Drug addiction, also known as substance–use disorder, refers to the dangerous and excessive intake of legal and illegal drugs. This leads to many behavioral changes in the person as well as affects brain functions. Drug addiction includes abusing alcohol, cocaine, heroin, opioid, painkillers, and nicotine, among others. Drugs like these help the person feel good about them and induce ‘dopamine’ or the
happiness hormone. As they continue to use the drug, the brain starts to increase dopamine levels, and the person demands more. The risk of addiction and how fast you become addicted varies by drug. Some drugs, such as opioid painkillers, have a higher risk and cause addiction more quickly than others. Drug addiction can start with the experimental use of a recreational drug in social situations, and, for some people, drug use becomes more frequent. For others, particularly with opioids, drug addiction begins when they take prescribed medicines or receive them from others who have prescriptions. As time passes, the person may need larger doses of the drug to get high. Soon the addict may need the drug just to feel good. As his/her drug use increases, he/she may find that it’s increasingly difficult to go without the drug. Attempts to stop drug use may cause intense cravings and make the addict feel physically ill. These are called withdrawal symptoms. Around 275 million people used drugs worldwide in the last year, while over 36 million people suffered from drug use disorders, according to the 2021 World Drug Report, released today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Report further noted that in the last 24 years, cannabis potency had increased by as much as four times in parts of the world, even as the percentage of adolescents who perceived the drug as harmful fell by as much as 40 percent, despite evidence that cannabis use is associated with a variety of health and other harms, especially among regular long-term users. A survey by IMHANS across 10 districts of Kashmir found that 2.8% of the population of Kashmir has been substance abusers, with 52,404 currently dependent on drugs, 25% of unemployed youth involved in substance abuse, and addicts spending 88,000 rupees a month procuring heroin. The National Crime Records Bureau’s Information, as distributed in 2014, revealed that India witnesses almost 10 suicides once a day because of substance addiction. India passed the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, (NDPS Act) in 1985 which was consequently amended in 1989, 2001, and recently, in 2014. India’s driving against anti-drug law endorses firm punishments for drug traffickers and rehabilitation for the users. Surrounded with the purpose to battle drug trafficking, it denies and criminalizes the production, cultivation, possession, sale, use, purchase, import and export, and consumption of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. It gives immunity in circumstances where the medications are used for scientific or medical purposes. The NDPS Act appeared to conceive strict punishments for drug trafficking, expand implementation powers, implement international conventions that India is associated with, and direct psychotropic substances. A predominantly reformatory statute, NDPS furnishes the regulation of drugs. It expresses that capital punishment can be granted as a form of punishment under the Act.
The 2014 amendment held that the decision to grant capital punishment lies at the discretion of the court and rather stipulates 30 years of detainment as a substitute.
With a specific end goal to supplement the NDPS Act, the Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act came into existence in 1988. It contains provisions relating to the preventive detention of any and each person who is associated with or accused of drug trafficking. The worry for combatting drug trafficking magnifies once the judiciary started to rely on Article 47 of the Indian Constitution, which endorses the restriction on the utilization of drugs and directs the State to endeavor to decrease and abolish the utilization of drugs, except when it is utilized for scientific purposes. The present legislation covers three classes of substances, which are psychotropic substances (LSD, Amphetamines, MDMA Methamphetamines), narcotic drugs (poppy straw, cocoa leaf, cannabis, and opium), and controlled substances (utilized for the production of any psychotropic substance or the narcotic drug). Drug addiction has severe consequences. Some of the signs include anxiety, paranoia, increased heart rate, and red eyes. They are intoxicated and unable to display proper coordination and have difficulty remembering things. A person who is addicted cannot resist using them and is unable to function correctly without ingesting them. It causes damage to the brain and personal and professional relationships. It affects mental cognition; they are unable to make proper decisions, cannot retain information, and make poor judgments. They tend to engage in reckless activities such as stealing or driving under the influence. They also make sure that there is a constant supply and are willing to pay a lot of money even if they are unable to afford it and tend to have erratic sleep patterns. Drug addiction also causes a person to isolate themselves and have either intense or no food cravings. They stop taking care of their hygiene. Drug addiction affects a person’s speech and experiences hallucinations. They are unable to converse and communicate properly; they speak fast and are hyperactive. Those addicted have extreme mood swings. They can go from feeling happy to feeling sad quickly and are incredibly secretive. They begin to lose interest in activities they once loved. Substance abusers also undergo withdrawal symptoms. Some withdrawal symptoms include nausea, fatigue, and tremors. They stop and start using again, an endless cycle that could be life-threatening. Drug addiction can be fatal if not treated timely. It can cause brain damage and seizures as well as overdose, heart diseases, respiratory problems, damage to the liver and kidneys, vomiting, lung diseases, and much more. Though chronic, treatment is available for drug addiction. Many techniques are used, such as Detoxification, behavioral counseling, medication to treat the drug addiction, and providing treatment not just for substance abuse but also for many factors that accompany addiction such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Many devices have been developed to overcome addiction. There are rehabilitation centers to help people. After treatment, there are numerous follow-ups to ensure that the cycle does not come back. The most important is having family and friends to support the effect. It will help them build confidence and come over their addiction.
(The author is a student of Law. The views, opinions, facts, assumptions, presumptions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the authors and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”.)
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