COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus

Defense Road, Off Raiwind Road, Lahore.042-111-001-007 Ext: 860

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

PROJECT TITLE:
“DRUGS ABUSE & ADDICTION”

Name of Students : M. Shahriyar Ijaz

Hasaan Rao

Aniqa Javed

Minahil Wazir

Registration No. s : SP21-BBA-073

SP21-BBA-025

SP21-BBA-061

SP21-BBA-057

Course Code : ECO-101

Course Title : Macro Economics

Program Name : BS(BA) (A)

Semester : 2nd
Submission Date : December 14,2021
Teacher Name : Ms. Hina Amir

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INTRODUCTION:
Addiction is a disease that affects your brain and behavior and Drug abuse is
when you use legal or illegal substances in ways you shouldn’t.
When you’re addicted to drugs, you can’t resist the urge to use them, no matter
how much harm the drugs may cause. Addiction is wanting more of something
and liking it less.
Drug addiction isn’t about just heroin, cocaine, or other illegal drugs. You can
get addicted to alcohol, nicotine, sleep and anti-anxiety medications, and other
legal substances. You can also get addicted to prescription or illegally obtained
narcotic pain medications, or opioids.
In drug abuse You might take more than the regular dose of pills or use
someone else’s prescription. You may abuse drugs to feel good, ease stress, or
avoid reality. But usually, you’re able to change your unhealthy habits or stop
using altogether.
Addiction is when you can’t stop. Not when it puts your health in danger. Not
when it causes financial, emotional, and other problems for you or your loved
ones. That urge to get and use drugs can fill up every minute of the day, even if
you want to quit.
HISTORY:
Attempts to understand the nature of illicit drug abuse and addiction can be
traced back for centuries, however, the search has always been limited by the
scientific theories and social attitudes available or dominant at any one time.
Drugs have been part of human society since the very beginning. Drugs also
called Narcotics, also known as opioids, date back to 3400 B.C. Narcotics from
ancient times all had a common source: the red opium poppy. The earliest
records of the opium poppy being cultivated was in Mesopotamia by the
Sumerians. The Sumerians referred to opium as the “joy plant” and passed it on
to the Egyptians.
As the world evolved and we see modern technologies and advancements in all
industries, drug industry wasn't left behind and it also produced more powerful
and even more harmful drugs in which opium, hash, cocaine,
methamphetamine (meth), marijuana, ecstasy are the most commonly used
ones by today’s population.

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No matter the time illicit drug usage has always been a menace to society and is
always considered a taboo and there have always been steps taken to avoid and
mitigate its usage by relevant government organizations.
Drug abuse and addiction is an international issue and is acknowledged by
United Nations organization and therefore International Day Against Drug
Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed every year on June 26 with an aim to
spread awareness about the global drug problem and eliminate drug misuse and
also to support the efforts of drug enforcement bodies.
TYPES:
Drugs can be categorized by the way in which they affect our bodies:
 depressants – slow down the function of the central nervous system
 hallucinogens – affect your senses and change the way you see, hear,
taste, smell or feel things
 stimulants – speed up the function of the central nervous system.

DEPRESSANTS:
Depressants slow down the messages between the brain and the body — they
don’t necessarily make you feel depressed.
Small doses of depressants can make you feel relaxed, calm and less inhibited.
Larger doses can cause sleepiness, vomiting and nausea, unconsciousness
and even death.
EXAMPLES:
 Alcohol
 Benzodiazepines
 Cannabis
 GHB
 Ketamine
 Opioids
HALLUCINOGENS:
Hallucinogens change your sense of reality – you can have hallucinations. Your
senses are distorted and the way you see, hear, taste, smell or feel things is
different. For example, you may see or hear things that are not really there, or
you may have unusual thoughts or feelings.

