Drug Addiction: The Effects

Drug addiction is not something that just affects the individual who is addicted. It has consequences beyond what one can imagine. It affects the families of the addict, his employer, schools, friendships and societies in general. It also has a direct impact on the health of the immediate family of the addict.

The effects of drugs cover a wide spectrum of experiences from the initial high to the lows of when the effect of the drug starts to wear out. For instance, using cocaine, the former is exciting while the latter causes anxiety, fatigue, depression and a craving for more drugs to get back to the high from the effects wearing out. Marijuana and alcohol affect the central nervous system and are the causes of many automobile accidents. Marijuana and other hallucinogenic drugs cause flash backs, much after the effects have worn out, even after a few weeks of usage.

Chances of HIV infection caused by multiple uses of hypodermic needles are high as is hepatitis. Increased sexual activity among addicts increases the risk of addicts acquiring AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Many addicts indulge in criminal activities such as burglary and prostitution to raise money to feed their habits. Some substances like alcohol induce violent behavior. Over 10,000 deaths per annum due to drug abuse are recorded in the USA. Substances most cited are cocaine, heroin and morphine quite often in combination with alcohol or other drugs.

The addict's dependence on the substance, added to its effect on emotions and physical responses, often leads to marital discord and poor performance at work resulting in dismissal. Family life is often disturbed and, out of love or fear or both, family members or the spouse enable the addict in his habit through destructive behaviors of codependency. They deny that there is a problem, or cover up for the addict and supply him with funds to feed the habit.

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 neglected constitution. Fetuses in the wombs of addicts get affected by the drugs taken by the parent, by a process called crossing the placental barrier, and suffer from withdrawal symptoms immediately after birth. This is particularly so in the case of users of crack and heroin. The fetal alcohol syndrome, due to the alcohol consumed during pregnancy, affects children of alcoholic mothers. Infants acquire AIDS virus through the intravenous injections of drugs that the mothers take.

Society pays a very high price due to the prevalence of addictions of any kind. Work- man-days are lost in the workplace, involving cost over runs. Drug users are more prone than non-users to cause accidents endangering themselves and their colleagues. More than fifty percent of all road deaths in the United States are caused directly or indirectly by alcohol abuse.

Turf wars and other violent crimes between drug dealers cause havoc in neighborhoods. Residents are constantly under threat and there are crimes among the addicts themselves. Some areas report that young children are recruited to be lookouts and helpers as juvenile offenders get lighter punishments. Teenagers as well as younger children armed with handguns have become quite common. Among the homeless, most suffer from drug or alcohol addiction or mental illness, and often from all three conditions.

Since drug addiction has such a serious impact on the addict, families and society in general, the need to take action is urgent and immediate. Otherwise, the effects of drug addiction can have far-reaching consequences and the addict may never get a chance to recover from his disease.