Drug Abuse – JSS2 Basic Science Lesson Note (Third Term)

Drug abuse is the habitual use of drugs that are not needed for therapeutic purposes. People abuse drugs to alter their mood or state of consciousness, or to affect a body function unnecessarily, as in laxative abuse. Drugs can enter the body by swallowing, smoking, snorting, suppositories or injection.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• define drugs and drug abuse;
• name some commonly abused drugs;
• describe the five methods of drug abuse and the risks of each;
• state ways in which people misuse drugs;
• list social risk factors in drug abuse;
• explain how deviant peer relationships influence substance use.

What are drugs?

Drugs are natural or synthetic substances that, when taken into a living body, affect its functioning or structure. They are used in the diagnosis, mitigation, treatment or prevention of a disease, or for the relief of discomfort.

What is drug abuse?

Drug abuse is the habitual use of drugs not needed for therapeutic purposes, solely to alter one’s mood, affect or state of consciousness, or to affect a body function unnecessarily (for example, laxative abuse). It is the nonmedical use of a drug for a nontherapeutic effect.

Some of the most commonly abused drugs are alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, methaqualone, opium alkaloids, synthetic opioids, benzodiazepines and heroin.

What are the five methods of drug abuse?

For drugs to affect the brain, they must first enter the body. Five methods of drug use allow this: swallowing, smoking, snorting, suppositories and injecting.

1. Swallowing

Ingesting or swallowing drugs is the most common method of drug use. The individual takes the drugs by mouth. The drugs pass to the stomach and then into the bloodstream.

Of all the methods of drug abuse, taking drugs by mouth is considered to be one of the safest. It allows the body time to absorb the drug, and the digestive system may induce vomiting as a defence against something that does not agree with it.

2. Smoking

This method gets the drugs into the body’s system a bit faster than swallowing, because the smoke goes into the lungs, where it quickly moves into the bloodstream. The most common drugs that are smoked are marijuana, heroin, crack and opium.

Individuals who smoke drugs are at risk of cancer of the mouth, throat and lungs; heart disease and cardiac arrest; stroke; emphysema and bronchitis; pneumonia and other pulmonary disorders; and hypertension.

3. Snorting

Some individuals snort drugs such as ecstasy, cocaine, heroin and amphetamines. The drugs enter the bloodstream through the nasal mucous membranes and the stomach. Individuals who snort drugs experience the drug sensation within about 15 minutes.

Complications include deterioration of the lining of the nasal cavity and the septum. Sharing straws and other items used to snort drugs can lead to hepatitis C and HIV.

4. Suppositories

Drugs entered into the body through suppositories are delivered into the bloodstream through the mucous membrane of the rectum. This is not a common method of drug abuse, but cocaine, speed and ecstasy have been taken this way.

The mucous membranes in the rectum are sensitive. Certain drugs may have a high level of acidity and can cause the lining to be permanently damaged. There is also a risk of perforating the lower colon, which can be fatal.

5. Injecting

Injecting is the fastest method of experiencing a high, because it puts the drug directly into the bloodstream. Drugs can be injected into the soft tissue, into the muscle, or directly into the vein. Individuals who inject drugs experience the high within 3 to 5 seconds (immediately).

This method delivers the drug directly to the brain, escaping the body’s natural defence mechanisms, including the digestive system.

The dangers of injecting drugs include infection at the site of injection. Sharing needles also carries the risk of HIV and hepatitis. Some individuals may experience collapsed veins and arterial damage, which can lead to gangrene, thrombosis and haemorrhaging.

In what ways do people misuse drugs?

1. Prescription drugs contain habit-forming sedatives. Once children depend too much on drugs, for example for pain relief, they tend to depend on them even for treating simple pain, rather than enduring it a bit. Some children simply take painkillers even when they are not needed at all.
2. Many teens take drugs without a doctor’s prescription to reduce body weight. Since drugs suppress the appetite, most teens believe that drugs are the best remedy for obesity and love handles.
3. Some teens buy drugs on the black market or obtain them from friends to feel extreme euphoria, as with narcotics, opioids and crack.
4. Some people take relaxants, sleeping pills or painkillers to induce sleep at night. Every time they do not feel at ease, they depend on drugs to sleep early.
5. Teens usually take strong prescription medicines with cocaine or cannabis contents to cope with strong emotions such as guilt, anger and frustration, even though these drugs are prescribed for treating diseases. Peer pressure also brings about this way of misusing drugs.
6. Some people inject drugs from time to time to grow muscles, for example steroids, despite the recommended limit of use for athletes during games only.
7. Most kids take drugs orally because they see their parents taking the same drugs. Parents may not know about it, but kids can be very observant of the place where parents hide their drugs.
8. Adults misuse drugs as an outlet to escape from severe problems at home caused by family conflict and marital fights.
9. Silent-type teens take drugs to become energetic and self-confident at night outs and parties. This gives them the confidence to talk to others, stand up to bullies and gain more friends, even though this is not the purpose of prescription drugs.
10. Kids usually experiment with drugs. At times, they take them to test their effects. Some combine drugs with alcohol and other substances for more extreme effects. Others place drugs in other people’s drinks for fun.

What are the social risk factors in drug abuse?

• Early aggressive behaviour
• Lack of parental supervision
• Poverty in the community
• Peer pressure
• Familial risk factors: these include childhood maltreatment (including abuse and neglect), parental or familial substance abuse, marital status of parents, level of parental education, parent-child relationships, familial socioeconomic status, and the child’s perception that parents approve of their substance use.
• Physical and sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse: emotional child abuse is a situation in which the child’s “intellectual or psychological functioning or development” is hindered. Witnessing violence can increase an adolescent’s risk of developing a substance use disorder with alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana or hard drugs by as much as two to three times. This is likely because witnessing violence creates great stress, especially when a child witnesses domestic violence.
• Neglect: child neglect includes any situation where a child’s caregiver does not provide adequate living necessities, including protection, clothing, health care and food.
• Bullying: this is a series of interactions in which a group or an individual verbally or physically assaults a victim who is perceived to be weaker.
• Depression: the term depression covers feelings of sadness, pain, gloom or anger. Clinical depression refers to situations in which a person’s depressive feelings interrupt their daily life. Depression is linked to genetics and may also result from stressors such as parental divorce, parental substance abuse, depression of a family member, or feelings of inadequacy.

What are deviant peer relationships?

The influence of peers on adolescent substance use often exists in the form of deviant peer relationships, in which an adolescent associates with a group of people who use substances, or in the form of perceived popularity. Peer relationships are positively associated with adolescent substance use.

A shared inclination to use drugs and alcohol may attract deviant individuals to form peer groups. Also, to gain social standing or join a group, individuals may be motivated to use substances, and so form a deviant peer group.

Entry into deviant peer groups has been shown to be significantly associated with negative parent-child relationships, which can cause adolescents to seek deviant connections in their social sphere. Parental involvement and respect for parents have been negatively associated with substance use. This is consistent with the finding that positive parent-child relationships are a protective factor.

It shows how factors from family and social spheres may work for or against each other in leading to adolescent substance use.

Evaluation

1. What are drugs?
2. What is the meaning of drug abuse?
3. Explain smoking as a method of drug abuse.
4. State five methods of drug abuse.
5. Mention five ways in which people misuse drugs.
6. List five social risk factors in drug abuse.

Assignment

1. Explain injecting as a method of drug abuse and state three dangers of this method.
2. Explain how deviant peer relationships can lead to substance use among adolescents.