A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed that the District registered an 11.3% of people 12 years old and above who are into drugs and alcohol addiction. Virginia follows with 9.4% and Maryland at 8.1%.

Analysts identified factors such as the wide distribution of drugs, highly stressful living, and inadequate efforts to encourage abusers to seek treatment as the causes why the District topped the list. The latest SAMHSA report also showed the most abused substances in D.C. which includes marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol.

Babette Wise, the director of the drug and alcohol abuse program of Georgetown University Hospital also has her own interpretation why the city climbed at its present level. She says most workers in the District have the idea that work is also a social event, wherein they get to attend parties and functions which give them the opportunity to drink. This is why some who are already in an addiction may find it hard to admit that they need help.

“People will think, ‘How can my relative be an addict when he has this high position or she’s making all this money?’” Wise said.

A big percentage of D.C. residents are into highly stressful jobs or are in poverty which fuel drug abuse. Psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Lieberman from the George Washington University says that when these people end up in emergency rooms, treatment will be more successful if done a few days after being discharged from the hospital. Unfortunately, this scenario doesn’t always happen making an addict more agitated and with lesser chances of getting sober again.

The biggest problem that parents may face regarding this type of abuse is that most of these volatile substances are inexpensive and legally available. Simple household cleaning agents and substances found in offices may contain certain ingredients like solvents and propellants that can be easily inhaled. In a certain household, there may be up to 50 products that can be abused. Examples of these products are aerosols, nail polish removers, permanent marking pens, and paint thinners.

The vapors of these substances are usually inhaled directly when there are open containers or spray canisters left in the house. Unlike most drugs, there are no needles, pipes, or any material needed to administer the drugs. We often see children inhaling volatile substances in plastic bags or rags saturated with these harmful materials.

Inhaling these substances, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, may bring about some undesirable effects on the body. Adults and young children alike will experience symptoms like vomiting, headaches, hallucinations, and speech problems when exposed to these drugs. Solvent abuse can also dramatically decrease the amount of oxygen in the blood which can lead to hypnoxia. Things can go from worse to worst when a person continues this habit which will result to damage in the kidneys, brain, and liver. The nervous system will also be greatly affected and we all know what this can mean.

Proper education that starts in our homes plays a very important role. It would help if children’s curiosity will be addressed at the earliest stage so as not to promote experimenting on these harmful substances. Give enough information that may send the proper signal for children to stay away from these volatile substances.

Behavior during drug use is a central theme in the movie, as shown by its seemingly ridiculous premise. For neophytes in this genre, it may take a while to get used to since the shock factor of the things that they do may prove to be too extreme for some. But when placed vis-à-vis the real behavior of drug users, Harold and Kumar are rather manageable since drug abusers can resort to violence and lots of crazier things in order to acquire drugs.

While the movie itself is comical in nature, it also makes you think: do you want others to see yourself that way — the laughing stock of your group, to not be treated seriously by your peers and colleagues? I don’t think so. It’s probably one of the movies you can check to see how stupid one can be when on drugs.

Andre Agassi

Yes, that would be the Andre Agassi who won eight Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal during his very successful career. In his autobiography “Open” which was published in November of 2009, he admitted to have used crystal meth during his tennis playing years. Crystal meth or methamphetamine increases alertness and vigor, and is known to produce euphoria in high doses.

Michael Jackson

The shocking MJ death was a result of “acute propofol intoxication in combination with the use of sedatives”. Jackson who was scheduled to have a concert tour died of propofol intoxication in his sleep. His personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who administered propofol to the King of Pop, has already been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Steven Tyler

Front-man Steven Tyler checked himself in to a drug rehab facility on December of 2009 for abusing his prescription pain medication drugs. The 61-year-old rock star of the famous Aerosmith is allegedly making plans to leave the band after his recovery.

Whitney Houston

Whitney’s appearance in the Oprah Show shocked the world with her revealing confessions of her drug abuse. She even had her own Marijuana Rock Cocaine recipe: “You put your marijuana, you lace it, you roll it up and you smoke it.”

Lindsay Lohan

Not so shocked? Well, she’s been all over the news for quite some time now that her name has almost become a staple in the world of celebrity drug scandals. The year 2009 was no exemption for our little drama queen; being in and out of rehab for years mostly for alcoholism and abuse of prescription drugs.

Perhaps the first thing to do in this situation is to continuously impress the fact that drug abuse is a serious social issue. Most of the time, we do not accept the realities that are right in front of us, and choose to believe that these things do not directly concern us. Quite the contrary — drug abuse not only has serious consequences on one’s body, but it also determines a person’s behavior within society. Those who are helplessly addicted to drugs find ways to obtain more of the substance, and this often results into their involvement in a life of harassment and/or crime.

Even if we are not directly involved in drug abuse, the process of attempting to eliminate it from our social system is a task that is of ultimate significance. Its social consequences are as severe as they come, and domestic violence and street crimes are just some of these.

