The Effects of Drug Addiction

Drug addiction is not something that just affects the person who is hooked. It has consequences beyond what one can imagine. It affects the families of the drug dependant, his employer, schools, relationships and societies as a whole. It also has a precise impact on the health of the immediate family of the drug abuser.

The effects of drugs encompass a wide spectrum of experiences from the initial high to the lows of when the effect of the drug starts to wear out. For example, abusing cocaine, the former is electrifying while the latter results in apprehension, exhaustion, despair and a hunger for more drugs to get back to the high from the effects wearing out. Marijuana and alcohol alter the central nervous system and are the causes of many automobile accidents. Marijuana and other mood-altering drugs cause flash backs, much after the effects have worn out, even after a few weeks of usage

Chances of HIV contagion caused by multiple uses of hypodermal needles are high as is hepatitis. Increased sexual activity among addicts raises the risk of addicts contracting AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Many addicts engage in illegal activities such as aggravated burglary and prostitution to raise funds to feed their habits. Some substances like liquor generate sadistic deeds. Over 10,000 deaths per year due to drug abuse are recorded in the USA. Substances most cited are cocaine, heroin and morphine reasonably often in combination with alcohol or other drugs.

The addict\'s addiction on the substance, added to its influence on emotions and bodily responses, often leads to spousal dissension and poor performance at work resulting in dismissal. Family life is often traumatized and, out of love or fear or both, family members or the significant other enable the drug user in his habit through destructive behaviors of codependency. They deny that there is a difficulty, or cover up for the drug dependant and supply him with money to feed the dependency.

Babies born to drug users tend to be much lower in weight than the average due to the mother being under nourished or of a unkempt constitution. Fetuses in the wombs of addicts get affected by the drugs taken by the father, by a process known as crossing the placental wall, and agonize from extraction symptoms instantly after its birth. This is specifically so in the case of abusers of crack and heroin. The fetal liquor syndrome, due to the alcohol abused during pregnancy, affects babies of intoxicated mothers. Infants obtain AIDS virus through the intravenous injections of drugs that the mothers take.

Society pays a very high price due to the frequency of addictions of any kind. Work- man-days are lost in the workplace, involving cost over runs. Drug takers are more liable than non-abusers to cause accidents endangering themselves and their workmates. More than fifty percent of all road accidents in the United States are caused diametrically or implicitly by liquor abuse.

Turf wars and other ferocious crimes between drug dealers cause chaos in neighborhoods. Residents are constantly under danger and there are crimes among the addicts themselves. Some areas report that young children are recruited to be lookouts and helpers as young offenders get lighter punishments. Teenagers as well as younger offspring armed with handguns have become fairly common. Among the displaced, most ache from drug or liquor craving or mental disorder, and often from all three conditions.

Since drug dependence has such a serious influence on the drug abuser, families and society at large, the need to take action is urgent and immediate. Otherwise, the effects of drug dependence can have far-reaching consequences and the addict may never get a opportunity to convalesce from his sickness.