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
People are trapped in drug addiction due to various reasons. Some will try to take drugs because of curiosity. Some have many people and friends take drugs, and some want to have the experience. Athletes take drugs with the aim of improving their performance as well as to reduce certain problems. i.e. depression, stress, or anxiety. The use of drugs does not lead to drug addiction automatically. It is not possible to measure the level at which the use of drugs may be regarded as casual or even problematic. It depends on the individual. Drug addiction is not determined by the amount of drugs consumed or the many times they are consumed, but the consequences brought about by the drug addiction. This means that irrespective of the small amount one consumes, as long as the use of drugs leads to problems in life, there is a high chance of drug addiction (Sinha 351). Although many unfortunate factors cause one to fall into drug addiction, many treatments exist to save an individual from the horrible consequences. This paper discusses some of them, for instance, family history of addiction, social environment, heredity, mental addiction, peer pressure, and escapism. The paper will also highlight the symptoms, physical addiction, and withdrawal. Finally, the paper aims at highlighting methods used to ensure an individual is able to recover from drug addiction. The family history of the drug or alcohol addict is likely to place an individual in a high risk position of becoming addicted to drugs. Genetics, however, do no guarantee that an individual with a family history of drug addiction will become an addict. This is because there is no single gene, which has been identified to be responsible for passing the addictive trai...
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,
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...
The dependence on hard core drugs in the United States is on a continuous climb. Heroin is the leading reason for this. Considered by many to be the hardest of hard drugs, thus making heroin a very popular choice among drug addicts. Heroin is a narcotic produced from the opium of the poppy plant and poses a serious risk to society. Since it could be injected, snorted or smoked heroin also causes health complications and the possibility of death. Sadly, none of that matters to an addict because they only want their next fix. A century ago the doctors who developed heroin were only hoping for a way to help patients, they were unaware their new found medicine would lead to decades of addiction, abuse, health problems and even death for many.
...9)7-9). In contrast the current issues and economics of the global trade can be said to be of greater magnitude, as opium has spread and through it's addictiveness it has interconnected and created dependence between it's users, producers and dealers. The product continuously being commercialized and designed for different users preferences, as well as interdependence through addiction defines the mark opium as a commodity put on globalization. One can se traces of the effects of opium in almost every corner of the world, it is clear that the interconnected commodity chain moves through history and across the world. In conclusion of this paper, opium's globalization has been made clear by discussing and comparing political and social, historical and current affairs, showing interconnectedness and interdependence around the globe through it's market and production.
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.
Fortuna, Jeffrey L. "The Obesity Epidemic And Food Addiction: Clinical Similarities To Drug Dependence." Journal Of Psychoactive Drugs 44.1 (2012): 56-63. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
...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.
Drugs are never right! According to National Institute on Drug Abuse, about 570,000 people die annually due to drug addiction. That breaks down to about 440,000 from disease related to tobacco, 85,000 due to alcohol, 20,000 due to illegal drugs, and 20,000 due to prescription drug use. Drug abuse is most common among young adults who are 18-25 years old. Abusing drugs is not only affecting peoples life, it also has a huge impact on United States economy. According to NIDA estimated economic cost due to substance abuse and addiction is about $559 billion/year, that breaks down to $181 billion from illegal drugs, $185 billion from alcohol and $193 billion from tobacco. These costs are due to health care, crime and lost productivity. If we don’t solve this problem the death rate is going to be increase and the economy will go down gradually.
Drugs and alcohol have been used for medical and recreational purposes throughout history. With advancement of technology it has become easier and easier to access these substances. It is not only illegal drugs but prescription drugs that are being misused and wreaking havoc across the world. Even with billions of dollars being paid out to stop the war on drugs, the problem persists. People from all walks of life have been affected by drugs or are becoming drug addicts themselves. One particular group afflicted by the misuse of these substances is the children of drug addicted parents. According to Cattapan and Grimwade, “Drug use seen in one generation affects the lives of the next”. Children with one or both parents on drugs face huge disadvantages. They suffer from physical abuse, and emotional trauma with lifelong effects and their family unit is torn apart. Social institutions are being overloaded with the need to help or relocate these children.
...pamine release, or pleasure from things they once did. The drug user is only able to experience pleasure if the drug is in their system. This is how a drug addict or drug dependents brain works. This lack of pleasure does not last forever. Through a detox period the person will regain those normal feelings of pleasure. However many can not last long enough to realize the sensations do come back on their own after a time.
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.
Drugs are something that has been prevalent in our society for many decades now. It seems that as our population continue to grow, drugs seem to continue to have a major impact throughout our society, then used by drug seem to have been influenced by many things, either through social or cultural factors and it have affected people in many different ways such as their behavior, their attitude and just basically their livelihood. Today our society is deeply infected with the issue of drugs, we look around our society and we see young kids are being consume by drugs, we see workers, and executive people are also being consumed by drugs. Drugs continue to play a huge role in our society because while most people
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.
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.