Drug Addiction
Breaking down the dangers of illicit substances and prescription meds
What is Drug Addiction?
Whether it’s an escape from physical pain, something to help a college student stay awake during finals week, or that elusive pill to “take the edge off” after a stressful day, most people who experiment with drugs don’t envision a future battle with full-blown addiction. They see it as a temporary vice, something they can easily stop with enough willpower.
But what’s often not factored into that mindset is how incredibly addictive these substances are. The longer and more consistently they’re used, the easier it is to lose control. “Mind over matter” is simply no match for a drug’s ability to alter brain chemistry and produce that high.
Prescription Drugs
The perceived safety of prescription opioid drugs causes many to underestimate their potency and abuse potential.
Cocaine
Cocaine, a stimulant derived from coca leaves, has highly addictive properties.
Fentanyl
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid used for severe pain treatment, is 100 times more potent than morphine.
Heroin
Heroin is an illegal, powerfully addictive opioid drug with no medical application.
Meth
Methamphetamine (“meth”) is a central nervous system stimulant with highly addictive and damaging effects.
Marijuana/THC
There are many dangers related to marijuana use — especially for the developing teenage brain.
How It Works
When a drug has been taken regularly, a tolerance inevitably builds up. The feel-good center of the brain gets used to the substance’s presence, and to achieve the same high, the dosage needs to increase. As a result, the brain and body begin to “need” the drug just to feel normal.
Without it, someone can feel sick, irritable, unproductive, and anxious. While it’s possible to successfully juggle substance abuse and regular responsibilities for a time, it’s not something that can go untreated for the long haul. Drug addiction not only wreaks havoc on relationships and job performance, it can have a significant negative impact on major organs and important bodily functions.
The Stats on Drug Addiction
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a marked increase in opioid-related deaths, particularly from fentanyl.
- Drug overdose deaths in the United States rosev 6% in 2019 to 70,980, including 50,042 involving opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Deaths from drugs rose an average of 13% from mid-2019 to July 2020, according to The New York Times.
- The federal budget for drug control in 2020 is $34.6 billion.
- In 2018, more than 67,300 Americans died from drug-related overdose.
- The most common substance exposure reported to poison control centers in 2018 was illegal or misused prescription opioids, with nearly 284,000 cases.
- In 2017, more than 11 million people misused prescription drugs with 62% reporting that pain alleviation was the primary reason for the increased dosage.
- More than half of those who struggle with substance abuse began with marijuana, according to drugabuse.gov.
- The number of older adults in need of substance abuse treatment is estimated to increase from 1.7 million in 2000-01 to 4.4 million in 2020.
- The rate of drug overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (drugs such as fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and tramadol) increased from 9.0% in 2017 to 9.9% in 2018.
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