The drug use menace is a global problem that has seen not only the loss of lives but the stagnation of the socio-economic progress in communities. A developing community is characterized by the existence of an empowered population that can think independently and apply their energies in enhancing income generation, creativity, and innovation. Over time, there have been campaigns to ensure that the capacity building, especially on adolescents and the young adults, is enhanced. However, setbacks in ensuring social progress are imminent in the case where individuals are not able to function optimally owing to drug dependency. Governments, learning institutions, and charitable organizations are developing programs to further community developments and curb the drug use menace. While the traditional drug use trends have been marked with traditionally known substances including cocaine, marijuana, and heroin, contemporary drug use is marked with counterfeit medicine; sophisticated lab-produced drugs some which some are also meant for medical purposes. This paper will analyze the trends in drug use to uncover the implications of the developments towards the fight against the menace.
Counterfeit drugs
The manufacture of drugs is always guided by precise laboratory analysis that ensures that the composition of the given medicine and the dosage prescription is appropriate for human consumption to avoid adverse side effects as well as prevent addiction. The contemporary drug use is characterized by an influx of counterfeit drugs in pharmacies that are posing a great danger to individuals. Drug Control, Public health and Safety and Poison control departments are striving to curb misuse of drugs and crack down on the sellers and manufacturers of counterfeit drugs. Reports of fake drugs in the market have been rampant especially on pain relieving medicine. Across the United States, incidences of counterfeit drugs are being reported, and in 2017, the division of criminal investigation in Iowa reported on the availability of medicine that resembled oxycodone which is a normal pain reliever. Laboratory tests confirmed the drug to contain illicit and powerful opioids fentanyl which poses the danger of overdose. The realization of trends of counterfeit drugs has seen health departments establish call centres to help in a reversal of the effects of consuming fake drugs that contain harmful substances (Thompson, 2017).
Drug-Related Infections
Reports of infections related to the use of drugs have marked the contemporary medical practice and healthcare provision. While the aim of medicinal products is a cure or prevent disease, the drug use can lead to undesired outcomes which could include new infections. There is a developing need for patients and the public to ensure due diligence in purchasing or consuming drugs both the herbal and the synthetic. In February 21st, 2018, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) issued a warning to the public for trends of Salmonella infections which are related to Kratom products. Kratom which is a deciduous tree with its leaves containing a psychoactive opioid known as mitragynine is used for pain relief, mood-lifting and as an aphrodisiac. It is evident that while research departments are striving to discover naturally available resources to find solutions to human disease, there is need to enhance background check on the possible organisms and chemicals in drug compositions (Campa et al., 2017).
Abuse of Animal Drugs
While past reports have been linked to the use of human medicinal drugs to attain 'highness,' current trends indicate the use of animal sedatives. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) reported the use of Carfentanil which is used in potent animals including elephants as a sedative (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018). The use of the substances unauthorized for human consumption is mixed with street drugs including heroin thus underscoring its imminent danger of overdose. The perpetrators of drug abuse are enhancing research into various products including the animal drugs to discover the possibility of using the given products to attain 'highness' and sell them in the streets. The risk associated with the consumption of un-prescribed drugs is the danger of overdose which poses the threat of loss of lives.
Conclusion
The contemporary drug use is characterized by both voluntary and involuntary consumption of both medicinal and non-medicinal substances that collectively pose a danger to human health. Drug-use awareness is an important aspect of ensuring appropriate consumption of drugs to avoid the danger of overdose as well as the complication of an individual's healing process. The advancements in technology are allowing various health agencies with the avenues to uncover the content of products to design medicinal possibility while also allowing unscrupulous individuals to design counterfeit drugs and cause misuse. The control of undesired drug uses is vested in the government agencies as well as individuals. There is a need for one to be vigilant in purchasing and consuming medicine to prevent being the victim of overdose or infections from the use of drugs.
References
Campa A, Martinez SS, Baum M. Drug Addiction, Relapse and Recovery. J Drug Abuse. 2017, 3:1.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018). Emerging Trends and Alerts. (online). Available at https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/emerging-trends-alerts. Accessed February 26th, 2018
Thompson WE (2017) In Summary: A High by Any Other Name: Exploring the Motivations for Consumption of ‘Legal Highs’. J Drug Abuse. Vol. 3 No. 2:10
