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How to Overcome Drug Addiction

Treatment options.

• Steps to Take

Intervention

Frequently asked questions.

Drug addiction, or substance use disorder (SUD), is when someone continues using a drug despite harmful consequences to their daily functioning, relationships, or health. Using drugs can change brain structure and functioning, particularly in areas involved in reward, stress, and self-control. These changes make it harder for people to stop using even when they really want to. 

Drug addiction is dangerous because it becomes all-consuming and disrupts the normal functioning of your brain and body. When a person is addicted, they prioritize using the drug or drugs over their wellbeing. This can have severe consequences, including increased tolerance to the substance, withdrawal effects (different for each drug), and social problems.

Verywell / Ellen Lindner

Recovering from SUD is possible, but it takes time, patience, and empathy. A person may need to try quitting more than once before maintaining any length of sobriety. 

This article discusses how drug addiction is treated and offers suggestions for overcoming drug addiction.

How Common Is Addiction?

Over 20 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder in 2018.

Substance use disorders are treatable. The severity of addiction and drug or drugs being used will play a role in which treatment plan is likely to work the best. Treatment that addresses the specific situation and any co-occurring medical, psychiatric, and social problems is optimal for leading to long-term recovery and preventing relapse.

Detoxification

Drug and alcohol detoxification programs prepare a person for treatment in a safe, controlled environment where withdrawal symptoms (and any physical or mental health complications) can be managed. Detox may occur in a hospital setting or as a first step to the inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation process.

Going through detox is a crucial step in recovery, and it's these first few weeks that are arguably most critical because they are when the risk of relapse is highest.

Detox Is Not Stand-Alone Treatment

Detoxification is not equivalent to treatment and should not be solely relied upon for recovery. 

Counseling gets at the core of why someone began using alcohol or drugs, and what they can do to make lasting changes. This may include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), in which the patient learns to recognize problematic thinking, behaviors, and patterns and establish healthier ways of coping. CBT can help someone develop stronger self-control and more effective coping strategies.

Counseling may also involve family members to develop a deeper understanding of substance use disorder and improve overall family functioning. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown effective in helping people overcome addiction. In one study, 60% of people with cocaine use dependence who underwent CBT along with prescription medication provided cocaine-free toxicology screens a year after their treatment.

Medication can be an effective part of a larger treatment plan for people who have nicotine use disorder, alcohol use disorder, or opioid use disorder. They can be used to help control drug cravings, relieve symptoms of withdrawal, and to help prevent relapses.

Current medications include: 

• Nicotine use disorder : A nicotine replacement product (available as patches, gum, lozenges, or nasal spray) or an oral medication, such Wellbutrin (bupropion) and Zyban (varenicline)
• Alcohol use disorder : Campral (acamprosate), Antabuse (disulfiram), and ReVia and Vivitrol (naltrexone).
• Opioid use disorder : Dolophine and Methados (methadone), buprenorphine, ReVia and Vivitrol (naltrexone), and Lucemyra (lofexidine).

Lofexidine was the first medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat opioid withdrawals. Compared to a placebo (a pill with no therapeutic value), it significantly reduces symptoms of withdrawal and may cause less of a drop in blood pressure than similar agents.

Support Groups

Support groups or self-help groups can be part of in-patient programs or available for free use in the community. Well-known support groups include narcotics anonymous (NA), alcoholics anonymous (AA), and SMART Recovery (Self-Management and Recovery Training). 

Roughly half of all adults being treated for substance use disorders in the United States participated in self-help groups in 2017.

Online Support Group Options

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, these groups that were often out of reach to many are now available online around the clock through video meetings. Such groups are not considered part of a formal treatment plan, but they are considered as useful in conjunction with professional treatment.

Other Options

Due to the complex nature of any substance use disorder, other options for treatment should also include evaluation and treatment for co-occurring mental health issues such as depression and anxiety (known as dual diagnosis). 

Follow-up care or continuing care is also recommended, which includes ongoing community- or family-based recovery support systems.

Substance Use Helpline

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

Steps for Overcoming Drug Addiction

Bear in mind that stopping taking drugs is only one part of recovery from addiction. Strategies that help people stay in treatment and follow their recovery plan are essential. Along with medical and mental health treatments, the following are steps you can take to help overcome substance use disorder. 

Commit to Change

Committing to change includes stages of precontemplation and contemplation where a person considers changing, cutting down, moderating, or quitting the addictive behavior. Afterward, committing to change can look like working with a professional in identifying specific goals, coming up with a specific plan to create change, following through with that plan, and revising goals as necessary.

Surround Yourself With Support

Enlisting positive support can help hold you accountable to goals. SAMHSA explains that family and friends who are supportive of recovery can help someone change because they can reinforce new behaviors and provide positive incentives to continue with treatment.

Eliminate Triggers

Triggers can be any person, place, or thing that sparks the craving for using. Common triggers include places you've done drugs, friends you've used with, and anything else that brings up memories of your drug use.

You may not be able to eliminate every trigger, but in the early stages of recovery it's best to avoid triggers to help prevent cravings and relapse . 

Find Healthier Ways to Cope With Stress

Stress is a known risk factor or trigger for drug use. Managing stress in healthy ways means finding new ways of coping that don’t involve drug use.

Tips to Cope With Stress

Coping with stress includes:

• Putting more focus on taking care of yourself (eating a balanced diet, getting adequate sleep, and exercising)
• Concentrating on one challenge at a time to avoid becoming overwhelmed
• Stepping away from triggering scenarios
• Learning to recognize and communicate emotions

Learn More: Strategies for Stress Relief

Cope With Withdrawal

Coping with withdrawal may require hospitalization or inpatient care to ensure adequate supervision and medical intervention as necessary. This isn’t always the case, though, because different drugs have different withdrawal symptoms. The severity of use also plays a role, so knowing what to expect—and when to seek emergency help—is important.

For example, a person withdrawing from alcohol can experience tremors (involuntary rhythmic shaking), dehydration, and increased heart rate and blood pressure. On the more extreme end, they can experience seizures (sudden involuntary electrical disturbance in the brain), hallucinations (seeing, hearing, smelling, or tasting things that do not actually exist outside the mind), and delirium (confusion and reduced awareness of one's environment).

Withdrawing from drugs should be done under the guidance of a medical professional to ensure safety. 

Deal With Cravings

Learning to deal with cravings is a skill that takes practice. While there are several approaches to resisting cravings, the SMART recovery programs suggest the DEADS method:

• D elay use because urges disappear over time.
• E scape triggering situations.
• A ccept that these feelings are normal and will pass.
• D ispute your irrational “need” for the drug.
• S ubstitute or find new ways of coping instead of using.

Avoid Relapse

The relapse rate for substance use disorders is similar to other illnesses and estimated to be between 40%–60%. The most effective way to avoid relapse and to cope with relapse is to stick with treatment for an adequate amount of time (no less than 90 days). Longer treatment is associated with more positive outcomes. Still, relapse can happen and should be addressed by revising the treatment plan as needed with medical and mental health professionals. 

An intervention is an organized effort to intervene in a person's addiction by discussing how their drinking, drug use, or addiction-related behavior has affected everyone around them.  

How Does an Intervention Work?

An intervention includes trained professionals like a drug and alcohol counselor, therapist, and/or interventionist who can help guide a family through the preparation and execution. It occurs in a controlled setting (not in the person’s home or family home). Intervention works by confronting the specific issues and encouraging the person to seek treatment.

Who Should Be Included at an Intervention?

Depending on the situation, interventions can include the following people:

• The person with the substance use disorder 
• Friends and family
• A therapist
• A professional interventionist

The  Association of Intervention Specialists (AIS) ,  Family First Interventions , and the Network of Independent Interventionists are three organizations of professional interventionists.

You may also want to consider if anyone in the list of friends and family should not be included. Examples are if a person is dealing with their own addiction and may not be able to maintain sobriety, is overly self-motivated or self-involved, or has a strained relationship with the person the intervention is for.

What Should Be Said During an Intervention?

While a person is free to say anything they want during an intervention, it’s best to be prepared with a plan to keep things positive and on track. Blaming, accusing, causing guilt, threatening, or arguing isn’t helpful.

Whatever is said during an intervention should be done so with the intention of helping the person accept help.

Bear in mind that setting boundaries such as “I can no longer give you money if you continue to use drugs,” is not the same as threatening a person with punishment. 

Overcoming drug addiction is a process that requires time, patience, and empathy. A person will want to consider actions they can take such as committing to change, seeking support, and eliminating triggers. Depending on the addiction, medications may also be available to help.

Loved ones who are concerned about a person’s drug or alcohol use may consider an intervention . Interventions are meant to encourage treatment. Ongoing support and follow-up care are important in the recovery process to prevent relapse. 

A Word From Verywell 

No one grows up dreaming of becoming addicted to a substance. If someone you love is experiencing a substance use disorder, please bear in mind that they have a chronic illness and need support and help. Learning about addiction and how not to enable a person is one way you can help them. Having the ongoing support of loved ones and access to professionals can make all the difference.

Helping someone overcome drug addiction requires educating yourself on the drug and on substance use disorder, not enabling the person's use, avoiding having unrealistic expectations of their immediate recovery and change, practicing patience and empathy, and encouraging the person to seek and stick with professional treatment.

Common signs of drug addiction include:

• Drug-seeking behaviors
• Drug cravings
• Using drugs despite the negative consequences
• Being unable to cut back or stop using

Overcoming drug addiction is a complex process that can occur at different paces for different people. There are 30-, 60-, and 90-day treatment programs, but even afterwards a person can benefit from follow-up care or continued care in the form of support groups or personalized therapy. These can get at the root of what was causing the person to start using.

American Psychological Association. What is addiction? .

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.  Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health .

Manning V, Garfield JBB, Staiger PK, et al. Effect of cognitive bias modification on early relapse among adults undergoing inpatient alcohol withdrawal treatment: a randomized clinical trial .  JAMA Psychiatry . 2020 ;78(2):133-140. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.3446

National Institute on Drug Abuse.  Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide; Cognitive behavioral therapy .

McHugh RK, Hearon BA, Otto MW.  Cognitive-behavioral therapy for substance use disorders .  Psychiatr Clin North Am . 2010;33(3):511-525. doi:10.1016%2Fj.psc.2010.04.012

National Institute on Drug Abuse. Principles of effective treatment.

Fishman M, Tirado C, Alam D, Gullo K, Clinch T, Gorodetzky CW.  Safety and efficacy of lofexidine for medically managed opioid withdrawal: a randomized controlled clinical trial .  Journal of Addiction Medicine . 2019;13(3):169-176. doi:10.1097/ADM.0000000000000474

Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. Results from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: detailed tables . Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Wen H, Druss BG, Saloner B. Self-help groups and medication use in opioid addiction treatment: A national analysis . Health Aff (Millwood) . May;39(5):740-746. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01021

National Institute on Drug Abuse. Treatment approaches for addiction .

Lassiter PS, Culbreth JR.  Theory and Practice of Addiction Counseling . SAGE Publications; 2017.

SAMHSA. Enhancing motivation for change in substance use disorder treatment .

Mental Health America. How can I stop using drugs? .

NIDA and Scholastic. Stress and drug abuse . 

Clinical Guidelines for Withdrawal Management and Treatment of Drug Dependence in Closed Settings . 4, Withdrawal Management. Geneva:World Health Organization; 2009. 

SMART Recovery. 5 ways to deal with urges and cravings .

National Institute on Drug Abuse.  Treatment and recovery .

National Institute on Drug Abuse. How long does drug addiction treatment usually last? .

Association of Intervention Specialists. Intervention-A starting point for change .

Cornerstone of Recovery. Things not to do during an intervention for a drug addict or an alcoholic.

By Michelle Pugle Michelle Pugle, MA is a freelance writer and reporter focusing on mental health and chronic conditions. As seen in Verywell, Healthline, Psych Central, Everyday Health, and Health.com, among others.

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• Tween and teen health

Teen drug abuse: Help your teen avoid drugs

Teen drug abuse can have a major impact on your child's life. Find out how to help your teen make healthy choices and avoid using drugs.

The teen brain is in the process of maturing. In general, it's more focused on rewards and taking risks than the adult brain. At the same time, teenagers push parents for greater freedom as teens begin to explore their personality.

That can be a challenging tightrope for parents.

Teens who experiment with drugs and other substances put their health and safety at risk. The teen brain is particularly vulnerable to being rewired by substances that overload the reward circuits in the brain.

Help prevent teen drug abuse by talking to your teen about the consequences of using drugs and the importance of making healthy choices.

Why teens use or misuse drugs

Many factors can feed into teen drug use and misuse. Your teen's personality, your family's interactions and your teen's comfort with peers are some factors linked to teen drug use.

Common risk factors for teen drug abuse include:

• A family history of substance abuse.
• A mental or behavioral health condition, such as depression, anxiety or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Impulsive or risk-taking behavior.
• A history of traumatic events, such as seeing or being in a car accident or experiencing abuse.
• Low self-esteem or feelings of social rejection.

Teens may be more likely to try substances for the first time when hanging out in a social setting.

Alcohol and nicotine or tobacco may be some of the first, easier-to-get substances for teens. Because alcohol and nicotine or tobacco are legal for adults, these can seem safer to try even though they aren't safe for teens.

