HEALTH - 9

REPORTING

JULES JOSHUA R.SO AND JOSE PAULO NITRO

REPORTING ABOUT NARCOTICS AND ITS AFFECTS TO YOUR BODY PHYSICALLY AND
MENTALLY
 HISTORY OF NARCOTICS

• NARCOTICS, ALSO CALLED OPIOIDS, ARE A NECESSARY AND IMPORTANT PART OF MEDICAL
CARE. PAINKILLERS, MEDICALLY KNOWN AS NARCOTIC ANALGESICS, CONTAIN SOME TYPE
OF OPIOID MEDICATION TO EASE THE DISCOMFORT FROM CONDITIONS SUCH AS A SPRAINED
ANKLE, AFTER WISDOM TOOTH EXTRACTION, OR AFTER MAJOR SURGERY.
• OPIOIDS ARE ALSO USED AS A COUGH SUPPRESSANT, TO TREAT DIARRHEA AND TO HELP
COMBAT NARCOTIC ADDICTION ITSELF. HOWEVER, THE USE OF PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS FOR
PAIN IS NOW A HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC IN THE U.S. DUE TO A GROWING EPIDEMIC
OF PRESCRIPTION NARCOTIC ADDICTION, OVERDOSE, AND DEATH.
 HISTORY OF NARCOTICS

