NAME: KEAN ROY DETORIO YEAR & COURSE: BSA 1

SOURCE OF INFORMATION

Author: Sou-Jie Brunnersum

Title of Article: COVID Pandemic Fuels Global Drug Use, UN Report Finds

Date of Publication: June 24, 2021

Web Address: https://www.dw.com/en/covid-pandemic-fuels-global-drug-use-un-report-finds/a-

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Undeniably, most people normally abuse drugs. Drug addiction is a serious problem in our
society today. Most of the drug addicts normally have uncontrollable drug cravings. Most of these
individuals cannot do their job without drugs. They have to consume drugs so that they can feel better and
satisfied. This addiction is a serious mental health illness that is plaguing individuals from all walks of
life. Initially, the treatment of drug addicted people was a difficult task and the consequences were very
bad. The drug addicted people were neglected by their own society. They were actually interpreted as
nuisance for the society and were considered to be the root cause for delinquency and crime. Nowadays,
there are addiction treatment centers in place to help drug addict deal with drug addiction. Once drug
addicts visit these centers, they normally get treated through well managed drug treatment progragms.

News from UN Report stated that during Covid-19 pandemic drug abuse increases. The
lockdown was a particularly risky moment for habitual drug users. To this end, the restrictive measures
put in place by governments created feelings of isolation and poverty, which exacerbated mental health
struggles for vulnerable groups who were already susceptible to psychological issues like depression and
anxiety. Some of the reasons that have been given for the increase in drug use during the COVID-19
pandemic included boredom, more free time, stress, and feelings of isolation and poverty. As a coping
strategy to manage stress, the use of any kind of drug, including alcohol, proves to be an ineffective
solution. Although symptoms are released in the short term, the use of drugs elicits a cycle in which the
uncomfortable symptoms are increased, rather than improved. Furthermore, poor people that were
affected by the Covid-19 sell drugs just to make a money. More people have entered poverty during the
pandemic. More people have lost jobs and many students have been left out of school for two years. And
we know that poverty and unemployment are risk factors for drug user.

The risks for drug users were also increased during the pandemic, as temporary border closures
affected usual illicit drug-running routes and led to a scarcity of classic street drugs. Governmental
restrictions also led to the closure of recreational settings where drugs are commonly used. This scenario
did not decrease the use of drugs and rather led to increased use of house drugs like cognitive enhancers
and new psychoactive substances. In some places, the typical risks associated with drug use were
significantly increased due to the higher likelihood of drugs being mixed with harmful contaminants.
Reports from the United States, for example, revealed an increased number of fatal overdoses in drug
users in the wake of the global pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought major challenges to healthcare systems and public health
policies globally, as it requires novel treatment and prevention strategies to adapt for the impact of the
pandemic. Drugs doesn’t just affect physical body and health, it can also affect one’s mental health,
finances, relationships, social life and criminal record. Each drug causes different physical reactions
depending on the type of drug. Some of it will make you feel more awake, alert, and energetic. Others
will give you a calm, relaxed feeling. Some alter your perceptions and can cause hallucinations and others
make you feel numb.

All things considered, people who use drugs have been negatively impacted by the pandemic in
ways that put them at greater risk for experiencing substance and health-related harms, including
overdoses and a decreased ability to mitigate risk behaviors. We need everything from good treatment
and harm reduction measures to realizing that we are in an environment where everything is different
during COVID and we need different solutions. We need to consider now how to decriminalize drug use!