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2008-10-22, 03:12
This essay will discuss a few main causes and several short-term and long-term effects of substance abuse on an individual. Due to the influences of friends, siblings, and other family members, teenagers may experience pressures to experiment with drugs. The same pressure can be created by the media in films or television shows that glorify and make light of substance abuse. Some people may use drugs to “get away” from the troubles of daily life. As a result, individuals may have health issues which could lead to a premature death. Disagreements over substance use and abuse tear apart families and friends. Using drugs and getting caught by the police, depending on the severity of crime, may lead to long prison sentences. Using drugs has a detrimental effect on the health, family relationships, and perception of the individual to others.
For a young teenager, fitting in with peers is important. Often substance abuse is glorified by older siblings and friends. A young person who lacks experience and wisdom becomes curious about the effects of drugs, but doesn’t understand the negative effects involved. Drug use is glamorized by movies based on addiction, distribution, or cultivation of illegal drugs. These movies rarely accurately portray these subjects, and someone who lacks wisdom and experience may have incorrect assumptions about drug addiction and what comes along with it. A young person will inevitably have a first opportunity to experiment with drugs. Having a predisposed curiosity and knowledge about drugs (whether it is accurate or not) causes the individual to be more likely to try it for the first time. If a young person witnesses their parents or other adults using drugs or alcohol to forget their problems, they will be influenced to do the same in the event of mental or emotional stress. Substance abuse is caused by various external influences on a person usually when they are young.
Immediately after a heroin user injects the drug into his body, his muscles become tense and then relax with what is commonly referred to as a “rush.” It causes a bitter chemical taste in the back of his throat. His pupils become very small, and he may be itchy, especially on the nose and face causing him to become red from scratching. To someone unfamiliar with this description, the drug user may appear sick or excessively tired. To children, these effects may be disturbing. Conscientious parents will make an effort to avoid areas where there may be drug use on display to their children, such as lower class urban areas or music concerts and festivals. More poignant to the drug user, he may lose friends that find it disturbing and uncomfortable to be around him when he is under the influence.
Drug use can cause apathy towards one’s own health and well-being. There are a number of health conditions associated with abuse of certain types of drugs. A person with existing heart and blood pressure problems could aggravate the situation with illegal drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines. Using dirty needles or sharing with infected people can cause fatal diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis, and meningitis. To a drug addict, even knowing they have a deadly disease is not always enough to result in a change of behavior. An addict may use to the point of death whether he has had opportunities to “get clean” and to have medical attention. Consequently, severe drug addicts often die prematurely from overdoses, organ failure, choking on one’s own vomit, etc. One dangerous element of IV street drug use is, it is not apparent how potent one particular batch of the drug may be compared to another. For example, one young man accidentally injected too much of the drug and stopped breathing. He turned blue and was in and out of consciousness. Had he been alone, he would have died. Substance use can cause a shortened life span.
Using drugs can cause a criminal record, often accompanied with jail time, rehabilitation programs, and community service. Certain drugs are illegal at any time in any situation anywhere in the United States. Possession and distribution of illegal substances can come with harsh punishments provided that the perpetrator is caught and put on trial for their crime. Even minor drug charges can be inconvenient and expensive, as the state may require a drug rehabilitation program be completed, or heavy fines imposed. Having a good reputation is important to most people, but public records of charges against a person can hold them back socially and professionally. When being considered for a job, employers will perform background checks on applicants. Former offenders may find that their prior convictions cause them to be unfairly targeted by law enforcement. For example, a young man who had completed a jail sentence for marijuana distribution was later pulled over for trivial lane change, and his car was searched by drug dogs with no probable cause except his previous convictions. Using drugs affects the way someone is treated by others, and users are often victims of prejudice.
