Drug Education Prevention and

Control
Chapter 3
Drugs

A medicine or other substance which has

a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise
introduced into the body.
How Do Drugs Work?
Drugs are essentially poisons. The amount taken determines the effect.

A small amount acts as a stimulant (speeds you up). A greater amount acts as a sedative (slows you
down). An even larger amount poisons and can kill.

This is true of any drug. Only the amount needed to achieve the effect differs.

But many drugs have another liability: they directly affect the mind. They can distort the user’s
perception of what is happening around him or her. As a result, the person’s actions may be odd,
irrational, inappropriate and even destructive.

Drugs block off all sensations, the desirable ones with the unwanted. So, while providing short-term
help in the relief of pain, they also wipe out ability and alertness and muddy one’s thinking.

Medicines are drugs that are intended to speed up or slow down or change something about the way
your body is working, to try to make it work better. Sometimes they are necessary. But they are still
drugs: they act as stimulants or sedatives, and too much can kill you. So if you do not use medicines
as they are supposed to be used, they can be as dangerous as illegal drugs.
Drugs Affect the Mind
Normally, when a person remembers something, the mind
is very fast and information comes to him quickly. But drugs blur
memory, causing blank spots. When a person tries to get
information through this cloudy mess, he can’t do it. Drugs
make a person feel slow or stupid and cause him to have
failures in life. And as he has more failures and life gets harder,
he wants more drugs to help him deal with the problem.
SHORT-TERM HAZARDS OF DRUG ABUSE
Psychoactive drugs are mind-altering-They can change the way you think, act, and
feel.

Abusing drugs can make you feel invincible, excited, and euphoric. You may behave
in a way that is not normal for you, cause you to become hostile, paranoid, or even
violent. Psychotic side effects like hallucinations and delusions are also a possibility
from drug abuse. These behaviors can be erratic or unpredictable, which could result
in getting yourself into a situation that can have real consequences.

While it might make you feel good temporarily, drugs can also lower your inhibitions
and make you more likely to take bigger risks that can lead to injuries or possibly
even legal or criminal consequences.

People often take illicit drugs to get high, to cause that euphoric release. The high
can be hard to manage, however.
ADDICTION & LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF DRUG USE
When you use drugs over and over again on a regular basis, they can impact your entire bodily
system. Drugs interact with the way your brain sends chemical messages throughout the central
nervous system, which tells your body how to react. Brain chemistry is disrupted through drug use,
and repeated use changes the way your brain works.

danger-concerns-symptoms
When you take a drug repeatedly, your brain will learn to tolerate it. Eventually, it will begin to depend
on the drug and will no longer work the same way to balance itself without the drug present. You can
then feel flat, numb, and sad when you aren’t taking drugs.

When your brain is physically dependent on a drug after chronic use, you can suffer from significant
physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms and intense cravings when the drug wears off. This can
lead to compulsive drug use to keep this from happening. Loss of control over drug use is one of the
hallmarks of addiction.

NIDA explains that long-term drug use interferes with normal brain functioning. Some of the impact of
drug use on the brain may be reversible, but some of it may not be.

Long-term drug use can also have serious medical and mental health complications.
WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE DRUGS?
People take drugs because they want to change something about
their lives.

Here are some of the reasons young people have given for taking
drugs:
They think drugs are a solution. But
• To fit in eventually, the drugs become the problem.
• To escape or relax
• To relieve boredom Difficult as it may be to face one’s problems,
• To seem grown up the consequences of drug use are always
• To rebel worse than the problem one is trying to solve
• To experiment with them. The real answer is to get the facts
and not to take drugs in the first place.
Stressful early life experiences – such as being abused,
suffering from trauma, even prenatal exposure to alcohol or
other drugs – can put a person at greater risk for addiction.
Being around other peers who drink and use drugs, as well as
lacking parental supervision at home, also plays a part in a
person’s risk.
How to Prevent Drug Addiction?
1. Learn to Deal With Life’s Pressures
The inability to deal with normal life pressures is one of the major reasons that drive people to drugs and alcohol.
For many people, drug and alcohol consumption is a way to escape the harsh realities of life. Learning to cope with
life’s pressures will go a long way when it comes to helping people stay away from drugs and alcohol.

