AVERTING SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Using drugs or alcohol in amounts or by route of administration which are harmful to the individual is referred to as Substance abuse. These substances could be our everyday Paracetamol for pain relief, Alcohol, Opioids etc. This abuse may or may not lead to addiction, however, tolerance can be developed. This could result in increased dose of substance abused in order to have same effect produced with minimal or previous doses.

The effect required could be Euphoric, as seen in those who abuse drugs like Tramadol, Cocaine, Morphine, Codeine, etc; Pain relieving, in cases like Paracetamol; Alertness for substance like Caffeine.

A case of Substance abuse can be seen in the life Anu, a student with a desire to stay alert at night to read. As such, caffeine becomes a companion. It keeps her awake no doubt, but its effect could cause a disruption in the brain’s function. Her sleep pattern is distorted as well and Rest becomes a thing of the past.

Another can be seen in Chioma, who takes delight in consuming NSAIDS like Diclofenac during her Menstrual cycle for Pain relief, this can result in Ulceration of the stomach lining.

Ibrahim is also seen using Paracetamol for pain relief after sport activities. In the long run, damage to the liver can become inevitable.

With 307,400deaths recorded in 2015, substances abuse causes harm Mentally, Financially, Socially, and in every other aspect of Human life. As such there is need to:

• Say No to drugs.

• Seek Professional advice, when possible, in need of drugs.

• Seek help when already using drugs.

Reference.

1. GBD 2015 Mortality and Causes of Death, Collaborators. “Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015”. Lancet. 388 (10053): 1459–1544. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31012-1.