How
Drugs Can Be Fatal: The Facts
It is a given that drugs
have become an integral part of everyday life for many people.
The aspect as to whether or not a drug is legal or socially acceptable
would depend on the answers to three questions:
- what
is the drug used for
- what
the effects of the drug are
- who
is taking the drug
The answers are very
important since many drugs, legal or not, alter the mind and may be fatal in
some cases.
Drugs are chemicals or
substances that changes the way the human bodies work.
When it is put into the body in any manner such as swallowing, inhaling
or injecting, it finds its way into the bloodstream and gets transported to
various parts of the body. For
example, drugs that reach the brain may intensify or dull the senses, alter the
sense of alertness or decrease physical pain.
Any drug can be helpful or harmful depending on:
- how
much is taken
- how
often it is used
- how
quickly it gets to the brain
- what
other drugs, foods or substances are taken at the same time
- the
differences in body size, shape and chemistry
Although substances of
abuse can provide a good feeling at the start, they ultimately do a lot of harm
to the body and brain. Regular
practices of drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, taking illegal drugs and
sniffing glue can all cause serious damage to the human body. Sometimes, an overdose of a particular drug needs only one
instance to be fatal.
Serious effects of drugs
when abused may include the following:
- poor
judgment and coordination including slurred speech, confusion, depression,
short-term memory loss and slow reaction time
- pumped-up
heart rate, breathing and blood pressure
- sweating,
shaking, headaches. sleepiness and blurred vision
- hallucinations
and intense paranoia
- injecting
drugs with contaminated needles can result to Hepatitis or AIDS
- snorting
drugs can put a hole inside the lining of the nose
- first
time users of drugs such as cocaine (especially teens), can result to
stoppage of breathing or fatal heart attacks
- high
doses of even seemingly harmless drugs can cause serious injury or death
- certain
drugs can raise the temperature of the body which can cause organ damage or
even death
- sometimes,
the difference between the dose to get high and the amount that can cause an
overdose is very small that death is always a possibility
- abused
substances can cause severe toxic reaction that can kill
Drugs
and alcohol abuse shows several psychological and physical signs.
Psychological signs include the use of drugs
or alcohol as a way to forget problems or to relax; withdraw or keeping
secrets from family and friends; loss of interest in activities that used to be
important; problems with schoolwork, such as slipping grades or absences;
changes in friendship such as hanging out only with drug-using friends; spending
a lot of time figuring out how to get drugs; stealing or selling belongings to
buy drugs; failed attempts to stop taking drugs or drinking; anxiety, anger or
depression and mood swings. Physical
signs may include change in sleeping habits, feeling shaky or sick when trying
to stop, needing to take more of the substance to get the same effect and
changes in eating habits including weight loss or gain.
Quitting drugs or drinking is one of the hardest things to do but
ensuring the quality of life as well as saving one’s life should be more than
enough as an incentive to stop.
|
Now we accept Money Orders or Personal Checks by mail.