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Small doses can cause a feeling of floating, numbness, confusion, or
dizziness.
Larger doses may cause hallucinations, anxiety, increased heart rate,
paranoia, panic and aggression.
EXAMPLE:
 Cannabis
 Ketamine
 LSDs
 Psilocybin
 PCP
STIMULANTS:
Stimulants speed up the messages between the brain and the body. This may
cause:
 Your heart to beat faster
 Your blood pressure to go up
 Your body temperature to go up – leading to heat exhaustion or even heat
stroke
 Reduced appetite
 Agitation
 Sleeplessness
EXAMPLES:
 Amphetamines (speed and ice)
 Caffeine
 Cocaine
 Ecstasy
 Nicotine (tobacco).
COMMONLY USED DRUGS:
COCAINE:
Cocaine is stimulant drug obtained primarily from the leaves of two coca
species native to South America primarily in Colombia and Mexico.
WEED:
Weed or its formal name "marijuana" is the most popular drug nowadays among
the youth due to its of use and 'wonderful' aftereffects.

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METHAMPHETAMINE:
Methamphetamine or for short meth is a medical drug but in illegal production
used and consumed Illicitly.
REASONS:
1. Easily available: Nicotine and alcohol are examples of legal and loosely
regulated legal drugs that have a risk for addiction. The Worldwide number of
deaths reported by the World Health Organization provides the grim data of 6
million deaths from tobacco use and 2.5 million deaths from harmful alcohol
use. Usually, individuals develop a habit of smoking cigarettes that they pick up
from people around them. Because alcohol consumption is a normal occurrence,
there is the risk of addiction. Prescriptions drugs are also technically legal and
create addiction and dependence.
2. Prescription Drugs: Prescription drugs can lead to drug abuse. It’s very
common for people to think that because their doctors give them a prescription,
their medication is safe to consume without consequences. Unfortunately,
Opioid prescriptions are extremely addictive and can act as a gateway to other
drugs, like fentanyl or heroin.
3. Peer pressure: Peer pressure causes people to do things they would normally
do to impress friends or loved ones. It’s a way of seeking out the feeling of
being valued by others. Receiving an invitation from a friend to come and party
with drugs or alcohol can be difficult to turn down.
4. Pop culture: in today's pop culture and music we can see that lyrics are
highly influenced by drug usage and they portray drug use as the new norm this
the reason that many youngsters who listen to these songs try out the drugs to be
perceived as 'cool' and modern and some of them become addicts of it. Other
than that, some television shows also portray the drug culture and
manufacturing of illicit drugs. For instance, the show Breaking Bad shows the
accurate way to manufacture methamphetamine drug and by seeing the process
on TV some teens have tried the recipe to create their own meth in their parents
garage.
Some influential celebrities also post pictures and videos of themselves on
social media such as Instagram or snapchat using drugs which further influence
their followers.
5. Depression: Depression is a common mental health diagnosis in the United
States. Since depression is notoriously difficult to treat for some, many people
seek temporary and instant relief provided by drugs or alcohol.

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On top of that, many people who struggle with depression do not get proper
treatment or diagnosis at all.
6. Pleasure: While other reasons behind doing drugs can be especially
complex, this one is pretty straightforward. Drugs cause chemical reactions to
be released within our brain that mimic feelings of happiness, euphoria, and
comfort.
There are many people that use drugs because it makes them feel good (at least
at first).
EFFECTS ON CONSUMER:
1. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES:
Effects can range from an abnormal heart rate to a heart attack. Injection drug
use can lead to cardiovascular problems such as collapsed veins and bacterial
infections of the blood vessels and heart valves. Drugs that contribute to
cardiovascular disease include, but are not limited to:
 Cocaine
 Heroin
 Inhalants
 Marijuana
 Methamphetamine

2. CANCERS:
Smoking cigarettes has been linked to cancer of the mouth, neck, stomach and
lungs. Secondhand cigarette smoke increases non-smoking individuals’ chances
of developing lung cancer along with other health problems. Young adult males
using marijuana who began their use during adolescence are at-risk for
testicular cancer. Drugs that contribute to cancer include:
 Marijuana
 Steroids
 Tobacco

