 Why do people take Drugs?
People take drugs for a number of different reasons.
People take drugs because they have been prescribed (given to them by a doctor to make their
health better), they take them because they think they may be fun, sometimes people take them because
they are unhappy and feel that drugs might
make them feel better. Sometimes people take drugs to experiment, or because their
friends are taking them.
Why do young people take Drugs?
Young people sometimes can be encouraged to experiment with drugs by people around them.
Sometimes it's hard to resist the pressure to buy drugs or take risks when the people around you are putting pressure on you. Some people don't know how to resist it.
There may be lots of reasons why young people take drugs, sometimes its to try and forget about problems in their lives such as arguments with friends, parents, relationships, feeling low etc. They might believe that drinking alcohol and taking drugs might help them forget bad things and feel more confident. Taking drugs, getting wrecked will probably make them feel worse and end up with more problems.
When young people get drunk they may not realise how strong a drug alcohol is. They may take drugs that they wouldn't have if they were sober. Also, their drink could be spiked without them knowing.
When young people are bored or fed-up they may feel that experimenting with drugs and alcohol will make their lives and their relationships/friendships more exiting.
Drugs make people take more risks, such as unprotected sex and this can end up in unwanted pregnancies.
Are Drugs Dangerous?
Drugs are chemicals that affect a person's body and mind. Some people need to take them to deal with an illness and some people need to take them when they are not ill wanting to make them feel differently or better.
Sometimes, when people take a large amount of drug, their body cannot cope with it, this is called an overdose. Taking too much of some drugs can make people very ill, they can collapse and sometimes die.
Drug Risks
It is very difficult to know how a drug might make someone feel and to know what will happen to someone when they have taken drugs as it can depend on what drug they have taken, what mood they are in, who they are with and where they are.
All drugs taken have a risk attached to them. If a person is using illegal drugs the risks they carry mean:
- Drugs given by someone, or sold by a dealer are usually not pure and can be mixed with a range of different substances including kitchen scourer, bleach, talcum powder - these can be dangerous to the user.
- A person can never be completely sure of what they are using or what effect it might have on them.
- It is often dangerous to mix different drugs this includes drinking alcohol and taking a drug.
- Sharing syringes, needles and other injecting equipment carries a serious risk of passing infections such as hepatitis and HIV.
- Injecting can damage veins and cause abscesses and thrombosis.
- Using any types of drugs can put a person at risk as they are more likely to have accidents, take risks with their personal and sexual health and find it more difficult to make decisions about personal safety when under the influence of drugs.
- If a person is caught in possession of illegal drugs or supplying drugs to another person (this also means giving or selling them to a friend) - they can be prosecuted. This can mean a prison sentence or heavy fine and will affect someone for a very long time, they may find it difficult to get a job, get qualifications and it could affect their relationships with family and friends.
Saying No
Remember you've got a right to say no.
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