Form 5 General Studies (GS) - CONTEMPORARY/CROSS- CUTTING ISSUES IN TANZANIA [PDF] » Page 6 of 7

DRUG ABUSE
Introduction

This topic has involved different concepts. Generally, it is a misuse of drug or subsistence abuse, which modifies mood, behavior in manner characterized by maladaptive pattern of use. We shall discuss the reason behind drug trafficking. According to sociologists and economists pointed out the economical factors because of its profitability and poor market for some crops grown by farmers in many countries. The effect of drug abuse to individual and the society will be discussed. They include mental illness, lost of man power and death. There are individual and community role in preventing drug abuse. Education become most preferable method of preventions, especially to teenagers who are the most affected. The rehabilitations program designed for addicts is another advice sable approach.

MEANING OF DRUG

Drug is any substance which when taken into living organization may modify one or more if its function Drug abuse is defined as a self administration of drug for non medical reason, in quantities and frequencies which may impair an individual’s ability to function effectively and which may result in social, political or emotional harm.

Drug abuse

The word drug abuse has been defined in different ways depending on perception. Some scholars have defined drug abuse as habitual use to drug for a no-therapeutic reason. The most common drug in use include: alkaloids, apropos, cocaine, alcohol, nicotine, amphetamines, opium marijuana and synthetic. However Wikipedia encyclopedia has defined drug abuse in connection to talking a psychoactive drug to perform and enhance drug for non therapeutics or non medical effect.

Medical definition

From a website free encyclopedia, it defines drug abuse as substance abuse or harmful use; cover the physical or psychological harm the user from use. While subsistence dependence mean when an individual persists in use of alcohol or other drug despite problems related to use of subsistence. Subsistence abuse as a blanket term to include drug abuse and other things, other viewer defined drug abuse as misuse of maltreatment, or excusive use, and subsistence abuse is defined as continuous use which modifies the mood or behaviors or manner of the user.

Moreover website from Google continued to define drug abuse as the use of illegal drug or the use of drugs for purpose other than these for which they are meant to be used. If taken in large amount, drug abuse may lead to social, physical and mental problem.

Signs and symptoms

According to Wikipedia free encyclopedia, the signs and symptoms of drug abuse depending on the actually comport, drug misuse including alcohol may lead to health and social problems, morbidity injuries, unprotected sex, violence, deaths, motor vehicle accidents, homicides, suicides, mortality, physical dependable or psychological addition. Drug abusers are usually alcoholic and prone to suicide. The reason believed to cause the increased risk of suicide is the long term abuse of alcohol and drugs, causing physiological distortion of the brain chemistry, as well as the social solution .Moreover, the acute intoxication effects of the drug may make suicide more likely to occur. Suicide is also very common to adolescent alcohol abuse. Suicide in adolescent is also related to alcohol. Abuse is as also associated with increasing risk of committing criminal offences, including child abuse, domestic violence, rapes, burglaries and assaults.

Moreover alcohol and drug have a relationship with mental illness. This can occur both in the intoxicated state, and also during the withdraw state. In some cases, these psychiatric disorders can persist long after detoxicated such as prolonged psychosis or depression after cocaine abuse. Moreover, drug abuse affects the central nerves system (CNS), which determines the level of awareness or perception and sensing.

Drug Trafficking

Is the black market consisting of the cultivation, manufacture, nglish-swahili/distribution” target=”_blank”>distribution and sales of illegal drug. In some cases certain drug are legally obtained and sold. Among the drug that are prohibited include cuberi. Illegal drug trade operates similarly to other underground marketing. Various drug provides specialize in a separate process along the supply chain.

Direly localized to maximize production efficiency depending of the profitability of each layer; supplier usually vary in size, consistency, organization and the chain range. Low level street dealer who may be individual, drug user themselves through street gang and contractors like middlemen-up to multinational empires that rival government in size. Moreover much Illegal trade cultivates and manufactures this product in many developing nations although production also occurs in some of the developed world.

It also refers to the sale and nglish-swahili/distribution” target=”_blank”>distribution of Illegal drug. However penalties to federal drug trafficking convictions vary according to the quality of the controlled substance involved in transactions.

Origin of Drug Trafficking

Origin in jurisdiction where legislation restricts the procession or sale of drug, most commonly psychoactive drug, potential drug buyers and sellers are unable to transact in open, only illegal drug trade remain as an option, and when such trade occur, a black market is born. Moreover the illegality of the black market purveying the drug trade is relative to geography location and the production countries of the drug market (many in South America, Far East and the Middle East

Countries) are not as inclined to put effective policies as the consuming countries (mostly the United States and Europe) are the ready market. The massive profiteering inherent to the drug trade serves to extend its reach despite the best effort of low enforcement agencies.

In the awareness of this reality the social consequences including crime, violence imprisonment social unrest of the drug are undeniably problematic. Therefore as a solution, it is very necessary to stop illegal drug trafficking and consumption of such items.

Reason Behind Drug Trafficking

Drug abuse trafficking has spread in very many areas in the world. They are various reasons that stimulated this drug trafficking.

The extremely high economics value of drug and profit margins, allure people to engage in organized crime and illegal business. Political movements needing money to finance their activities including guerilla and independent movements, such activities have mushroomed since the end of the cold war. Resulting in less revenue to fund the world powers.

The hashish production in morocco, the world’s largest cannabis producer, it is known that people in high places are involved in both the production and the trade. The smooth and organized way the trade is conducted makes it likely this situation is not only related but also may even been coordinated by the authorities.

However since it is no longer a secret that the authorities are highly involved in the trade, including the loyal family, one can wonder why European countries have relatively lenient altitude toward Morocco and King Hassan II.

High taxation was also among as the reason for drug trafficking in Afghanistan.

