Drug Use and Misuse Addiction and Recovery in Teenagers

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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Drugs are meant to serve a noble purpose in the treatment of patients in medical history. However, gradual change started appearing in the excessive use of drugs not only harmful for the physical functioning of the body but also resulting in creating severe changes in human behavior directly affecting the society (Beaglehole, 2009, p2173). Drug use and misuse addiction has increased dramatically across the world. It is an addictive drug having harmful effects in human life. Its excessive use to addiction level has become a serious problem in United Kingdom.

It has serious devastating impact in the life of an individual. Different social and government organizations are working independently or in collaboration with each other to get rid of this havoc. Misuse addiction is a serious social problem. A study conducted in 2006 reported that more than 2.4 million people are using or have used heroin at some point in their lives. Its consumption trend has been increasing in all age groups. People initially consume it for and excitement purposes but later on direct devastating impacts are created on individual's social life. Young ones, family, friends, and the society are affected greatly due to heroin addiction behavior of abuser (Beaglehole, 2009, p2173).

Background of the Research

The drug has always been part of UK culture, and virtually all societies since the dawn of humanity. Today's youth are more likely to contact with the drugs due to the environment in which they live. To this, add up the frequent absence of parents thus creating favorable conditions for their teenagers to feel free to adventures of this kind, without much thought to the consequences it will bring them to life. At this stage of life, they affirm their personality: new discoveries, new body, bursts of emotion and temperament contribute to the emergence of new and difficult problems in the drug and seek a solution to these problems (White, 2006, p206).

According to World Health Organization (WHO), "drug is any substance which, introduced into a living organism may modify one or more of its functions." It is also understood as the generic name of chemical substances, natural or synthetic, which can cause physical and psychological harm to those who consume. Its constant use can lead to behavior change and creating a dependency, a compulsive desire to use drugs regularly, while the consumer starts to present problems due to their lack organic. The law differentiates between legal drugs (tobacco, alcohol, drugs) and illicit (cocaine, crack, ecstasy, etc.). The medical point of view, however, this difference does not exist (Toumbourou, 2007, p1391).

The health problems of teens from the abuse of alcohol and other drugs (illicit) are numerous and of various orders. It can be from the list of organic and functional systems of the body to the social adjustment, caused by neuro-chemical changes that cause losses in impulse control. The main problems of the universe of adolescents are associated with the decline in school performance, learning difficulties, impairments ...