Perceptions of taking Recreational drugs and the effects on Psychological and Physiological Health

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Chapter 4: Analysis and Discussion

This research project undertakes to obtain a deep and thoughtful understanding and interpretation of the various attitudes and behaviours of people towards the utilization recreational drugs. The study in this dissertation investigates and analyses the usage of recreational drugs and their impacts on the physiological and psychological health of a person. According to the investigation, which has been undertaken mainly through this study, it is clear that the taking in of recreational drugs is often considered as a routine and a normal part of life by the people. They become habitual to it and take the addiction and consumption of the recreational drugs as a normal part of everyday life (Inciardi, 1992, Pp. 42-46).

Seeing the increasing frequency and utilization of the recreational drugs in the society, I conducted the investigation study on the chosen topic for the purpose of exploring the attitudes, behavior and tendencies of people towards the usage such substances along with special stress on the perceived effects that these drugs might have on the psychological and the physiological well being of the population. In order to perform an effective research and gain useful information, I have used the drugs which are normally utilized as party drugs. Some of the examples of such drugs include amphetamines, ecstasy, cannabis and cocaine (Charles & Greg, pp. 366).

According to the research undertaken, it is clear that the recreational drugs are those which are used for the purpose of obtaining pleasure or leisure, rather than for medical reasons or addictions (Collins, 2004), usually involving Marijuana, Amphetamines, Cocaine and Ecstasy (Drugscope 2006). These are normally the psychoactive drugs which are utilized with the intension of producing or boosting some kind of entertaining or recreational experience. Even this sort of usage of the drugs is taken to be controversial and and is normally considered as illegal or drug abuse. It may also overlap with its uses in other forms such as in self medication, spiritual and performance enhancement uses (Siegel, 2005, Pp. 127-130). Though, the complete list of illegal drugs is exhaustive, therefore, I decided to concentrate on the four most commonly used recreational drugs.

Many researches and articles published in the recent years have shown that these harmful and widely used drugs are illegal but still utilized by the people who wish for using it for the purposes of entertainment. Though, the United States, in the year 1875, had introduced measures against the drug abuse concept and had recognized the addiction of these substances, and the opium dens were still banned according to the newly introduced laws against drugs (Kitzrow, 2003, Pp. 167-181). The researchers also suggest and analyze that the several acts for foods and drugs were introduced where even the individual drugs were addressed. It is also mentioned in many studies that the courts and other law enforcing institutions had made the prescription of narcotics to any addict as an illegal and a banned ...