Drug Addiction

Preventing today’s young people from becoming tomorrow’s drug misusers is a key target within the drug strategy of any government. The aim is to tackle supply at every opportunity – internationally, nationally, regionally and locally – to focus on all points in the supply chain.

According to statistics the number of drug offences, addicts and seizures rose in many countries. Although the biggest groups of drugs addicts are in the larger cities, there are also considerable numbers in smaller cities.

Many people do not understand why individuals become addicted to drugs. 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 can stop taking drugs if they are only willing to change their behaviour.

What people often underestimate is the complexity of drug addiction. It is a disease that impacts the brain and because of that, stopping drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower. Nearly all drugs, directly or indirectly, target the brain’s system. Drug addiction is also closely linked to increasing HIV/AIDS incidences.

Drug abuse and addiction are a major burden to society.

Risk for addiction is influenced by a person’s biology, social environment, and age or stage of development. A person’s environment includes many different influences: family and friends, socioeconomic status and quality of life in general. Factors such as peer pressure, physical and sexual abuse, stress, and parental involvement can greatly influence the course of drug abuse and addiction in a person’s life.

Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, the earlier the drug use begins, the more likely it is to progress to more serious abuse. That’s why the development of services to treat drug addicts must remain a high priority of the governments for the foreseeable future.

(Paul Birch “Analysis of the Drug Problem”)

Exercise 7. Answer the following questions:

1. What makes drug addiction an international problem?

2. What steps should the governments take to solve the problem?

3. What problems arise as a result of drug addiction?

4. Whom does drug abuse affect mainly?

5. Is this problem very important nowadays? Why or why not?

6. What measures can you propose to eliminate the threat of drug abuse?

Exercise 8. Give a summary of the text.

Exercise 9. Agree or disagree with the following. Give your arguments:

1. The problem of drug abuse and trafficking drugs is of great concern all over the world now, isn’t it?

2. Drug users are younger than before.

3. Drug abuse is a social problem.

4. The governments will continue to do all they can to restrict the quantities of illegal drugs coming into their country.

Exercise 10. Read Text 2 to find the information about:

- state bodies of the UK which participate in fight against drug misuse;

- international cooperation in the sphere of drug control;

- the main aims of the drug control strategy.

Text 2