2. What are Drugs?
A drug is any substance (with the exception
of food and water) which, when taken into the
body, alters the body’s function either
physically and/or psychologically. Drugs may
be legal (e.g. alcohol, caffeine and tobacco)
or illegal (e.g. cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine
and heroin). Psychoactive drugs affect the
central nervous system and alter a person's
mood, thinking and behaviour. Psychoactive
drugs may be divided into four categories:
depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens and
'other'.
3. What are types of drug addiction?
● stimulants
These make you feel:
● energetic
● alert
● talkative
● active
● very excited
They can be very dangerous
(causing death) at high
doses.Repeated use can
cause psychosis and
paranoia, which may be
diagnosed as schizophrenia.
They are also addictive.
Example:Cocain
● depressants
These make you feel:
● relaxed
● chilled out
● mellow
● possible paradoxical
effects – anxiety,
nightmares,
aggression
They are dangerous at
high doses. They are
addictive.
Example:Alcohol
Opium-related painkillers
These make you feel:
● a rush of pleasure
● in a dreamy state
● drowsy
They are very
dangerous at high
doses. They are
addictive.
Example:Heroin
4. How do drugs work?
Drugs interfere with the way neurons
send, receive, and process signals
via neurotransmitters. Some drugs,
such as marijuana and heroin, can
activate neurons because their
chemical structure mimics that of a
natural neurotransmitter in the body.
This allows the drugs to attach onto
and activate the neurons
5. What are the symptoms of drug addiction?
The signs and symptoms vary from
one addiction type to another,
but some common symptoms of
addiction include:
● An inability to stop
● Changes in mood, appetite,
and sleep
● Continuing despite negative
consequences
● Denial
● Engaging in risky behaviors
● Feeling preoccupied with the
substance or behavior
● Legal and financial problems
● Losing interest in other
things you used to enjoy
● Putting the substance or
behavior ahead of other parts
of life including family,
work, and other
responsibilities
● Secrecy
● Using increasingly larger
amounts of a substance
● Taking more of the substance
than you intended
6. What is the primary
cause of addiction?
Research has now been
established to support a
three-factor standard for
vulnerability to drug addiction
,however, can rarely be
attributed to just one cause,
and it is important to consider
the various factors that may
work together to contribute to
addiction:
● Genetics
● Environment
● Our Brain and Body
● Our Support Systems
7. World Drug Report 2019: 35 million people
worldwide suffer from drug use disorders while
only 1 in 7 people receive treatment
AROUND THE GLOBE:
Colombia's reputation as the
cocaine capital of the world has
attracted tourists, to the dismay
of locals. In Medellín, a small
industry has grown around sites
related to Pablo Escobar. Drug
dealers are cashing in too, selling
cocaine to visitors at prices much
cheaper than their homelands
35 million people were drug addict
in 2019 around the globe.
INDIA:
According to the AIIMS report,
India has nearly 12.6 lakh users in
this category, of which one-third
are in the harmful or dependent
category. Maharashtra has the
maximum (6 lakh) users, followed by
Telangana (2 lakh), Kerala (1 lakh)
and Delhi (63,000).(report of 2020)
9. Law on Drugs in India
The Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances Act,
1985, commonly referred to as the
NDPS Act, is an Act of the
Parliament of India that
prohibits a person the
production/manufacturing/cultivat
ion, possession, sale,
purchasing, transport, storage,
and/or consumption of any
narcotic drug or psychotropic
substance. The bill was
introduced in the Lok Sabha on 23
August 1985.
It was passed by both the Houses
of Parliament, received assent
from then President Giani Zail
Singh on 16 September 1985, and
came into force on 14 November
1985. The NDPS Act has since been
amended thrice — in 1988, 2001
and 2014. The Act extends to the
whole of India and it applies
also to all Indian citizens
outside India and to all persons
on ships and aircraft registered
in India
10. Narcotics
Control
Bureau
The Narcotics Control Bureau
was set up under the act
with effect from March 1986.
The Act is designed to
fulfill India's treaty
obligations under the Single
Convention on Narcotic
Drugs, Convention on
Psychotropic Substances, and
United Nations Convention
Against Illicit Traffic in
Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances.