Why people abuse drugs.

Why on earth do people use drugs? What is it that makes drug use so attractive? Devastating results of drug use can be seen every day, whether it be in real life, in the newspapers, or on the evening news. Doesn't it seem as though people would see these awful reports and run as far as they could from the destructive effects of any or all of these substances?

As far back as history is recorded people have used drugs. No culture has avoided this problem. There have always been people who have searched for and found substances that alter their moods, feelings, or thoughts. Is this so unnatural? Don't people often look for ways to feel different or strange in search of a stimulating or exciting experience? Kids often twirl around and get dizzy. People pay $35 or $40 per day to go to large amusement parks, where roller coasters and other devices will hang them upside down, throw them back and forth, and take them to the edge of sickness, all in search of a thrill.

Historically, several naturally occurring substances have been used and abused as methods to become drunk or to feel different, to escape from reality. As science matured, some learned to concentrate these naturally occurring substances into drug derivatives, which are sometimes 100 or more times stronger than the original substances.

Before the development of modern transportation people didn't distribute these substances to other countries. They just used them at home. But as modern transportation improved and people started moving about the earth more easily, they sometimes took their drugs to other cultures and/or countries for personal use, to use as seeds for planting and cropping, or to sell. Drugs were on the move. Wars have been fought over drugs: the opium wars between the British, who had occupied what is known as India today, and China, which had tried to disallow the importation of opium into its society. The subject of drugs has always inspired passion often because of the large amount of money associated with their use and trade.

Today possibly every drug that has ever been discovered in the history of the world is available for use in the U.S. No drug of abuse has ever been eliminated completely. Trends in drug use change, but the drugs themselves tend to weather all storms. Drugs continue to be used to alleviate anxiety, produce relaxation, provide relief from boredom, alleviate pain, increase strength or work tolerance, or provide a temporary distortion of reality.

Let's take a look at several substances that are commonly used, see how they affect the brain, and try to understand drug use better. We will also describe some of the problems associated with using these chemicals. These substances are often described as psychoactive, which means capable of altering consciousness and effecting mood.

Alcohol

Alcohol is the second most commonly used psychoactive substance today -- second only to caffeine. Use of alcohol dates back thousands of years, when "Mead," the oldest alcoholic beverage, was made from honey.

In low doses alcohol causes an exhilarating or euphoria-like sensation. Things feel good, and people become happy -- even those who were not so happy before drinking. At these lower doses we actually start to like ourselves more. We even start liking the "clods" whom we hang around with. Not-so-nice people suddenly become nicer. Depressed people might use alcohol for its ability to make them feel happy. After all, doesn't everyone want to be happy?

One effect of alcohol on the brain -- and there are others -- is to stop the release of a chemical called acetylcholine, which is necessary for the movement of nerve impulses from nerve to nerve. This effect comes in somewhat higher doses than the amount that causes alcohol's euphoria. Without the acetylcholine, the brain becomes depressed in its activities. People who are anxious or uptight might use alcohol for this anxiety-relieving function. Another action of alcohol is thought to be its effect on what are called GABA receptors. These receptors, when bound to a chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid, cause a slowing of nerve transmissions in the brain.

When alcohol enters the body, an enzyme converts it into a second chemical that is then removed from the body by the kidneys. This enzyme is called alcohol dehydrogenase and is found in the liver of both men and women. Men also have some in their stomachs. Because of this extra amount of enzyme in a man's stomach, men become better at tolerating larger amounts of alcohol than women.

If you took a man and a woman, both weighing the same, and gave each of them the same amount of alcohol, the woman would suffer more intoxication than the man. This means women who drink with men are at a great disadvantage regarding their ability to maintain their judgment and sobriety. Women usually weigh less than men, so equal amounts of alcohol will make them more intoxicated because of their lower weight and because they have less of the enzyme that will convert alcohol and remove it from the body.