2. Don’t Give in to Peer Pressure

Some people, particularly teenagers and young adults, experiment with drugs just to portray a cool image in front of
others. They do it to fit in among their circle of friends. Some kids wrongly believe that doing drugs or consuming
alcohol will make them more acceptable and popular with other kids. Not giving into peer pressure can and will
prevent drug addiction.

3. Develop Close Family Ties

Research indicates that people who share a close relationship with their families are less likely to become drug
addicts. The guidance and support provided by the family makes it easier for a person to deal with life pressures
and stay away from all types of harmful substances. The same is true for having a close relationship with good
friends that are responsible and trustworthy.

4. Develop Healthy Habits

Eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly is another way of preventing drug and alcohol addiction. Being
healthy and active makes it easier for people to deal with life stresses. This in turn, reduces the temptation to rely on
drugs and alcohol to deal with stress. A healthy diet and regular exercise promotes feel good chemicals in the brain.
TIPS FOR STAYING DRUG-FREE
1. Learn to Set SMART Goals
Setting goals can help you stay drug-free, but if you set broad or expansive goals,
they become more difficult to achieve and can cause more harm than good. With that
in mind, remember the acronym SMARTwhen you’re setting goals. SMART stands for:

Specific — Set a targeted goal that you can achieve rather than a broad one that
you’re working toward.
Measurable — Set a goal with progress points that you can measure. Don’t rely on
arbitrary statements, but on actual data.
Achievable — Make sure that this is a goal that you can achieve. Don’t set your goal
to walk on the moon if you’re not healthy enough to pass an astronaut physical.
Realistic — Don’t shoot for the stars with your goal setting. Stay firmly grounded here
on Earth, especially when you’re setting your goals.
Timely — Give yourself a specific time limit to complete your goal. Make sure it
adheres to the other four letters of the acronym.
2. Build Habits to Stay Busy

When you repeat a task over and over again, you start
to create a habit — something that you can do without really
thinking about it. Some habits are good, like brushing our teeth
or exercising, while others — like drug use or smoking — are
bad. Whether you’re forming good or bad habits, what you’re
doing is rewiring your brain. Repetitive tasks create new
pathways in your brain and become permanent. That’s why it’s
so difficult to break bad habits. You literally have to rewire your
brain to break those habits.
3. Sweat it out.

Try to squeeze in at least 30 minutes of exercise.

According to a study at Mayo Clinic, exercise helps
reduce stress, improves mild-to-moderate depression
and anxiety, improves sleep and boosts mood. Those
new to exercise shouldn’t feel intimidated. The study
suggests a simple brisk walk is enough to reap these
benefits.
4. Cut out toxic relationships.

Take responsibility for recovery by being honest with

unhealthy friendships or romances. Ask for their respect in
lifestyle changes, like the need for space. Ending it doesn’t
mean the other person is “bad.” This is not assigning blame—
only maintaining well-being.
5. Utilize support systems.

Support networks may include family, friends,

colleagues, recovery meeting participants, sponsors or
therapists. Verbalizing feelings, even when it’s uncomfortable,
can help conceptualize and take responsibility for the next
steps necessary. Joining and becoming engaged in a
recovery community is beneficial as well, as it allows
relationships to develop between people who have shared
experiences and understand each other. Also remember that
a support system isn’t only there to help through the bad—
they are there to celebrate the good, as well.
6. Practice positive self talk.
Celebrate your victories instead of focusing on perceived failures. You’ve
already taken the incredibly brave step to walk through addiction
recovery. No matter where you are in your journey, you’re already a
champion. When you feel tempted to criticize yourself, berate former
mistakes or numb negative emotions with a substance, focus on
employing positive self-talk.

Think about the things you’re proud of and any experiences where you
were able to stay strong in your sobriety. Make a list of attributes you like
about yourself or others have complimented you for. Surround yourself
with positive statements and things that inspire and excite you.
7. Adopt a pet.
A furry or fluffy companion can help ease stress,
anxiety and loneliness in an emotionally healthy way.
Emotional support animals are shown to have a host of
health benefits, including boosting your feel-good
hormones and lowering your blood pressure with their
calming nature. Caring for a pet also provides you with
extra everyday responsibility and motivation to stay drug-
free.
8. Walk away from stress.

