Influences on drug use
Drug abuse, also known as substance abuse, can be well described as a patterned and systematic use of a drug or substance, where the abuser consumes the drug in quantities that are harmful to their body system. People are influenced by a variety of factors and reasons that lead them to abuse drugs. Research shows that many people end up using drugs in order to alter or change events about their lives, to fit their specific demands, whether harmful or not. In this paper, I am going to discuss the major causes and influences on drugs, relating it to the real world and the society.
There is a variety of drugs influencing factors that are evident across the world. Some of these factors include, risk taking factors, where people are drawn to taking risks more than others. They end up taking drugs just to fit in their respective social group or to cope with their demands. Some take risks for individual transformation and for thrilling reasons. Other drugs influencing factor is predisposition. This is the case where a person’s psychological or genetic characteristics may be predisposed, therefore, making them more prone to take drugs leading to drug abuse. Gender and age factors also influence drug abuse where the first try on drugs can intensively influence how an individual will go on to abuse the drugs. The younger an individual is when they start drinking alcohol, the more likely they are to try other hard drugs in their future life. Another factor is experimentation, where individuals take drugs out of curiosity, or just because their friends are doing the same. They make this attempt to see how it affects them and later talk about these experiences with their friends. Other influential factors include peer group which is one of the most influential, and hedonism, where individuals abuse recreational drugs.
The topic of influences on drug use can be used on social media when advertising and creating awareness on the dangers of the deadly effects of drugs on the health of humans. In most situations, alcoholic drinks are advertised on television, and at the end of the advertisement; a warning is made to all alcohol abusers of the dangers of excessive drinking. Long terms alcohol drinking might result to cancer problems. This is a risky health condition no one would dare take in order to save their life.
Individual Assessment
Individually, going through the influencing factors on drug use gives me a lot of knowledge about drugs. It makes me understand how vulnerable I am when it comes to abusing drugs. Having gone through the list of factors that might influence the use of drugs, I am now able to understand and be cautious of any factor that might influence me to the use of drugs. I personally admire a clean conscience and reputation that the society would admire at any moment. This, therefore, makes me an individual who should always be free from drugs. I would like to advance my education and acquire higher levels of learning, and, therefore, attain a higher managerial career in the future. In order to traverse successfully through this ladder of success, I need to be completely free from drugs. Drugs pollute one’s mind , therefore, abusing such substances would bar me from attaining my future career.
The society
This is a crucial topic to the society because drugs have negative consequences on the family and friends of the individual abusing it that makes up the society. The society faces a lot of challenges including sickness, ill health, and even, death. Diseases such as HIV/AIDS are spread because of drugs in the society. The society, therefore, should put emphasis on this topic because; it forms part of the major pollutants of the society at large.
Conclusion
In conclusion, most individuals who are affected by drug abuse, especially the younger generation, should be alert and ensure that they are strong enough to overcome all the factors which could lead them to the world of abusing drugs.