3. GASTROINTESTINAL EFFECTS:
Many drugs cause nausea and vomiting after use. Cocaine use causes abdominal
pain and bowel tissue decay. Opioid use causes abdominal pain, acid reflux and

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severe constipation. Drugs that contribute to gastrointestinal effects include, but
aren’t limited to:
 Heroin
 Kratom
 Nicotine

4. MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS:

Chronic use of drugs leads to both short- and long-term changes in the brain,
which results in mental health issues, like paranoia, depression, anxiety,
aggression, hallucinations, etc. Many who suffer from addiction are also
diagnosed with a mental disorder. Drugs that contribute to mental health effects
include, but aren’t limited to:

 Cocaine
 Inhalants
 Ketamine

5. RESPIRATORY DEFICITS:
Respiratory problems like smoking cigarettes are proven to cause bronchitis,
emphysema and lung cancer. Marijuana can also cause chronic bronchitis.
Cocaine causes lung damage and severe respiratory problems. The use of drugs
like opioids may cause slow breathing, block air from entering the lungs, or
make asthma symptoms worse.

EFFECTS ON SOCIETY:
1. Economy: Workplace productivity can also suffer when employees are
abusing drugs. Employees under the influence may make costly errors,
not show up for work (perhaps requiring the business to hire a temporary
substitute), or incur health care costs that could affect the company’s
insurance plan. And speaking of health care, drug abuse costs can seem
astronomical.
2. Unemployment: Although an immediate impact of unemployment is
lack of income, unemployment can lead to more than just financial
instability. For some people, losing their job can be the start of a slippery

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 slope that may eventually lead to addiction. The reason for this slippery
slope may involve declining mental health as the unemployed individual
is unable to find another job. In other cases, addiction and job loss may
work in the other direction. Those struggling with substance use will
often prioritize drugs or alcohol over everything else in their lives,
including their jobs. As a result, their work may suffer, and they could
eventually be fired. If their addiction continues, they will be unlikely to
hold a job anywhere.
3. Poverty: The relationship between addiction and poverty is complicated.
Lower income people are slightly more likely to struggle with drug or
alcohol abuse, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that poverty causes
addiction. In some cases, financial troubles are the result of a substance
use disorder.
It’s important to remember that people with substance use disorders don’t
necessarily develop an addiction simply because they are poor. Someone
who is solidly middle class can easily slip into poverty as the result of an
untreated drug or alcohol addiction.
As an addiction develops, it becomes increasingly likely that a person
will have problems performing at work. This might include arriving late,
missing shifts, failing to meet project deadlines, or getting into arguments
with colleagues. Eventually, this can lead to job loss.
4. Relationships: Drug usage has a negative impact on a person's
relationships. It has long been known that marriage (or other long-term,
committed relationships) and substance abuse don't mix. Having a partner
who drinks too much or uses drugs is very much like throwing a stone
into a still pond: the effects ripple out and influences all that is nearby. In
the case of a partner who uses drugs or drinks too much, the effect is felt
by his or her children, relatives, friends, and co-workers. However, many
would argue that, aside from the abuser, the greatest price is often paid by
the abuser's partner.

POLICIES:
1. There should be more rehabilitation Centers.
2. There should be crack down on drug manufacturing gangs by
Law enforcement agencies.

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 3. There should be psychological help for people getting into drug
addiction.
4. There should be produce short films and drams showcasing side
effects of drug abuse to discourage younger generation from its
use.
5. There should be strict drug enforcement law.
6. There should be higher taxes on cigarettes and alcohol.
7. There should be check and balance on chemicals used in illicit
drug manufacturing such as morphine, sulphates etc. never be
sold to any buyer with government license.
8. There should be Medical drugs such as opioids, ibuprofen not
sold to someone with prescription.
9. There should be use of social media (Facebook, Instagram) to
warn general public against drug addiction and its aftereffects.
10. Government should make means to educate people that drug
addiction isn’t taboo can be treated as a normal illness.

Thank You

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