Stress is often one of the factors that push former

substance users to relapse. Some level of stress is
unavoidable, but there are others that we can pluck right
out of our lives. Take a stress-free stance and, whenever
possible, respectfully remove yourself from situations or
people that bring anxiety. Learn the power of saying “no”
to requests that will bring negative energy to your life,
and pursue healthy opportunities that make you want to
say “yes.”
9. Avoid temporary solutions.
Don’t train your body and mind to become accustomed to
short-term feel-good measures. If you’re always pursuing a quick
fix to solve any unhappiness, stress or discontent in your life,
you may be more likely to turn to drugs as another one of those
temporary solutions. Instead, pursue long-lasting and
sustainable health in the form of hobbies, nutritious food, regular
exercise, positive friendships and self-care habits.
10. Give back.

One of the best ways to stay drug-free is to give yourself

as many reasons as possible to remain sober. Investing in others
can be a very sustainable and fulfilling reason. Volunteer to
spend your time and talent helping a cause you care about, or
share your story and experiences with others who may be a step
or two behind you in the addiction recovery process.
11. Get rid of triggers.
Everyone has their own triggers that tempt them to start using
drugs again. Maybe it’s a particular person or group of people.
Maybe it’s a time of year. Maybe it’s a place or type of
environment. Be conscious of your triggers and take steps to
avoid them.

This might be as simple as avoiding a certain location or asking

for extra support during the holidays. However, you might also
need to take more drastic measures, such as moving or letting
go of former friendships. No matter how difficult it may be,
addressing your triggers will help you stay drug-free in the long
term.
Tips to overcome drug addiction:
Surround yourself with supportive people- One of the most important things you
can do to stay sober is to find friends who are sober, too. While it may be hard to
cut off unhealthy relationships of your past, hanging out with people who support
your need to stay clean will pay off in the long run.
Find new hobbies- Staying busy is the best way to keep your mind off your desire
to use. Not only that, but establishing an interesting and rewarding hobby can also
help you find joy and purpose in your life, and replace your old unhealthy habits
with new drug-free activities.
Exercise- Working out is good for the body and the mind. As your physical health
improves, you’ll also experience the “natural high” of endorphins, which can
elevate your mood. And an exercise routine creates a structure to your days,
helping to reduce your risk of a relapse.
Volunteer- Finding a worthy cause to support while in recovery allows you to help
others while helping yourself. Giving back to the community can help you discover
a sense of purpose, build healthy connections and friendships, and feel good
about the contributions you’re making to society.
Eat well- The food you eat has a serious impact on your wellbeing. By making sure
you consume a healthy, well-rounded diet, you’ll keep yourself in shape – both
physically and mentally. And if you’re feeling good, then you’re less likely to turn to
drugs for a mood booster.
Talk it out- Sometimes, you need someone to talk to about what’s going on in your
recovery. Sharing your thoughts with someone who understands your experiences
and can help support you through the difficult times is invaluable. Find a local
support group, work with a sponsor, or call up a trusted friend to talk to when the
going gets tough.
Meditate- Mindfulness exercises have been proven to relieve stress and anxiety, as
well as to decrease blood pressure and improve immune function. Developing a
meditation practice can help you to find calm and peace, and quiet your mind in an
otherwise turbulent time.
Seek professional help- Recovery from drug addiction is hard, and there’s no shame
in asking for extra help from a medical professional when you need it. Physicians
and behavioral therapists can set you up for success with structured programs,
providing a safe way to prevent relapses and maintain sobriety.
Thankyou for Listening
Reference:

https://www.gatewayfoundation.org/addiction-blog/tips-for-staying-drug-free/
https://apibhs.com/2017/07/30/how-to-overcome-drug-addiction-tips-for-recovery
https://www.turnbridge.com/news-events/latest-articles/causes-of-drug-addiction
https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/drugs/why-do-people-take-drugs.html
https://valleyrecovery.com/factors-contribute-drug-addiction/
https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/know-about-drugs.html