Use of drugs is associated with a multitude of negative effects that if the drug abuser were in their right frame of mind they would never even attempt using the substances. The problem however is that drug users are slaves to drugs and cannot think straight. Drugs have become a part of them and they think in terms of gaining access to drugs. It may come as a joke but when a person starts evaluating financial worth of a deal by the number of beers or injections that can be afforded by the same then there is need for worry.
A drug philosophy that once you have started using them you can only break but you will never quit has some sense despite the discouraging effects it has on those who wish to quit. A drug like cocaine works in a manner that makes it easy for one to be addicted to the drug (Milkman, & Wanberg, 2005). This can be said of other drugs and the philosophy that drinking is the only way to cure a hangover is in fact not a myth rather is a manifestation of the mechanisms employed by drugs that put individuals in positions where they fall into addiction (Milkman, & Wanberg, 2005).
Use of cocaine is associated with increased activity which leads to excitement and elation which are central to the feeling of being ‘high’. The drugs affect levels of metabolism and send internal systems on an overdrive. With such levels of activity thinking is impaired and one feels they can do anything. Increases in social vices like rape and driveway shoot-outs have shown high levels of correlation to drug use (Milkman, & Wanberg, 2005). Despite these negative effects, the after effects are far more reaching; the excitement periods are followed by what is described as a ‘crash’ period.
It is the nature of life to balance out levels of performance and high levels of performance in any activity lead to a feeling of tiredness and this can be said of the effects of drugs. A crash is a good definition of hell in that an individual feels bad in nearly all aspects of his being. This crash period may be referred to as a hangover by alcohol abusers (Hanson, Venturelli, & Fleckenstein, 2005). Some report headaches, anxiety, and depression and in the case of cocaine users a strong desires to use more of the drug to alleviate or deal with the low feeling.
It is this mechanism that is basically responsible for addiction and the development of tolerance which leads to an increase in the amount of in take as one gets into the bottomless pit of substance dependence. Marijuana and alcohol have a direct effect on the levels of coordination one can achieve. ‘Do not drink and drive’ is basically inspired by the effect of alcohol on the nervous system and especially the levels of coordination thus alertness that individuals can attain (Currell, 2006).
Alcohol and marijuana use have in the past been associated with increase in accidents. It is worth noting that campaigns that advocate no drinking for drivers are applicable to marijuana use and it is just that the substance has been outlawed thus the assumption that it is not being used. The effect of drugs that are hallucinogenic like ‘weed’ are far reaching and may even come back to haunt the users who will experience flashbacks weeks or months after they used the drugs (Hanson, Venturelli,& Fleckenstein, 2005).
Is this a mechanisms used by drugs to induce dependence? Almost all drugs have a mechanism that tries to pull the users into addiction and in most cases they record success. Flashbacks may even cause a feeling of being ‘high’ and since the user is not in control or of the effects of the flashback and how strong they will be they may pull a one time puffer to being a ‘dope finch’ (Brick, 2003). Drugs establish some kind of a relationship with the user and breaking out of the relationship is just as hard as breaking out of real life relationship.
Drugs can best be described as ‘nagging partners’ for instance heroin whose withdrawal symptoms include muscle cramps, delirium and vomiting. Another factor that contributes largely to addiction and the effects that drugs have on individuals is development of tolerance. Most drug users either started with a puff, a sip or a sniff which increased with time and developed into something big and just like a relationship it develops to a level of ‘ I can not live without you’ which basically is addiction.