Social precursors of drug addiction: effectiveness of drugs

Social precursors of drug addiction: effectiveness of drugs

Drug addiction refers to a disease affecting a person’s brain leading to inability to control the usage of certain drugs or medication. Drug addiction is also known as substance use disorder. Many factors lead to drug and substance use, and some are attributed to social environments. Parenting style matters a lot in the growth of children. Children whose parents abuse drugs are likely to abuse drugs too. Socioeconomic status of caregivers also contributes to drug and substance use amongst children. Their peers greatly influence decision making in teens since their opinions are highly valued. Peer pressure, therefore, poses as a risk factor to drug and substance use. Use of drugs and substance has effects on the individual and society at large. The results vary from health effects to social impacts. Although the use of drugs and substances is known to have adverse implications, certain drugs are useful in the human body for example alcohol.

Alcohol is an organic solvent, and when taken in small doses, it is known to have beneficial effects.  As part of a natural diet, a light intake of alcohol adds calories to the food. Alcohol consumers are at a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases. Substances found in alcoholic drinks prevent platelets from sticking together thus reducing clot formation and therefore reducing the risk of heart diseases or stroke. Alcohol also increases the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the blood. The high-density lipoprotein removes cholesterol along the arterial wall and aids in its transportation to the liver. Removal of cholesterol helps in preventing atherosclerosis, the narrowing of arteries, a condition brought about by deposits of fats along the highways. Moderate intake of alcohol also causes a short term lowering of blood pressure. Diabetes is also a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Average alcohol intakes help in decreasing insulin resistance, therefore, reducing the risk of diabetes. Moderate alcohol intake also increases insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscles, thus, defending the body from diabetes and obesity. Alcohol also acts as a stress reliever since it is a depressant. Average intake of alcohol helps in reducing the risk of stroke among highly stressed people (Grønbæk). Indeed alcohol plays a vital role in the prevention and management of heart diseases.

Besides being a drug that is abused, marijuana has medicinal properties. Marijuana helps in appetite stimulation, suppressing nausea and vomiting, and also acts as a pain reliever. Marijuana, therefore, serves as a symptoms management method for people living with Aids, especially those that are in self-care programs (Corless et al.). Cannabis also prevents tumors from growing by slowing down the process of cancer cells growth and finally killing the cancer cells. Cannabis also results in divergent thinking thus leading to creativity. Marijuana also improves pulmonary function. People who smoke marijuana have a higher forced expiratory volume and forced vital capacity. Forced expiratory volume is the amount of air one can exhale during a forced breath while forced vital capacity is the total amount of air emitted during forced expiratory volume tests (Ribeiro and Ind). Marijuana has therefore proved useful in the human body.

Although drugs are said to have health hazards in the human body, they are also useful And effective in the normal functioning of the human body. When taken in moderation drugs do more good than harm in the body.

Works Cited

Corless, Inge B., et al. “Marijuana Effectiveness as an HIV Self-Care Strategy.” Clinical Nursing Research, vol. 18, no. 2, May 2009, pp. 172–93. SAGE Journals, doi:10.1177/1054773809334958.

Grønbæk, M. “The Positive and Negative Health Effects of Alcohol- and the Public Health Implications.” Journal of Internal Medicine, vol. 265, no. 4, 2009, pp. 407–20. Wiley Online Library, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2796.2009.02082.x.

Ribeiro, Luis IG, and Philip W. Ind. “Effect of Cannabis Smoking on Lung Function and Respiratory Symptoms: A Structured Literature Review.” Npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, vol. 26, Oct. 2016, p. 16071. www.nature.com, doi:10.1038/npjpcrm.2016.71.