C9: Drugs

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What is a drug?

A drug is any chemical substance which when taken into the body alters your emotional state, your behaviour or the way your body functions. We often think that only illegal and very dangerous substances are really 'drugs' but in fact sleeping pills, coffee, alcohol and tobacco are termed drugs just as cannabis, LSD, cocaine and heroin are, because they can all effect us physically and psychologically.

What is drug abuse?

In our society there are two forms of drug abuse.

1.Taking an amount of a drug which causes a person to be physically or psychologically harmed. Drinking heavily, smoking regularly, taking sleeping pills every night or drinking ten cups of coffee a day are all different forms of drug abuse.

2.Taking a drug which is illegal - Illegal drugs are generally much more harmful than the legal ones. They can cause severe mental and physical damage and even death. To be involved in using, owning, buying or sharing an illegal drug is therefore a hazardous form of drug abuse.

The biggest drug problem

Being legal, alcohol and tobacco are by far the most often used drugs. Not surprisingly, 90% of the problems arising from drug use involve alcohol and tobacco. They are so much part of our culture that the question 'Do you drink?' always means alcohol and 'Do you smoke?' always means tobacco. Since drinking and smoking are so common, it is hard to see them as dangerous, nevertheless they have caused much more harm to our society than the news headline-making drugs like ecstasy and heroin have.

Why drug use is so common

There are many incentives for taking drugs. Each individual will have different reasons, but there are a few that are very common. Teenagers start because it sounds like fun, it makes you feel good, everyone else is doing it and its a way of challenging parents and authority. Drugs are often taken to try to escape the real problems of a difficult home life as well as negative feelings like depression, boredom and anxiety.

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