DRUG ADDICTION

REPORT BY
KHAWAJA SAAD ASIM, FAHAD ANSARI, SIDRA BASHEE
SECTION A

What is addiction?
Historically, ADDICTION has been defined as physically and psychological dependency on psychoactive substance (for example
alcohol, tobacco, heroin etc) which cross the blood brain barrier once ingested temporary alternating the chemical milieu of the
brain

TYPES OF ADDICTIONS IN PRE-TEENS (15-19)

There are various types of addictions this age group

But majority of teens are addicted by

 Smoking (cigarettes and hubbly bubbly)

 Heroin

CIGARETTE SMOKING
 Smoking has been increasing over years in teens today 300 children smoke their first cigarette
 At least 3 million adolescence are smokers in Pakistan and this majorly starts in the age of 16
 An average of 20,000 people die because of smoking in Pakistan before the age of 20
 Kids who smoke experience changes in the lungs and reduced lung growth, and they
risk not achieving normal lung function as an adult.
 More than 90 percent of adult smokers started when they were teens
 A 2001 Survey found that 69.4 percent of teenage smokers reported never being asked
for proof of age when buying cigarettes in a store
HUBBLY BUBBLY SMOKING(SHEESHA)
 Using a waterpipe to smoke tobacco poses a serious potential health hazard to smokers
and others exposed to the smoke
 Sheesha smoke contains high levels of chemicals and poisons, including Carbon
Monoxide, Tar and heavy metals.
 Many of these chemicals are known to cause mouth and lung cancers, heart disease,
respiratory and other diseases
 In a sheesha session lasting 60 minutes, a smoker can inhale as much smoke as a
cigarette smoker would inhale from 100 – 200 cigarettes

HERION
What is heroin?
It is a very dangerous and addictive narcotic drug. It is smoked, sniffed or injected into the body with a syringe. You
can get hooked on to it right from the first time you use it, although the addiction gets worse as you continue using it.
It is extracted from its flower of the poppy plant. It is derived from the resin of poppy plant, similar to opium and morphine, but
is more refined that those drugs. It is more addictive that these two drugs and extremely difficult to quit.

What are the effects of heroin on the individual?

Heroin is a very strong drug that has very serious ill effects on the individual. Because of this, not only is
it highly addictive, it is also very easy for an individual to overdose on this drug. Because it is illegal, even
the peddlers may not be aware of how strong the drug is when they sell it as it depends on the
processing and the quality of the poppy it is extracted from. This increases the chances of overdose.
The worst part of heroin addiction is that as the individual becomes more and more addicted,he/she
does not take the drug for a high but just to feel normal, and need more and more for it to have any
effect on them.
There are many immediate as well as long term effects, that generally end with the individual
succumbing to the drug.

Immediate effects of heroin

 Drowsiness
 Dryness in the mouth
 Itchiness all over the body
 Nausea and vomiting
 Slow breathing
 Impaired mental functioning
 Hypothermia or low body temperature
 Coma or death doe to overdose
Long term effects of heroin
Collapsed veins due to frequent injections
 Weak immune system
 Arthritis
 Paralysis
 Impaired memory and brain functioning
 Lack of sex drive
 Depression
 Loss of appetite and excessive loss of weight
 Menstrual disturbances, impotency
 Coma

Why are Pakistani teens into drugs?

Majority of Pakistani teens involve in drugs because of ineffective coping with stress and some other
factors like

 Frustration
 Conflict
 Peer pressure
 Life events
 Environmental condition
 Depressions

HOW TO COPE UP WITH STRESS

Stress can be coped up by social support, optimism, exercise, communication with health provider,
adhering to medical advice and out door-activities.