Drug Abuse has become a menace for the society but the scariest of all is the usage of drugs by kids and youngsters. The harm caused by the addiction can cut short your life, a mere ecstasy which doesn’t even last for a few hours can shave off some precious years of your childhood and puberty. In case some of you are wondering if one-time attempt will hurt you or not in any possible way, let me clear your facts first; smoking a cigarette for the very first time can cost you 15 priceless minutes from your life. Now, imagine ‘What regular smoking will do to your body and mind?” Nightmare! Right?

Doorway to Hell

The total time lost by each individual depends on how heavily he’s dependent on the drug and the daily dose which is segmented. Different drug abuses have got different effects on the life of an individual e.g., as per a medical website, regular smoking ( which means smoking 20 cigarettes a day) can cut around 10 years from a person’s life. It is also believed that if you have any other health issues, smoking increases health risks by 50 percent. Cocaine users can lose around 35 years while alcoholics can shave off 23 years from their life span. Alcohol abuse is another major issue in the society which significantly affects health and well-being. Drinking increases cholesterol, risk of fatty liver, affects heart and in some cases, even cancers are found to be alcohol related. Moderation is the key to a happy life which means if you are going to eat, eat less. Likewise, if you are going to drink something, just consume less amount of the same thing. But in case of drugs, one must not even think about trying such things as one can hardly control the consequences later on.

Dependency on drugs

There are multiple reasons why an individual starts using drugs or why he seeks the high which eventually causes drug dependency. With the passage of time, the body becomes tolerant to a drug so the abuser starts taking high amount of the same product after which addiction takes hold. Amongst multitude reasons of drug abuse, desire to avoid uncomfortable situations in life is tops the list. The overwhelming urge to use drugs hampers the normal functioning of body and hence it becomes extremely difficult for a person to battle the addiction.

Health problems caused by drugs

Drug abuse can have far-reaching impact as it affects every part of the body:

1) Drugs weaken the immune system thus making our body more susceptible to diseases.

2) It can cause vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain.

3) It can affect liver causing liver failure in the long run.

4) High dosage of drugs can also lead to collapse of blood vessels and heart valves.

5) Drugs can cause seizures and brain damage hence deteriorating memory and decision-making.

6) One can lose self-control, become more aggressive and can witness impulsiveness and hallucinations after drug abuse.

7) And in case of pregnant women, drugs can cause birth defects in the babies.

It is high time that we tame this menace and stop drug abuse, one of the most devastating health problems affecting young people of our society.Rehabilitation helps in many ways, we can make former drug users ambassadors against this menace and sensitise our community by adopting various measures to mitigate this problem.