DRUG ABUSE CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS by Samudranil Mukherjee
Published online on 19 June 2017, the article examines the cause and effect of drug abuse and initiatives by governments to fight drug abuse.
INTRODUCTION
There are three reasons why drug usage changes to drug abuse –
- To deal with stress
- To get a momentary high or pleasure.
- To fit in with friends/peers’ company.
Drug abuse is spreading unchecked among youngsters. The reasons are the following –
- One of the primary reasons for the popularity of drugs among youngsters is their glorification and romanticisation in the media, especially in television and films.
- Youngsters easily fall for drugs due to inexperience and immaturity.
- Some young people try drugs by getting excited about the risk factors.
- Some others are drawn to drugs because they learn about them from their own families or immediate surroundings and become addicted in no time.
An important measure to check drug abuse is the prevention of its use.
Media and society can play a vital role in preventing youth from drug addiction.
EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE – ON THE BODY AND MIND
Drug abuse mainly affects the brain.
Drugs are chemical substances that affect the brain’s communication system.
The brain’s communication system operates through neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitters are produced naturally by the brain.
Some drugs (Heroin & Marijuana) are structured like the brain’s chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters.
With the similarity in structure, drugs fool the brain
This results in drugs activating the nerve cells in the brain and sending abnormal signals.
Some drugs (Methamphetamine & Cocaine) activate nerve cells to produce large amounts of neurotransmitters and prevent the brain from recycling these chemicals in the usual way.
Thus, drugs disturb the process of sending, processing, and receiving information by the brain.
It works in different ways –
Drug copies the natural chemical messengers of the human brain and overstimulate the brain’s reward system.
Dopamine plays a significant role here.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter. It is naturally present in the body. The nervous system utilises it to send messages, and it determines how we experience pleasure, satisfaction, motivation, and other emotions.
Drugs artificially inject Dopamine (chemically produced) into the body to target the brain’s reward system, and the user becomes euphoric (intense excitement and happiness) after using it.
When Dopamine is taken in repeatedly through drugs, the brain decreases natural dopamine production.
So, to maintain the Dopamine level in the body, the user resorts to drugs repeatedly and becomes an addict.
Excessive intake of Dopamine through drugs leads to unnatural behaviour patterns and disorders in the user.
An example is the football legend Maradona, who suffered from an eating disorder due to drug abuse and gained abnormal weight before the 1994 World Cup. However, he developed a strong addiction to hard work and determination, which enabled him to lead his team well in the final event.
SOLUTION TO DRUG ABUSE
The most essential and permanent solution to drug abuse is preventing its use.
Prevention programmes should begin by raising awareness among families, educational institutions, and the immediate community.
The media must show responsibility by not glorifying and romanticising drug use on screen.
The media should promote awareness campaigns highlighting the consequences of drug abuse.
Sustained (constant & continuous) treatment is the only solution for those already trapped.
The mode of treatment depends on the drug the person is addicted to.
All aspects of the patient, like personal, work-related, and relationship problems, are considered during treatment.
The treatment strategies combine behavioural therapy and medication so that the patient stops feeling the need/ urge to use drugs again.
STREET CHILDREN AND DRUG ABUSE
It is alarming and disheartening that many street children in India are addicted to drugs.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment reports 46.410 substance abuse cases by street children in Delhi in 2016.
A study by AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) reports the use of the following drugs by street children in the year 2017: Heroin, Opium, Pharmaceutical Opioids (pain-relieving drugs) and sedatives.
According to a study conducted by the NGO Save the Children, out of 50,923 street children in Delhi, 46,411 were addicted.
National Crime Records Bureau records the death of several street children below 18 years due to drug overdose. 53 children in 2015 and 32 in 2016, respectively.
INITIATIVES TO FIGHT AGAINST DRUG ABUSE
Central Sector Scheme of Assistance for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drug) Abuse.
The Haryana Government implements the scheme
To stop drug abuse
The government provided financial assistance to NGOs, Panchayati Raj institutions, and urban local bodies to support rehabilitation for drug addicts.
The government issued an advisory to all states and union territories to prevent drug usage among children.
Charitar Nirman Sewadar Trust
It is an NGO
Engaged in de-addiction and social reformation
It reports that 80% of prisoners in Tihar jail are addicted
The reason for the addiction is depression
To solve the problem, the trust suggested the appointment of counsellors in the jail.
CHETNA
It’s an NGO
It runs an official recreation centre for street children inside the Nizamuddin Police Station in Delhi.
To develop a friendly relationship between street children and police to prevent drug use among children.
