Drug addiction: a growing epidemic

Drug addiction: a growing epidemic

Drug Addiction: A Growing Epidemic

The issue of drug addiction has quickly become a major predicament in the metropolitan centers of the western world. Contrary to many beliefs, drug addiction has been an issue for a long time. It is only recently however, that media has started to push the issue of drug abuse. There are many different types of people, who do many different types of drugs such as depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens. All of the drugs have different effects and all of these people have different reasons for using them. However, all these drugs have negative side affects and all need to be removed from a person’s life. Drug addiction may seem like a somewhat simple issue to comprehend, but once you start to dig and look for more, you realize that it is anything but.

Contrary to popular belief, drug addiction has been a problem for many years. However, the media has only recently started to bring these issues to the forefront of society’s minds. Narcotics were first used by ancient Egyptian over 6000 years ago. Drug abuse has come a long way since then. The most rabid spread of drugs occurred after the American Civil War. During this time war veterans openly used morphine and cocaine to dull pain from injuries. It was also slightly after this time that opium dens started to flourish and were eventually started being outlawed in 1875. From this point in history drug abuse began to grow and grow to the point where it is at today. As opposed to the earlier cultures involving drug abuse, modern day society has adapted to it and now sees it simply as another part of life. It can now often be seen in many movies or TV shows. It is disheartening to see that such abuse and problems have filtered there way so far into our consciousness that we no longer see it as the problem that it really is.

Drug addiction is recognized as “a compulsion to take a drug to produce a desired effect”. This can be achieved with a multitude of substances;...