HOW BAD IS SUBSTANCE ABUSE TODAY?

Substance Abuse has assumed a dangerous dimension. The number of youths engaging in drug abuse is alarmingly increasing on daily basis. The involvement has moved from university to the secondary school then to the primary schools.

Any where there is gathering of youths even outside the school,one substance or the other is being abused. At first, drug abuse involved mostly boys; today even girls below the age of 18 years could be seen taking one hard drug or the other.

Even police officers, military officers and high ranking politicians are not exempted.
Before now,people used to hide in dark places or stay inside the bush to take illicit drugs, today these things are done in the open space in the night or in the day time.

Laws put in place to checkmate drug abuse have achieved little in addressing the issue. Enforcement agencies have been completely overwhelmed. The havoc caused by drug abuse in terms of social, economic and intellectual loss can not be easily quantified, not to talk about the lives lost.

Definition
The word substance abuse and drug abuse are synonymous. what then is substance abuse? Universal, widely accepted definition of substance abuse may very difficult.

However, I would like to define sustenance abuse as inappropriate use of drugs which may have direct effect on the user and indirect effect on others.

This may involve the over use of over the counter (OTC) drugs, use of illicit drugs.
All drugs of abuse have medicinal use but when used inappropriately, have the potential to disrupt the physiology of the body particularly the brain and to a lesser extent the gastrointestinal tract, the kidneys and the liver.

Before we proceed, let's understand the following terms:

Drug tolerance
This is the adaptation of the body to drug such that repeated or higher dose of the same drug is needed to achieve therapeutic response.

For example,5mg of lexotanil usually helps one to achieve sleep.But as time goes on, the same individual may need about 10mg to achieve sleep. This eventually leads to drug dependence and hence drug abuse.

Drug dependence
Dependence is said to occur when an individual relies on one or two substances to be able to perform normal function.

For example, there are some individuals that may not achieve bowel movement (defeacation) without a stick of cigarette. Although it may not lead to tolerance,at the long run,it brings about abuse because of harm to the system.

Drug Addiction
Addiction is said to occur when an individual is unable to control the way he/she is using some drugs even when the person is aware of the adverse effects of such drugs. In other words, the person becomes a slave to the drug.

Such a person can do anything including stealing to secure his substance. It is the most dangerous form of substance abuse.
It is almost irreversible and in some cases, fatal.

What constitutes Drug Abuse?
The list of drugs that constitute drugs of abuse are many, inexhaustive and ever expanding:

1. Alcohol
   2 . Amphetamine
2. Bulrenorphine
3. Cocaine
4. Codeine
5. Dectromethaphine
6. Dextromethrophan
7. Diazepam
8. Fentanyl.
9. Heroine
10. Hydrrcorocodeine
11. Hydromorphine
12. Ketamine
13. Librum
14. Methadone
15. Methamphatamine
16. Morphine
17. Oxycodeine
18. Tramadol
19. Valium

Cigarette
Is one of the most abused substances. It is also substance of dependence.

These days,many more substances that hitherto posed no treat are increasingly being used as substance of abuse.
Tramadol
At a low dose of about 50 to 100mg is prescribed to treat moderrate to severe pain. Now, young boys and girls take between 600 to 1200mg to remain "high"

Phenergan Syrup
This is an atnti histamine that is used in the treatment of common cold,cough, catarrh and allergies. Although it contains no codeine, young boys buy it and take the whole content of about 100mls at once.

Colorado

Colorado plant

Colorado is a deadly species of marijuana now very popular in the Streets of Lagos and other Towns. It is a dangerous weed and can cause madness. It has ruined the lives of many youths, yet more and more of them are looking for it.

Methane gas
Some individuals open the toilet pit and sniff the gas that comes from the toilet(obviously methane). It is not clear how this substance makes them "high"

Methane in reasonable concentration can cause asphyxia by blocking the air way leading to breathlessness, cyanosis, paralysis of the respiratory muscles, weakness, and the ultimate - death.

The list of substance of abuse is inexaustive and continuously expanding; new ones are being discoverd every day.
The devastating effects are un imaginable.
Look forward to part 2.