Healthcare Ethics Team

Objectives
1. Identify the most abused substances
2. Differentiate therapeutic from non-therapeutic drugs.
3. Determine the ethical issue on the use of drugs
4. Identify what impacts ethical evaluation of the drugs
 Proposed Strategy
• Video Presentations
• Focus group discussions on cases about use of drugs
• Open Forum
 most abused substances

alcohol tobacco most abused substances

Alcohol, tobacco and marijuana rates are the highest.
§ Adolescents with family history of substance or physical abuse are at high risk for
developing substance abuse problems
§ alcohol use disorder (AUD), which indicates that the use of alcohol has become a person’s
normal function of living or has progressed to the point of causing physical, mental, social,
or personal adverse effects.
§ Such persons may also be prone to depression, low self-esteem, feeling like outcasts, or not
fitting in with their peers.
An ethical issue that is associated with the use of and abuse of alcohol and other dru
gs is the dilemma of balancing adolescent’s rights to autonomy, privacy, and freedom to
determine their own actions against the harmful effects of irresponsible use of alcohol and
other drugs.
 Therapeutic use of Drug
If the medical professional’s guiding principle is to
relieve pain and to mitigate or treat the
consequences of a physical or mental disturbance,
then it is licit to use drugs, such as analgesics,
anesthetics, sleeping pills, for therapeutic purposes.
The use of analgesics eventually shortens the life of a
patient because these have toxic side effects. In
which case, the use of analgesics to alleviate pain
must fulfill two conditions:
1.One does not intend to suppress pain at all costs,
but only to reasonably diminish it; and
2.The sedatives must not impede the patient from
preparing himself for death: he must be lucid enough
to fulfill his duties to God, to his family and to
society.
Non-Therapeutic Use of Drugs
The use of hard drugs cause grave harm.
However, some still question the danger of
habituarugsally taking “soft” drugs. The well-
known , hashish,
amphetamines, some analgesics, and
tranquilizers. The term “soft” is misleading.
Although they seem harmless, recent studies
show these substances are more dangerous
than what most people believe them to be.
Continued use of drugs wreaks havoc on one’s
personality. Drug-induced sensations enslave
the intellect and annihilate the ability to
appreciate values and idea
 ,
§ one must first remember that although the
abovementioned drugs fall under two general
classifications,
A.each one has its characteristic effects.
B. The dosage taken, the concentration and the mode of
administration,past experience, the emotional state of the
subject and the environment play important roles.
• All these factors have an impact on the ethical evaluation.
Finally, it is important to know whether a drug is consumed
sporadically or habitually.
 Summary

1.In a few cases, more abstract than true-to-life the sporadic use of “soft” drugs may be
considered licit.

2.It may also be minor offense in some jurisdiction as in the case of an adult who
occasionally smokes “pot” for curiosity’s sake.
3.Nevertheless, given the many negative effects, the use of “soft” drugs remains ethically
illicit. To take drugs is an attempt at destroying one’s life.One’s psychological or physical
health. Drug use breeds vice and criminal acts
4.Despite attempts to legalize drug use, the act remains ethically reproachable. At best, the
drug use indulges in selfish gratification and, at worst, in dangerous self-destruction. The
mere consideration of the suffering entailed, as well as the high cost of drugs and the long
painful and expensive route toward rehabilitation, should be enough to deter one from
even playing around with these substances.
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