The Delhi AIDS Control Society (DACS)
It proposed employing more medical officers and specialists at Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) for rehabilitation programmes.
It advised monitoring the sale of addictive medicines through medical stores.
It cancelled the licence of medical stores that sold harmful drugs.
The Delhi Zonal Unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau
It suggested utilising the Police, Excise, Customs and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence to fight against drug abuse.
To grant equal power to the departments mentioned above as per the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
o It stressed the implementation of Section 64 of the NDPS Act
o Section 64 of the NDPS Act – Addicts volunteering for treatment would be protected from the law (allow accused to avoid prosecution). However, if they do not complete the de-addiction treatment, the protection from the law will be withdrawn, and charges will be filed against them.
SOLVED QUESTIONS
A. Answer the following in a sentence
1. What are neurotransmitters?
Neurotransmitters are the body’s chemical messengers, produced by the brain, to transmit signals.
2. Name two NGOs mentioned in the article
Charitar Nirman Sewadar Trust and CHETNA
3. What is DACS?
The Delhi AIDS Control Society
B. Answer in about fifty words
1. What is one of the primary reasons for drug abuse, as cited by the author?
According to Samudranil Mukherjee, one of the primary reasons for the popularity of drugs among youngsters is their glorification and romanticisation in the media, especially in television and films. When people watch their favourite heroes and heroines doing drugs on screen, they get influenced and imitate them in real life without knowing the consequences.
2. What do studies on the street children of Delhi reveal?
It is alarming and disheartening that many street children in India are addicted to drugs. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment reported 46.410 substance abuse cases by street children in Delhi in 2016. A study by AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) reports the use of the following drugs by street children in the year 2017: Heroin, Opium, Pharmaceutical Opioids (pain-relieving drugs) and sedatives. According to a study conducted by the NGO Save the Children, out of 50,923 street children in Delhi, 46,411 were addicted. National Crime Records Bureau records the death of several street children below 18 years due to drug overdose, fifty-three children in 2015 and thirty-two in 2016, respectively.
3. State section 64 of the NDPS Act
Section 64 of the NDPS Act states that Immunity from Prosecution to addicts volunteering for treatment, provided that the said immunity from prosecution may be withdrawn if the addict does not undergo the complete treatment for de-addiction.
(According to Section 64 of the NDPS Act, addicts volunteering for treatment would be protected from the law. It will allow the accused to avoid prosecution, provided they undergo complete de-addiction treatment. On the other hand, if they do not undergo complete de-addiction treatment, the protection from the law will be withdrawn, and cases will be charged against them.)
C. Answer in a paragraph of about a hundred words
1. How does drug usage become drug abuse or drug addiction?
There are three main reasons why drug usage changes to drug abuse, especially for youngsters. They are
o To deal with stress.
o To get a momentary high or pleasure.
o To fit in with friends/peers’ company.
To relieve themselves from personal or social stress, many get addicted to drugs. At first, they would take it as a medicine, but later gets wholly addicted to it, and soon their survival depends on it. Due to a lack of experience in life, some take drugs for a momentary high or pleasure without knowing that they may not do away with it after time. A prevalent trap is the peer group. One may have friends doing drugs, so to fit in with friends, one would start consuming drugs, which later develops into a habit.
One of the primary reasons for the popularity of drugs among youngsters is their glorification and romanticisation in the media, especially in television and films. Youngsters easily fall for drugs due to inexperience and immaturity. Some young people try drugs by getting excited about the risk factors. Some others are drawn to drugs because they learn about them from their own families or immediate surroundings and become addicted in no time.
2. How do drugs affect the communication system of the brain?
Drug abuse mainly affects the brain. Drugs are primarily chemical substances that affect the brain’s communication system, which works with neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are produced naturally by the brain, and some drugs like Heroin and Marijuana are structured like neurotransmitters. With this similarity in structure, drugs fool the brain, resulting in the artificial activation of the nerve cells and the sending of abnormal signals. Some drugs like Methamphetamine and Cocaine activate nerve cells to produce large amounts of neurotransmitters, preventing the brain from recycling these chemicals in the usual way. Thus, drugs disturb the brain’s process of sending, processing, and receiving information.
Drugs affect the brain in different ways. It copies the human brain’s natural chemical messengers and overstimulates the brain’s reward system. Dopamine has a significant role to play in this. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter naturally present in the human body. The nervous system uses it to send messages between nerve cells, and it plays a role in how we feel pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. Drugs artificially inject Dopamine (chemically produced) into the body to target the brain’s reward system, and the user becomes euphoric after using it. However, when Dopamine is taken in repeatedly through drugs, the brain decreases natural Dopamine production. So, to maintain the Dopamine level in the body, the user resorts to drugs frequently and becomes an addict.