Teens generally want to fit in with peers. So if their friends use substances, your teen might feel like they need to as well. Teens also may also use substances to feel more confident with peers.

If those friends are older, teens can find themselves in situations that are riskier than they're used to. For example, they may not have adults present or younger teens may be relying on peers for transportation.

And if they are lonely or dealing with stress, teens may use substances to distract from these feelings.

Also, teens may try substances because they are curious. They may try a substance as a way to rebel or challenge family rules.

Some teens may feel like nothing bad could happen to them, and may not be able to understand the consequences of their actions.

Consequences of teen drug abuse

Negative consequences of teen drug abuse might include:

• Drug dependence. Some teens who misuse drugs are at increased risk of substance use disorder.
• Poor judgment. Teenage drug use is associated with poor judgment in social and personal interactions.
• Sexual activity. Drug use is associated with high-risk sexual activity, unsafe sex and unplanned pregnancy.
• Mental health disorders. Drug use can complicate or increase the risk of mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
• Impaired driving. Driving under the influence of any drug affects driving skills. It puts the driver, passengers and others on the road at risk.
• Changes in school performance. Substance use can result in worse grades, attendance or experience in school.

Health effects of drugs

Substances that teens may use include those that are legal for adults, such as alcohol or tobacco. They may also use medicines prescribed to other people, such as opioids.

Or teens may order substances online that promise to help in sports competition, or promote weight loss.

In some cases products common in homes and that have certain chemicals are inhaled for intoxication. And teens may also use illicit drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine.

Drug use can result in drug addiction, serious impairment, illness and death. Health risks of commonly used drugs include the following:

• Cocaine. Risk of heart attack, stroke and seizures.
• Ecstasy. Risk of liver failure and heart failure.
• Inhalants. Risk of damage to the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys from long-term use.
• Marijuana. Risk of impairment in memory, learning, problem-solving and concentration; risk of psychosis, such as schizophrenia, hallucination or paranoia, later in life associated with early and frequent use. For teens who use marijuana and have a psychiatric disorder, there is a risk of depression and a higher risk of suicide.
• Methamphetamine. Risk of psychotic behaviors from long-term use or high doses.
• Opioids. Risk of respiratory distress or death from overdose.
• Electronic cigarettes (vaping). Higher risk of smoking or marijuana use. Exposure to harmful substances similar to cigarette smoking; risk of nicotine dependence. Vaping may allow particles deep into the lungs, or flavorings may include damaging chemicals or heavy metals.

Talking about teen drug use

You'll likely have many talks with your teen about drug and alcohol use. If you are starting a conversation about substance use, choose a place where you and your teen are both comfortable. And choose a time when you're unlikely to be interrupted. That means you both will need to set aside phones.

It's also important to know when not to have a conversation.

When parents are angry or when teens are frustrated, it's best to delay the talk. If you aren't prepared to answer questions, parents might let teens know that you'll talk about the topic at a later time.

And if a teen is intoxicated, wait until the teen is sober.

To talk to your teen about drugs:

• Ask your teen's views. Avoid lectures. Instead, listen to your teen's opinions and questions about drugs. Parents can assure teens that they can be honest and have a discussion without getting in trouble.
• Discuss reasons not to use drugs. Avoid scare tactics. Emphasize how drug use can affect the things that are important to your teen. Some examples might be sports performance, driving, health or appearance.
• Consider media messages. Social media, television programs, movies and songs can make drug use seem normal or glamorous. Talk about what your teen sees and hears.
• Discuss ways to resist peer pressure. Brainstorm with your teen about how to turn down offers of drugs.
• Be ready to discuss your own drug use. Think about how you'll respond if your teen asks about your own drug use, including alcohol. If you chose not to use drugs, explain why. If you did use drugs, share what the experience taught you.

Other preventive strategies

Consider other strategies to prevent teen drug abuse:

• Know your teen's activities. Pay attention to your teen's whereabouts. Find out what adult-supervised activities your teen is interested in and encourage your teen to get involved.
• Establish rules and consequences. Explain your family rules, such as leaving a party where drug use occurs and not riding in a car with a driver who's been using drugs. Work with your teen to figure out a plan to get home safely if the person who drove is using substances. If your teen breaks the rules, consistently enforce consequences.
• Know your teen's friends. If your teen's friends use drugs, your teen might feel pressure to experiment, too.
• Keep track of prescription drugs. Take an inventory of all prescription and over-the-counter medications in your home.
• Provide support. Offer praise and encouragement when your teen succeeds. A strong bond between you and your teen might help prevent your teen from using drugs.
• Set a good example. If you drink, do so in moderation. Use prescription drugs as directed. Don't use illicit drugs.

Recognizing the warning signs of teen drug abuse

Be aware of possible red flags, such as:

• Sudden or extreme change in friends, eating habits, sleeping patterns, physical appearance, requests for money, coordination or school performance.
• Irresponsible behavior, poor judgment and general lack of interest.
• Breaking rules or withdrawing from the family.
• The presence of medicine containers, despite a lack of illness, or drug paraphernalia in your teen's room.

Seeking help for teen drug abuse

If you suspect or know that your teen is experimenting with or misusing drugs:

• Plan your action. Finding out your teen is using drugs or suspecting it can bring up strong emotions. Before talking to your teen, make sure you and anyone who shares caregiving responsibility for the teen is ready. It can help to have a goal for the conversation. It can also help to figure out how you'll respond to the different ways your teen might react.
• Talk to your teen. You can never step in too early. Casual drug use can turn into too much use or addiction. This can lead to accidents, legal trouble and health problems.
• Encourage honesty. Speak calmly and express that you are coming from a place of concern. Share specific details to back up your suspicion. Verify any claims your child makes.
• Focus on the behavior, not the person. Emphasize that drug use is dangerous but that doesn't mean your teen is a bad person.
• Check in regularly. Spend more time with your teen. Know your teen's whereabouts and ask questions about the outing when your teen returns home.
• Get professional help. If you think your teen is involved in drug use, contact a health care provider or counselor for help.

It's never too soon to start talking to your teen about drug abuse. The conversations you have today can help your teen make healthy choices in the future.

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• Dulcan MK, ed. Substance use disorders and addictions. In: Dulcan's Textbook of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 3rd ed. American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2021. https://psychiatryonline.org. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• 6 parenting practices: Help reduce the chances your child will develop a drug or alcohol problem. Partnership to End Addiction. https://drugfree.org/addiction-education/. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Why do teens drink and use substances and is it normal? Partnership to End Addiction. https://drugfree.org/article/why-do-teens-drink-and-use-substances/. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Teens: Alcohol and other drugs. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. https://www.aacap.org/aacap/families_and_youth/facts_for_families/fff-guide/Teens-Alcohol-And-Other-Drugs-003.aspx. Accessed Dec. 27, 2018.
• Drugged driving. National Institute on Drug Abuse. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/drugged-driving. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Marijuana talk kit. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. https://drugfree.org/drugs/marijuana-what-you-need-to-know/. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Drug guide for parents: Learn the facts to keep your teen safe. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. https://www.drugfree.org/resources/. Accessed Dec. 12, 2018.
• Vaping: What you need to know and how to talk with your kids about vaping. Partnership to End Addiction. https://drugfree.org/addiction-education/. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• How to listen. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. https://www.drugfree.org/resources/. Accessed Dec. 12, 2018.
• Drug abuse prevention starts with parents. American Academy of Pediatrics. https://publications.aap.org/patiented/article/doi/10.1542/peo_document352/81984/Drug-Abuse-Prevention-Starts-With-Parents. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• How to talk to your kids about drugs if you did drugs. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. https://www.drugfree.org/resources/. Accessed Dec. 12, 2018.
• My child tried drugs, what should I do? Partnership to End Addiction. https://drugfree.org/article/my-child-tried-drugs-what-should-i-do/. Accessed Jan. 24, 2023.
• Gage SH, et al. Association between cannabis and psychosis: Epidemiologic evidence. Biological Psychiatry. 2016;79:549.
• Quick facts on the risks of e-cigarettes for kids, teens and young adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html. Accessed Jan. 30, 2023.
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We Can Prevent Overdose Deaths if We Change How We Think About Them

I ’ve been living in recovery from opioid use disorder for eight and a half years, and this might be a weird thing to say about addiction, but I feel lucky—like I dodged a bullet. I was addicted to opioids in Florida throughout the early 2000s, during the heyday of pill mills that flooded the streets with powerful pharmaceuticals like OxyContin. I say I’m lucky because this was just before the drug supply turned into a toxic sludge of potent fentanyl analogues, mysterious tranquilizers, and deadly counterfeit pills. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I were using today. The chances of my survival in these dire conditions would be slim to none.

There’s a saying that “dead people can’t recover,” and I know it’s true. In 2022, an average of 300 Americans died from an overdose every single day. That’s an average of 109,680 human souls. We’re losing far too many people to drugs because America has yet to fully commit to a culture, policy, and strategy focused on overdose prevention.

One of the hardest parts about being an activist is getting people to care about problems that appear distant and far away. It’s all too human to perceive danger as striking someone else, somewhere else. We saw this play out with the COVID-19 pandemic. But we’ve long seen this play out with the overdose crisis in America. In 2017, the federal government declared overdoses a “public health emergency,” and ever since, the death rate has steadily ticked up and up. This was in large part due to the three waves of the “opioid epidemic” and the greed of the Sackler family that peddled OxyContin.

More From TIME

However, calling this an “opioid epidemic” is to mislabel and misunderstand the actual root of the problem we face: Overdose deaths are preventable; we just haven’t had the tools to efficiently do it—until now. Many users die alone in their homes, apartments, cars, in gas station bathrooms, or on the street. Families and entire communities have been shattered by loss. In a fog of pain, grief, and anger, we’re also losing the plot. The focus of drug policy right now should be on preventing as many fatal overdoses as possible. Instead, America is once again trapped in a disastrous drug war that focuses on punishment and retribution over the goal of saving lives.

Read More: What 3 Grieving Dads Want You to Know About America's Fentanyl Crisis

The very word “fentanyl” evokes scary visions of chemical warfare and “weapons of mass destruction.” The fury of living through so much loss has elevated a reactionary tendency to harshly criminalize drug use and reinforce lengthy mandatory minimum sentences. Politicians like Donald Trump, for instance, want to execute drug sellers. During his 2024 presidential campaign announcement, Trump said , “We’re going to be asking everyone who sells drugs, gets caught selling drugs, to receive the death penalty for their heinous acts.” Members of congress and dozens of states are moving toward with enacting harsher drug penalties, despite decades of evidence that severe punishments do little to deter drug use or drug dealing. The rhetoric has gotten so hot that lawmakers have introduced proposals to authorize military force against drug traffickers in Mexico, turning a metaphorical drug war into a literal war of bombing and invasion. Fear, anger, and political expediency are causing us to repeat failed strategies of the past.

But now is not the time to reach for easy answers and give into dark impulses. Instead, we must double down on overdose prevention using a public health and harm reduction framework to equip people who use drugs with practical tools and spaces that destigmatize the life-saving information they need for their journeys to find safety and community.

As someone who has lost well over three dozen people I loved and cared about to overdose deaths, I know how valuable these tools can be. Most of my friends died alone. Many of them were scorned because they returned to drug use. They weren’t offered compassion when they sought healthcare support. Some of them died after being released from jail on a simple possession charge. All of them would have benefitted from the wide availability of harm reduction services such as syringe exchange programs, free naloxone, drug checking equipment that screens for fentanyl analogues, and safer use spaces—without shame, and without judgement. Consistent data from Harvard’s Recovery Research Institute has shown that harm reduction works and is rooted in evidence.

If we don’t correct our current course, we’ll be stuck in this vicious cycle that leaves millions of people sick, alone, and at risk of fatally overdosing.

On March 29, the FDA approved the first-ever over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone product. In July, they approved a second OTC naloxone product. While this is welcome news and a substantial leap forward, the pricing of these products (averaging between $35-$65 per unit ) is still out of reach for everyday Americans who need quick access to the lifesaving overdose reversal medication.

Read More: A Promising Way to Help Drug Users Is ‘Severely Lacking’ Around the World, Report Says

Naloxone should be free. It must be available and accessible everywhere—and for everyone, without any barriers. Most life-saving medical devices are uncontroversial and ubiquitous. It’s time we think about naloxone and overdose reversal the same way we think about EpiPens, defibrillators, vaccines, and testing. Nobody thinks the mere presence of an EpiPen encourages people severely allergic to peanuts to kick back and crush a bag of pistachios for fun. Unlike peanut allergies, addiction remains highly stigmatized. Some are under the false impression that naloxone “encourages” more risky drug use because they view addiction through a moral lens, not a healthcare challenge. This distorted logic, along with Big Pharma profiteering, hinders broad access to naloxone.

While changing policy and regulations is no small thing, changing cultural outlooks is something else entirely. The social scientist and historian Nancy Campbell called naloxone a “technology of solidarity.” For naloxone to work, someone has to be there to administer it to the person who is overdosing. With the recent expansion of naloxone access, it’s on all of us to step up and be ready to save a life. Instead of punishing and scorning those who are struggling, we must do the harder thing and actually show people that they are not alone.

