Drugs. The Number Of Users Is Getting High

By Kate O’Donnell, Uk

’Spliff’ containing cannabis

I remember a time when the word ‘drug’ was a dirty one, frowned upon and even taboo. Drugs were for criminals, the homeless, wasters and other outcasts in society, so when my parents warned me about them, along with smoking, alcohol and talking to strangers, it was something that we all agreed not to do because it was unhealthy and wrong. However, as with drinking alcohol, smoking and having the odd chat to the next person in the bus queue, drugs are no longer uncommon and are a bigger part of everyday life than some people realise.

Drug usage (especially amongst teenagers and young adults) is on the increase across Europe at a shocking rate. For example, one in ten adults that took part in an international survey admitted that they smoke cannabis or had taken it within the past year. In addition, the percentage of UK adults to have smoked cannabis within the past year is double the European average. Even more shocking, around fifty percent of teenagers in Britain said that they had tried drugs (mainly cannabis) before they had left school, in comparison to those in Portugal and Sweden, where the percentage of teens that had tried drugs was only seven percent.

Unfortunately, cannabis is not the only drug that is common in teen culture, others include ‘poppers’ (amyl nitrites), cocaine and even though it is declining, ecstasy is also a regular substance taken. The fact that some of the ‘harder’ drugs a number of us are using are categorised as higher-class drugs, is not deterring youths from trying/ taking them. In fact, in some countries (notably Spain and Britain) the prices of such substances are getting cheaper, possibly because they are no longer uncommon or rare. These drugs are being used by a great number of people of any social class, age and gender, meaning that times have indeed changed and drugs are no longer only used by criminals, the homeless, wasters and other outcasts in society as once stereotyped to be.

I myself have witnessed people, including many of my friends taking drugs and the effects they’ve had on them, mainly the dramatic change in their behaviour whilst they’ve been under the influence. I am proud to say that I have not given into peer pressure and do not take drugs or smoke cigarettes for that matter. Though I do often feel isolated and intimidated when in the company of my ‘high’ friends, mainly due to the fact that they become so different in such a short space of time; all feeling the same sensations, all finding the simplest of things hilarious and there’s me, on the end observing them from the outside, completely myself and completely sober. There is always a part of me that feels intrigued and has the urge to have a ‘toke’ if only to fit in and to feel slightly more included, but thankfully, the prospect of possibly doing something regretful, as well as going against my principals and possibly losing control of my actions always holds me back.

The usual drug taken by my friends and others of similar age used to be (and still is) cannabis smoked in ‘spliffs’ or ‘joints’ with tobacco where they would let words run away with them, feel extremely relaxed, have enhanced senses (including appetite) and experience mild hallucinations. Other ways of cannabis use are pipes, bongs, and hookahs. One of the usual setbacks to this was the paranoia and anxiety that would occur over the smallest of problems or would materialise over a non-existent situation. Cannabis also slows down reaction times and therefore impairs driving, potentially dangerous to others as well as themselves. To see some of the people closest to me that I care about deeply in this condition is upsetting and worrying, for they are not the same great people I know and love, as their attitudes towards things/ people change. I wish they could be able to see what they become when they are ‘stoned’. It may be all fun and games for them but they should take some time to consider how it affects others and their own future, as it could only be a matter of time before they are introduced to something harder and possibly even more dangerous. Unfortunately, this is already the case with the majority of my cannabis-smoking friends…

Ecstasy tablets

The second most popular drugs after cannabis are amphetamines and ecstasy, although the decline in rave culture means fewer people take ecstasy. However, these are the other drugs people I know are taking more and more regularly to give them an extra buzz when at parties, (though they don’t always need this excuse anymore). The effects from ecstasy on these people I have found are more concerning for others to witness, including uncontrollable jaw movement, feelings of emotional warmth, self-acceptance and a newfound confidence. How do they know that the next pill they ‘drop’ won’t be the one dodgy one that could end their young life or leave them seriously ill? Some people experience depression after the usage of ecstasy due to the actions on certain brain chemicals that take place. Mixing ecstasy with alcohol or other drugs can also increase the risk of adverse reactions. Nevertheless, the recent addition of cocaine I have heard has been taken is by far the most worrying. I am told that it is a ‘one off’ or a party aid, though this does not reassure me for many reasons, including; possible addiction, risk of them getting caught with harder drugs, mental deterioration etc. Worryingly, despite being a class A drug, cocaine use is rising in Europe with apparently, eighty percent of five pound notes in Britain have traces of the drug on them.

The rise in drug usage is disturbing and ever increasing which raises the usual issues:

· Are the tougher restrictions on drug usage and classifications of drugs effective?

· Is the drugs-education in our schools to a high enough standard?

· What needs to be done to prevent the rise in drug taking?

Why not write back to Freeway with your views? Have you any suggestions/ opinions on the above points? Or maybe have been put in a similar situation to myself? Possibly even take drugs yourself and would like to express your views? This is a relevant subject that affects the majority of people whether they take drugs themselves or know someone that does. What do you think?