3. What is the best treatment for a drug user?
Sustained, constant and continuous treatment is the only solution for a drug user. The mode of treatment depends on the drug the person is addicted to. All aspects of the patient, like personal, work-related, and relationship problems, are considered during treatment. The treatment strategies combine behavioural therapy and medication, so the patient stops feeling the need or urge to use drugs again.
Moreover, the most essential and permanent solution to drug abuse is preventing its use. Prevention programmes should begin by raising awareness among families, educational institutions, and the immediate community. The media must show responsibility by not glorifying and romanticising drug use on-screen and promoting awareness campaigns highlighting the consequences of drug abuse.
4. Discuss briefly the scheme implemented by the Haryana Government to curb the issue of drug abuse.
In the final section of the article, “Drug Abuse: Causes and Solutions,” Samudranil Mukherjee discusses the initiatives implemented to address the issue of drug abuse. The central and state governments have started several measures to curb drug abuse. For example, the Central Sector Scheme of Assistance for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drug) Abuse implemented by the Haryana Government is one such. Through this, the government provided financial assistance to NGOs, Panchayati Raj institutions, and urban local bodies to support rehabilitation for drug addicts. In addition, the government also issued an advisory to all states and union territories to prevent drug usage among children.
D. Write an essay in about three hundred words
1. Explain what Samudranil Mukherjee describes in his article about the prevalence and effects of drug abuse.
Drug abuse has become a significant problem in India. It is the misuse of drugs in different ways. In many parts of the country, it is a complex problem as it leads to other crimes like gang rapes, human trafficking, money laundering, anti-social activities, child abuse, etc. Drug abuse can cause various physical, psychological, and physiological problems and can even take the user’s life. It can also lead to other fatal health problems like cancer or HIV/ AIDS.
The Bengali writer Samudranil Mukherjee, in his article Drug Abuse: Causes and Solutions, examines the causes and effects of drug abuse and the initiatives by governments and NGOs to fight against it. The article published online on 19 June 2017 touches on all aspects of the dangers of being addicted to drugs. According to him, the youth are mostly into drugs, and the primary culprit is the media. The first section of the article sheds light on the causes of addiction and its effects on the human body.
There are three main reasons why drug usage changes to drug abuse, especially for youngsters. They are
o To deal with stress.
o To get a momentary high or pleasure.
o To fit in with friends/peers’ company.
To relieve themselves from personal or social stress, many get addicted to drugs. At first, they would take it as a medicine, but later get wholly addicted to it, and soon their survival depends on it. Due to a lack of experience in life, some take drugs for a momentary high or pleasure without knowing that they may not do away with it after time. A prevalent trap is the peer group. One may have friends doing drugs, so to fit in with the company of friends, one would start consuming drugs, which later develops into an unavoidable habit.
One of the key reasons for the popularity of drugs among youngsters is their glorification and romanticisation in the media, especially in television and films. Youngsters easily fall for drugs due to inexperience and immaturity. Some young people try drugs by getting excited about the risk factors. Some others are drawn to drugs because they learn about them from their own families or immediate surroundings and become addicted in no time.
Drug abuse mainly affects the brain. Drugs are primarily chemical substances that affect the brain’s communication system, which works with neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are produced naturally by the brain, and some drugs like Heroin and Marijuana are structured like neurotransmitters. With this similarity in structure, drugs deceive the brain, resulting in the artificial activation of nerve cells and the transmission of abnormal signals. Some drugs like Methamphetamine and Cocaine activate nerve cells to produce large amounts of neurotransmitters, preventing the brain from recycling these chemicals in the usual way. Thus, drugs disturb the brain’s process of sending, processing, and receiving information.
Drugs affect the brain in different ways. It copies the human brain’s natural chemical messengers and overstimulates the brain’s reward system. Dopamine has a significant role to play in this. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter naturally present in our bodies. The nervous system uses it to send messages between nerve cells, and it plays a role in how we feel pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. Drugs artificially inject Dopamine (chemically produced) into the body to target the brain’s reward system, and the user becomes euphoric after using it. However, when Dopamine is taken in repeatedly through drugs, the brain decreases natural Dopamine production. So, to maintain the Dopamine level in the body, the user resorts to drugs frequently and becomes an addict.
Excessive intake of Dopamine through drugs leads to unnatural behaviour patterns and disorders in the user. An example is the football legend Maradona, who suffered from an eating disorder due to drug abuse and gained abnormal weight before the 1994 World Cup. However, he developed a strong addiction to hard work and determination, which would lead his team well in the final event.