Overdose prevention strategies also require tailored approaches to their culture and geography. Cities and urban centers where substance use is more concentrated can benefit from overdose prevention centers. More than 100 of these centers operate around the world in more than 60 cities. But America only has two that operate legally. The first sanctioned centers on U.S. soil opened in New York in 2021, and they’ve already rescued 1,000 people from fatal overdoses. Just two centers barely meet the demand. A New York City Health Department study found that opening four centers in the city would save up to 130 lives per year while saving $7 million in health care costs. It’s time for other major cities to follow New York’s lead.

Rural areas need a different kind of help covering vast distances. Traveling across the country, I’ve witnessed innovative grassroots overdose prevention solutions in rural towns that operate mobile harm reduction programs. A key tenet of harm reduction is “meeting people where they’re at.” In this case, that means literally. Big vans equipped with naloxone, clean syringes, HIV testing, drug checking, and perhaps most crucially, warm and kind people, are driving around throughout the week to deliver life-saving health care to people who have no other way to access it. Sadly, these programs are operating on shoestring budgets in extremely hostile political climates. Policymakers and communities must stand up and defend these frontline workers who are sacrificing their freedom for doing what they know is right.

You might’ve heard that harm reduction has failed. You might’ve heard that cities like San Francisco and Portland have gone all in on “radical” harm reduction strategies and implemented “pie-in-the-sky” policies like drug decriminalization, and all they have to show for it is death, despair, and abysmal outcomes. The truth is that no American city, not even the supposedly liberal strongholds like San Francisco, have fully committed to a focused strategy of overdose prevention and recovery support. Cutting social and housing services, refusing to reduce skyrocketing rents, all the while ramping up militarized policing is not radical harm reduction. In fact, these half-measures are actively contributing to crisis levels of overdose fatalities.

While politicians and sensational media outlets play up apocalyptic disaster porn, they never mention the success of states like Rhode Island. Rhode Island decided to double-down on overdose prevention and though it’s taken some time, it’s finally starting to pay off. Fentanyl and its potent analogues hit the small state early and hard. For several years, overdose deaths ticked up and up. But something changed. The number of fatal overdoses did not increase from 2021 to 2022. Then, there was a 13% drop in overdose deaths in the second half of 2022. How did they pull it off?

Rhode Island committed fully and firmly to effective overdose prevention strategies. Despite media backlash, they held strong when the going got tough—even when they weren’t sure if it would work. The state implemented mobile outreach programs that distributed harm reduction supplies, increased the availability of naloxone, expanded access to medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in jails and prisons, supported six community centers that offer peer-based recovery support services, and created a new evidence-based drug prevention curriculum for schools. Moving forward, Rhode Island will be opening overdose prevention centers like those in New York, which will ensure their fatal overdose trend reversal continues far into the future.

American drug policy is at an inflection point. For the first time in my life, overdose prevention is gaining acceptance as our culture of tough love and zero tolerance is slowly losing credibility. The basic problem we face today is that too many people are dying in isolation, alone in the shadows. The best thing we can do right now is show up for each other, offer compassion to those who are struggling, and stop politicizing something that isn’t political—saving as many lives as possible, with every tool we have at our disposal.

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The first step to overcoming drug abuse and addiction

Explore your addiction treatment options, find support for your addiction recovery, learn healthy ways to cope with stress, be aware of drug triggers, cope with drug cravings, build a meaningful drug-free life.

• Don't let relapse keep you down

Overcoming Drug Addiction

Ready to deal with your drug abuse problem? This step-by-step guide can help you cope with cravings, deal with relapse, and overcome your substance use disorder.

Developing an addiction to drugs isn’t a character flaw or a sign of weakness, and it takes more than willpower to overcome the problem. Abusing illegal or certain prescription drugs can create changes in the brain, causing powerful cravings and a compulsion to use that makes sobriety seem like an impossible goal. But recovery is never out of reach, no matter how hopeless your situation seems or how many times you’ve tried and failed before. With the right treatment and support, change is always possible.

For many people struggling with addiction, the toughest step toward recovery is the very first one: recognizing that you have a problem and deciding to make a change. It’s normal to feel uncertain about whether you’re ready to start recovery, or if you have what it takes to quit. If you’re addicted to a prescription drug, you may be concerned about how you’re going to find an alternate way to treat a medical condition. It’s okay to feel torn. Committing to sobriety involves changing many things, including:

• The way you deal with stress.
• Who you allow in your life.
• What you do in your free time.
• How you think about yourself.
• The prescription and over-the-counter medications you take.

It’s also normal to feel conflicted about giving up your drug of choice, even when you know it’s causing problems in your life. Recovery requires time, motivation, and support, but by making a commitment to change, you can overcome your addiction and regain control of your life.

Think about change

• Keep track of your drug use, including when and how much you use. This will give you a better sense of the role the addiction is playing in your life.
• List the pros and cons of quitting, as well as the costs and benefits of continuing your drug use.
• Consider the things that are important to you, such as your partner, your kids, your pets, your career, or your health. How does your drug use affect those things?
• Ask someone you trust about their feelings on your drug use.
• Ask yourself if there’s anything preventing you from changing. What could help you make the change?

Preparing for change: 5 keys to addiction recovery

• Remind yourself of the reasons you want to change.
• Think about your past attempts at recovery, if any. What worked? What didn’t?
• Set specific, measurable goals, such as a start date or limits on your drug use.
• Remove reminders of your addiction from your home, workplace, and other places you frequent.
• Tell friends and family that you’re committing to recovery, and ask for their support.

Once you’ve committed to recovery, it’s time to explore your treatment choices. While addiction treatment can vary according to the specific drug, a successful program often includes different elements, such as:

Detoxification . Usually the first step is to purge your body of drugs and manage withdrawal symptoms.

Behavioral counseling . Individual, group, and/or family therapy can help you identify the root causes of your drug use, repair your relationships, and learn healthier coping skills.

Medication may be used to manage withdrawal symptoms, prevent relapse, or treat any co-occurring mental health condition such as depression or anxiety.

Long-term follow-up can help to prevent relapse and maintain sobriety. This may include attending regular in-person support groups or online meetings to help keep your recovery on track.

Speak to a Licensed Therapist

BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches you to licensed, accredited therapists who can help with depression, anxiety, relationships, and more. Take the assessment and get matched with a therapist in as little as 48 hours.

Types of drug treatment programs

• Intensive inpatient treatment . This is a short-term clinical treatment for people who have developed a physiological dependence on a drug and need help with withdrawal symptoms.
• Residential treatment . Residential treatment involves living at a facility and getting away from work, school, family, friends, and addiction triggers while undergoing intensive treatment. Residential treatment usually lasts from 30 days to several months.
• Day treatment/Partial hospitalization programs (PHP) . Partial hospitalization is for people who require ongoing medical monitoring but wish to still live at home and have a stable living environment. These treatment programs usually meet at a treatment center for at least 20 hours a week, but you return home at the end of each day.
• Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) . Similar to PHPs, IOPs don’t require you to live at a treatment center. However, they differ from PHPs in that they only require between 9 and 19 hours of treatment each week, so you can schedule treatments around school and work.
• Therapy . One-on-one or group therapy sessions can be useful in developing coping skills, identifying triggers, and exploring the roots of your addiction.

Remember that everyone’s needs are different. For example, not everybody requires medically supervised detox or an extended stint in rehab. Whether you have a problem with illegal or prescription drugs, addiction treatment should be customized to your unique situation. It’s also important to find a program that feels right for you. Read Choosing Drug Rehab and Addiction Treatment to learn more.

Tips for finding the best drug addiction treatment for you

Remember that no treatment works for everyone. Everyone’s needs are different. Whether you have a problem with illegal or prescription drugs, addiction treatment should be customized to your unique situation. It’s important that you find a program that feels right.

Treatment should address more than just your drug abuse. Addiction affects your whole life, including your relationships, career, health, and psychological well-being. Treatment success depends on developing a new way of living and addressing the reasons why you turned to drugs in the first place. For example, your drug dependency may have developed from a desire to manage pain or to cope with stress, in which case you’ll need to find a healthier way to relieve pain or to handle stressful situations.

Commitment and follow-through are key. Drug addiction treatment is not a quick and easy process. In general, the longer and more intense the drug use, the longer and more intense the treatment you’ll need. And in all cases, long-term follow-up care is crucial to recovery.

There are many places to turn for help. Not everybody requires medically supervised detox or an extended stint in rehab. The care you need depends on a variety of factors, including your age, drug-use history, medical or psychiatric conditions. In addition to doctors and psychologists, many clergy members, social workers, and counselors offer addiction treatment services.

Seek treatment for any mental health problems simultaneously . As you seek help for drug addiction, it’s also important to get treatment for any other medical or psychological issues you’re experiencing. Your best chance of recovery is by getting combined mental health and addiction treatment from the same treatment provider or team.

Don’t try to go it alone—reach out for support. Whatever treatment approach you choose, having positive influences and a solid support system is essential. The more people you can turn to for encouragement, guidance, and a listening ear, the better your chances for recovery.

Lean on close friends and family. Having the support of friends and family members is an invaluable asset in recovery. If you’re reluctant to turn to your loved ones because you’ve let them down before, consider going to relationship counseling or family therapy.

Build a sober social network. If your previous social life revolved around drugs, you may need to make some new connections . It’s important to have sober friends who will support your recovery. Try taking a class, joining a church or a civic group, volunteering , or attending events in your community.

Consider moving into a sober living home. Sober living homes provide a safe, supportive place to live while you’re recovering from drug addiction. They are a good option if you don’t have a stable home or a drug-free living environment.

Make meetings a priority. Join a 12-step recovery support group, such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA) , and attend meetings regularly. Spending time with people who understand exactly what you’re going through can be very healing. You can also benefit from the shared experiences of the group members and learn what others have done to stay sober.

[Read: NA and Other Peer Support Groups for Drug Addiction]

After addressing your immediate problems with addiction and starting treatment, you’ll still have to face the problems that led to your drug abuse. Did you start using to numb painful emotions, calm yourself after an argument, unwind after a bad day, or forget about your problems?

Once you’re sober, the negative feelings that you dampened with drugs will resurface. For treatment to be successful, you’ll first need to resolve your underlying issues.

Once you have resolved your underlying issues, you will, at times, continue to experience stress, loneliness, frustration, anger, shame, anxiety, and hopelessness. These emotions are all a normal part of life. Finding ways to address these feelings as they arise is an essential component to your treatment and recovery.

There are healthier ways to keep your stress level in check. You can learn to manage your problems without falling back on your addiction. When you’re confident in your ability to quickly de-stress, facing strong feelings isn’t as intimidating or overwhelming.

Quickly relieve stress without drugs

Different quick stress relief strategies work better for some people than others. The key is to find the one that works best for you.

Movement . A brisk walk around the block can be enough to relieve stress. Yoga and meditation are also excellent ways to bust stress and find balance.

Step outside and savor the warm sun and fresh air. Enjoy a beautiful view or landscape.

Play with your dog or cat. Enjoy the relaxing touch of your pet’s fur.

Experiment with your sense of smell. Breathe in the scent of fresh flowers or coffee beans, or savor a scent that reminds you of a favorite vacation, such as sunscreen or a seashell.

Close your eyes and picture a peaceful place. Think of a sandy beach, or a fond memory, such as your child’s first steps or time spent with friends.

Pamper yourself. Make yourself a steaming cup of tea, give yourself a neck or shoulder massage. Soak in a hot bath or shower.

Your recovery doesn’t end at getting sober. Your brain still needs time to recover and rebuild connections that changed while you were addicted. During this rebuild, drug cravings can be intense. You can support your continued recovery by avoiding people, places, and situations that trigger your urge to use:

Step away from your friends who use. Don’t hang out with friends who are still doing drugs. Surround yourself with people who support your sobriety, not those who tempt you to slip back into old, destructive habits.

Avoid bars and clubs. Even if you don’t have a problem with alcohol, drinking lowers inhibitions and impairs judgment, which can easily lead to a relapse. Drugs are often readily available and the temptation to use can be overpowering. Also avoid any other environments and situations that you associate with drug use.

Be upfront about your history of drug use when seeking medical treatment. If you need a medical or dental procedure done, be upfront and find a provider who will work with you in either prescribing alternatives or the absolute minimum medication necessary. You should never feel ashamed or humiliated about previous drug use or be denied medication for pain; if that happens, find another provider.

Use caution with prescription drugs. If you were addicted to a prescription drug, such as an opioid painkiller, you may need to talk to your doctor about finding alternate ways to manage pain. Regardless of the drug you experienced problems with, it’s important to stay away from prescription drugs with the potential for abuse or use only when necessary and with extreme caution. Drugs with a high abuse potential include painkillers, sleeping pills, and anti-anxiety medication.

Sometimes craving cannot be avoided, and it is necessary to find a way to cope:

Get involved in a distracting activity. Read, see friends, go to a movie, immerse yourself in a hobby, hike, or exercise. Once you’re interested in something else, you’ll find the urges go away.

Talk it through. Talk to friends or family members about craving when it occurs. Talking can be very helpful in pinpointing the source of the craving. Also, talking about craving often helps to discharge and relieve the feeling and will help restore honesty in your relationship. Craving is nothing to feel bad about.

Challenge and change your thoughts. When experiencing a craving, many people have a tendency to remember only the positive effects of the drug and forget the negative consequences. Therefore, you may find it helpful to remind yourself that you really won’t feel better if you use and that you stand to lose a lot. Sometimes it is helpful to have these consequences listed on a small card that you keep with you.

