DRUG ABUSE

Many people do not understand why individuals become addicted to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug abuse. They mistakenly view drug abuse and addiction as strictly a social problem and may characterize those who take drugs as morally weak. One very common belief is that drug abusers should be able to just stop taking drugs if they are only willing to change their behaviour. What people often underestimate is the complexity of drug addiction-that it is a disease that impacts the brain and because of that stopping drug abuse is just a matter of will power. Through scientific advances we now know much more about how exactly drugs work in the brain, and we also know that drug addiction can be succesfully treated to help people stop abusing and resume their productive lives......
No single factor can predict whether or not a person will become addicted to drugs. Risk for addiction is influenced by a person's biology, social environment, and age or stage of developmenT. The more risk factors an individual has,the greater is the chance that taking drugs can lead to aadiction
PREVENTION......
Drug addiction is a preventable disease.Results from NIDA-funded research have shown that prevention programs that involve the family, schools, communities, and the media are effective in reducing drug abuse. Although many events and cultural factors affect drug abuse trends, when youths percieve drug abuse as harmful, they reduce their drug taking. It is necessary,therefore to help youth and the general public to understand the risks of drug abuse and for teachers, parents and the healthcare professionals to keep sending the message that drug addiction can be prevented if a person never abuses drugs.
"DRUGS ARE THE GATEWAY TO HELL"