The ManicaPost
Mellah Nyamuba
There are a number of drugs which are used in different forms.
A drug addict becomes a drug dependent.
He cannot live without drugs.
Drug addiction is a form of psychological conditioning that implies a set of mental and behavioral responses to drugs.
There are a number of causes which lead to drug addiction.
These include social, economic, religious and physiological factors.
There is a strong nexus between drug and torn family life.
It has been found that broken family structure often forces one to abuse drugs.
This is because a person faced with such situations choose drugs for their mind altering effects to escape from the immediate situation.
The escapism in turn compels the user to go back to the drug to avoid more of those situations.
This eventually lead to addiction.
While it is necessary to face the problem and tackle it, the user more often than not avoids the situation.
Sometimes, exposure to drugs in the family or the locality encourages drug addict.
This is why children who are exposed to drugs can also become drug addicts if they are not guided accordingly.
The moment they are mature enough to understand the impact of drugs, they will already be hooked.
There are a variety of drugs, including narcotics, depressants and stimulants.
Alcohol, marijuana and heroin are the most commonly abused substances.
Drugs which have a high physical dependence are more dangerous for the health in comparison to others.
As the concentration of alcohol increases in the blood, vision, hearing, smell, taste and muscle coordination are affected.
Mental confusion enhances with even a small quantity of drug intake and this manifests in behavioural changes.
Drugs affect the brain cells and lead to nerve damage and liver damage, resulting in cirrhosis.
Alcohol taken by pregnant women may also cause health problems for the babies.
Unless a person wishes to get rid of this evil, drug addiction is very difficult to give up, hence awareness campaigns are required to deal with it.
The Government, media, the NGOs and self-help groups can play an influential role.
More values need to be inculcated in children as they grow up.
They need to be encouraged to develop good habits and spend time happily and meaningfully in good company.
They need to be taught to develop a useful and constructive work oriented daily routines.
They should be made aware of addiction.
Mellah Nyamuba is a student at Muparutsa Secondary School in Mutasa