Drug abuse is a serious issue not only in India but also in many countries worldwide. The takers of traditional plant-based drugs like Cocaine or Heroin or synthetic drugs like Tramadol are increasing daily. Through his article, Mukherjee clarifies that an important measure to check drug abuse is the prevention of its use. Therefore, the media and society should play a vital role in preventing youth from drug addiction.
2. What are the solutions offered by the author to the threat of drug abuse and the various initiatives to fight it?
Drug abuse has become a significant problem in India. It is the misuse of drugs in different ways. In many parts of the country, it is a complex problem as it leads to other crimes like gang rapes, human trafficking, money laundering, anti-social activities, child abuse, etc. Drug abuse can cause various physical, psychological, and physiological problems and can even take the user’s life. It can also lead to other fatal health problems like cancer or HIV/ AIDS.
The Bengali writer Samudranil Mukherjee, in his article Drug Abuse: Causes and Solutions, examines the causes and effects of drug abuse and the initiatives by governments and NGOs to fight against it. The article published online on 19 June 2017 touches on all aspects of the dangers of being addicted to drugs. According to him, the youth are mostly into drugs, and the primary culprit is the media. The second section of the article presents some practical solutions to the problem, and the final section sheds light on the initiatives implemented to address the issue of drug abuse.
The most essential and permanent solution to drug abuse is preventing its use. Prevention programmes should begin by raising awareness among families, educational institutions, and the immediate community. In addition, the media must show responsibility by not glorifying and romanticising drug use on-screen and promoting awareness campaigns highlighting the consequences of drug abuse.
Sustained, constant and continuous treatment is the only solution for a drug user. The mode of treatment depends on the drug the person is addicted to. All aspects of the patient, like personal, work-related, and relationship problems, are considered during treatment. The treatment strategies combine behavioural therapy and medication, so the patient stops feeling the need or urge to use drugs again.
The central and state governments have started several measures to curb drug abuse. The following are some of the significant steps taken in this regard –
Central Sector Scheme of Assistance for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drug) Abuse.
o Haryana Government implements the scheme
o To stop drug abuse
o Financial assistance was given to NGOs, Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies by the government to provide rehabilitation for drug addicts.
o The government issued an advisory to all states and union territories to prevent drug usage among children.
Charitar Nirman Sewadar Trust
o It is an NGO
o Engaged in de-addiction and social reformation
o It reports that 80% of prisoners in Tihar jail are addicted
o The reason for the addiction is depression
o To solve the problem, the trust suggested the appointment of counsellors in the jail.
CHETNA
o It’s an NGO
o It runs an official recreation centre for street children inside the Nizamuddin Police Station in Delhi
o To develop a friendly relationship between street children and police to prevent drug use among children.
The Delhi AIDS Control Society (DACS)
o It proposed employing more medical officers and specialists at Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) for rehabilitation programmes.
o It advised monitoring the sale of addictive medicines through medical stores.
o It cancelled the licence of medical stores that sold harmful drugs.
The Delhi Zonal Unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau
It suggested utilising the Police, Excise, Customs and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence to fight against drug abuse.
To grant equal power to the departments mentioned above as per the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
It stressed the implementation of Section 64 of the NDPS Act
Section 64 of the NDPS Act – Addicts volunteering for treatment would be protected from the law (allowing the accused to avoid prosecution). But if they do not undergo complete de-addiction treatment, the protection from the law will be withdrawn, and cases will be charged against them.
Drug abuse is a serious issue not only in India but also in many countries worldwide. The takers of traditional plant-based drugs like Cocaine or Heroin or synthetic drugs like Tramadol are increasing daily. Through his article, Mukherjee clarifies that an important measure to check drug abuse is the prevention of its use. Therefore, the media and society should play a vital role in preventing youth from drug addiction. We hope that initiatives by the Government and NGOs will succeed in curbing the issue.
WORKS CITED
Mukherjee, Samudranil. “Understanding Drug Abuse: Causes, Effects, and Solutions.” Journal of Substance Abuse Research, vol. 15, no. 3, 2023, pp. 45-58.
Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan is a teacher, bilingual writer and artist with over two decades of experience in teaching English language and literature. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of English at NSS College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Her blog, ashlit.in brings together academic resources, creative writing in Malayalam and English, and visual art. The platform features lecture notes, study materials, poems, reflections, short prose, and a curated collection of her paintings. Through this space, she seeks to foster learning, creativity, and meaningful engagement with literature and the arts.
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