WEEK 4:DRUG ABUSE

TOPIC: Drug Abuse

Drugs are any chemical that we swallow, inhale or inject into our bodies to change the way the body works. Some drugs can help your body to fight diseases, or make you feel better when you are sick. Other drugs are harmful and make you sick.

Types of Drugs.

We can group drugs into common drugs, for medical reasons, and hard drugs, which may be abused. Examples of common drugs are as follows; painkillers, such as aspirin or paracetamol,  antacids used to treat indigestion  antihistamines use to treat allergic  reaction and insulin, which is used to treat diabetes. Examples of hard drugs that are often abused are cocaine, heroin, cannabis, ecstasy and methamphetamines.

Uses of Drugs.

Most of us take d take drugs at one time or another. think about the tablets you take when you have a headache, or the cough mixture you drink when you have a col. Those are all types of drugs. When you drink coffee you take a drug. Caffeine, which is found in coffee, is one of the most widely used in world. People who smoke also take drugs. The nicotine in cigarettes is a powerful drug to which smokers become addicted. With modern medicine we take drugs to make us better or to relieve symptoms when we are il. Many of those drugs are extracted from plants. Aspirin, a common painkiller, can be extracted from the bark of thr willow tree. Heroine is made from morphine. A painkiller that is extracted from the sap of the opium poppy.

Side Effects.

Many medical drugs have side effect. A side effect is an unwanted effect of taking a drug to treat a disease. For example, the drug deoxycycline  that is used to treat cholera  can also increase high skin sensitivity to sunlight, stomach upset and headache. The label on the bottles of every or most drugs warns people of harmful side effects. Another example is mectizan which is used to treat river blindness, can also cause inflamed eyelids joint and muscle pains and tender glands under arm and groin.

Drug Abuse.

Drug abuse occurs when people take drugs without a doctor’s prescription or advice and to such an extent that the drugs have a major impact on their health and lives. Caffeine and alcohol are two widely used drugs. Even though these drugs are socially accepted and legal, alcohol abuse can have a massive impact on their users, their families and society. Many other drugs that are abused are illegal because it is because it is so dangerous o use them.

Causes of Drug Abuses.

Drug abuse in Nigeria is a wide spread problem. Drug abuse is common particularly among males between the ages of 10 and 29. There are many reasons for this, including poverty, peer pressure from friends who take drugs, and people taking stimulants to work long hours. Also the easy availability and distribution of drugs means they are always available to vulnerable people who want to use them. Drug abuse covers a wide range of different substance.

 Consequences of Drug Abuse.

Drug abuse can have serious effects on the user. Many drugs lead to addiction. Failure to take the drug can cause severe with dial symptoms and the user will go to any length to get another dose of the dreig. The cost will go to any length to get another dose of the drug. The cost of taking drugs leads many users to crime to get money to pay for their drugs. Their heath suffers due to the side effect of the drugs. Many users take too much of the drugs (overdose) and this can kill them.

Classification of Drugs.

Drugs can be classified in different ways. One way is how the drug is administered.

Different drugs are used in different ways such as smoking, sniffing, chewing, swallowing and injecting. Paw-paw leaves, the seeds of the zakami or datura plant and cannabis are smoked.

Drugs can also be classified by type, based on the effect they have on the body.

Painkillers such as aspirin and morphine can be used to control pains. Stimulants such as cocaine make people more alert. However when the wears off, they can feel exhausted.

Depressants such as heroin and benzodiazepine slow down your reactions.

The Side Effects of taking Drugs.

The following are some of the side effects of taking drugs:

• It gives the person a habit of taking drugs.
• A person may become nervous and desperate to obtain more drugs.
• It may lead to bad behaviour such as theft and violence.
• It may affect a person’s health, including the functioning of vital organs.
• It may lead to overdose and death.

Class Exercise

1. Define drugs?
2. What is drug abuse?
3. List three causes of drug abuses
4. State two side effects of taking drugs.

VISUAL VIDEO CLIP 

PART ONE

PART TWO