestion. When one
drinks, alcohol is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the
walls of the stomach and the intestine.

Once alcohol enters the bloodstream it circulates throughout the body.

Alcohol is metabolized in the liver and is changed to carbon dioxide,
water and some calories of energy which gets converted into fat. A
small amount of alcohol goes out of the body through breath, urine and
sweat. Regular, excessive use of alcohol causes acute and chronic
problems related to health, occupation, family and social relationships.

★ Health Problems: Alcohol can damage every system of our

body.

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★ Gastrointestinal system (stomach and intestines):
Increased acid secretion leading to acidity, ulcers, gastritis, and
cancer

★ Liver : Hepatitis, jaundice and vomiting of blood due to cirrhosis

of liver, liver cancer, acute liver failure.

★ Pancreas : Pancreatic damage due to inflammation of pancreas

and acute pancreatitis leading to sudden death.

★ Central nervous system: (brain and spinal cord): Permanent

damage of brain resulting in memory disturbances, other nervous
problems, fits and mental illnesses.

★ Cardiovascular system: High blood pressure, increased

tendency to heart attacks, enlargement of the heart.

★ Hangovers: Excessive drinking can lead to hangovers, thus

causing problems like headache, nausea, vomit and body aches.

★ Weight gain: alcohol consumption in larger quantities can lead

to weight gain, because alcoholic beverages are usually high in
calories.

★ Weak immune system: alcohol consumption makes your

immune system weak, thus making your body more susceptible to
infections.

★ Cancer: alcohol when consumed in excessive quantities puts you

at a higher risk of developing cancer

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 ★ Fetal alcohol syndrome: Drinking alcohol in pregnancy may
cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (physical abnormalities, growth
retardation and developmental delay).

★ Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, flammable, colorless liquid having a

penetrating odor and burning taste. It is one of the products of the
distillation of fermented grains, fruit juices and starches with the
help of yeast enzymes. It is the principal constituent and the
intoxicating principle of wines.

PREVENTION AND CONTROL:

The age-old adage of ‘prevention is better than cure’ holds true here
also. It is also true that habits such as smoking, taking drugs or alcohol
are more likely to be taken up at a young age, more during adolescence.
Hence, it is best to identify the situations that may push an adolescent
towards use of drugs or alcohol, and to take remedial measures well in
time. In this regard, the parents and the teachers have a special
responsibility. Parenting that combines with high levels of nurturance
and consistent discipline, has been associated with lowered risk of
substance (alcohol/drugs/tobacco) abuse. Some of the measures
mentioned here would be particularly useful for prevention and control

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of alcohol and drug abuse among adolescents .

Avoid undue peer pressure : Every child has his/her own choice
and personality, which should be respected and nurtured. A child
should not be pushed unduly to perform beyond his/her threshold
limits; be it studies, sports or other activities.

Education and counseling : Educating and counseling him/

her to face problems and stresses, and to accept disappointments
and failures as a part of life. It would also be worthwhile to channelise
the child’s energy into healthy pursuits like sports, reading, music,
yoga and other extracurricular activities.

Seeking help from parents and peers : Help from parents and
peers should be sought immediately so that they can guide
appropriately. Help may even be sought from close and trusted
friends. Besides getting proper advice to sort out their problems,
This would help young people to vent their feelings of anxiety and guilt.

Looking for danger signs : Alert parents and teachers need to

look for and identify the danger signs discussed above. Even friends,
if they find someone using drugs or alcohol, should not hesitate to
bring this to the notice of parents or teacher in the best interests of
the person concerned. Appropriate measures would then be required
to diagnose the malady and the underlying causes. This would help
in initiating proper remedial steps or treatment.

Seeking professional and medical help : A lot of help is available

in the form of highly qualified psychologists, psychiatrists, and de-
addiction and rehabilitation programmes to help individuals who
have unfortunately got in the quagmire of drug/alcohol abuse. With
such help, the affected individual with sufficient efforts and will power,
can get rid of the problem completely and lead a perfectly normal
and a healthy life.

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SCENARIO OF DRUG ADDICTION :

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CASE STUDY OF A PATIENT:

CASE NO : 1 PATIENT NAME : Sofia Akhtar

AGE : 65 TYPE : T2DM
GENDER : Female DATE OF ADMIN : 22/12/15

COMMENTS : After I started having T2DM, my life has totally

changed. I am the first person to have diabetes in my family. At the
onset of this disease I felt very much weakness and hunger.

CASE NO : 2 PATIENT NAME : Shubankar Deb

AGE : 46 TYPE : T2DM
GENDER : Male DATE OF ADMIN : 06/11/19

COMMENTS : I started having this disease at the age of 35, I didn't

pay much attention to it due to my very busy job. I didn't take
medicine regularly or did any physical exercise and now I'm suffering
from: This dangerous disease means I have to lose my job. During
urination I feel a burning sensation. Now I am unable to take care of
my family .

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CONCLUSION :

★ Drug use and addiction cause a lot of disease and disability in the
world.

★ Recent advances in neuroscience may help improve policies to

reduce the harm that the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other
psychoactive drugs act on society.

★ This report is concerned with the implications of drug use for

workplace safety and productivity. It examines the prevalence of
alcohol and other drug use by the U.S. workforce, the impact of
such use on job-related behavior, and the effectiveness of
workplace drug intervention programs.

★ This emphasis on workplace productivity rather than social

consequences affects the purpose, methods, and evaluation
criteria used in this report, just as it often affects researchers
investigating these issues.

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