Urge surf. Many people try to cope with their urges by toughing it out. But some cravings are too strong to ignore. When this happens, it can be useful to stay with the urge until it passes. This technique is called urge surfing. Imagine yourself as a surfer who will ride the wave of your drug craving, staying on top of it until it crests, breaks, and turns into less powerful, foamy surf. When you ride out the craving, without trying to battle, judge, or ignore it, you’ll see that it passes more quickly than you’d think.

The three basic steps of urge surfing:

• Notice how you’re experience the craving. Sit in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands in a relaxed position. Take a few deep breaths and focus your attention on your body. Notice where in your body you experience the craving or urge and what the sensations feel like. Verbalize what you’re experiencing. For example, you could tell yourself: “My craving is in my mouth and nose and in my stomach.”
• Focus on one area where you’re experiencing the craving. What are the sensations in that area? Describe them to yourself. For example, perhaps you feel hot, cold, tingly, or numb? Maybe your muscles are tense? How large an area is involved? Notice if the sensations change as you focus on them. “My mouth feels dry. There is a numbness in my lips. When I swallow, I can imagine the feeling of using.”
• Repeat by focusing on each part of your body that experiences the urge. Describe to yourself how the sensations change, how the urge comes and goes. Many people notice that after a few minutes of urge surfing, their craving has disappeared. The purpose of this exercise, however, is not to make the urge go away but to experience it in a new way. If you regularly practice urge surfing, you’ll become more familiar with your cravings and find it easier to ride them out until they go away naturally.

You can support your drug treatment and protect yourself from relapse by having activities and interests that provide meaning to your life. It’s important to be involved in things that you enjoy, that make you feel needed, and add meaning to your life. When your life is filled with rewarding activities and a sense of purpose, your addiction will lose its appeal.

Pick up an old hobby or try a new one. Do things that challenge your creativity and spark your imagination—something you’ve always wanted to try. Learn a musical instrument, a foreign language, or try a new sport.

Adopt a pet. Yes, pets are a responsibility, but caring for an animal makes you feel loved and needed . Pets can also get you out of the house for exercise.

Spend time in nature. Take a scenic hike, go fishing or camping, or enjoy regular walks in a park.

Enjoy the arts . Visit a museum, go to a concert or a play, take an art class or write a memoir.

Get involved in your community. Replace your addiction with drug-free groups and activities. Volunteer , become active in your church or faith community, or join a local club or neighborhood group.

Set meaningful goals. Having goals to work toward and something to look forward to can be powerful antidotes to drug addiction. It doesn’t matter what the goals are, just that they are important to you.

Look after your health. Regular exercise , adequate sleep , and healthy eating habits help you keep your energy levels up and your stress levels down. The more you can stay healthy and feel good, the easier it will be to stay sober.

Don’t let relapse keep you down

Relapse is a common part of the recovery process from drug addiction. While relapse is frustrating and discouraging, it can be an opportunity to learn from your mistakes, identify additional triggers, and correct your treatment course.

What causes relapse?

Different “triggers” can put you at risk of relapsing into old patterns of substance use. While specific causes of relapse differ from person to person, some common triggers include:

• Negative emotional state (such as stress, sadness, anger, or trauma)
• Positive emotional state (feeling happy and wanting to feel even better, such as having a good time with friends)
• Physical discomfort (such as pain or withdrawal symptoms)
• Trying to test your personal control (“I can use just once” or “have just one pill”)
• Strong temptation or urge (craving to use)
• Conflict (such as an argument with your spouse or partner)
• Social pressure (being in a situation where it seems everyone else is using)

The important thing to remember is that relapse doesn’t mean drug treatment failure. Don’t give up. Call your sponsor, talk to your therapist, go to a meeting, or schedule an appointment with your doctor. When you’re sober again and out of danger, look at what triggered the relapse, what went wrong, and what you could have done differently. You can choose to get back on the path to recovery and use the experience to strengthen your commitment.

Support organizations

Most of these 12-step programs have worldwide chapters:

Narcotics Anonymous

Cocaine Anonymous

Crystal Meth Anonymous

Marijuana Anonymous

Read: NA and Other Peer Support Groups for Drug Addiction

Professional help for drug treatment and recovery

Use the  Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator  , call the  SAMHSA helpline  at 1-800-662-4357,  Get One-on-One Help to Address Your Child’s Substance Use , or call the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids helpline at 1-855-378-4373.

Find  NHS drug addictions support services  or call the  Frank helpline  at 0800 776600.

Finding Quality Addiction Care   (Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction)

Find  drug and alcohol services in your State/Territory  (Department of Health & Aging).

More Information

• Step by Step Guides to Finding Treatment for Drug Use Disorders - Guides for adults, teens, or those helping someone addicted to drugs. (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
• Effective Treatments for Opioid Addiction - Medications used in the treatment of opioid addiction. (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
• What is Substance Abuse Treatment? A Booklet for Families - Learn about treatment options and what you can do. (SAMHSA)
• Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment - Effective treatment of substance abuse and addiction. (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
• How can prescription drug addiction be treated? - Treatment options for prescription drug addiction including addiction to opioid painkillers. (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
• Darkness Before Dawn - Collection of writings that offer guidance and perspective on depression from a  HelpGuide affiliate . (Sounds True)
• Friedmann, P. D., Saitz, R., & Samet, J. H. (1998). Management of Adults Recovering From Alcohol or Other Drug ProblemsRelapse Prevention in Primary Care. JAMA, 279(15), 1227–1231. Link
• O’Brien, Charles P. “Evidence-Based Treatments of Addiction.” FOCUS 9, no. 1 (January 1, 2011): 107–17. Link
• Pettersen, H., Landheim, A., Skeie, I., Biong, S., Brodahl, M., Oute, J., & Davidson, L. (2019). How Social Relationships Influence Substance Use Disorder Recovery: A Collaborative Narrative Study. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 13, 1178221819833379. Link
• Santucci, Karen. “Psychiatric Disease and Drug Abuse.” Current Opinion in Pediatrics 24, no. 2 (April 2012): 233–37. Link
• Kelly, Thomas M., and Dennis C. Daley. “Integrated Treatment of Substance Use and Psychiatric Disorders.” Social Work in Public Health 28, no. 3–4 (2013): 388–406. Link
• Magill, Molly, and Lara A. Ray. “Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment with Adult Alcohol and Illicit Drug Users: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 70, no. 4 (July 2009): 516–27. Link
• Grant, Bridget F., Frederick S. Stinson, Deborah A. Dawson, S. Patricia Chou, Mary C. Dufour, Wilson Compton, Roger P. Pickering, and Kenneth Kaplan. “Prevalence and Co-Occurrence of Substance Use Disorders and Independent Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.” Archives of General Psychiatry 61, no. 8 (August 2004): 807–16. Link
• Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders. (2013). In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . American Psychiatric Association. Link
• About the ASAM Criteria . (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2023, from Link
• ASAM – All Documents . (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2023, from Link
• Mutschler, C., Junaid, S., Tellez, C., Franco, G., Gryspeerdt, C., & Bushe, J. (2022). Community‐based residential treatment for alcohol and substance use problems: A realist review. Health & Social Care in the Community , 30 (2). Link

More in Addiction

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Choosing Drug Rehab and Addiction Treatment

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Cutting down on alcohol doesn’t have to mean losing your social life

The health risks in young people and how to quit

The hidden risks of drinking

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Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction Preface

How science has revolutionized the understanding of drug addiction.

For much of the past century, scientists studying drugs and drug use labored in the shadows of powerful myths and misconceptions about the nature of addiction. When scientists began to study addictive behavior in the 1930s, people with an addiction were thought to be morally flawed and lacking in willpower. Those views shaped society’s responses to drug use, treating it as a moral failing rather than a health problem, which led to an emphasis on punishment rather than prevention and treatment.

Today, thanks to science, our views and our responses to addiction and the broader spectrum of substance use disorders have changed dramatically. Groundbreaking discoveries about the brain have revolutionized our understanding of compulsive drug use, enabling us to respond effectively to the problem.

As a result of scientific research, we know that addiction is a medical disorder that affects the brain and changes behavior. We have identified many of the biological and environmental risk factors and are beginning to search for the genetic variations that contribute to the development and progression of the disorder. Scientists use this knowledge to develop effective prevention and treatment approaches that reduce the toll drug use takes on individuals, families, and communities.

Despite these advances, we still do not fully understand why some people develop an addiction to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug use. This booklet aims to fill that knowledge gap by providing scientific information about the disorder of drug addiction, including the many harmful consequences of drug use and the basic approaches that have been developed to prevent and treat substance use disorders.

At the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), we believe that increased understanding of the basics of addiction will empower people to make informed choices in their own lives, adopt science-based policies and programs that reduce drug use and addiction in their communities, and support scientific research that improves the Nation’s well-being.

Nora D. Volkow, M.D. Director National Institute on Drug Abuse

Essay on Drug Awareness

Students are often asked to write an essay on Drug Awareness in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Drug Awareness

Understanding drugs.

Drugs are substances that can change how your body and mind work. They can be legal, like medicine prescribed by a doctor, or illegal.

Effects of Drugs

Drugs can make you feel different. Some might make you feel happy for a short time, but they can also harm your body and brain.

The Risk of Addiction

Some people may start using drugs out of curiosity or to feel good, but it can lead to addiction. Addiction is when you can’t stop taking the drug, even if it’s causing harm.

Staying Safe

It’s important to say no to illegal drugs and only take medicines as directed by a doctor.

250 Words Essay on Drug Awareness

Introduction.

Drugs are substances that alter the body’s physiological processes. While some drugs are beneficial and used for medicinal purposes, others can be harmful, leading to addiction, health issues, and societal problems. Drug awareness is a crucial topic, especially for college students, as it is the foundation for understanding and preventing drug misuse.

The Importance of Drug Awareness

Drug awareness is essential to equip individuals with knowledge about the potential risks and consequences of drug use. It helps in understanding the difference between use and misuse, the signs of addiction, and the effects of drugs on physical and mental health. This knowledge can be a powerful tool in preventing drug misuse and addiction.

The Role of Education

Education plays a significant role in drug awareness. It is not only about imparting knowledge but also about fostering a healthy attitude towards drug use. Educational institutions, particularly colleges, hold a responsibility to provide students with accurate information, enabling them to make informed decisions.

In conclusion, drug awareness is a vital aspect of health education. It empowers individuals, especially college students, to make informed decisions about drug use, thus preventing potential misuse and addiction. The role of education in promoting drug awareness cannot be overstated, as it equips students with necessary knowledge and fosters a responsible attitude towards drug use.

500 Words Essay on Drug Awareness

The issue of drug abuse and addiction has become a global concern, with implications that transcend cultural, economic, and social boundaries. Drug awareness is a critical aspect in curbing this menace, as it equips individuals with the knowledge and skills to resist drug use, and encourages a healthier, safer society.

The Prevalence of Drug Abuse

The prevalence of drug abuse is alarming, with the World Health Organization estimating that nearly 5.5% of the world’s population aged 15-64 years have used drugs at least once in their lifetime. This statistic underscores the urgency for effective drug awareness programs. It is essential to understand the factors contributing to drug abuse, which include peer pressure, curiosity, stress, and the desire for escapism. These factors, coupled with the easy accessibility of drugs, create a potent recipe for addiction.

Components of Effective Drug Awareness Programs

Effective drug awareness programs should be comprehensive, targeting various aspects of the drug abuse issue. Firstly, they should provide factual information about drugs, their effects, and the risks associated with their use. Secondly, they must equip individuals with the skills to resist peer pressure and make informed decisions. Lastly, these programs should provide support and resources for those struggling with addiction, emphasizing that recovery is possible and that help is available.

The Role of Society in Drug Awareness

Society plays a significant role in promoting drug awareness. Schools, workplaces, and communities can host awareness campaigns, workshops, and seminars. The media can also play an influential role in disseminating accurate information about drugs and addiction. Moreover, government policies can support drug awareness initiatives, providing funding and resources for these programs.

In conclusion, drug awareness is a crucial tool in the fight against drug abuse and addiction. By educating individuals about the realities of drug use and equipping them with the skills to resist it, we can foster a society that is healthier, safer, and more informed. It is a collective responsibility that requires the participation of all sectors of society, from the individual to the government. Through a concerted effort, we can make significant strides in addressing this global issue.

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Drug Education and Prevention Essay

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The issue of drug abuse has been a threat to many economies of the world. This has propelled governments and other community organizations worldwide to formulate ways of curbing this menace from all corners. Among the methods that are used are frank, positive futures and the national drug strategy.

While each of these has its own salient features, they all serve the common goal of educating the public about the risks involved in drug abuse and also the ways of avoiding becoming victims of drug abuse. Some governments and organizations have gone a step ahead and created rehabilitation centers that help those persons recovering from the abuse of drugs.

The extent to which each of the methods used is efficient varies. This is due to the limitation of the policy in rearing some areas of life. In this paper, the modalities that are followed by frank and those that are followed by the positive futures are measured against one another with an aim of comparing their effectiveness and coming up with appropriate recommendations for each.

For the purpose of the study, the information that is contained in the course material chilling out: the cultural politics of substance consumption, youth and drug policy by Blackman S. is heavily relied upon (Spring1 2010, 30).

