From 2019 to 2022, almost 107,941 people suffered deaths from drugs alone (NIDA, “Drug Overdose Deaths”). Most people use drugs to help with stress, other issues in their life, or just use it for the high of it. Lots of things can be considered drugs, not just the idea of Weed or Cocaine that comes to mind for most, and many are being used now as this is being read.
A commonly well accepted drug is tobacco, commonly found in cigarettes, which is a reliever of stress and is considered to be addictive. Although having a little less stress can be very relieving, over time taking drugs can have very serious effects on a person both mentally, and physically.
Drugs can have heavy affects. Over the past few years, a study showed that 1 in every 17 people, ages 15 to 64, used some kind of drug within the span of 12 months (UNODC, “2023 World drug report”).
Anyone can be using drugs as they may not always cause physical affects at first. “Tara Fitzgerald, a 17-year-old junior from Woodbury, Minnesota, died of a drug overdose in 2014, her family was stunned. A talented musician and honors student, Fitzgerald was the last kid anyone would expect to be using drugs.” (DrugRehab, “How Do Teens Get Drugs).
How did Tara Fitzgerald, a honors student who was very musically talented, get ahold of drugs? A study conducted, by giving a national survey to highschoolers, showed that nearly half bought drugs off of someone at school. This shows how widely available drugs are at common-place areas, and how there are many ways of obtaining and using drugs.
Along with that, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, people with addictions often have one or more health issues. These conditions are frequently related to the heart or lungs, and can even lead to psychological damage. The mental harm most drugs can do is irreparable, causing long lasting depression, anxiety and paranoia, along with a chance of hallucinations (Mental Health Foundation, “Drugs and mental health”).
Unfortunately, The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics states that over the years, the percentage of drug users in the world has been increasing by 3.8% every year. This can lead to many issues among the human population; including an increase in teratogens among pregnant women, which may cause higher chances for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in babies.
Fortunately, there have been many measures and organizations in place to help those with addictions to certain drugs and/or substances. Many such organizations and/or campaigns could be that of the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which is used to help those in need or at risk of harm to their own life.
Another popular campaign, commonly found among schools all around the U.S, is “Red Ribbon Week,” or professionally known as the “Red Ribbon Campaign,” and is an event that takes place each year on October 23rd through October 31st.
The Red Ribbon Campaign serves to help kids realize the dangers of drug use through the encouragement of wearing styles and/or themes of clothing on specific days of that week in their school. Along with their clothing trends, the Red Ribbon Campaign also has many sponsors, contests, and merchandise products to further advocate for the dangers of drug use.
Overall, drugs are a harmful way to help cope with the stresses of everyday life, and there are many healthier solutions to those problems.
Many organizations help stand up to those who advocate for drugs. They try and show addicts that there is help out there, and there are people that care. Sometimes talking with someone about their issues can help them in more ways than one!
