It is universal accepted fact that smoking & use of tobacco products are injurious to health and excess use of them can cause deadly diseases which ultimately result death. Tobacco smoke is made up of thousands of chemicals, including at least 70 known chemicals to cause cancer. Similarly, the Drug Addiction not only damages the vital organs of a person and shattered tis family relations but also weaken its financial stability. Similarly, the excess use of Cell phones, habit of eating the eatables rich in Protein and Alcoholism may come under the similar category of addiction. In addition to number of health problems these may result environmental pollution which includes air pollution. Besides, financial implications, the preventive measures, law enforcement and proper counselling may ease in dealing to control the menace.
Addiction
Generally the term “Addiction” can be defined as a chronic relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use. It is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain and its structure. These brain changes can be long lasting and lead to the harmful behaviors seen in people.
Addiction is similar to other diseases such as heart disease. Both disrupt the normal healthy functioning of the organs, hence impact serious harmful consequences. Addiction is preventable and treatable but if left untreated may have hazardous consequences.People don’t have a plan to get addicted to drugs but when they first take a drug they might like how it makes them to feel. However, drugs change their brain working. Those who used drugs in the beginning to feel good then they need to take drugs just to feel normal. They may also seek and take drugs even if it causes problems for themselves and their loved ones. These are the signs of an addiction and it can quickly take over a person’s life.Moreover, addiction is an illness just as heart disease and cancer are illnesses. Addiction is not simply a weakness. It does not mean someone is a bad person. People from all backgrounds poor&rich, went to college& didn’t finish school and so on can get an addiction. Addiction can happen to anyone and at any age but the chances are higher at young age.
Smoking and Drug Addiction
Use of Tobacco causes more illness and death than any other drug. In Australia, smoking kills around 15,000 people every year. A study shows that out of three people who smoke throughout their lifetime “upto two persons” will die by their habit and they will die on an average 10 years earlier than people who do not smoke. Smoking causes cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, nose, voice box, pancreas, liver, stomach, kidney, bladder, ureter, bowel, ovary etc. Tobacco smoke also causes heart disease and stroke.
Preventive measures
Research shows that most people who smoke have tried to quit. They are aware of the health problems caused by smoking for themselves and for the people around them and realize they spend a lot of money on cigarettes.It is important for someone who smokes to decide to quit and plan the best way to do it. Nicotine which occurs naturally in tobacco plants is the drug that makes people want to keep on smoking. Research has shown that, like heroin, nicotine is addictive. This means that when people start smoking regularly their body becomes used to nicotine and needs a regular dose.
Laws governing on smoking
It is illegal to smoke or use cigarettes in public placeslike Officers, workplaces, hotels, shopping malls, marriage ceremonies, public parks, swimming pools etc. Smoking is also illegal in public transport carrying children who are under 18 years of age. It is also illegal to smoke within 10 metres of children’s playground or equipment store.
Alcoholism
Alcohol is a part of many social occasions in many part of India and worldwide from family dinners to parties, to sporting events and nightcaps. The problems associated with alcoholism are well known, but what about the impact of social drinking or a moderate intake of alcohol? Does alcohol belong in our diet or does the risk that it presents outweigh any benefits that may be derived from consuming it?
Alcohol is actually classified as a drug and is a known depressant. Under this category, it is the most widely used drug in the world. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), in the United States, 17.6 million people about one in every 12 adults abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent.
The majority of the population consumes alcohol moderately or occasionally. You do not need to be an alcoholic for alcohol to interfere with your health and life. The potential to become addicted to alcohol is a serious problem that can affect anyone.
Alcoholism is a serious medical disease with signs and symptoms that vary depending on the amount and frequency of consumption. Progressing alcoholism will significantly disrupt the lives of users and their families.
Physical signs of alcohol overconsumption and intoxication are recognizable by most adults are:
- Slurred or incoherent speech
- Poor balance and clumsiness
- Delayed reflexes
- Stomach pains, vomiting or nausea
- Loss of consciousness or blacking-out
- Redness of the face during or after periods of consumption
It is possible for a person to reach a level of intoxication that becomes life threatening called alcohol poisoning. The respiratory system becomes depressed and the person will stop breathing.
Progressive increases in the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption can begin to produce more serious medical symptoms of alcoholism. Someone abusing alcohol makes drinking a central activity of her life displacing healthy activity and relationships resulting negative consequences. Alcohol abusers often maintain some capacity to recognize situations that lead to over-consumption and to regulate their alcohol intake. Signs of alcohol abuse include loss of control over amount of consumed once they being drinking and regular inattention to family and professional obligations.
Untreated alcohol abuse can progress to an addiction to alcohol characterized by physical dependency and/or inability to stop despite serious consequences. Once they begin drinking, alcoholics have little to no control over the amount they consume. Alcohol dependence indicates that the user has made obtaining and consuming alcohol a predominant focus of her life. Signs and symptoms of alcohol dependence represent a serious medical illness:
Long term alcohol abuse poses great dangers to an alcoholic’s physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual health. In addition to serious ramifications for the user’s career, family and friends, alcoholism can cause irreversible damage to critical organs and body systems which include liver, Nervous system, Heart, Stomach and Brain. Alcohol abuse and addiction also produce other medical side effects like High Blood Pressure and cancer.
Alcoholism often causes severe social consequences on a person’s life as well. Being drunk or hung over at work frequently results in termination from a job, leaving a person and her dependents in severe financial trouble. Domestic violence, marital conflict, legal problems and isolation from friends and family are also common results of alcohol abuse.
Government Policy and Laws about Alcohol
Public policy often addresses the circumstances surrounding abusive drinking by particular groups. Such policies also can help prevent the adverse consequences of alcohol consumption in wider audiences and on a larger scale, than any other category of interventions. Changes to laws and policies related to alcohol’s availability and the consequences of its use lead to significant gains in public health.
Shabirahmad shah writes on socio-economic issues.