The biggest questions that the book-chilling out poses are; the connection between politics of drug war and the prevention of drug abuse, popular culture and also the consumption of drugs. The book is critical of many methods that are used in curbing the crime of drug abuse.

The various policies that are in place concerning drug abuse are critically looked into and the loopholes that are present are brought out in clear. The book brings out the relevance of the main economy to the policies that are made concerning the issue of drug abuse. The book also criticizes the assumptions that the policy makers have made as some of them are unrealistic (Blackman 2003, 45).

The author furthermore tackles the moral obligation of the various stakeholders in the policy making and implementation of the education and prevention of drug abuse. The books main target of the book is the prevention of drug abuse.

Its main take is that if enough prevention measures are put in place, then the cases of drug abuse will be relatively lowered and thus the costs that are incurred in the rehabilitation of the drug addicts are effectively lowered (Spring1 2010, 23).

The effect of art in the course of tackling drug prevention and education is also brought out in the light. The author applauds the efforts that are being put in place by the musicians, media, and the cultural studies in helping the society to learn the dangers of drug abuse.

The policies that are being made in enhancing the artists in their endeavors are also tackled in this book. The book is recommendable to any study into the cases of drug abuse education and prevention (MacLean 2005, 10).

The frank method works in a friendly manner. Then name Frank in itself sounds like a name of some individual. On the contrary it is not. The name was coined out of the method that the campaign is carried out and so frank is a friend mainly of the youth he understands what they are going through and talks to the youth with a tone of understanding.

He talks of the issues that affect the livelihood of the youth and relates that to the drug abuse and comes up with a way of solving these problems. The drugs that are mainly targeted are Tobacco, Cannabis, Opiates, alcohol, Ecstasy, Cocaine and derivates, Amphetamines, Methamphetamines and Inhalants/ solvents.

The main target of the program is the youth between the age of 11 and 18 years. The program considers that the persons at this age will be better advised in making their decisions when they attain the age of majority -18 years. Te target facilitators of the program are the parents and professionals whose routine work involves dealing directly with the youth who fall in this age group.

The major theme in the program which is a government initiative is to create awareness among the youth about how much drug abuse can deteriorate the life of the drug user. The program has also been used as a platform through which the government and other persons who would wish to communicate with the young generation have been using. It has been used successfully in learning institutions at the community level and also at the national level at passing down the various government policies that affect the youth.

The method that is used in positive futures is quite different. While Frank shows the youth and other drug users the effects of drug abuse, positive futures focuses on the benefits of living a drug free life. Though both may sound to be similar they are not the same.

The main focus in positive future is to make the youth know how much it shall be profitable to their lives if they shall be able to detach themselves from rugs. This makes it hard for any persons who would wish to glorify drugs as he or she does not get a premise on which to table the motions.

The method that is a national activity involving the youth at the age of between 10 and 19 years has recorded a high reception both on the local and the national levels. It is worthy noting here that it is at this age that most persons are initiated to drug abuse. While those youth who live in less advantaged environments are recorded to get involved in drugs at the ages of 10 to 14 while the others in the society usually get involved when they are between 15 and 19 (Spring2 2010, 33).

In comparison, both methods are seen to targets the youth. This is the first assumption that has been evidenced in both the methods that it is the youth who are adversely affected by the abuse of drugs. On the contrary it has been proved that even persons at advanced ages have fell victim of drug abuse.

The craving for more caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and other abused drugs increases with the increased usage as opposed to the thinking that it reduces. Thus even though both the projects help in reducing the occurrence of drug abuse and addiction at the young age and thus on the future old age, the current drug abusers who are beyond the age bracket are left out of the programs.

The usage of modern technology is so evident in both the Frank method and positive future method. While old persons may be content with the old technology, the young persons are always innovative and usually ready to try out new developments in the market.

The fact the two programs run websites which are regularly updated and are in line with current technology; it is a major booster to the programs. This makes it even easier for the policy makers to receive information and feedback from the youth.

The networking of the program has also been made better by use of the new technology. The youth would rather identify themselves with the technology based sources and channel of communication that print media (Spring1 2010, 15).

In contrast, the programs tackle the same topic on different dimensions. The main aims of Frank program is to educate the youth on the dangers of getting involved in drug abuse while the main target of the positive future is to educate the youth on the advantages of living a drug free life.

Thus the activities that are undertaken in positive future are based more on the life skills that are vital in alienating the mind of a young person form having the mentality of drug abuse. The activities involve sports, investments, discussions and also interactions among others.

On the other hand the activities that are included in the Frank method bring out the issue of drug abuse as a vice. This has posed as a threat to the system at last where the victims are turned into heroes and heroines by the spectators.

The other major contrast of the two programs is the persons who are involved in the facilitation of the projects. Frank as stated earlier acts as a friend who is out to help his fellow friend. It is more of a passive voice that knows much about drugs. Thus the program mostly relies on their websites and youth to youth facilitation.

This is in line with the aim of maintaining the confidentiality of the person that is seeking the services of the system. On the other hand, positive future depends on the assistance of parents and other stakeholders in the running of its projects. Unlike Frank whose facilitators are the fellow youth, the facilitators in positive futures are parents and other professionals who are involved in the daily life of the youth (Spring2 2010, 25).

The attainment of a drug free future is the other common goal of the two programs. The target of the youth at their early stages is a clear evidence of this goal. The generation that crops out of these persons are thus prepared to take life positively as well as being educated on the dangers of living in drug abuse. Thus both the Frank projects and positive future projects give birth to a drug free society.

The response that has been received from the Frank method has accusations of false presentation of truth. Due the fact that the method is usually purposed to be friendly to the youth works on the negative as the policy makers are usually too lenient on the youth so that they may not loose the prey.

This leads them to presenting half truths and the result is that the youth end up having only half baked information. Thus the judgment that the person relying on this information makes is not fully informed. The ability of the system to be uplifted to a pint where truth can be told in black and white is rare since the system has to remain youth friendly.

From among the youth the feedback has been on the affirmative. In its first year only, the program recorded a very high number of visits at its official website and many calls. This number has been rising steadily as the days go by. The fact that the youth can be able to comment or even ask questions at a platform that they feel is secure for them has encouraged persons who have issues of drug abuse to come open and share their experiences.

The confidentiality is further enhanced in that the persons running the websites need not know the real person is the one who is been attended to. Some of the youth fearing to be disclosed use fictitious contacts like the email. Their main aim is to benefit from the program (Spring 2 2010, 14).

The magnitude of the youth who participate in the program has made even more trust it even though they were earlier conservative about the program. The youth have been passing the information about the program to one another. Also the use of parents, guidance and teachers as the facilitators of the program has been received in good faith and has made the number of beneficiates of the program to rise. Then parents have been sending the information about the programs through their own social networks that is different form the official websites that the program uses (Spring1 2010, 33).

The response that is received from the positive futures has been good with a record 59000 youth at the age of 10 to 16 attending positive future projects in 2009. This was a 65% rise from the number that attended the projects in the previous year from the same age bracket. While this was not evident at the early stages of the program the trend is changing and many more youth are expected to take part in future projects.

Apart from taking part in the projects, the participants have received both awards and experience in the activities that they have been engaged in the positive future projects. Some have even made up their minds to take up some of these activities as their career choice. This has been so common in the sporting activities where the participants have been reported to take professional sportsmanship after getting involved in positive future projects.

Blackman has been critical of the areas that are covered by the Frank initiative. According to Blackman, the measures to counter the issue of drug abuse should be a continuous process that involves education at early stages of life. Thus there should be introductory classes for persons below the age of 11 that the program covers. This is to create preparedness on the youth even before they are involved with other more involving projects at the age of 11.

This is also the case for the positive futures. The introductory lessons are missing in the project at early stages. This at some point affects some learners considering that the ability to absorb information varies. The persons with slow learning capability may thus feel disadvantaged as opposed to when introductions are done at early stages. More over there are activities that can involve the persons at lower age groups.

The contribution that chilling out makes in the fight against drug abuse is however priceless. The book tackles the issue of art as a way of dealing with the cases of drug abuse. As we have seen, the above two and many other programs are targeted towards the youth since they are the most affected.

Similarly, the youth have a better taste for art than any other group. This qualifies the use of music, and other literal means in reaching out to the persons whom the information about drug abuse education and prevention is intended. This is part of the activities that positive future uses in its education projects. Like sports, the field of art has recorded a good number of persons who after passing through the projects decide to take as a career (Smart, 2005, 32).

For any of the programs to be sufficiently effective, it should have legality. This is an issue that Blackman does not leave out. He calls upon the government to make legislation that encourages the education and prevention programs. Both Frank and positive future programs have had legislation that help them in achieving both their short term and also long term goals. The availability of these laws assist and also guide the policy makers in coming up with projects that are legal and keeps them in the safe side of the law (Blackman 2003, 70).

In conclusion, the two programs can be termed effective each on its own way. The concurrent implementation of both projects has been praised by many persons as being counter productive in that the persons who fail the target of Frank method are easily captured in the positive future programs.

Recommendations are however made for the projects to cover even the victims of drug abuse who fall above the age groups that are represented by the two programs. Even though the government has other programs that cater for the persons in those age groups, the productivity of Frank and positive future programs has been rated so high in consideration.

This recommendation is made considering that the cut-off of the target group is at the age when most youth start to be engaged in income generating activities. This makes them vulnerable to many pleasures with drug abuse being one of them.

Blackman, S. 2003. Chilling Out: The Cultural Politics of Substance Consumption, Youth and Drug Policy . London. Amazon.

MacLean, S. 2006. Book review: Chilling Out: The Cultural Politics of Substance Consumption, Youth and Drug Policy . London. Amazon.

Smart, R. 2005. Book Review. Chilling Out: The Cultural Politics of Substance Consumption, Youth and Drug Policy . London: Amazon.

Spring. 2010. Models and Methods of Drug Education 1: Drug Prevention through Social Marketing . Manchester.

Spring. 2010. Models and Methods of Drug Education 2: Youth Development and ‘Diversionary Activities’ . Manchester.

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Essay on Drug Abuse in 250 and 500 Words in English for Students

• Updated on  
• Apr 2, 2024

Drug abuse refers to the excessive and frequent consumption of drugs. Drug abuse can have several harmful effects on our mental and physical health. Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the USA, passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 and initiated the War on Drugs . He said, ‘Let us not forget who we are. Drug abuse is a repudiation of everything America is.’

Consuming drugs not only harms the individual himself but also affects society as a whole. Studies have shown that people who consume drugs become addicted to it. This addiction turns into substance abuse, resulting in self-damage, behaviour changes, mood swings, unnecessary weight loss, and several other health problems. Let’s understand what drug abuse is and how to fight it.

Table of Contents

• 1 Essay on Drug Abuse in 250 Words
• 2.1 Why Do People Consume Drugs?
• 2.2 Why Is Drug Abuse Bad?
• 2.3 Laws in India Against Drug Consumption
• 2.4 Steps to Prevent Drug Addiction
• 2.5 Conclusion
• 3 10 Lines Essay on Drug Abuse

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Essay on Drug Abuse in 250 Words

‘When people consume drugs regularly and become addicted to it, it is known as drug abuse. In medical terminology, drugs means medicines. However, the consumption of drugs is for non-medical purposes. It involves the consumption of substances in illegal and harmful ways, such as swallowing, inhaling, or injecting. When drugs are consumed, they are mixed into our bloodstream, affecting our neural system and brain functioning.

The Indian government has taken significant steps to help reduce the consumption of drugs. In 1985, the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act came into force. This act replaced the Opium Act of 1857, the Opium Act of 1878, and the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1930. 

Drug abuse can lead to addiction, where a person becomes physically or psychologically dependent on the substance and experiences withdrawal symptoms when attempting to stop using it. 

Drug abuse can have serious consequences for the individual and society as a whole. On an individual level, drugs can damage physical health, including organ damage, infectious diseases, and overdose fatalities. Not only this, a person already suffering from mental health disorders will face more harmful aftereffects. Addiction disrupts our cognitive functioning and impairs our decision-making abilities.

To fight drug abuse, we need collective action from all sections of society. Medical professionals say that early intervention and screening programmes can identify individuals at risk of substance misuse and provide them with the necessary support services. Educating people, especially those who are at-risk, about drug abuse and its harmful effects can significantly help reduce their consumption.

Drug abuse is serious and it must be addressed. Drug abuse is killing youth and society. Therefore, it is an urgent topic to address, and only through sustainable and collective efforts can we address this problem.

Quick Read: Success in Life Speech

Essay on Drug Abuse in 500 Words

Drug abuse is known as frequent consumption. In time, these people become dependent on drugs for several reasons. Curiosity drives adolescents and teenagers, who are among the most susceptible groups in our society. Cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, etc. are some of the popular drugs consumed. 

Why Do People Consume Drugs?

The very first question about drugs is: why do people consume drugs? Studies have shown that more than 50% of drug addicts consider drugs as a coping mechanism to alleviate emotional or psychological distress. In the beginning, drugs temporarily relieve feelings of anxiety, depression, or trauma, providing a temporary escape from difficult emotions or life circumstances. 

Some consume drugs out of curiosity, some under peer pressure, and some want to escape the painful experiences. Some people enjoy the effects drugs produce, such as euphoria, relaxation, and altered perceptions. Recreational drug use may occur in social settings or as a form of self-medication for stress relief or relaxation.

