As Per the reports of the NDA (National drug authority), more than 80% of drug overdose deaths involved opioids. Most of the deaths specifically involved IMFs. Over 96700 people die from a drug overdose per year. Overdose death rates increased at an annual rate of 0.88% over the last three years. As per statistics of the national center for drug abuse statistics, drug overdoses have killed almost a million people since 1999.
|DRUGS USED IN OVERDOSE||% OF TOTAL DEATHS|
The total national overdose rate is 21.6% deaths per 100,000 residents. The average annual overdose death rate is 12.6% out of every among youth and young adults aged 15 to 24 years. The overdose death rate among this same age group is 41.9% lower than the national average death rate. Opioids are the deadliest drug type. Opioids kill more than three times as many people as cocaine. Overdose deaths rank just below diabetes in terms of the highest death count. In 2018-2019 Drug overdose rates fell by 4.6% for the first time since 2012.
WHAT ARE DRUGS AND DRUG OVERDOSE?
Drugs are chemical substance that affects the functioning of a living creature or things and the organism too. Drugs are taken in the form of powder or liquid forms like liquor or any injection or any other medicinal form.
In ancient times, Drugs are formerly used for medicinal purposes, but throughout the evolution of society, these have been popularly known for their addiction. Nowadays, drugs are illegal, so this is not easily available in the market, but still, you find them in society.
Overdose means taking something or consumption of this thing over the prescribed amount. Drug overdose is taking too much of the substance over the counter whether it is legal or illegal.
Medications related to drugs
The only way to protect the youngsters or the society is rehab or self-awareness. Rehab is where people dealing with drug issues get prescribed medications to get rid of their addiction to drugs. In rehab, doctors sometimes treat the person, and cases have worsened. Many Organisations or I should say many NGOs, are trying to provide education about these things to youngsters or society to stay away from these types of products. Medications for a drug addict are only prescribed medicine. No one can get the treatment without a prescription. So, the only way to get rid of drugs is by getting treated in rehab or by self-awareness in society.
Problems face by drugs addicted persons depend upon the various factors:-
- What kind of drug do you intake?
- In what amount?
- What was its chemical composition?
- Physical or medical history of the person who intakes the drug.
Problems faced by drug-addicted persons are:-
- Trouble breathing
- Lack of consciousness
- Aggression or violence
- Enlarged pupils
- Difficulty walking
- Hallucinations or delusions
These are some common problems, but there are many more depending on the factors or the drug doses. These problems face by only the individual who consumes the drug, but their family faces issues regarding the mental pressure of society, financial issues, relationship problems, and many more.
By analyzing these factors, doctors treat a patient as a drug addict. Sometimes a person can do self-harm due to mental health. These cases are quite difficult to handle because the major priority is to protect them from themselves, so, firstly, try to calm them down to stop doing some violence and get them confidence and treat them.
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TYPES OF DRUGS
There are many types of drugs in society, but here we are discussing only a few that are dangerous to society. Even you can make yourself a drug by mixing any of the products that are harmful to your health or lead to your death or intoxication, but we are discussing some particular medicines here. Those are:-
- Opioids:- These are the most dangerous drug in the world. They are highly addictive. Opioids also have cases of the high overdose to society. Opioids directly affect the human brain. When the opioids are taken, they enter the brain and start with a headache.
- Krokodil:- These drugs are not prescribed in the market. Krokodil drugs are limited in nature. Diamorphine is the basic ingredient of the Krokodil drug. Some other dangerous chemicals also present in this are gasoline and lighter fluids. The side effects of this drug are an infection of the skin and soft tissues, blood poisoning, etc.
- Heroin:- Heroin is one of the most dangerous drugs in the world. Heroin is also named diamorphine or diacetylmorphine. It is injected directly into the veins but can also be smoked, inhaled, or snorted. Side effects of this drug are included dry mouth, depression, drowsiness, impaired mental functions, constipation, etc. Many more side effects are there.
- Nicotine(Tobacco):- Nicotine is an extremely lethal substance, according to the centers for disease control, and the most dangerous drug. This drug finds out in cigarettes or tobacco. These things affect the vital body organs, mostly the lungs and throat, leading to death.
- Cocaine:- cocaine is a white powdery drug. Cocaine releases a large amount of dopamine in the brain and triggers a feeling of euphoria upon use. Cocaine consumption can cause cardiac arrest, convulsions, stroke, and last death.
These are some most dangerous drugs in the world.
The rule book of the united nations office on drugs and crime(UNODC) contains the three main conventions held at the united nations headquarters from 24 January to 25 March 1961. Those conventions are:-
- Single Convention on Narcotic drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 protocol.
- The convention on the psychotropic substance of 1971.
- The united nations convention against the illicit traffic of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances of 1988.
These conventions had many committees to make laws for drug trafficking, selling, and consumption. These committees included around 40 to 53 members. They decided on many punishments, so these are:-
- When the quantity of drugs caught is small, the punishment is imprisonment for one year, and with imprisonment, there is also a fine of around $1000.
- If drugs will catch while sold, the punishment is imprisonment is not less than one year but extended up to 40 years, and the fine is around up to 1 lakh dollars.
- If the person is found guilty of selling the drugs to the minor, the punishment for them is five years of imprisonment, and if the person employing any minor(below 18) to sell the drugs faces a CLASS F felony.
- Smuggling drugs in the united nations will be punished with five years imprisonment to 20 years imprisonment with a penalty of $5 million.
- The last penalty or punishment for smuggling drugs and selling them is the death penalty or punishment.
This is just a little information about the drugs and their overdose. There are many more things around us, but no one takes a look because no one understands the issues. Drugs are harmful objects or substances not only for the individual but also for society. Drugs are like a termite to the person who just made him empty.
As they said, ” if the thing gets empty from inside, then the outer body gets destroyed within a time” just like this, drugs are a termite to our human health. Be aware of them by giving them knowledge about drugs and making our society healthy.