3 Drug Trends and Influences

Classification

There are three types of drug classifications: depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens.

Depressants are drugs that slow down the activity of the nervous system. They work by slowing down the messages that go to and from the brain.

Stimulants are drugs that work by speeding up the activity of the nervous system. The messages that go to and from the brain are quicker.

Hallucinogens are drugs that alter the perception of reality as well as feelings and thoughts. They can cause a person to hear and see things that are not real or are not actually there.

Use the following links and identify two trends for each of the items below: 

For all the reasons from everyone in the class listed in Task 1 number 2 (reasons for smoking, drinking, doing drugs), put them into a table, classifying the reasons as either social, environmental or personal.

• Social reasons are those that are based on friends, peers, social status, perception about the thoughts of others, etc.

• Environmental reasons are those about the culture, context, situation or circumstances that someone lives/lived in.

• Personal reasons are those that are unique to the thoughts, feelings, understanding or attitude of the individual.

1. What pattern can you identify in the short term effects?

2. What pattern can you identify in the long term effects?

There are a number of personal and community consequences of drug use. For those who regularly use illicit drugs or abuse medications, there are many detrimental impacts on all components of their health.

Drug users can end up with serious debt and financial issues. This could cause homelessness due to inability to pay bills and rent/mortgage. Drug use also has an impact on the user’s friends and family. Certain drugs can cause irritability and aggression, which can result in domestic violence. This will emotionally and socially impair both the user and the victim in different ways.

Drug use can interfere with education and employment, which will aff ect not only the user but co-workers and peers as well. Drug users are more likely to have admissions into the emergency departments of hospitals, causing resources to be shared between drug users and other ill or injured patients. Specific communities may have a high rate of drug use, which can perpetuate and increase the likelihood of children in these communities developing drug dependence as they grow up.

Research one famous person who has had a problem with illicit drug use. Discuss the impact it has had on their life personally, and the wider community.

Some suggestions include Drew Barrymore, Charlie Sheen, Kirsten Dunst, Amy Winehouse, Heath Ledger, Joan Rivers, Anthony Kiedis, Robin Williams, Janis Joplin, Lamar Odom or one of your own choosing.

The effects of drug abuse are difficult to measure, and change for every individual. This section focuses on the impact of drug abuse on the community overall. Drug abuse occurs when an individual is using a substance in a destructive pattern, causing substantial problems. This can lead to a drug addiction, where the body develops a tolerance to this abuse or suffers withdrawals from the drugs.

Part 1 - Injuries

Drug abuse causes more deaths, illnesses and disabilities than any other preventable health condition. The risk of accidents and injuries, medical problems and violence is much higher for those people who live with drug addiction and dependency.

Part 2 - Behavioural Problems

The use of drugs taps into the neurotransmitters in the brain and can cause changes in normal behaviours such as:

• aggressiveness

• impulsiveness

• limited self-control

• reduced judgement

• paranoia

Part 3 - Family

Illegal drug use and drug dependency can cause serious strain and have negative effects on an individual’s family. Drug use, both short- and long- term, has adverse effects on an individual’s ability to function as they normally would in various aspects of life. Drug use can impair communication skills; can cause financial instability; and can cause changes in mood and overall wellbeing. All of these factors can cause harm to a drug user’s family. Relationships can break down because individuals feel mistreated, lied to, mistrusted and so on. Drug use can cause fighting and increase stress levels, which can lead to mental health issues not just for the user but for their family as well. Financial strain can tear families apart and can even lead to homelessness.

Part 4 - Community

Drug dependency also has both direct and indirect harms on the community. In communities where drug use is high, instances of crime, homelessness and unemployment also increase. Being a part of specific communities can often contribute to an individual experimenting with drugs, or even the type of drugs an individual will experiment with. For instance, in lower socioeconomic areas, the common drugs in the community may include methamphetamines, for example ice, because it is cheap and easily made. Common drugs in higher socioeconomic areas might include cocaine. It is not uncommon for individuals to fuel their drug habit through adverse means such as crime.

This can affect communities in a number of different ways, including:

• small businesses becoming victims of theft/break-ins

• small businesses being understaffed due to an employee taking drugs

• bad reputation for the community as a whole

• taxpayer money going towards drug-related causes

• strain on community health services

• creating a cycle of drug use which impacts susceptible, younger members of the community

Part 5 - Support Services

Support services across Australia are already under strain because they are underresourced. With a large spike in the number of people using and becoming dependent on ice and other illicit drugs, this strain is worsening. Health services such as emergency departments and ambulances also have to cater to people needing help due to their drug habits, which costs money and takes time and skills away from helping individuals with serious health concerns that are not selfinduced. Prolonged drug use causes various health concerns, particularly mental health concerns. This creates more demand for mental health services. According to the Australian Government’s 2013 drugs in Australia survey, illicit drug use costs the Australian society over $8 billion, with tangible costs associated with crime, lost productivity and health care.

Read the following scenarios and identify the social costs of the character’s drug use.

Scenario 1: Ethan.

Focus: social costs.

Scenario 2: Antonia.

Focus: social costs.

Read the following scenarios and identify the economic costs of the character’s drug use.

Scenario 3: Nathan.

Focus: economic costs.

Scenario 4: Nicole.

Focus: economic costs.