The increase of prevalence of opium is related to the breakdown of the superpower patronage and control. Since parties trying to take control, must ensure there is economic stability, hence the taxation of opium.

The lack of a strong government in countries such as Tajikistan has increased opium trading. Thus increased profit from opium was a deciding factor in removing subsides for wheat. Increased price pushed poor farmers to switch from wheat to poppy production which has much high market value.

On the other hand, Tanzania entertains other dangerous products like tobacco and alcoholic drinks. These are more popular and common in Tanzania, even if there are relatively more dangerous than many illegal drugs and are subjectively less pleasurable. Their production is attributed by profit motives.

High consumption of illegal drugs can be also stimulating factor for drug trafficking to major consumer countries, including the United States and Europe. Whereas the major producer countries include Afghanistan (opium), Bolivia and Columbia (cocaine).

Apart from major consumers, the market of illegal drug is massive. It is estimated that the global drug trade is over $321 billion. Exorbitant profits are created because of scarcity and risk involved. Illegal drugs found in the market come in many forms and names, such as: heroin, anabolic, steroid, marijuana opium and methamphetamine.

Big companies involved in drug abuse are the reason behind drug trafficking. Members of organized crime syndicate have advantages over other fragmented groups. They appear to have experience in violence, which is an unfortunate of product of drug trade.

Farmers also with no alternative crops are forced to cultivate opium. And government officials may not actually produce the drugs, but the compliant to the nglish-swahili/distribution” target=”_blank”>distribution and transportation of these drugs by turning a blind eye due to bribery and intimidation.

Finally the drug abuse as a business is very profitable since the market is wide open and the price is extremely huge.

The effects of the Drug Abuse to Individual and society

The loss of human resource (loss of productivity): Many people, who engage themselves in drug abuse, fail to work productively whether in farms, offices or industries.

Drug abuse can also cause health problem: including sexual transmitted diseases (ST’s),as well as social problems including sex violence, motor vehicle accidents, homicides, suicides, high mortality, drug addictions and alcoholism.

Drug abuse affects central nervous system: which produces changes in mode lever of awareness or perception and sensation. The cost to human socially and economically is very high. For example in the United Kingdom, it is estimated that the social and economic cost in terms of crimes, absenteeism and sickness is in excess 20 billion pounds a year.

Employment: a growing number of connectors are self employed and work in private groups. They contract counselors who are well trained and effective professionals, in vocational education, rehabilitation, mental health, behavioral disorder and drug abuse. However, experts in counseling programmers’ are not enough, and are even fewer in rural areas.

Other drug abuse stimulates decay of the moral value in the societies : Most of the addicts tend to separate from their family and societies, and indulge themselves in illegal act ivies like raping and sex. The war against drug abuse is extremely costly in terms of taxpayers’ money, productivity, law enforcement and unrest among the society. Some people urge that because it is very expensive to contain illegal drugs, they should be legalized.

Governments in developing countries like Tanzania are more affected with drug abuse because they do not have the financial and technical capacity. Most of victims are the youth who are the workforce. Many of them depend on their family economically, hence become to their parents and the nation at large.

Eccentric behavior

Eccentric or odd ball like deviants are recognized law breakers and are observed defined by the society as outlaws, and as disruptive and a threat to the social order. These eccentrics may be legated for several reasons. Firstly, they are petty thieves, drunkards, and lazy. Secondly, they are always on the sick list and therefore a burden to the society.

Mental illness

According to Beth B. Hess…et al, it is defined as residual deviance which is less obvious and more difficult to define or classify or diagnose.

Risks for many people who drink heavily may put themselves at risk with a range of potential health problems. Brain effects: Scientifics examination to determine how alcohol affects the developing of a brain, but it is difficult to detect the extent of damage caused by drug abuse in individual or a community.

Roles of individual and community in Preventing Drug Abuse

Prevention is an important way of solving problems of drug abuse. Citizens of all ages can be victims of drug, alcohol, tobacco, and mirrah, thus cause financial and social problems to the nation.

Drug abuse is hazardous especially to young people. It puts them at risk and is likely to be alcoholic permanently. Thus, a concerted effort to educate them is needed.

Education In general, drug prevention is demonstrably most effective among the youth. In addition to putting in place mitigation programs, education is likely to reduce the number of drug addicts, drug trafficking and unbecoming incidences, like violence, rapes and sexually transmitted diseases.

Parents have a critical influence over children aged 8 and 12 years. Their role is to change the attitude and behavior of their children in order to grow up as good citizens. The behavior change is later heightened by school teachers and the community. Well behaved children will normally shy away unlawful acts, such as drug abuse.

The strategy to curb drug abuse is to embark on health education by using the mass media. Such campaign should focus on preventing the young generation from drug use and encouraging current users to quit. However the compiling focuses on primary prevention targets the underlying causes, and therefore has the greatest potential to reduce the scope of this problem.

Secondly, primary prevention campaign will lessen the need for treatment. Media campaign has greater potential to affirm the ant-drug attitude of youth who are not yet involved in drug use than to persuade experienced drug users to change their behavior. The media has proved to be an effective tool in the war to prevent or reduce consumption of illegal drug and smoking, along with risk on behavior.

The method used is to campaign harnesses a diverse mixture of information tools: television, video, and radio, interned, news paper and other of news media to drive home information about drug abuse.

Educational school counselors provide individuals and groups with personal social and educational counseling regarding drug abuse at all levels of educational and careers.

There are many ways to contain drug trafficking and use;

Disrupting the market chain of drugs.
Stepping up campaigns to educate the public on the potential danger of drug abuse.
Law enforcement against current users through medical screening and testing the suspects.
Law- enforcement effort against elements of the apply chain through surveillances and undercover work.
Providing effective and targeted treatment to dependant users.

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