In conclusion, drug use can be caused by influences present when a person is young, and also the way the media portrays it. Others might find someone who is under the influence of drugs visually disturbing and uncomfortable to be around, potentially causing a loss of friends and acquaintances. Although abusing substances is unhealthy, an addict may continue to use despite negative effects on his health, causing a shortened life span. Getting in trouble with the law is likely to happen to a drug user. This can affect whether he can attain a job in the future, and how he will be treated by the local law enforcement officials.
For a young teenager, fitting in with peers is important. Often substance abuse is glorified by older siblings and friends. A young person who lacks experience and wisdom becomes curious about the effects of drugs, but doesn’t understand the negative effects involved. Drug use is glamorized by movies based on addiction, distribution, or cultivation of illegal drugs. These movies rarely accurately portray these subjects, and someone who lacks wisdom and experience may have incorrect assumptions about drug addiction and what comes along with it. A young person will inevitably have a first opportunity to experiment with drugs. Having a predisposed curiosity and knowledge about drugs (whether it is accurate or not) causes the individual to be more likely to try it for the first time. If a young person witnesses their parents or other adults using drugs or alcohol to forget their problems, they will be influenced to do the same in the event of mental or emotional stress. Substance abuse is caused by various external influences on a person usually when they are young.
Immediately after a heroin user injects the drug into his body, his muscles become tense and then relax with what is commonly referred to as a “rush.” It causes a bitter chemical taste in the back of his throat. His pupils become very small, and he may be itchy, especially on the nose and face causing him to become red from scratching. To someone unfamiliar with this description, the drug user may appear sick or excessively tired. To children, these effects may be disturbing. Conscientious parents will make an effort to avoid areas where there may be drug use on display to their children, such as lower class urban areas or music concerts and festivals. More poignant to the drug user, he may lose friends that find it disturbing and uncomfortable to be around him when he is under the influence.
Drug use can cause apathy towards one’s own health and well-being. There are a number of health conditions associated with abuse of certain types of drugs. A person with existing heart and blood pressure problems could aggravate the situation with illegal drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines. Using dirty needles or sharing with infected people can cause fatal diseases such as AIDS, hepatitis, and meningitis. To a drug addict, even knowing they have a deadly disease is not always enough to result in a change of behavior. An addict may use to the point of death whether he has had opportunities to “get clean” and to have medical attention. Consequently, severe drug addicts often die prematurely from overdoses, organ failure, choking on one’s own vomit, etc. One dangerous element of IV street drug use is, it is not apparent how potent one particular batch of the drug may be compared to another. For example, one young man accidentally injected too much of the drug and stopped breathing. He turned blue and was in and out of consciousness. Had he been alone, he would have died. Substance use can cause a shortened life span.
Using drugs can cause a criminal record, often accompanied with jail time, rehabilitation programs, and community service. Certain drugs are illegal at any time in any situation anywhere in the United States. Possession and distribution of illegal substances can come with harsh punishments provided that the perpetrator is caught and put on trial for their crime. Even minor drug charges can be inconvenient and expensive, as the state may require a drug rehabilitation program be completed, or heavy fines imposed. Having a good reputation is important to most people, but public records of charges against a person can hold them back socially and professionally. When being considered for a job, employers will perform background checks on applicants. Former offenders may find that their prior convictions cause them to be unfairly targeted by law enforcement. For example, a young man who had completed a jail sentence for marijuana distribution was later pulled over for trivial lane change, and his car was searched by drug dogs with no probable cause except his previous convictions. Using drugs affects the way someone is treated by others, and users are often victims of prejudice.
In conclusion, drug use can be caused by influences present when a person is young, and also the way the media portrays it. Others might find someone who is under the influence of drugs visually disturbing and uncomfortable to be around, potentially causing a loss of friends and acquaintances. Although abusing substances is unhealthy, an addict may continue to use despite negative effects on his health, causing a shortened life span. Getting in trouble with the law is likely to happen to a drug user. This can affect whether he can attain a job in the future, and how he will be treated by the local law enforcement officials.