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From Awareness to Action: World Drug Day 2024’s vision for change
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From Awareness to Action: World Drug Day 2024’s vision for change
Author: Shreya Singh
June 26 is observed as the World Drug Day internationally, owing to the rise in drug consumption worldwide especially by the youth and the generalised glorification of the same through various films and celebrities. The United Nations General Assembly laid the foundation for the World Drug Day back in 1987, as a global reminder of the inevitable threat posed by unchecked substance abuse and alcohol consumption. This day brings together nations, communities and individuals to address the multifaceted challenges brought upon by drugs. The theme chosen for 2024’s World Drug Day is “The Evidence Is Clear: Invest in Prevention”. The theme fits the present situation of the world in regards to this topic, considering how various cultures and countries have refused to accept or even acknowledge the rising numbers of victims in their community. Ignorance might be bliss, but it never stops the consequences that stand ahead of us in time. Therefore, it is essential that we accept the reality and take corrective measures to control the present day situation and prevent it from becoming an irreversible fate.
Abuse when linked to the consumption of something refers to the unchecked, maladaptive and most importantly unhealthy use of a certain product despite the social, psychological, and physical problems that may arise from it. When we talk about drug abuse, the category of drugs we are focussing on especially are narcotics and certain medicinal drugs that are used for nonmedical purposes. Substance abuse also includes alcoholism.
The biggest issue regarding drugs is the impending dependency that it brings about once a person starts indulging in them. Substances impact the brain, particularly its reward center. Humans are naturally driven to seek rewards, often derived from healthy behaviors. For instance, spending time with loved ones or enjoying a delicious meal triggers the release of dopamine, which generates feelings of pleasure. Substances also cause significant dopamine surges. Unlike natural rewards (such as eating or socializing), these surges can lead to harmful changes in thoughts, feelings, and behavior, fostering an unhealthy preference for substance-induced pleasure over healthier experiences. This can have both physical as well as psychological impact on the victim, resulting in withdrawal symptoms or losing sanity when not consumed on time. Another aspect of drug abuse is drug tolerance. The dosage needed to reach a certain degree of “High” increases overtime as your body becomes used to the previous dose. The longer a person indulges, the more dosage he would need to be able to reach the desired state and decreasing the usage even slightly would have a harsh reaction of the withdrawal symptoms on him. The truth about drugs is that people who are just starting out are doing it on purpose for pleasure or escaping reality, but the ones that have been addicted have experienced the dark side of the world of drugs and want to be rescued.
What we can do to help the victims?
Helping someone with an addiction is hard, but not impossible. At an individual level we can:
- Lend An Ear : As a society, we are not very open towards the victims of drug abuse. Many a times, addicts are not able to get help because there is no one to assist them. Start by talking to them about their problem. In case the said person’s addiction is not out in the open, try to bring it up gently, stating your concern.
- Celebrate Small Victories : Drug addiction is like quicksand, you're bound to go down. Know that a person trying to stop, cannot do it in a day. Reducing dosage, even to the slightest causes a big reaction, therefore it is essential to celebrate their small victories and encourage them to keep going and stay on the same path.
- Medical Aid : While emotional support is crucial, addressing addiction requires the involvement of medical experts. Encourage the affected person to seek professional help, as medical professionals can provide tailored guidance and treatment options.
- Enroll them in a support group - Support groups play a pivotal role in coping with addiction. By connecting with others who share similar experiences, individuals can find compassion, understanding, and encouragement. These connections foster resilience and contribute to a drug-free life.
At a community level, or national level we can :
- Building Treatment Facilities - Building rehabilitation centres to take care of the drug addicts and formulate plans to help with their treatment.
- Treatment Programs - helps the patients navigate among different treatment programs and provides guidance for themselves during the recovery process.
- Invest in Research Programs - Investing in research programs to properly understand different drugs and their effects to be able to better understand the different ways to treat different types of addictions. Facilitate research, training, documentation, innovation and collection of relevant information to strengthen the objectives.
- Medication - Supporting medical research is critical. Funding research initiatives can lead to the development of effective medications and treatments for addiction.
- Enhancing Coordination: Strengthening collaboration between healthcare, criminal justice, and social service organizations is essential. Coordinated efforts can improve prevention, intervention, and support systems for those affected by addiction.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
Helping the already affected portion of the society is one thing, but our main focus should be in curbing the problem before it gets out of our hands. As rightly said - Prevention is better than cure. Here's what we can do to be able to stop the addiction from spreading to more people :
- Spreading Awareness - the World Drug Day was initiated with this intention. Raising awareness is the one step that can be taken at all levels, individual, organisational and national, and it is essential to be able to combat this growing epidemic. The main target for these Awareness drives must be schools and colleges as the rising numbers show the increasing usage of drugs amongst the youth around the world.
- Stricter Laws - Governments all around the world must form strict laws against the sale of drugs and the punishments must be big enough to instil fear in the minds of existing and future peddlers.
- Corporate Responsibility - Companies that manufacture and sell alcohol and legal drugs, as well as products related to use of these substances, can demonstrate social responsibility by taking measures to discourage and prevent the misuse of their products. Companies can take steps to ensure that the public is aware of the risks associated with substance use, including the use of medications with addictive potential alone and in combination with alcohol or other drugs.
