Drug addiction is a major problem in Iran and is highly affecting the health of its population. Iran’s health has been under the influence of narcotics and addiction for many years, with it leading to the spreading of AIDS and even going as far to affecting the economy, thus, keeping the bridge between the rich and poor unreachable and unmanageable. Being one of the main narcotics Iran has been dealing with throughout the 20th Century, Opium, a reddish-brown heavy-scented addictive drug prepared from the juice of the opium poppy, has been trafficked through the country amassing millions of addicts in its wake. With over 2.8 percent of its population over the age of 15 addicted to it it’s become one of the main problems that leads to the branching out of other drugs. The use of Heroin and other …show more content…
Yet, Hassan Hashemi, Iran’s Minister of Health has stated, “Today people in Iran are frightened of AIDS because of misinformation and unscientific claims. This is why it remains a taboo.” This has led to an increase in the number of people affected by HIV/AIDS in the past 11 years with an 80 percent increase every year. With such a large taboo this had many infected with the virus keep to themselves and have limited contact with the outside world. However, the 2008 report on the global AIDS epidemic stated that Iran’s Needle Exchange Program, which is offered for those of low income to exchange needles to help stop the spread of such melodious diseases and viruses, is a courageous and visionary example in the battle against AIDS. Despite this for many Iranians drug addiction is the first response towards depression when confronted with problems they don’t know how to face. With 1-2 million out of its 70 million inhabitants addicted to narcotics the government of Iran has seemingly put drug abuse high on its list of things to take care of and with good
Drug addiction is on the largest contributing factors for the deaths of millions of people throughout out the ages. Todays day in age drugs have become more dangerously more potent than they were a decade back. The majority of the population believe that the reason addicts become hooked on drugs because the the chemical triggers found in the drug. This has caused many society as a whole to look down on drug addicts and treat them with less respect than anyone who is not a drug addict. Johann Hari is an english author and journalist who was published articles in newspapers like the New York times, Huffington post and the Guardian, Hari has published his own book Chasing the Scream were he goes into a three year journey on the war on drugs.
Needle exchange programs are a type of harm reduction initiative used in different parts of the world to combat HIV transmission. These programs provide injection drug users (IDUs) with clean needles and syringes (AVERT, 2015). These programs are run by pharmacies or other drug services, and can be either fixed or mobile sites (CDC, 2010). Besides aiming to reduce the transmission of HIV, these programs also provide advice on safe drug injection, how to minimize harm by drugs and overdose, how to safely handle injection equipment, and provide access to treatment if the person wishes. There are at least 90 countries that have implemented these programs, located in various areas such as the United States, Australia, Asia, Europe, Latin America,
One of the major problems of our society nowadays is the rapid growth of drug addicts. This is because people misused and abused drugs, which can lead to addiction and dependent on drugs. In addition, the most abused drugs are psychotropic drugs such as cocaine and heroin, which can change the way people thinks, acts and feels. Today, there are many programs that are established to help drug users and prevent the spread of diseases. Needle exchange program (NEPs) is one of the programs, which has goal to reduce harm to drug users and innocent people. Moreover, implementing of needle exchange programs has become an argument because it cannot help drug users but instead it encourages them to use more drugs. In fact, needle exchange programs are ineffective at reducing the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other infectious diseases; therefore, needle exchange programs should be abolished.
The study conducted by MacNeil & Pauly (2011) focused on the perspective of the people who use the needle exchange programs in Canada. To receive the data from the injecting drug users, the researchers first recruited most of their participants from four needle exchange sites. There were a total of 33 people who participated (23 men and 10 women) in this study. The average age of the participants was 40.3 years of age, for men, the average was 43, whereas for women it was 34 years old. The participants were either homeless or were on government assistance programs. Out of the 33 participants, six of them reported being HIV positive (18%) and 16 reported being diagnosed wi...
...ick, AlexH. Kral, ElizabethA. Erringer, JamesG. Kahn, Collateral damage in the war on drugs: HIV risk behaviors among injection drug users, International Journal of Drug Policy, Volume 10, Issue 1, 1 February 1999, Pages 25-38
Substance abuse and addiction have become a social problem that afflicts millions of individuals and disrupts the lives of their families and friends. Just one example reveals the extent of the problem: in the United States each year, more women and men die of smoking related lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined (Kola & Kruszynski, 2010). In addition to the personal impact of so much illness and early death, there are dire social costs: huge expenses for medical and social services; millions of hours lost in the workplace; elevated rates of crime associated with illicit drugs; and scores of children who are damaged by their parents’ substance abuse behavior (Lee, 2010). This paper will look at the different theories used in understanding drug abuse and addiction as well as how it can be prevented and treated.
...such a hard disease to fight. That’s why it is important for family members or friends to stand by their loved ones if they are suffering from drug addiction. It may make all the difference in the end.
The repeated use of drugs often causes both physical and psychological dependence, as mentioned in an article by the Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (“Drug Dependence”). In order for an individual to truly be set free from their addiction, seeking treatment is necessary. Rehab centers are a great place with scientifically proven methods to cure those addicted to drugs. It is important to try to end drug use in our country, rather than allowing it to continue longer than it already has. While funding for rehabilitation facilities could become an issue, drug users may continue their addiction without proper treatment, and therefore those arrested for drug use should be sent to a rehabilitation center instead of prison.
In many countries, drugs are becoming more common. In the history of the US, drug abuse and drugs have a long history. Nowadays, people are so much into drugs. Most drugs affect the brain and drug use is harmful. Every society and every family has been touched by the devastating effects of drug addiction.
“HIV/AIDS in Afghanistan.” THE WORLD BANK GROUP, 10 July 2012. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. .
Drug abuse and addiction are issues that affect people everywhere. However, these issues are usually treated as criminal activity rather than issues of public health. There is a conflict over whether addiction related to drug abuse is a disease or a choice. Addiction as a choice suggests that drug abusers are completely responsible for their actions, while addiction as a disease suggests that drug abusers need help in order to break their cycle of addiction. There is a lot of evidence that suggests that addiction is a disease, and should be treated rather than punished. Drug addiction is a disease because: some people are more likely to suffer from addiction due to their genes, drug abuse brought on by addictive behavior changes the brain and worsens the addiction, and the environment a person lives in can cause the person to relapse because addiction can so strongly affect a person.
Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.
Drug addiction is a very big problem in today’s society. Many people have had their lives ruined due to drug addiction. The people that use the drugs don’t even realize that they have an addiction. They continue to use the drug not even realizing that their whole world is crashing down around them. Drug addicts normally lose their family and friends due to drug addiction.
The use of drugs is a controversial topic in society today. In general, addicts show a direct link between taking drugs and suffering from their effects. People abuse drugs for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, the use of drugs will serve a type of purpose or will give some kind of reward. These reasons for use will differ with different kinds of drugs. Various reasons for using the substance can be pain relief, depression, anxiety and weariness, acceptance into a peer group, religion, and much more. Although reasons for using may vary for each individual, it is known by all that consequences of the abuse do exist. It is only further down the line when the effects of using can be seen.
Addiction and abuse of drugs have remained an unexplainable circumstance, even till today. A mistaken assumption is that drug abusers lack moral principles, and if given a chance or in the presence of will power, their selections could be altered. In reality, drug addiction is known as a complex disease and requires more than will power or mere good intentions to change. Due to the fact that drug addiction could change the way the brain works, with time, the brain promotes compulsive drug abuse. It is difficult to relent even if one is ready to do so. Drug abuse has negative influences not only in the lives of mortals, but also in the society.