What are drugs?
Drugs are substances other than food consumed which can change ailment positively or damage the functionality of the body when taken.
Drug abuse or substance abuse on the other hand “refers to the use of certain chemicals for the purpose of creating pleasurable effects on the brain”. In other words, it is a harmful substance taken wrongly without the prescription of a medical expert which can be self destructive or lead to mental ill health.
It is important to see a doctor for any illness diagnosis and drug prescription.
Nowadays, it has become a common phenomenon for young people to abuse drugs. This is unhealthy and can cause great damage in the body system. It is therefore not uncommon to see young people who abuse drugs do badly in school, sports and other activities. Cocaine, marijuana, heroin, codeine are illegal drugs in Nigeria which good number of youths have engaged in.
Effects or Dangers of Drug Abuse
Drug abuse can be very dangerous to man, leading to:
1. Mental health disorder: This is characterized by persistent depression or loss of interest of activities causing significant impact in daily life.
2. Drug abuse can also lead to antisocial behavior. This is also a mental health disorder characterized by disregard for other people.
3. Drug abuse leads to day to day social vices. Rape, kidnapping, robbery and all forms of anti-social beahvour become the order of the day.
4. It can harm lives, school work, friends and family leading to mental illness, dropping out of school, accidents and addiction. Many have fallen victims of this social ill in our country today and something urgent needs to be done.
Prevention of Drug Abuse
Drug abuse has received a global attention because of its colossal damage it has caused in the world over. To prevent this scourge, we must embrace the following:
• Say No To Drug Abuse because of the danger of taking drugs without doctors’ prescription.
• Avoid bad friends who abuse drugs.
• Seek the advice of medical experts before taking any drug.
• Avoid buying medicines in buses, on the street or in unauthorized stores.
• The government should do more by increasing the campaign against drug abuse among youths in the country.
• Stiffer penalties should be melted against every unauthorized dealers in drugs in the country. This will go a long way in curbing this menace as there will be no buyer if markets for these illicit drugs are not there.
In summary, drug abuse especially among youths in our society of today is a social ill which must be fought to its logical end. All hands must be on deck to arrest this ugly trend which has eaten into the fabric of our nation. Thanks so much for reading this article and we will be glad you drop your comments below.