By Victor Femi
A drug is any chemical substance which when taken into the body by any means, changes the function, mood or the behaviour of an individual and the body. It changes your mental condition or personality as it makes you feel positive or negative.
Drugs are generally divided into two categories: soft and hard.
The soft drugs are usually termed as “gateway drugs” and are not harmless substances, but the risks are less serious than the risks associated with hard drugs. Soft drugs include cigarette, alcohol, prescription/sleeping pills and sedatives among others.
Hard drugs include opium and its derivatives such as morphine and heroin; cocaine and its derivatives like crack cocaine; other drugs like methamphetamines (crystal meth), LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide, a synthetic crystalline compound, which is a powerful hallucinogenic drug), phencyclidine PCP (angel dust) and some unconventional drugs.
The terms “hard” and “soft” when applied to drugs have legal or pharmacological validity. They are also indications of the relative potency of a drug. “Hard or illicit” drugs are more potent with high addictive propensity and usually illegal while “soft or licit” drugs are less potent with low addictive propensity and usually legal.
Hard drugs do not respect age, race, colour, profession or location: it comes full-fledged into a life that gives it utmost attention thereby destroying the life of its user. Don’t be misguided, hard drugs are not materials to toy with.
The poor assume that hard drugs might be a “place of solace” from their poverty and an opportunity to feel among and be safe but it leaves them poorer and with deteriorating health and no one to cater for them.
The rich see it as a source of fun because they have access to funds and also because their parents are usually absent from their kids’ lives.
Drugs slow down the educational progress of students, decreases the efficiency of the active population (youths) and workers, and causes adverse effects on the nation by reducing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Some people use hard drugs for entertainment, to enhance their mood or to experiment. Others might use them as a way to “fit in” or be accepted by friends or peers who are using them. Or it could be to feel good, because addiction can produce feelings of pleasure.
A person’s initial experimentation with drugs might, in most cases, be the only time they use them. This stage is the most common and affects lots of people worldwide. Once a person makes it past the experimentation stage and enters into occasional usage, this leads to regular usage as soon as possible. For some people, this includes using more than once daily or even several times per day until they eventually become addicted.
It has been established that the abuse of hard/illicit drugs does no good to an individual. It causes the following: a weakened immune system – increasing the risk of illness and infection; heart conditions ranging from abnormal heart rates to heart attacks and collapsed veins and blood vessel infections from injected drugs; nausea and abdominal pain – which can also lead to changes in appetite and weight loss; increased strain on the liver – which puts the person at risk of significant liver damage or liver failure; seizures, stroke, mental confusion and brain damage; Lung disease; problems with memory, attention and decision-making, which make daily living more difficult and eventual death.
Drug abuse refers to the habitual use of drugs, both legal and illegal. It can lead to many physical and mental health problems and can negatively impact various aspects of an individual’s life, including relationships, work, and finances. Here are some of the effects of drug abuse:
1. Drug abuse can cause a range of physical health problems including heart disease and liver damage, kidney failure, respiratory problems and infections.
2. Mental health problems: Drug abuse can lead to mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, psychosis and schizophrenia.
3. Addiction and dependence: Addiction can cause severe physical and psychological symptoms. Regular use of a drug will lead to addiction, where it becomes necessary to continue using the drug even when it is causing harm.
4. Social and relationship problems: Drug abuse can negatively affect relationships with family, friends and colleagues. Drug addicts may feel isolated from the community and turn to criminal activities in order to get money or drugs. They may also develop financial problems because their addiction prevents them from holding jobs.
5. Legal problems: Drug abuse can result in legal problems, including arrests, fines, and imprisonment. The penalty for drug trafficking or dealing can be long-term incarceration or community service with regards to the weight of the crime.
6. Overdose: Drug abuse can be fatal, with overdose being a significant risk, especially with opioids and other drugs that depress breathing.
Overall, drug abuse can lead to profound physical, social, and psychological damage. It is essential to seek help and support if you or someone you know is struggling with drug use.
Way Out!!!
Gaining freedom from the abuse of hard drugs may vary due to the type of drug abused and the duration of abuse. Since drug abuse usually thrives in secrecy and silence, seeking help is the best medicine!
The first step is admitting that there is a problem. Most people don’t see the abuse of hard drugs as a problem and it hits harder on them and eventually destroys them. Drug is not a treat; it is a threat!!!
Knowing the triggers and causal factors for the craving of hard drugs is also a way of staying far from it. Reach out for help!!!
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is a Federal Agency established by Decree 48 of 1989, now NDLEA ACT CAP N.30 LFN, 2004 as amended, charged with the responsibility of eliminating the growing, processing, abuse, manufacturing, selling, exporting and trafficking in hard drugs.
As a part of its mandate, the Agency is charged with reducing the demand for hard drugs through advocacy and sensitization. Through the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign launched on 26th June, 2021 by President Mohammad Buhari, the Agency has intensified efforts in creating awareness to reduce the demand for drugs in the nation through the Drug Demand Reduction Directorate (DDRD).
In order to help drug abusers, the Agency has rehabilitation centres in her Commands with listening ears of the professionals in Drug Demand Reduction and Rehabilitation. Recently, the Agency commissioned a Drug Abuse Call Centre to attend to Nigerians suffering from Drug use Disorders. The call centre is manned by experts in counselling, psychotherapy, psychology and psychiatry among others on a toll-free helpline 0800 1020 3040. This Call Centre guarantees anonymity, confidentiality and safety for those in need of health help.
Spread the good news that there is freedom from drug abuse through prevention and rehabilitation!
*Femi writes from Abuja