Why Is Drug Abuse Bad?

The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that drugs can worsen our eyesight and body movement, our physical growth, etc. Marijuana, one of the most popular drugs, can slow down our reaction time, affecting our time and distance judgement and decreasing coordination. Cocaine and Methamphetamine can make the consumer aggressive and careless.

Our brain is the first victim of drugs. Drugs can disorder our body in several ways, from damaging organs to messing with our brains. Drugs easily get mixed into our bloodstream, and affect our neural system. Prolonged and excessive consumption of drugs significantly harms our brain functioning.

The next target of drug abuse is our physical health and relationships. Drugs can damage our vital organs, such as the liver, heart, lungs, and brain. For example, heavy alcohol use can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, while cocaine use can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Laws in India Against Drug Consumption

Here is an interesting thing; the USA has the highest number of drug addicts and also has strict laws against drug consumption. According to a report by the Narcotics Control Bureau, around 9 million people in India consume different types of drugs. The Indian government has implemented certain laws against drug consumption and production.

The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS), prohibits the production, sale, purchase, and consumption of narcotics and other illegal substances, except for scientific and medical purposes.

Also, Article 47 of the Indian Constitution states that ‘ The State shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption, except for medicinal purposes, of intoxicating drinks and drugs which are injurious to health.’

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Steps to Prevent Drug Addiction

Several steps can be taken to prevent drug addiction. But before we start our ‘War on Drugs’ , it is crucial to understand the trigger point. Our social environment, mental health issues and sometimes genetic factors can play a role in drug abuse.

• Education and awareness are the primary weapons in the fight against drugs. 
• Keeping distance from people and places addicted to drugs.
• Encourage a healthy and active lifestyle and indulge in physical workouts.
• Watch motivating videos and listen to sound music.
• Self-motivate yourself to stop consuming drugs.
• Talk to a medical professional or a psychiatrist, who will guide you to the right path.

Drug abuse is a serious problem. The excessive and frequent consumption of drugs not only harms the individual but also affects society as a whole. Only a collective approach from lawmakers, healthcare professionals, educators, community leaders, and individuals themselves can combat drug abuse effectively. 

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10 Lines Essay on Drug Abuse

Here is a 10-line essay on drug abuse.

• Drug abuse can significantly affect our physical growth
• Drug abuse can affect our mental functioning.
• Drug abuse may provide instant pleasure, but inside, it weakens our willpower and physical strength.
• Educating people, especially those who are at-risk, about drug abuse and its harmful effects can significantly help reduce their consumption.
•  Drugs easily get mixed into our bloodstream, and affect our neural system. 
• Prolonged and excessive consumption of drugs significantly harms our brain functioning.
• In 1985, the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act came into force.
• The USA has the highest number of drug addicts and also has strict laws against drug consumption.
• Drug addicts consider drugs as a coping mechanism to alleviate emotional or psychological distress.
•  Adolescents and teenagers are the most vulnerable section of our society and are driven by curiosity.

Ans: Drug abuse refers to the excessive and frequent consumption of drugs. Drug abuse can have several harmful effects on our mental and physical health.

Ans: ‘When people consume drugs regularly and become addicted to it, it is known as drug abuse. In medical terminology, drugs means medicines. However, the consumption of drugs is for non-medical purposes. It involves the consumption of substances in illegal and harmful ways, such as swallowing, inhaling, or injecting. When drugs are consumed, they are mixed into our bloodstream, affecting our neural system and brain functioning.

Ans: Drug abuse is known as frequent consumption. In time, these people become dependent on drugs for several reasons. Adolescents and teenagers are the most vulnerable section of our society who are driven by curiosity. Cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, etc. are some of the popular drugs consumed.  The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS), prohibits the production, sale, purchase, and consumption of narcotics and other illegal substances, except for scientific and medical purposes.

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With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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The Effective Strategies to Avoid Medication Errors and Improving Reporting Systems

Abbas al mutair.

1 Research Center, Almoosa Specialist Hospital, Al-Ahsa 36342, Saudi Arabia

2 College of Nursing, Princess Norah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 12214, Saudi Arabia

3 School of Nursing, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia

Saad Alhumaid

4 Administration of Pharmaceutical Care, Al-Ahsa Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Al-Ahsa 36342, Saudi Arabia; as.vog.hom@diamuhlaas

Abbas Shamsan

5 Research Center, Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group, Riyadh 12214, Saudi Arabia; [email protected] (A.S.); moc.liamtoh@aiz-ra (A.R.Z.Z.); [email protected] (A.A.-O.)

Abdul Rehman Zia Zaidi

6 College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 12214, Saudi Arabia

Mohammed Al Mohaini

7 Basic Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Alhasa 31982, Saudi Arabia; moc.liamg@076maam

8 Basic Sciences Department, College of applied Medical Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Alhasa 31982, Saudi Arabia

Alya Al Mutairi

9 Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Medina 54321, Saudi Arabia; as.ude.uhabiat@iriatuma

Ali A. Rabaan

10 Microbiology Department, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Alhasa 31982, Saudi Arabia; moc.liamg@naabara

11 Department of Public Health and Nutrition, The University of Haipur, Haripur 22610, Pakistan

Mansour Awad

12 Commitment Administration, General Directorate of Health Affairs, Ministry of Health, Medina 54321, Saudi Arabia; as.vog.hom@2iriatumlaaaM

Awad Al-Omari

Associated data.

Not applicable.

Background: Population-based studies from several countries have constantly shown excessively high rates of medication errors and avoidable deaths. An efficient medication error reporting system is the backbone of reliable practice and a measure of progress towards achieving safety. Improvement efforts and system changes of medication error reporting systems should be targeted towards reductions in the likelihood of injury to future patients. However, the aim of this review is to provide a summary of medication errors reporting culture, incidence reporting systems, creating effective reporting methods, analysis of medication error reports, and recommendations to improve medication errors reporting systems. Methods: Electronic databases (PubMed, Ovid, EBSCOhost, EMBASE, and ProQuest) were examined from 1 January 1998 to 30 June 2020. 180 articles were found and 60 papers were ultimately included in the review. Data were mined by two reviewers and verified by two other reviewers. The search yielded 684 articles, which were then reduced to 60 after the deletion of duplicates via vetting of titles, abstracts, and full-text papers. Results: Studies were principally from the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Limited studies were from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, Greece, France, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Detection, measurement, and analysis of medication errors require an active rather than a passive approach. Efforts are needed to encourage medication error reporting, including involving staff in opportunities for improvement and the determination of root cause(s). The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention taxonomy is a classification system to describe and analyze the details around individual medication error events. Conclusion: A successful medication error reporting program should be safe for the reporter, result in constructive and useful recommendations and effective changes while being inclusive of everyone and supported with required resources. Health organizations need to adopt an effectual reporting environment for the medication use process in order to advance into a sounder practice.

1. Introduction

Medical errors are described as unintentional mistakes either by omission or commission. Medical errors are classified into an error of execution or an error of planning, which are explained as the unsuccessful process of deliberate action or utilization of an improper plan to attain a goal, respectively, or by deviating from the process of care that may potentially cause harm to the patient [ 1 ]. In 2008, the US Department of Health and Human Services Office reported 180,000 deaths by medical errors among hospitalized patients [ 1 ]. A high percentage of medical errors is attributed to medications that account for almost 1.5 million victims of medical errors every year [ 2 ]. The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCCMERP) defines a medication error as “any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer.” These events can be linked to procedures, healthcare commodities, professional practice, along with systems consisting of prescription, order communication, dispensing, monitoring, product labeling, distribution, compounding, administration, nomenclature and packaging, education, and use. These events can be linked to healthcare commodities, procedures, professional practice, along with systems started with nomenclature and packaging, storing and distributing, prescribing, transcribing, documenting, reviewing, preparing (or compounding), product labeling, educating, dispensing, and ended with drug administration and monitoring [ 3 ]. Medication errors significantly impact the well-being of individuals, organizations, and healthcare systems. According to an NCCMERP report, medication errors are ranked the sixth cause of mortality in the United States, with 5–10% of the reported medication errors classified as harmful [ 3 ]. Recently, medication errors have become a challenge facing healthcare systems and are directly linked to hospital mortality and morbidity rates [ 4 ]. Specifically, medication errors cause adverse effects on hospitalized patients and weaken the public’s confidence in the healthcare system and the healthcare services being provided [ 5 ]. In addition, medication errors negatively impact clinical outcomes such as length of stay (LOS), incurring substantial costs of about USD 2000-2500 per patient [ 2 , 6 ]. Another issue is the high proportion of underreporting of medication errors (estimated to be 50–60%) across healthcare organizations that is attributed to the lack of medical recording systems in many hospitals [ 2 ]. Therefore, different prevention programs were implemented to monitor errors targeting triggers and/or influencing factors of medication errors [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ] through using carefully formulated establishment-wide reporting systems to find the likely sources of medication errors [ 11 ]. Although the reporting of medication errors offers usable data for identifying areas of improvement with regard to patient safety, the advancement of patient safety is impeded and the lack of formal reporting is well recognized [ 12 ]. A variety of standards at the institutional level and a higher level of government exist for designing an effective medication error reporting system [ 12 ]. Simultaneously, the transformation of medication error reporting systems is required to facilitate easily preventable mistakes and their often-severe aftereffects [ 12 ]. Thus, understanding what hinders reporting could eventually result in superior patient care [ 12 ]. Whilst plentiful reports have studied the contributing factors [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ], rates of prescription errors, and adverse events [ 13 , 14 , 15 ], insufficient researches have analyzed the characteristics of successful medication error reporting systems.

2. Material and Methods

2.1. aims and objectives.

In order to give basic details about the medication error reporting culture, incidence reporting systems, effective reporting method(s), analysis of medication error reports, and also suggest recommendations to improve medication errors reporting systems, we conducted a review of currently available literature evidence.

2.2. Search Strategy

A total number of five electronic databases (PubMed, Ovid, EBSCOhost, Embase.com, and ProQuest) were methodically searched for articles using components derived from the subsequent subject headings and keywords: characteristics, effective, error, improve, medication, report, reporting, successful, system. Furthermore, we searched citations from relevant papers to select additional studies. The search remained limited to English language journals published between January 1998 and June 2020.

2.3. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Readily accessible peer-reviewed, full-text articles in the English language, primary research publications of any design (quantitative and qualitative studies: observational cohort or case-control studies, clinical trials, cross-sectional and systematic reviews) were included. We looked for studies that reported medication error reporting culture, incident reporting systems, creation of effective reporting methods, analysis of medication error reports, and recommendations to enhance medication error reporting systems. The studies identified in the search were manually evaluated for applicability in this article. We also included limited articles that concentrated on medical—not medication errors and nursing practice errors. We eliminated conference papers, editorials, letters to the editor, organizational reports, opinion papers, and case reports.

2.4. Data Extraction and Analysis

Two reviewers (AA and SA) individually vetted titles with abstracts followed by a full article review, where any doubt remained. Disagreements between two reviewers after full-text vetting were resolved via unanimity by a third reviewer (AS) and a fourth reviewer (ARZ). The data extraction involved evidence in each relevant selected article on medication error reporting systems, reporting culture, creating an effective reporting method, analysis of medication error reports, and/or recommendations to improve medication errors reporting systems. To examine the literature, a narrative synthesis was performed due to the variety of instruments and reported data. A narrative synthesis is characterized by the textual methodology that delivers a trustworthy tale of the findings from the selected literature [ 16 ]. Additionally eligible studies were appraised using critical appraisal tools. The appraisal consists of 10 items that assess the methodological quality of a study and determines the extent to which a study has addressed the possibility of bias in its design, conduct, and analysis. The results of the appraisal have been taken into full account and used to inform the synthesis and interpretation of the results of the recommendations.

3. Results and Discussion

Overall, we screened 5 literature databases and identified 684 articles. A total of 384 duplicated articles were excluded from the review. Then, 300 articles evaluated for possible inclusion using title and abstract. 180 articles were selected for full-text vetting, resulting in the 60 articles comprising the narrative review ( Figure 1 ). An estimated 120 articles were omitted after full-text screening (reasons: conference papers, editorials, letters to the editor, organizational reports, opinion papers, and case reports = 80, not relevant to hospital settings = 17, focused on an error concerning a specific medication or associated with a specific medical condition = 14, or study with no relative data = 9). Articles were published from 1998 to 2020 with a summit of papers between 2006 and 2014. Articles largely came from the United States and the United Kingdom, with fewer studies from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, Greece, France, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

3.1. Reporting Culture

A system for reporting medical errors can lead to future detection of the possibility of a medical error occurring [ 17 , 18 ]. However, patient safety is not developing fast enough to face future challenges in healthcare [ 19 ]. In the past, medical errors were rarely disclosed; nowadays, however, failing to disclose an error in the hospital is considered a violation of the code of ethics and leads to litigation [ 17 , 20 ]. Nevertheless, do all healthcare providers divulge medical errors? The decision of disclosing a medical error by a healthcare provider is problematic [ 17 ]. Fein and others discussed the most effective factors that influence decisions on disclosing a medical error, which fall into four categories; provider elements, patient elements, error elements, and institutional culture [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. There is an absence of reporting medical errors in the medical field and factors influencing motivation to report medical errors have been investigated in several countries. Around 16–20% of nurses fail to report incidences [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ] because they fear being terminated by employers. Some healthcare providers fail to report an incident because of a lack of management feedback [ 22 , 25 , 26 ], unsupportive colleagues [ 26 ], lack of time [ 25 ], and lack of knowledge [ 27 ]. In order to realize the development in such an area, cultural changes have to be made; feeling safe to report a medical error and learning from past mistakes are crucial factors that might improve patient safety [ 19 , 28 ]. One of the controversial problems in reporting systems is whether reports should be mandatory or voluntary. Mandatory reports might lead to litigations [ 29 ] and may destroy the doctor-patient relationship, which can lead health care providers to practice “defensive medicine” [ 29 , 30 ]. Ethically and professionally, healthcare providers should not be obligated to report medical errors. Voluntary reporting is beneficial for medical learning and promotes a culture of safety. On the other hand, mandatory reports have shown the effectiveness of participation in reporting medical errors. For example, in Denmark the reporting rate is 50% compared to 1% in Australia, where the reporting is voluntary [ 19 ]. England has changed its policy of reporting from voluntary to mandatory, and if there is a failure to notify the error, the medical Trust may face the consequence of a £4000 penalty. To have organizational accountability and to improve patients’ safety and effective prevention systems, the two reports “To Err is Human” and “An Organization with a Memory” both suggested the utilization of a compulsory reporting system in harmful accidents [ 19 , 30 ].