This, of course, has many social and health implications regarding the potential for unintended pregnancy, transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, rape, and other violence. Again, when men and women drink together, the woman is at a substantial disadvantage regarding her sobriety and ability to make sound judgments.

Cocaine

The drug cocaine is found in the leaves of the Erythroxylon coca plant and causes very interesting sensations. In the fifteenth century the leaves that contain the drug were actually exchanged as money. Sigmund Freud used cocaine to relieve his own depression and described it as a drug that caused exhilaration and lasting euphoria. He called the effects of cocaine "magical." In 1885 the Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Company advertised cocaine as being able to "supply" the place of food, make the coward brave, the silent eloquent, and ... render the sufferer insensitive to pain.

Every animal that has ever been used in laboratory experiments with cocaine has self-administered cocaine voluntarily, often to the point of death. Researchers have made systems where animals are taught to push a lever if they want to receive a drug dose. If the animal likes the effects of the drug, it will likely push the lever again. This action is referred to as behavioral reinforcement.

Cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, and narcotics are behavioral reinforcers. Animals won't push levers to get nicotine or alcohol if they have never been given these drugs previously. But once they have experience with these, they will then do what is required (push the lever) to again get the benefit of the drug's effect.

The brain contains two particular chemicals that work in our brain alerting system. Cocaine makes this alerting system work with more intensity. These two chemicals are called dopamine and norepinephrine.

People who use cocaine don't do so as a method of making life worse; they do it because the cocaine makes life seem better. If you are emotionally stable and have adequate self-esteem, cocaine would probably not seem inviting to you. if you came from a home where you were told you were stupid and worthless, cocaine just might seem to be the greatest thing that ever happened to you. Cocaine users are typically between 12 and 39 years of age.

Amphetamines

Amphetamines have gained popularity during the current century. Although not chemically related to cocaine, their effects are very similar. Amphetamines are more potent, act for 24 hours or more, and can be made in a laboratory at home using chemicals that can be readily obtained without a prescription.

Amphetamines (speed) have become one of the most popular illicit drugs in the southwestern United States, and their popularity is moving eastward. The downside of this class of drugs is that they can cause psychosis; people can go crazy with anger and demonstrate violent behavior. Speed increases alertness, causes excitement and wakefulness, promotes a decreased sense of fatigue, elevates mood, and gives a sense of power. Can you see that this drug can be attractive to a depressed and defeated person?

People commonly think speed makes them "better." Why wouldn't they use it?

Narcotics

Narcotics are a group of drugs that by definition are said to cause narcosis, or a relaxed dreamlike state. The term narcotics has been expanded to include drugs that come from opium, called opiates. The classical opiate is heroin, but codeine, morphine, and other medications used often for pain are also from this class.

One unique quality of opiates is that they relieve emotional pain. Now, think about that for a second. It is this ability to relieve emotional pain that makes the narcotics, such as heroin, so seductive and difficult to control. What percentage of those living in America are suffering from emotional pain? We don't know, but it must be a very large number. Knowing this information, you might be less surprised that the use of heroin is on a sharp rise in the U.S. today, as more and more people are seeking relief from emotional pain.

Law enforcement works hard to get drugs off the streets and out of the hands of those who manufacture, distribute, and use them. If history is an accurate teacher, this will not work. While efforts to stop drug distribution should not stop, getting at the underlying cause of drug use should become more of a focus in drug programs.

Few individuals wake up in the morning and say, "I think I will go out and ruin my health and see if I can get thrown in jail today." Rather they wake up feeling depressed, defeated, lacking confidence and motivation, and in need of something of substance in their lives.

Recent drug research has revealed that drug treatment and prevention programs need a values component. We need to treat the underlying causes of drug use: hopelessness, depression, worthlessness, and feelings of separation. Studies show that students who have a religious affiliation and who embrace spiritual values are much less likely to use drugs. Christian values are an essential place to start in promoting a drug-free society.