Menace of Drug Addiction

“The problem of drug addiction has gradually been taken an alarming proportion. Today there are more than 5,00,000 drug addicts in Chittagong alone. 10 of them die each day owing to repeated intake of lethal drugs.”—this was said in a recent documentary. Drug addiction is a very complicated and complex illness. It is characterized by compulsive and at times uncontrollable drug craving, seeking and use that persist that even in the face of extremely negative consequences. For many people, drug addiction becomes chronic, with relapses possible even after long periods of abstinence.

There are many reason that can lead one to drug addiction. “The main reason of drug addiction is our ignorance and carelessness.” Some of the reasons are discussed below.

i)                    Emotional, insecurity and lack of love: Nobody takes drugs to become an addict. They are usually taken in order to escape from problems that are either real or imaginary. Lack of parental love at home, impaired and tense relationships between parents and dictatorial handlings of children have been traced out as significant root causes.

ii)                   Misuse of money—Lack of guidance: Easy availability of and access to money are equally dangerous. They lead to habits such as smoking, the first step to drug addiction. The next stage, hash-smoking sets in easily. The ‘culture mix’ you belong to, will make you try more and more ‘harmless’ experiments. Lack of proper guidance to the children is also one of the causes of it.

iii)                 Curiosity of experiments is the most common cause: Just to know how does it teste also leads to the beginning.

iv)                 Peer pressure: the pressure of bosses and friends just for the sake of company also leads to the beginning.

Most drug addicts are male, but there are several females as a co-partner hooked on the drug too. Most of the girls are persuaded by their boyfriends to try it. Few try it under the pressure of some senior students. The ratio is almost 1:25.

Drug addiction or the compulsion to use drugs can destroy the individual’s life. Addiction often involves not only compulsive drug taking but also a wide range of abnormal behaviours that can interfere in the family, the workplace, and the broader community. Addiction also takes the man to increased risk for a wide variety of other illnesses. These illnesses can be brought on by behaviour, such as poor living and health habits, that often accompany life as an addict, or because of toxic effects of drugs itself.

Because addiction has so many dimensions and disrupts so many aspects of an individual’s life, treatment as such is a long process. Drug treatment must help the individual stop taking drugs and maintain a drug-free behaviour in lifestyle, while achieving productive functioning in the family, at work and in the society.

Of course all the drug treatments are not equally effective. Research also has revealed a set of overreaching principles that characterize the most effective drug abuse and addiction treatments and implementation.

There are many addictive drugs and their specific treatments differ. Treatments also differ depending on the characteristics of the patient. Problems associated with an individual’s drug addiction can vary significantly. People who are addicted to drugs come from all walks of life. Many suffer from mental, occupational and social problems that make their addictive disorders much more difficult to treat. Even if there are few associated problems, the severity of addiction itself ranges widely among people.

Drug addiction treatment include behavioural therapy, medication or their combination. Treatment medications such as methadone, LAAM and naltrexone are available for the individuals addicted to opiates. Nicotine preparations (patches, gum, nasal spray) and bupropion are available for individuals addicted to nicotine.

The best treatment programmes provide a combination of therapies and other services to meet the needs of the individual patient.

Nearly all the individuals who are addicted believe in the beginning that they can stop taking drugs on their own, and most try to stop without treatment. However, most of this attempts result in failure to achieve long term abstinence.

The majority of offenders involved with the criminal justice system are not in prison but under community supervision. For those with known drug problems, drug addiction treatment may be recommended or mandated as a condition of probation. Research has demonstrated that individuals who enter treatment under legal pressure have outcomes as favourable as those who enter treatment voluntarily.

Many drug addicts such as heroin or cocaine addicts and specially injection drug users are at increased risk of HIV/AIDS as well as other infectious diseases like hepatitis, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections. For these individual and the community at large, drug addiction treatment is disease prevention.

Drug injectors who do not enter treatment are up to six times more likely to become infected with HIV than injectors who enter and remain in treatment. Drug users who enter and continue in treatment reduce activities that can spread disease, such as sharing injection equipment and engaging in unprotected sexual activity. Participation in treatment also present opportunities for screening, counseling and referral for additional services.

Family and friends can play critical roles in motivating individuals with drug problems to enter and stay in treatment. Family therapy is important, especially, for adolescents. Involvement of a family member in an individual’s treatment can strengthen and extend the benefits of the program.

More than ever before, Bangladesh’s future depends upon the strength and dynamics of its youth. In a fast-changing world accelerated by new advances in electronic technology only a dynamic exuberant generation can put Bangladesh on a strong footing. So we have to stop drug addiction as early as we can to make our country prosper at a rapid speed.