7. Drug Abuse in Tanzania youth summary.pptx

Drug Abuse Tanzania

1. Drugs and drug abuse in relation to nervous coordination

2. The brain can be affected by external influences, particularly drugs. A drug is any substance natural or synthetic that when taken by man alters the way the body works. This can change an organism’s body physiologically or psychologically

3. Drugs normally are used for treatment of diseases or for the alleviation of pain. When drugs are used for unintended purpose or used in excess, it is called drug abuse . Therefore, drug abuse is the excess use of drugs or use for reasons other than medical.

4. Psychoactive drugs Psychoactive drugs are substances that when taken in or administered into one’s system affect the central nervous system. They produce false sense of wellbeing and relief from tension, stress, pain and anxiety. This means the nervous system of the organism is affected. These drugs fall into several groups as follows:

5. Sedatives Are drugs that slow down the functions of the brain and make a person feel sleepy. They are used to make someone feel more relaxed. They are also called depressants. Sedatives include tranquillizers and sleeping pills. Barbiturates are among the most powerful relaxant drugs that are used to provide relief from depression. Sedatives are known to interfere with impulse transmission and with the functioning of the medulla oblongata.

6. Depressants Affect neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. Slow brain activity to induce feelings of drowsiness, relaxation, and pain relief. Common types of depressants include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics.

7. Stimulants These are drugs which stimulate or excite the nervous system by elevating mood, increasing energy and feelings of wellbeing, and alertness. They speed up the reaction or action of the brain and make someone more alert. Examples include cocaine, caffeine, heroine, nicotine, marijuana (bhang) and tobacco. Caffeine is a less dangerous stimulant and commonly used in our environment since it is found in coffee, tea, some diet pills as well as in some soft drinks such as cola. But cocaine and heroin are dangerous drug for the user. They are taken either by smoking or by sniffing through the nose.

8. Narcotics These are the substances that dull the senses and relieve pain by depressing the cerebral cortex in the brain. They also affect the thalamus which is the regulatory center of the body. Examples of narcotics include heroin and pharmaceutical drugs like Oxycontin, vicodin , codeine, morphine, methadone, and fentanyl.

9. Hallucinogens These are drugs that distort visual and auditory perception. They interfere with the way brain interprets impulses from the sensory organs. The interference can be either by altering the information about real things producing illusion or by producing false image; hence, causing hallucinations. They cause a person to hallucinate (hear and see) things which are not real. Examples of such drug includes cannabis (marijuana, bhang, hashish or charas ), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), phencyclidine and mescaline.

10. Inhalants Inhalants are products which include spray, paints, markers, glues, kerosene, toluene, petroleum and cleaning fluids. These products contain dangerous substances that have psychoactive (mind-altering) properties when inhaled. People who use inhalants breath in the fumes through their nose or mouth usually by sniffing, snorting, bagging or huffing.

11. Correct ways of handling and using drugs The correct ways of handling drugs include; 1. Never take a drug without a doctor’s prescription; 2. Take the drug correctly according to doctor’s prescription. Never take more or less than what is prescribed by a doctor; 3. Always keep drugs away from the reach of children or persons who are addicted to drugs; and 4. Never use expired drugs.

12. Drug Abuse This is excessive use of drugs or using them for reasons other than medical. Some people take drugs for pleasure. When drugs are taken for this purpose it may lead to drug addiction. A drug addict comes to be dependant upon a drug so that life becomes unbearable without it. Drug addicts suffer withdrawal symptoms if they stop suddenly using drugs

13. Withdraw symptoms Withdraw symptoms refers to physical and mental symptoms that depend on the type of drug being discontinued. The intensity and duration of withdrawal symptoms vary widely depending on the type of drug and biological make up of a person. The symptoms can be extremely unpleasant and may be fatal. The symptoms associated with withdrawal include change in appetite, fatigue, muscle pain, nausea, sleeping difficult and sweating

14. Reasons for taking drugs There are different reasons that make people take drugs, some of them include the following: 1. Some people take drugs so that they can be accepted by members of their peer group, this is because of the influence of peer groups. 2. Some people take drugs as refreshment with a belief that the drug will excite them. 3. Some people believe that drugs will improve their intelligence or perception. 4. Some take drug to escape from reality of life such as poverty, hunger, family conflict. 5. Others take drugs for medical treatment and desire to satisfy curiosity about the effect of the drugs.

15. Effects of drug addiction Although different drugs have different effects in the body, generally the common effects include 1. damaged immune system: and therefore susceptibility to infections, heart attacks, collapsed veins, liver failure, abdominal pains and stroke. 2. Cancer: Tobacco smoking is linked with cancer of the lungs, mouth, throat and larynx. It is also linked with thinning and weakening of lung tissues, blockage of arteries in the heart and chronic bronchitis. 3. Poor healing: Smoking appears to delay the healing of stomach ulcers, reduces the sense of smell and taste, and slows down reflexes.

16. 4. Chidren with heath probems : Women who smoke during pregnancy tend to have increased chance of having low-birth weighted babies than non-smokers Moreover, babies of woman who smoke may be born dead or die shortly after birth. 5. Alcohol, found in beverages and liquors, is a depressant, although a small amount has a stimulant effect. Relatively large amounts distort vision and interfere with hearing. Also, alcohol interferes with the transmission of nerve impulses. Heavy drinking can cause liver and stomach cancer. 6. loss of employment, 7. break up of relationship, 8. homelessness, and 9. Risky sexual behavior.

17. Preventive measures against drug abuse 1. Reduce the availability and need to use drugs. This depends mainly on law enforcement. 2. Look after the psychological and social wellbeing of young people. It is more effective to offer the youth good psychosocial environments and services. 3. Make sure that the preventive measures are appropriate for young people: For example; (a) Schools can provide students with opportunities to develop their social participation and potential. Teachers should integrate drug abuse issues within existing school subjects, such as health and reproductive education, culture, social science, psychology and religious studies. (b) Young people should be educated on how to manage their free time and also should be provided with opportunities for social learning in groups. (c) Policy-makers should be sensitive to the problems of drug addiction and take appropriate measures to address the problem.