3.2. Incidence Reporting Systems

Incidence Reporting Systems (IRSs) have been known to minimize incidences in air flights; hypothetically, it would also decrease the medical errors in the healthcare systems [ 31 ]. Nowadays, medical error reporting systems are widely used. The New Zealand Pharmacovigilance Centre (NZPhvC) is the national center responsible for monitoring adverse reactions to medications in New Zealand, through the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM) [ 32 ]. In Australia, the Advanced Incident Monitoring System (AIMS) was implemented around 2005 [ 31 ], and the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) is used since 2003 in the United Kingdom [ 31 ]. Additionally, in Ireland, the National Adverse Event Management System (NAEMS) (formally known as STARS web IRS) was implemented and has been in use since 2004 [ 31 ]. Several years back in the United States, the Medical Event Reporting System for Transfusion Medicine (MERS-TM) and United States Pharmacopeia’s MEDMARX Reporting System were introduced. The different systems the United States has launched can be represented as a high level of knowledge in reporting systems [ 33 , 34 ]. There are two kinds of reporting systems, voluntary and mandatory. The most significant systems are designed after the Aviation Safety Report System (ASRS) which is run by NASA for the Federal Aviation Administration; the system is voluntary and anonymous [ 35 ]. Several voluntary systems are being modeled after the Aviation Safety Report System (ASRS) such as, the Veterans Administration Patient Safety Reporting System (PSRS) [ 36 ], the Institute for Safe Medical Practice (ISMP) which is designed for medical error reporting [ 37 ], and Data Watch which is established by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for documenting of contrary occasions stemming from medicines and therapeutic devices [ 38 ]. The Canadian Medication Incident Reporting and Prevention System (CMIRPS), which is involved in nationwide preventable medication error occurrences and reporting, was established by Health Canada, ISMP Canada, and the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) [ 39 ]. Furthermore, in Egypt, neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) utilize the Egyptian Neonatal Safety Training Network (ENSTN), which can be used confidentially and anonymously to report medical errors [ 40 ]. In Saudi Arabia, the National Pharmacovigilance Center (NPC) was established by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) to monitor for surveillance of the safety matters of medications and it plays a vital role in the identification of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), their evaluation and prevention [ 41 ]. Many countries such as Greece [ 42 ], Korea [ 43 ], Japan [ 44 ], and France [ 45 ] have adopted similar systems which have shown substantial positive benefits [ 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 ].

3.3. Creating an Effective Reporting Method

Creating an effective multiple-phase reporting method to lower medication errors can act to identify the baseline rates of prescription errors. Hence, this can enable a recognition of the major types of medication errors and thereby assist in risk-reduction through the application of various preventive measures [ 50 ]. A successful strategy to prevent and detect drug-related problems may involve three stages: pre-intervention phase, intervention phase, and post-intervention phase [ 51 ]. The pre-intervention phase reinforces voluntary medication error reporting in the healthcare facility by healthcare professionals utilizing standardized forms. Reports must be continuously monitored, reviewed, and documented on a daily basis throughout the pre-intervention phase [ 51 ]. During the pre-intervention phase, medication handling stages are monitored, patient records will be reviewed, and all procedures will be documented. The incident(s) and types of medication error(s) within the healthcare facility will be identified. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the collected reports should be carried out during the intervention phase [ 50 , 51 ]. Multiple quantitative and qualitative data analyses can be applied here based on the data available, such as quantitative root-cause analysis or qualitative content analysis. Root factors that contribute to prescription errors that have caused or have had the possibility to cause harm “near miss” to the patient can thus be realized [ 50 ]. The intervention phase is an integral corrective phase as it should consist of training programs for the targeted healthcare providers [ 51 ]. Training programs should be directed towards the identification of medication errors, causation, the harm inflicted, and the importance of effective communication to promote patient safety parameters within the healthcare facility. The post-intervention phase ought to embrace continuous monitoring after the intervention corrective phase [ 51 ]. It should also emphasize the re-collecting of data and comparing it with the pre-intervention data. This phase studies the adherence of staff to voluntarily report the incidents of medication errors. The incident is then reported nationally through the organization’s system or online electronic-form.

4. Analysis of Medication Error Reports

NCCMERP has developed a medication error taxonomy tool to aid healthcare workers and organizations characterize, trace, and analyze medication errors in a standardized, methodical approach [ 52 ]. The taxonomy is useful for developing a medication error database and designing an error reporting or data collection form. Healthcare organizations should build systems and procedures to accumulate ample information required to inspect and report medication errors at the time the events occur (ideally, all the elements identified in the taxonomy). One key component of the taxonomy, which categorizes an error in accordance with the severity of the outcome on a scale from A to I, is the NCCMERP medication index [ 52 ]. Factors such as whether the error got to the patient and if the patient was affected by the error and to what level, are considered by the index. The use of the NCCMERP medication error-index is encouraged in all healthcare delivery settings [ 52 ].

5. Recommendations to Improve Medication Errors Reporting Systems

Every medical institution should aim towards implementing methodologies whereby patients are not put at risk due to medication errors. Healthcare organizations should proactively eliminate these by investigating errors that have both occurred and those that may potentially occur. This way, it is possible to identify methods by which the consumption of medicines is incorrectly reported and thus mitigating the health risks patients are exposed to. A consistent organizational framework is needed to monitor and measure medication safety. Encouraging reporting, monitoring, and open discussion of medication errors is key in establishing a culture of safety. The system will improve with more data entries; these can be from existing errors already known, ones that may have been missed earlier, and even other miscellaneous errors. The following ( Table 1 ) depicts a list of necessary factors that should be considered based on the findings explored by other academics [ 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 ].

Characteristics of Successful Reporting Systems.

5.1. Blame-Free or Non-Punitive Culture

A system that can properly evaluate and rectify errors needs to be non-punitive if is to provide meaningful, applicable data [ 53 ]. There should be a system where blame is not assigned to those experiencing the errors or those that annotate them. Priorities of an effective medication error reporting system need to target pre-emptive and retroactive actions as opposed to placing blame on an individual. Corrective actions can prevent an incident recurrence, mitigate prescription errors, and enhance the long-term well-being of patients, thus improving their quality of care [ 54 ].

5.2. Anonymity

The reporting system should also consider maintaining anonymity in the reporting incident data, allowing the reporter to remain anonymous while reporting the medication error [ 54 ]. A lesson can be learned from Australian and British work on “open disclosure” and “being open”; this will help individuals to enhance their understanding as the majority of these are unintended and can later be seen with transparency [ 55 ].

5.3. Responsive and Productive

A responsive medication error reporting system stimulates internal reporting within a health organization significantly [ 56 ]. Analysis of these reports needs to be undertaken urgently, especially those that are found to be at a more critical or detrimental level; these reports, in turn, need to be made readily available to those that can take appropriate action. The response should be visible, useful, and constructive for the health care system change [ 56 ].

5.4. Encourage Involvement

Patient safety is the responsibility of everyone in the healthcare organization. Engaging key stakeholders will increase the acceptance of the priorities and result in the successful implementation of improvement efforts [ 57 ]. Key stakeholders can include the patient safety officer, chief executive officer, chief nursing officer, chief operating officer, chief medical officer, director of pharmacy or chief pharmacy officer, and the Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee chair. Thus, it can be seen that including patient education in as many programs as possible (both medical and non-medical) is of the utmost importance [ 57 ].

5.5. Accountability

Coordinating with senior leadership is needed to develop formal or informal authority to ensure that any unsafe practices are evaluated and immediately addressed if necessary [ 57 ]. Developing a mechanism for holding others accountable through committees or senior leaders is essential to the success of medication safety efforts [ 57 ]. Through proper education and subsequent guidance, patients themselves will be trained to prevent such medication errors and aid both the personnel and the system that is designed to help them [ 57 ].

5.6. Create an Environment That Supports Reporting

With the advent of modern technologies and infrastructure, it is imperative to utilize such data analyses to further attenuate medication errors. This is more possible now than ever; especially in the way that computerized physician entries tie in with the barcoded distribution of medication and conciliate one another [ 58 ]. Hospitals that utilize mechanics such as aided journal entries and an appropriate system helping them make decisions have been shown to alleviate complications and mortality rates and consequently reduce operating expenditure [ 59 , 60 ]. An organizational reporting system should be made user-friendly and accessible to all employees, students, and teaching staff (if not employees) [ 58 ]. System design changes should be considered to make it easy and meaningful to report; for example, minimize the number of screens or paper pages required for reporting, balance the need for detail with ease of use, and utilize check-boxes or drop-downs [ 59 ]. These methodologies will be most effective when every user is well-versed in the running and systemic architecture of the system [ 59 ].

5.7. Review Summary on a Regular Basis

When working to enhance a medication error reporting program, the focus should be on increasing the reporting and analysis of reports that did not result in patient harm, with the goal of decreasing harmful events [ 60 ]. Excessive focus on trends and ‘the numbers’ through monthly statistical reports can be counterproductive if it results in a de-emphasis on the analysis of root causes that can lead to corrective actions and process improvement [ 60 ]. However, a review of summary information on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis is often helpful to refocus safety improvement efforts as well as identify areas of the organization that are underreporting [ 61 ].

5.8. System-Oriented

To fully enhance the system and keep it in a state of improvement, it is essential that individuals feel that they are not being held responsible. They should feel empowered to improve the different facets of the system [ 61 ]. Doing so will create culture of safety to be accommodated at an individual level [ 61 ]. This will also reinforce the concept that despite an error occurring due to human individual error, it would be replicable at some point due to the deficiencies present in the reporting system [ 61 ].

5.9. Expertise

There needs to be experts in place that can properly assess the clinical requirements of an individual case and the fundamental system architecture that allowed this to exist in the first place [ 50 ]. Such a job requires technically-aligned experts if a reporting system is to be fully utilized [ 50 ].

5.10. Psychological Safety

Psychological safety should be made a requirement of healthcare organizations. Essentially it is “being able to show and employ one’s self without fear of negative consequences of self-image, status, or career” [ 62 ]. Implementing these core values allows the workplace to be one where there is both trust and respect afforded to those who are part of it [ 62 ]. Doing so allows the whole mechanism of reporting systems, in its giving and receiving feedback and identification of errors, to be further enriched [ 62 ].

5.11. Enough Resources

The implementation of reporting systems without adequate resources will not be useful [ 63 ]. The analysis and understanding of the root/core reasons of why various errors are occurring are paramount and need an appropriate level of due-diligence afforded; such improvements may rely on fine margins and thus need attention [ 63 ].

5.12. Physical Wellbeing

Healthcare providers need to have good concentration and physical wellbeing, particularly in an emergency situation [ 64 ]. Deterioration of healthcare providers’ awareness or memory coordination may impact their performance and result to mediation prescription and administration errors [ 65 ]. Previously published research has revealed that sleep deprivation among healthcare providers is linked with medical errors occurrence [ 66 ]. There is an evidence that night-shift healthcare workers commit medical errors more often than their dayshift counterparts as they experience poorer quality and shorter duration of sleep [ 67 ]. Therefore, offering shorter periods of time on a night-shift and less working hours may lead to better sleep quality and less occurrences of less medication errors.

Limitations

As with any review, this one has some limitations. The review mainly focused on the various reporting systems and recommendations to improve medication error reporting systems. Due to the wide-net this encompasses, a narrative approach was preferentially adopted over a more systematic literature search. This preference was favored as it allowed the inclusion of evidence; conversely, this meant there was the possibility of a bias arising when selecting the different studies, and we were not able to evaluate the strength of the evidence reported. The literature present on this topic is vast and as such, it is our recommendation to further explore this topic academically to gain a more informed understanding of the various topics discussed within this report. Thus, these medication errors along with the systems in place that allow them to propagate can be further explored, giving an informed, better understood wide-scale picture that can then be implemented. Furthermore, the use of English language papers only may have impacted the richness of the data included in this review.

