Drug addiction, also known as substance use disorder, is an illness that affects a person’s brain and behavior and causes them to lose control over whether or not they take drugs or medications, whether they are legal or not. Alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine are examples of substances that are regarded as drugs. If you are hooked, you might use the drug even when it is harmful. Therefore, the global drug problem is complicated and impacts millions of people. Numerous drug users experience stigma and discrimination, which can worsen their physical and emotional health and keep them from getting the required assistance. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) acknowledges the significance of adopting people-centered drug policies, focusing on human rights, compassion, and evidence-based practices.
Every year on June 26th, World Drug Day, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, fosters action and collaboration toward a drug-free world. This year’s campaign aims to increase public awareness of the significance of treating drug users with respect and empathy, giving voluntary, evidence-based services to everyone, providing alternatives to punishment, prioritizing prevention, and acting with compassion. The campaign also aims to counteract stigma and prejudice against drug users by fostering courteous and nonjudgmental language and behavior.
The theme for this year’s (2023) International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day, is “People First:
This year’s World Drug Day is a call to:
• Raise awareness about the negative impact of stigma and discrimination on drug users and their families.
• Raise awareness about the AIDS and hepatitis epidemics among drug users and expand and strengthen HIV and hepatitis prevention programs.
• Promote evidence-based, voluntary services for all people who use drugs.
• Educate about drug use disorders, available treatments, and the importance of early intervention and support.
• Advocate for alternatives to imprisonment for drug-related crimes, such as community-based treatment and services.
• Combat stigma and discrimination by promoting language and attitudes that are respectful and nonjudgmental.
• Empower young people and communities to prevent drug use and addiction.
Symptoms:
Among other signs or behaviors of drug addiction are:
• Feeling compelled to use the substance frequently, such as daily or multiple times daily.
• Experiencing intense drug cravings that overpower all other thoughts.
• Requiring more of the medicine to get the same effect over time.
• Taking the medication in higher doses or for longer than you expected.
• Make sure you keep a supply of the medication on hand.
• Purchasing the medicine despite being unable to afford it.
• Cutting back on social or recreational activities due to drug usage and failing to meet obligations and work responsibilities.
• Using the substance while knowing it harms your physical or mental health or produces problems.
DRUG ABUSE AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING
Drug addiction, also known as substance use disorder, is an illness that affects a person’s brain and behavior and causes them to lose control over whether or not they take drugs or medications, whether they are legal or not. Alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine are examples of substances that are regarded as drugs. If you are hooked, you might use the drug even when it is harmful. Therefore, the global drug problem is complicated and impacts millions of people. Numerous drug users experience stigma and discrimination, which can worsen their physical and emotional health and keep them from getting the required assistance. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) acknowledges the significance of adopting people-centered drug policies, focusing on human rights, compassion, and evidence-based practices.
Every year on June 26th, World Drug Day, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, fosters action and collaboration toward a drug-free world. This year’s campaign aims to increase public awareness of the significance of treating drug users with respect and empathy, giving voluntary, evidence-based services to everyone, providing alternatives to punishment, prioritizing prevention, and acting with compassion. The campaign also aims to counteract stigma and prejudice against drug users by fostering courteous and nonjudgmental language and behavior.
The theme for this year’s (2023) International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day, is “People First: stop stigma and Discrimination, strengthen prevention.”
This year’s World Drug Day is a call to:
• Raise awareness about the negative impact of stigma and discrimination on drug users and their families.
• Raise awareness about the AIDS and hepatitis epidemics among drug users and expand and strengthen HIV and hepatitis prevention programs.
• Promote evidence-based, voluntary services for all people who use drugs.
• Educate about drug use disorders, available treatments, and the importance of early intervention and support.
• Advocate for alternatives to imprisonment for drug-related crimes, such as community-based treatment and services.
• Combat stigma and discrimination by promoting language and attitudes that are respectful and nonjudgmental.
• Empower young people and communities to prevent drug use and addiction.
Symptoms:
Among other signs or behaviors of drug addiction are:
• Feeling compelled to use the substance frequently, such as daily or multiple times daily.
• Experiencing intense drug cravings that overpower all other thoughts.
• Requiring more of the medicine to get the same effect over time.
• Taking the medication in higher doses or for longer than you expected.
• Make sure you keep a supply of the medication on hand.