• ATTEMPTS TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF ILLICIT DRUG ABUSE AND ADDICTION CAN BE TRACED
BACK FOR CENTURIES, HOWEVER, THE SEARCH HAS ALWAYS BEEN LIMITED BY THE SCIENTIFIC
THEORIES AND SOCIAL ATTITUDES AVAILABLE OR DOMINANT AT ANY ONE TIME. DR. BENJAMIN
RUSH, A FOUNDER OF THE FIRST MEDICAL SCHOOL IN THE UNITED STATES AND A SIGNER OF THE
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, WAS ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF U.S. DRUG ABUSE RESEARCH.
HOWEVER, HE HAD FEW SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ATTACK THE PROBLEM. THE
INTRICACIES OF CELLULAR RESPONSE TO A DRUG COULD NOT BE UNDERSTOOD UNTIL TOOLS
WERE DEVELOPED TO MEASURE THE RESPONSE AND TO INTEGRATE THIS KNOWLEDGE WITH
COMPLEX CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY—A TECHNOLOGY THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED ONLY IN THE
PAST DECADE. ONE CAN COMPARE THIS SITUATION WITH THAT OF PNEUMONIA. A MYRIAD OF
TREATMENTS AND PARTIALLY EFFECTIVE REMEDIES WERE USED UNTIL THE DISCOVERY OF PENICILLIN,
WHEN THE OLD TREATMENTS BECAME A PART OF MEDICAL HISTORY. IT IS NOW POSSIBLE,
HOWEVER, TO BE OPTIMISTIC THAT THE TOOLS NEEDED TO RESOLVE THE ADDICTION PROBLEM ARE
AT HAND.
 WHAT ARE THE AFFECTS WHEN YOU TAKE DRUGS?
PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY
• DIFFERENT TYPES OF DRUGS AFFECT YOUR BODY IN DIFFERENT WAYS, AND
THE EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH DRUGS CAN VARY FROM PERSON TO
PERSON. HOW A DRUG EFFECTS AN INDIVIDUAL IS DEPENDENT ON A VARIETY
OF FACTORS INCLUDING BODY SIZE, GENERAL HEALTH, THE AMOUNT AND
STRENGTH OF THE DRUG, AND WHETHER ANY OTHER DRUGS ARE IN THE
SYSTEM AT THE SAME TIME. IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT ILLEGAL
DRUGS ARE NOT CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES, AND THEREFORE THE QUALITY
AND STRENGTH MAY DIFFER FROM ONE BATCH TO ANOTHER.
• DRUGS CAN HAVE SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS. THESE EFFECTS
CAN BE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND CAN INCLUDE DEPENDENCY.
 WHAT ARE THE AFFECTS WHEN YOU TAKE DRUGS?
PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY
• YOU MAY ACT DIFFERENTLY, FEEL DIFFERENTLY AND THINK DIFFERENTLY IF YOU HAVE TAKEN
DRUGS. AND YOU MAY STRUGGLE TO CONTROL YOUR ACTIONS AND THOUGHTS.
• YOU MIGHT BEGIN TO USE DRUGS WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT ANY HARM TO YOUR BODY.
YOU MIGHT THINK DRUGS WON'T BECOME A PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU ARE ONLY A CASUAL
USER. THE MORE YOU TAKE A DRUG, THE MORE LIKELY YOU ARE TO BUILD UP A TOLERANCE TO
ITS EFFECTS. THIS CAN LEAD TO THE NEED TO TAKE LARGER DOSES TO OBTAIN THE EFFECTS OF
THE DRUG. FOR THIS REASON, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT AFTER PROLONGED USE, MANY
DRUGS CAN CAUSE DEPENDENCE. DRUG DEPENDENCE CAN QUICKLY BEGIN TO AFFECT YOUR
PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, AND CAN ALSO AFFECT YOUR WORK AND SOCIAL
LIFE.
• IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THERE IS NO SAFE LEVEL OF DRUG USE. BE CAREFUL
WHEN TAKING ANY KIND OF DRUG.
 HOW CAN IT AFFECT YOUR LIFE
• FROM THE MOMENT WHEN A DRUG FIRST ENTERS YOUR BODY, THE
CONSEQUENCES BEGIN. FOR SOME, ADDICTION IS RIGHT AROUND THE
CORNER. THIS STRUGGLE CAN CONTINUE FOR MONTHS OR YEARS AS YOU
LOOK TO BREAK FREE FROM THE HOLD THAT A SUBSTANCE HAS ON YOUR
LIFE. HOW DO DRUGS AFFECT YOUR LIFE? THEY TAKE OVER EVERY ASPECT OF
YOUR WORLD, CREATING PHYSICAL, PROFESSIONAL, AND BEHAVIORAL
PROBLEMS THAT OFTEN TAKE A LONG TIME TO UNRAVEL AND HEAL FROM.
NOW IS THE TIME TO LEARN HOW DRUGS AFFECT YOUR LIFE AND FIND A
WAY TO ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL RECOVERY. OUR ACCREDITED FACILITY CAN
HELP.
 HOW CAN IT AFFECT YOUR LIFE
• IF YOU’RE PHYSICALLY STRUGGLING, THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE THAT YOU AREN’T
PRODUCING AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS AT WORK. ADD TO THING LIKE BLACKOUTS, ERRATIC
BEHAVIOR, AND A LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY AND IT’S THE PERFECT STORM THAT COULD RUIN
YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE. THINGS CAN GET EVEN WORSE IF CRIMINAL CHARGES COME INTO
PLAY. FOR MANY, THE FINAL RESULT IS A LACK OF EMPLOYMENT. WITHOUT AN INCOME TO
SUPPLY THEIR HABIT, THEFT FROM FAMILY MEMBERS OR OTHER CRIMES MAY BE THE NEXT
LOGICAL STEP.
AT SOME POINT, DRUGS BECOME THE FACTOR THAT DETERMINES THE CHOICES YOU MAKE.
INSTEAD OF LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR BEST INTERESTS OR THE BEST INTERESTS OF OTHERS,
YOU BEGIN TO SEE DRUGS AS THE DEFINING FACTOR IN YOUR LIFE. YOU AREN’T CONCERNED
WITH TAKING CARE OF YOUR OWN NEEDS OR SAFETY ANYMORE, ASIDE FROM YOUR NEED
TO GET MORE DRUGS. THIS IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE, QUICKLY BRINGING YOU CLOSER TO
LOSING EVERYTHING. HOW CAN DRUGS AFFECT YOUR LIFE? THEY CAN TAKE AWAY
EVERYTHING THAT YOU LOVE AND LEAVE YOU EMPTY, ALONE, AND HOPELESS AS YOUR LIFE
CHOICES MOVE YOU FARTHER AND FARTHER AWAY FROM A HAPPY LIFE.
 END

• THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO OUR REPORT ABOUT NARCOTICS