According to the World Health Organization, almost 6 percent of the world’s population has abused drugs. Although this percentage seems small, it actually represents millions of people who have abused drugs. This statistic is very worrying because of the harmful effects of drug abuse. We need to find effective ways to fight this problem.
Drugs like heroin and cocaine have destructive effects on a person’s health. The drug user may face heart disease, liver and brain damage, and kidney failure. Drug users who share needles to inject themselves with drugs face a high risk of being infected with AIDS. Also, the brain damage caused by drugs is known to cause mental problems such as paranoia and hallucination. Furthermore, the negative health effects of drugs are not only limited to the drug user. If the drug addict is pregnant, there is a high chance that the unborn child will suffer mental and growth retardation.
Drug also has an adverse effect on society. A drug addict will do anything to get more drugs. The addict often commits crimes to get enough money to sustain his habit. The money spent on drugs may then be channeled to crime syndicates, which could use the money to fund other illegal activities. Unfortunately, drug abuse creates a group of people who are unable to work or study, and thus unable to benefit society.
Clearly, solutions must be found to resolve the issue of drug abuse. Firstly, the young must be educated on the dangers of drug abuse to prevent them from experimenting with dangerous substances. Secondly, there needs to be more effective law enforcement to stop the distribution of drugs. Drug pushers must be caught and severely punished. In addition, drug addicts need to be given help to get rid of their addiction. Better ways need to be found to rehabilitate them so that they can keep away from drugs and become useful citizens again.
To conclude, it is a sad fact that drug abuse is a serious problem in many countries around the world. More efforts are needed to stamp out this problem. The individual, the public and the authorities must work hand in hand in order to rid society of the terrible effects of drug abuse.
