Impact of dangerous drugs on youngsters

By
Akhmal luqman
Iqra University

Introduction
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11518086 (1)
The use of dangerous drugs refers to the intake of drugs
regularly over a period of time. Although 9.2 percent of
the worldwide population is addicted to taking drugs
regularly, it is surprising to know that very little is known
about the regulation of drug intake.

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/drugs/why-dopeople-take-drugs.html (2)

So, the question is why do people take drugs? What are

people trying to achieve by the intake of drugs?
People take drugs to change something in their lives it
maybe that they want to fit in or it can be that they want
to escape or overcome something.
Difficult as it may be to face ones problems, the
consequences of drug use are always worse than the
problem one is trying to solve with them. The real answer
is to get the facts and not to take drugs in the first place.

How drugs work?

Drugs are essentially poisons but the amount and
quantity determines the effect.
For instance, a small amount of drug intake can act as a
stimulant (speed you up) whereas a greater amount can
act as a sedative (slow you down).
But many drugs have another liability they directly affect
the mind. They can distort the users perception of what
is happening around him or her. As a result, the persons
actions may be odd, irrational, inappropriate and even
destructive.

Advantages

Obviously, the immediate advantage is improved playing,

which includes faster reaction time, the ability to life
more weights (to become stronger) have better
endurance and speed, and sometimes even give the user
a sense of false invincibility. With all of these great
advantages, it's no wonder many athletes across all
sports have taken drugs to improve their playing.
Having considered the advantages there are a number of
disadvantages of drug intake that impacts us in the long
term.

Drugs are chemicals that affect the brain by tapping into

its communication system and interfering with the way
neurons normally send, receive, and process information.
Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, can activate
neurons because their chemical structure mimics that of
a natural neurotransmitter. This similarity in structure
fools receptors and allows the drugs to attach onto and
activate the neurons.

Although these drugs mimic the brains own chemicals,

they dont activate neurons in the same way as a natural
neurotransmitter, and they lead to abnormal messages
being transmitted through the network.

Other drugs, such as amphetamine or cocaine, can cause

the neurons to release abnormally large amounts of
natural neurotransmitters or prevent the normal recycling
of these brain chemicals. This disruption produces a
greatly amplified message, ultimately disrupting
communication channels.

How do drugs work in our body?

Most drugs of abuse directly or indirectly target the
brains reward system by flooding the circuit with
dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in
regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion,
motivation, and feelings of pleasure.
When activated at normal levels, this system rewards our
natural behaviors. Over stimulating the system with
drugs, however, produces euphoric effects, which
strongly reinforce the behavior of drug useteaching the
user to repeat it.

What is the result of taking drugs?

Drugs have a major impact on the human brain for
example, a drug addict would feel lifeless, depressed and
is unable to enjoy previous pleasures.

Now, the person needs to keep taking drugs again and

again just to try and bring his or her dopamine function
back up to normalwhich only makes the problem worse,
like a vicious cycle. Also, the person will often need to
take larger amounts of the drug to produce the familiar
dopamine highan effect known as tolerance.

http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brainsbehavior-science-addiction/drugs-brain (3)

DRUG CLASSIFICATION
Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, illegal drugs are
placed into one of 3 classes - A, B or C. This is broadly
based on the harms they cause either to the user or to
society when they are misused.
The class into which a drug is placed affects the
maximum penalty for an offence involving the drug. For
example, Class A drugs attract the most severe penalty
as they are considered likely to cause the most serious
harm. Drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act are
illegal to have, produce, give away or sell.
Different types of drugs
Drugs are categorized into different classes class a drug
being the most harmful and dangerous whereas, class b
and c drugs are still dangerous but leave a short impact
on the user.

MAGIC MUSHROOMS
An example of a class A drug is magic
mushrooms.
Magic mushrooms is a slang word for
psilocybe semilanceata or liberty cap
mushrooms (the most common type of
magic mushroom in the UK) and any other
mushroom which produces similar trippy
effects, like hallucinations.
It is important to know that different types of magic
mushroom will differ in how strong and how toxic they
are.
Here are the main effects and risks of magic mushrooms:
Colors, sounds and objects appear distorted.
Your sense of time and movement can speed up or
slow down. You may feel disoriented, tired or sick
and some users can get stomach pains or diarrhea.
CANNABIS

An example
of a class b
drug is, cannabis one of the most widely used drug.
Cannabis is made from cannabis plant. Cannabis can

make you hallucinate, meaning that it can alter your

senses, so that you might see, hear or feel things in a
different way to normal.
There are many myths about cannabis - that its safe
because its natural, that using cannabis will
completely ruin your life, your health and your future or
that using cannabis will lead you into using other, more
dangerous drugs. What is true is that cannabis can
have some very real, harmful effects on your mind and
body, as well as creating longer-term problems.
Cannabis has effects both on the body (physiological)
and the mind (psychoactive). The physiological effects
may include increased heart rate, reddening of the
eyes, dryness in the mouth, reduced pressure in the
eyeball (intraocular pressure) and muscle relaxation .

ANABOLIC STEROIDS

An example of a class c drug is anabolic steroids.

Steroids are drugs that mimic certain natural hormones
in the body that regulate and control how the body
works and develops. There are two main groups of
natural steroids - anabolic steroids and corticosteroids.
It is the anabolic steroids that tend to be misused,
mainly because they are similar to the male hormone
testosterone and they can improve endurance and
performance and stimulate muscle growth.
Some people take the anabolic steroids to help build
muscles or to try and look more manly. Other people
take them to improve how they perform at sports, such
as sprinting and cycling.
The key effects of anabolic steroids include:
They may help sports players train harder and
longer.
If taken alongside a strenuous exercise regime, they
may help with faster recovery times and with the
building up of muscle mass.
They can make some users feel paranoid, irritable,
aggressive or even violent, and they can cause
dramatic mood swings.
They can sometimes cause unwanted changes in
appearance.

Where do drugs come from?

Drugs like cannabis and heroin come from plants. Other
drugs are man-made in laboratories. How a drug is made
and what other substances are added to it can vary from
time to time and from place to place. You cant be 100%
sure of what you're getting when you use drugs obtained
anywhere else except through a reliable pharmacy.

Even in the case of purely 'natural drugs' like magic

mushrooms, there are risks (for example, unless you
know what youre doing you may pick mushrooms by
mistakes that are poisonous).

Drug addiction
Drug addiction is a problem for teenagers as well as
adults and there are a variety of reasons as to why this is
the case. These include peer pressure, growing up in a
household where one or both parents take drugs or
having a genetic tendency towards addiction. Films,
television and the media are another factor.
There is the issue of whether teenagers are more prone
to drug addiction due to the fact that their brains are still
developing. This development means that the parts of the
brain which are responsible for decision making and
impulse control are less well developed than others.
These include areas which control instant gratification
and emotional expression.

This manifests itself in teenagers who engage in

impulsive and risky action without too much thought for
the consequences. The desire for pleasure or an instant
buzz overrides other considerations such as the
likelihood of harm to the user or the potential overspill
into other areas of their lives. This also includes the
consequences of their actions upon others, for example
their parents, other members of their family or friends.

One of the main reasons why young people start to take

drugs is because of the peer pressure.
Young people are obsessed with being part of the group
and trying to fit in. This means wearing the same clothes,
speaking the same language and doing the same thing.
If the group they wish to be the part of does drugs then it
is very difficult not to do the same. In some cases they
take drugs just so that they are accepted into the group.
The teenage years are a difficult time in that a young
person is no longer a child but is not quite an adult and is
trying to assert their individualism and identity at that
time.
But friendships and being part of a group are immensely
important at this time and it a young person would rather
adapt their behavior to that of the group rather than risk
rejection.
There is also the fact that smoking, drinking alcohol or
taking drugs are seen as acts of rebellion. Young people
who take drugs know that these drugs are bad for them
which make them even more attractive. Furthermore the

thought of doing something that is both risky and harmful

only makes it more interesting and exciting.
Home life/Environment
In addition to this, the risk of getting addicted to drugs
also depends on the home life and environment.
If a young person is brought up in a household where
drugs are discussed freely, are available or are seen as
part of everyday life then they are at risk of developing
an addiction.
If you were growing up in a home where cigarettes,
alcohol or drugs are not viewed as anything out of the
ordinary then it is logical that you will see them in the
same way.

There are situations in which children and teenagers grow

up in a house where drugs are being distributed and/or
taken. If this is combined with what can only be described
as a chaotic lifestyle, possibly with poverty and
deprivation then the triggers are there for addiction.
Advertising and media
Both film and television present lifestyles which often
include these substances and in a certain way which
makes them cool or desirables to teenagers.
Fashion and music magazines, the internet and other
forms of advertising focus upon celebrity lifestyles which
also include substance abuse and these can appeal to
impressionable teenagers.

http://www.medic8.com/drug-addiction/youngpeople-and-addictions.html

Conclusion
Overall, the intake of using drugs especially on teenagers
can lead to many harmful and negative effects on both
the brain and the body. The factors that influence the use
of drug are very substantial.
llegal drugs aren't good for anyone, but they are
particularly bad for a kid or teen whose body is still
growing. Illegal drugs can damage the brain, heart, and
other important organs. Cocaine, for instance, can cause
a heart attack even in a kid or teen.

While using drugs, people are also less able to do well in

school, sports, and other activities. It's often harder to
think clearly and make good decisions. People can do
dumb or dangerous things that could hurt them or other
people.

The picture shows effects of various types of drugs on

these users.

Besides addiction drug abuse is linked to a variety of

health problems, including HIV/AIDS ,cancer,h