• Purchasing the medicine despite being unable to afford it.
• Cutting back on social or recreational activities due to drug usage and failing to meet obligations and work responsibilities.
• Using the substance while knowing it harms your physical or mental health or produces problems.
Adverse social effects of drug use and Trafficking
Even though the family unit itself may contribute to drug use issues, it may also be a powerful tool for prevention and treatment. Family therapy, which involves more than one family member attending treatment sessions concurrently, has gained more acceptance. Women typically have a crucial role in teaching the young, ensuring that health care is supplied, and maintaining connections with and organizing community help when necessary because they support and care for most families. Therefore, efforts to lower the supply and demand for drugs can be improved by acknowledging and using women as resources for drug prevention and treatment.123 The entire family does have a very definite stake.
Second, it is clear that drug misuse has a detrimental effect on one’s health. Heroin and other opiates, cocaine, and, to a lesser extent, barbiturates and amphetamine-type stimulants, most notably methamphetamine, are the drugs most frequently linked to drug-related fatalities. Substances like benzodiazepines, hallucinogens, and cannabis might harm your health, depending on the dosage. Although they often do not directly cause mortality, some chemicals may be linked to tragic occurrences.
Thirdly, even though drug misuse and education frequently seem inextricably linked, it is generally accepted that education is a crucial area for intervention in the fight against drug abuse. School children who use drugs often experience short-term memory loss and other intellectual impairments, as well as impaired sensory and perceptual function tracking, a preoccupation with drug acquisition, negative emotional and social development, and generally subpar academic performance. Poor academic achievement and a subsequent decline in self-esteem are caused by decreased cognitive efficiency. This renders an individual’s sense of identity more unstable, likely leading to further drug use and a vicious cycle. In addition, one of the main methods of drug prevention is education.
More specifically, the illegal drug industry harms the environment in producing nations by destroying forests, cultivating crops in monocultures, turning harvested plants into medicines, and using hazardous chemicals without the proper safeguards.
Furthermore, there are numerous connections between drugs and criminality. Most nations, especially those that have ratified the 1961, 1971, and 1988 United Nations drug control conventions, consider the production, manufacture, distribution, possession, and consumption of illicit narcotics crimes. Using drugs makes many different types of criminal activity more likely. Drug trafficking-related activities, such as violent confrontations between trafficking gangs vying for a larger market share, are the primary way drug-related crime manifests itself. It also comes from drug users’ desire to steal and engage in prostitution to support their addiction.
SOLUTIONS/PREVENTION:
The most effective approach to avoid developing a drug addiction is never to use the drug in the first place. Although the subsequent actions can be taken:
1) Every nation’s government is responsible for providing adequate border security.
2) Explain the dangers of drug abuse and use to your kids.
3) By making the general public aware of the risks associated with drug trafficking, drug use can be reduced.
4) Civil society organizations should inform people of the risks associated with drug addiction.
5) Teaching youngsters in schools about the risks of drug usage and illegal Trafficking.
6) The NDLEA and Police, the organizations responsible for combating drug misuse, should receive funding and take their duties seriously.
Since drug trafficking is a global issue, all countries should come together to fight this criminal act.
Stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention”.
Furthermore, there are numerous connections between drugs and criminality. Most nations, especially those that have ratified the 1961, 1971, and 1988 United Nations drug control conventions, consider the production, manufacture, distribution, possession, and consumption of illicit narcotics crimes. Using drugs makes many different types of criminal activity more likely. Drug trafficking-related activities, such as violent confrontations between trafficking gangs vying for a larger market share, are the primary way drug-related crime manifests itself. It also comes from drug users’ desire to steal and engage in prostitution to support their addiction.
SOLUTIONS/PREVENTION:
The most effective approach to avoid developing a drug addiction is never to use the drug in the first place. Although the subsequent actions can be taken:
1) Every nation’s government is responsible for providing adequate border security.
2) Explain the dangers of drug abuse and use to your kids.
3) By making the general public aware of the risks associated with drug trafficking, drug use can be reduced.
4) Civil society organizations should inform people of the risks associated with drug addiction.
5) Teaching youngsters in schools about the risks of drug usage and illegal Trafficking.
6) The NDLEA and Police, the organizations responsible for combating drug misuse, should receive funding and take their duties seriously.
Since drug trafficking is a global issue, all countries should come together to fight this criminal act.
