NAME ABHILASH A YADAV [HSC20PH0003]

CLASS 8 TH SEM B PHARM

COLLEGE COPS, DSU, BENGALURU
SUBJECT SOCIAL AND PREVENTIVE PHARMACY
TOPIC DRUG ADDICTION AND DRUG SUBSTANCE ABUSE

SOCIAL AND PREVENTIVE PHARAMCY ASSIGNMENT

DRUG ADDICTION:

Chronic addiction is typified by obsessive, or hard to control, drug seeking and usage despite
negative effects. Most individuals choose to use drugs voluntarily at first, but continued drug use
can cause brain changes that make it difficult for an addict to maintain self-control and interfere
with their capacity to withstand strong cravings to use drugs. Drug addiction is seen as a
"relapsing" disease because persons in recovery from drug use disorders are more likely to
relapse even after years without using drugs due to these potentially long-lasting brain
alterations.

Relapses are common, although they do not indicate that treatment is ineffective. Similar to other
long-term medical disorders, therapy has to be continuous and modified in response to the
patient's response. Plans for treatment must be often evaluated and adjusted to reflect the
patient's evolving requirements.

REASONS FOR DRUG ADDICTION:

BIOLOGY:

The genetic predisposition to addiction contributes approximately 50% of an individual's risk.

Risk factors for drug use and addiction may also include gender, ethnicity, and the existence of
additional mental illnesses.
SURROUNDINGS:

A person's surroundings encompass a wide range of factors, such as their friends and family,
their financial situation, and their overall standard of living. A person's risk of using drugs and
becoming addicted can be significantly influenced by a number of factors, including peer
pressure, physical and sexual abuse, early drug exposure, stress, and parental supervision.

GROWTH:

Addiction risk is influenced by interactions between genetic and environmental variables and
important developmental phases in an individual's life. Addiction to drugs can occur at any age,
however the likelihood of addiction increases with the initiation of drug usage. Teenagers are
especially affected by this. Teenagers may be particularly vulnerable to dangerous behaviours,
such as attempting drugs, since the regions of their brains that govern judgement, self-control,
and decision-making are still growing.

COCLUSION:

*Drug addiction is a chronic illness marked by obsessive, hard-to-control drug seeking and usage
despite negative effects.
*Drug addiction causes long-term brain alterations that make it difficult for an addict to maintain
self-control and interfere with their capacity to withstand strong cravings to consume drugs. For
this reason, drug addiction is a relapsing illness as well.
*When someone tries to quit using drugs, they relapse. Relapse is a sign that therapy has to be
adjusted or increased.

DRUG SUBSTANCE ABUSE:

Over the course of human history, substance misuse has been a complex public health issue.
Evidently, the two primary approaches most frequently used to address the issue of drug misuse
are prevention and therapy. In actuality, they span several academic fields and have connections
to the fields of genetics, biology, psychology, cognitive science, family dynamics, social
development, and cultural structures. A multilevel perspective is thought to be more useful for
analysing the complex nature, courses, and consequences of substance abuse. This special issue,
"Substance Abuse, Environment, and Public Health," has published empirical studies from
various regions and countries worldwide to enhance the international exchange of latest views
and findings on the aetiology, processes, and influences of substance abuse across different
domains. This in turn raises the possibility that the prevention and treatment of drug misuse may
need the dynamic and integrative employment of several remedies.
Substance Abuse and Different Social Groups:
Researchers that study drug addiction and its negative impacts prefer to concentrate on certain
social groups, such male adults and adolescents, who have a higher propensity to take and
misuse substances. This is true as individuals might experience a range of difficult social and
living circumstances, expectations, interpersonal estrangement, and biological urges, all of which
could serve as triggers for their start using drugs as a self-medication method. Additionally,
substances might serve as a consoling "soul mate" to assist users avoid difficult truths.

Substance Abuse and Its Types and Forms:

Two types of substances can be classified as misused or abused. These are a variety of chemicals
that are both illegal and permitted by law. Most nations forbid the use of drugs of any kind, and
the most popular illicit substances include cannabis, amphetamines, ketamine,
methamphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy, and heroin. Though more research is required on this topic,
the recent legalisation and commercialization of marijuana products in some Western and
Northern American states and regions under the pretext of "control of reasonable use" raises
serious questions about the original goal of lowering cannabis-related crime and public health
issues. In many countries and civilizations, various social groups have long used alcohol and
tobacco, two legally permissible drug kinds. Researchers should pay more attention to some
legally prescribed pharmaceuticals that are also readily abused and misused by the general
people. Examples of these drugs are cough medicines and the antibiotics already mentioned.

Conclusions:
For hundreds of years, substance misuse has been a concern for public health. Nonetheless, while
analysing, elucidating, and attempting to discover answers for this intricate issue, experts and
researchers from other fields sometimes take a one-dimensional perspective due to their
specialised knowledge. As a result, the issue may inadvertently become worse due to the
coexistence of several, sometimes at odds viewpoints that are based in the paradigms of genetics,
biology, psychology, cognitive science, family, social development, and cultural structures.

References:

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NIDA. 2018, June 6. Understanding Drug Use and Addiction DrugFacts. Retrieved from
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-use-addiction on 2024, April 23