The first step is probably the most difficult part – accepting the weight and reality of the problem. This is something that is easy for us to say, but excruciatingly difficult to do. After all, who in the world wants to admit to having a drug problem? That would be equivalent to saying that you have become a slave to an object; it’s also the same as saying that you no longer have full control of your life, and that your habit is the only thing that keeps you going.

Beating drug addiction is more than just changing modes of behavior. The main thing to remember about it is that it is a condition that is hard to control. The next step would be to seek out help from close friends and family about the addiction. The primary reasons for doing drugs are mostly social in nature, mainly revolving on self-esteem and acceptance of problems. Having close social links around you can help you slowly get over it.

The recovery stage is the longest one, after all. A lot of pain may come during this phase, but when you are finally done with everything, all the struggles will be worth it.

Teenagers are highly social beings, and it is during this stage of life that the identity crisis begins. In high school, they struggle to be recognized, while some struggle just to be accepted for who they are. In some scenarios, drug use has become a culture among them, and those who refuse to try it are labeled as “uncool”, effectively casting them out from the main group. It is during this stage that teenagers start to rebel, and where their behavior starts to become a bit unpredictable

It is not wrong to want to be accepted, but drug abuse definitely is. Teenagers know this deep down, but at this stage, they may not yet see the long-term effects of addiction. This is the challenge that adults must face – to make them understand that drug abuse is not as glamorous as they make it out to be.

Whenever possible, try to stop their drug use during the early stages. Convincing them to quit after a prolonged amount of time would be more challenging; they would simply refuse your help. Some might relent for a while, but the relapse can prove too strong for them to fight alone, and you would have to go through a lot of time and spend money just to help him. All the same, reassure them that they can kick the habit completely, and support them on the road to recovery.

In sleep apnea the muscle tone in the throat becomes excessively relaxed resulting in blockage of the airway. The person struggles to breathe and this happens several times during his period of sleep often leaving 10 seconds or more within breaths. The sleeper actually fails to notice this until the next day when he might experience daytime drowsiness, headaches, irritability – all of which result from sleep apnea. Apnea might also lead to driving accidents, cognitive problems, stroke and heart disease.

The researchers monitored the sleep of 71 ecstasy users who had used it at least for 30 times but had not used it or any other illicit drugs within the previous fifteen days. 62 people who never used ecstasy served as the control group. The age of the volunteers ranged from 18 to 46 years with an average age of 24 years. None of them reported of having any sleep disturbances in the past.

Based on the number of breath stoppages per hour, the researchers rated sleep apnea as mild, moderate and severe. One of the ecstasy users had severe apnea while 8 had moderate apnea. The mild rate was more or less same within the two groups (27% between non-users and 21% within users). Longer the period of use greater the number of sleep apnea episodes.

Dr. McCarn said, “Our findings may be explained by how ecstasy damages neurons related to serotonin, a chemical in the brain that is involved in sleep regulation and breathing, among other important functions.”

Recently a study on drug abuse had been conducted at Kalindini and Mombasa districts. The study, sponsored by National AIDS Control Council and carried out by DARAT, an organization based in Mombasa, indicated that a sample of 120 narcotic users including injecting drug users showed an exceptionally high rate of Hepatitis C and HIV positive cases. The drug users were all residents of Mombasa and Kalindini.

Dr. Timothy Mugusia, who was involved in the study said, “Over 70 per cent of them were found to be infected with hepatitis C while half of them were HIV positive.” He also said, “An abnormally high rate of HIV and hepatitis among injecting drug users at the Kenyan coast points to ‘flashing blood’ among local users.”

The practice was first reported in Dar es Salaam two years ago. Sheryl McUrdy of the University of Texas and Paul Kilonzo of the University of Dar es Salaam first reported the incidents of flash blood in a study published in the African Journal of Drug and Alcohol studies in 2006.

Dr. Mugusia estimated that there are around 6,000 drug injectors in Mombasa and Kalindini and most of the users are in their early 20s. The women in Mombasa have threatened to strip publicly if the government fails to take any immediate steps to check drug use in this part of the city since it is eroding the productivity of the youth.

One effect of long-term drug use is the growing dependence on the drug, and this can manifest itself in a number of different ways. Physically, it can do damage do the brain. For example, the active ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), does damage to brain cells, specifically the axons, which serve as the channels through which information passes from neuron to neuron. Most drugs damage the brain in relatively the same way, and the user begins to experience paranoia and acute anxiety when away from the drug for a certain length of time.

Mentally, the damage shows itself through the user’s behavior. The user may show signs of instability, irritability, and stress. This is, once again, due to the drug’s damage on the brain.

Of course, the people around the immediate vicinity of the user suffer the most because of this erratic behavior. A great deal of confusion, frustration, and anger can come out of this, since the user’s pattern of behavior can change along with his length of drug use. Friends and family would find the user a changed person, who has the tendency to isolate himself from the rest of society just to continue the habit.

While the pleasure brought about by drug use can be exciting at first, its long-term effects far outweigh its positive one. The damage that long-term drug use does on the physical, mental, and social health of the user is great, making this an urgent issue to address.