6. Conclusions

Medication errors are a common problem that places a massive burden on healthcare systems and are often avoidable by implementing effective preventive strategies. A critical tenant to measure the effectiveness of a reporting system is to measure how effectively the attained information is implemented to enhance patient safety. A successful medication error reporting program has the following characteristics: safe for the reporter, results in useful recommendations and effective changes, includes everyone, and is supported with required resources. Organizations must adopt a successful reporting environment for the medication use process to evolve into a safer practice. It is the responsibility of the organization to provide an environment to its users’ where reporting is conducted in a systematic, ever-evolving manner so that medication is prescribed using a safer infrastructure.

Acknowledgments

The authors declare no conflict of interest in preparing this review article, authors also thank the referee for constructive comments. The authors would also like to thank Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group’s Research Center ( https://www.hmguae.com/ , accessed on 5 August 2021) for their tremendous support.

Author Contributions

A.A.M. (Abbas Al Mutair), S.A., A.S., A.R.Z.Z., M.A.M., A.A.M. (Alya Al Mutairi), A.A.R., M.A. and A.A.-O. made substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; took part in drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; agreed to submit to the current journal; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest in preparing this article.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Essay on the Prevention and Control to Drug Addiction

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Essay on the Prevention and Control to Drug Addiction!

“Prevention is better than cure” is also true here. Tobacco, drugs/alcohol abuse are more during young age and during adolescence.

Thus remedial measures should be taken well in time. In this regard the parents and teachers have a special responsibility.

The following measures would be particularly useful for prevention and control of alcohol and drug abuse in adolescents.

1. Avoid undue Peer Pressure:

Every child has his/her own choice and personality, which should be kept in mind. So a child should not be pressed unduly to do beyond his/ her capacities, be it studies, sports etc.

2. Education and counselling:

Education and counselling are very important to face problems, stresses, disappointments and failure in life. These should be taken as part of life. One should utilize a child’s energy in some other activities like sports, music, reading, yoga and other extra curricular activities.

3. Seeking help from parents and peers:

Whenever, there is any problem, one should seek help and a guidance from parents and peers. Help should be taken from close and trusted friends. This would help young to share their feelings of anxiety and wrong doings.

4. Looking for Danger Signs:

If friends find someone using drugs or alcohol, they should bring this to the notice of parents of teacher so that appropriate measures would be taken to diagnose the illness and the causes. This would help in taking proper remedial steps or treatment.

5. Seeking Professional and Medical helps:

Highly qualified psychologists, psychia­trists and de-addiction and rehabilitation programmes can help individuals who are suffering from drug/alcohol abuse. If such help is provided to the affected persons, with sufficient efforts and will power, the patient could be completely cured and lead normal and healthy life.

Related Articles:

• Drug Addiction: Causes, Prevention and De-addiction
• 9 Major Effects of Drug Abuse – Explained!

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How are colleges confronting overdose risks.

PIEN HUANG, HOST:

Drug overdose is the top killer of young adults, and it's a problem on college campuses, though it's often unreported. In a two-part series, NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports on the challenges and the solutions that some colleges and students are adopting amid the rising threat.

YUKI NOGUCHI, BYLINE: When I first met Monica Vera Schubert, she spoke of a long struggle getting insurance to cover her son Bobby's addiction treatment. They'd finally prevailed, and he'd gotten sober. Vera Schubert, a single mom, was immensely grateful.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

MONICA VERA SCHUBERT: Because my son is alive. I appreciate every moment I have with him. And I always tell him, Bobby, I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you. And he goes, Mom, I'm proud of you. He's a wonderful kid.

NOGUCHI: That was four years ago. Bobby went on to resume his studies. He got into his dream school, UCLA. He joined his activist mom, making videos warning of the prescription drug abuse that had entrapped him.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BOBBY SCHUBERT: I can say I love you to my mom now. You know, I used not be able to say that - at least look her in the eye and say that.

NOGUCHI: This spring, Monica Vera Schubert reached out again. Bobby had relapsed. Then on April 12, a roommate found him slumped over his desk in his dorm. His mother says he'd taken fake Xanax, likely laced with fentanyl. Bobby Schubert was 29. That devastating night, his mother wailed as officials drove off with her son's body. She felt shunned, she says. No one from UCLA, the police or medical examiner spoke to or consoled her.

VERA SCHUBERT: (Crying) My son passed away there in the dorms on the university, and nobody wants to say anything.

NOGUCHI: In the weeks that followed, Vera Schubert's grief turned to torment.

VERA SCHUBERT: So the dorm that my son is at, was there a Narcan there? No.

NOGUCHI: Narcan, a brand of the medication naloxone, can fully reverse opioid overdose if administered quickly, often as a nasal spray. California's Campus Opioid Safety Act took effect last year. It requires most state and community colleges to provide education and free naloxone to students. UCLA says it's compliant. Nevertheless, Monica Vera Schubert says in the 10 minutes it took paramedics to arrive after her son Bobby was found, no one near him had access to naloxone.

VERA SCHUBERT: For 10 minutes, maybe more, my son just laid there. There's no Narcan. He just laid there. Would he still be here? Maybe.

NOGUCHI: The Schubert's tragedy speaks to the need for greater public health response to overdoses that are not only increasing but affecting a broader range of people, many of whom may not even realize they're ingesting opioids. Fentanyl comes pressed in pills resembling those that treat anxiety or ADHD, for example. It can be mixed invisibly into drugs like cocaine. That's making casual or even inadvertent drug use even more lethal, and the younger generation bears scars from losing friends or witnessing overdoses. Yet public health advocates say too few college campuses have specific overdose prevention plans, either through mandatory training, naloxone distribution or kits that test drugs for the presence of fentanyl. Christina Freibott says a big reason for that lack of action is a lack of data. Freibott, a researcher at Boston University, says colleges often don't know how many overdoses occur on campus or even when students die of overdose.

CHRISTINA FREIBOTT: There's nothing that tracks specifically college campuses. They are not always aware of the cause of student death if it was an overdose or something else.

NOGUCHI: Medical privacy often shields that information, and even if students are revived from an overdose, students are unlikely to report such incidents to the school. Susan Murphy says as a result, college administrators remain willfully blind.

SUSAN MURPHY: That lack of reporting data allows people to continue to put blinders on. Of course, you don't think it's a problem until you have to watch them put a student in a body bag.

NOGUCHI: Which Murphy herself had to do when she was assistant dean of the pharmacy school at the University of Charleston in South Carolina. That loss and others prompted her to leave academia five years ago to head the Drug Intervention Institute, which promotes overdose prevention training and provides kits with videos to hang on the walls of schools or buses. Naloxone itself is inexpensive and harmless. It has no effect on anyone not overdosing. But Murphy says college leaders often worry that making naloxone very visible on campus might tarnish their image. What will prospective parents think? Does it appear to condone drug use? Murphy says some schools understand the urgency, including all colleges in her home state of West Virginia.

MURPHY: We had some really brave college presidents who said, I don't care what the perception is; this has to happen. It's a scary time to be a young person, I think. It's a scary time to be a parent, for sure.

NOGUCHI: Monica Vera Schubert, the grief-stricken mother, says she thinks naloxone belongs on every floor of every residence hall. She met with school officials, she says, one of whom told her of three other known overdose deaths on UCLA's campus over the years.

VERA SCHUBERT: Dead from an overdose? Well, did you guys make any reform, any policy changes? She goes, no. From that first student, there should have been a change, and my son might still be alive if there were changes made, if there was new policy.

NOGUCHI: UCLA declined an interview, but in an emailed statement, it said its various overdose outreach programs include providing free naloxone and fentanyl test kits in more than 20 campus locations, including residence halls. The school also plans to expand that availability before the new school year begins this month. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News.

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How are colleges confronting overdose risks?

Drug overdose is the top killer of young adults — and is a problem on college campuses, too, though it often goes unreported. One mother wants to make sure narcan is easy to get in college dorms.

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Prevention Of Drug Abuse Essay

Drug abuse essay.

A drug is a substance which may have medicinal, intoxicating, performance enhancing or other effects when taken or put into a human body or the body of another animal and is not considered a food or exclusively a food. I chose drugs that impact me a lot. It’s a sad fact that drugs are being abused among people not only in our country but also it is practiced by others especially the teenagers in our generation maybe because the lack of attention of parents to children or the friends were bad influence, but I believe it’s not excuse to be involved in such a situation like this.

Prevention Of Drug Abuse In Schools Essay

It is the choice of an individual whether he/she will be influenced by or follow what others do to make their lives miserable. Drug abuse is what I would consider a pretty severe problem we have here in the Philippines. There are many different types of drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, and heroine to just list a few.

These drugs are all fairly simple to produce.

Teenage drug abuse

Teenagers use drugs because they want to fit in. No one wants to be the only one not participating. No one wants to be left out.

So sometimes they make bad decisions, like taking drugs, to cover-up their insecurities. * Because they want to escape or relax. * Because they think it makes them seem grown-up. * Because they want to rebel. Sometimes people turn to drugs not so much for themselves, but to make a statement against someone else, such as their families or society in general.

Proficient in: Drug Addiction

“ Ok, let me say I’m extremely satisfy with the result while it was a last minute thing. I really enjoy the effort put in. ”

* Because they are curious. Adolescents are curious about having new experiences. Seeing someone doing drugs makes them more curious to know how drugs will make them feel.

It is important that kids are kept away from this type of environment. * Because of the Peer Pressure * Emotional pressure. Loneliness and depression raise emotional pressure, and some teens seek a chemical solution to this problem. * Because they are bored Often-bored-teen are 50 percent more likely than not often bored teens to smoke, drink, and use illegal drugs. Teens who can’t talk to their parents are more likely to feel isolated, and use drugs. * Because they want attention.

Ways to prevent drug abuse

The reasons above should never be an excuse to abuse ourselves. While it’s practically impossible to prevent anyone and everyone from using drugs, there are things we can all do to avoid drug and/or alcohol abuse. By sharing this knowledge with those closest to you, you yourself may be able to prevent them from doing drugs, too. Good communication with all family members, especially with our parents would be one of the effective ways for us not to sort on taking drugs when it comes to dealing with our problems.

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Guest Essay

The Fentanyl Trade Is Killing Americans. We Have the Means to Combat It.

By Scott Gottlieb

Dr. Gottlieb is a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

More than 80,000 Americans each year are dying from fentanyl as the opioid epidemic has morphed into a grimmer, more sinister threat. What began as a crisis fueled by the reckless prescribing of painkillers has now become a deadly illicit trade in counterfeit OxyContin or Vicodin pills containing fentanyl at wildly inconsistent dosages. Depending on the amount of fentanyl used, even a single pill can be lethal.

China remains the primary source of fentanyl entering the United States. Historically, this has been in the form of finished pills shipped to consumers through international mail and express consignment carriers. But increasingly, chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl — referred to as precursor chemicals — are being sent to cartels in Mexico, where they are formulated into pills and trafficked across the border. As China cracks down on its illicit manufacturing sites, more of this illegal commerce is shifting to the precursor chemicals, and production routed through Mexico.

We must put an end to the illegal trade and production of this dangerously powerful opioid through sensible and overdue policies we can start putting in place today.

This starts with tightly regulating all the precursor chemicals, many of which escape existing restrictions, or evade oversight through constant remodification. As a recent Reuters investigation found, when part of illegal trade, the chemicals arrive as powders that are shipped by air, and the quantities needed to make huge numbers of fentanyl pills can fit in a jar or even a baggie. Sent in these small volumes, the illicit shipments can be hard to spot at interdiction sites or to be recognized if customs agents inspect them. Criminals often ship the chemicals into the United States rather than directly to Mexico, since it is easier to hide them among the large volume of packages that America receives. The chemicals are smuggled into Mexico, where turning them into fentanyl at drug cartel labs is a simple exercise — then trafficked back into the United States.

Despite these challenges, we can do more to disrupt the illicit trade of these chemicals.

In recent years, countries have imposed new restrictions on the chemicals used to make fentanyl. But so far, the measures have mostly focused on how the chemicals are being used, rather than controlling their transit at every point. Under American pressure, China has tightened the screws on illicit fentanyl manufacturing within its borders, placing all forms of fentanyl on its controlled substances list in 2019, and subjecting these drugs to stricter oversight. But the Chinese government has paid far less scrutiny to the booming trade in precursor chemicals. The United States needs to again demand that China zero in on these chemicals as part of its broader crackdown on fentanyl.

At the same time, the United States working with like-minded countries can institute more stringent global regulations based on international drug control agreements. Such regulations must also target new “pre-precursor” chemicals (more basic formulations of existing chemicals) that cartels use to evade scrutiny.

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The Benefits of Ozempic Are Multiplying

You’ve heard the dramatic weight loss stories. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy , can help people lose 15 percent of their body weight. Tirzepatide, sold under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound , may be even more effective at shedding pounds.

Known as GLP-1 agonists, these drugs were originally developed to help control diabetes. But there’s increasing evidence that they have other health benefits, beyond controlling weight. They seem to boost heart health, protect the kidneys, improve sleep apnea , and lower the risk of certain obesity-related cancers . Recent studies have also hinted at their potential to treat addiction and even slow the cognitive decline that comes with dementia. As researchers test these drugs for various conditions, they’re trying to untangle the mysteries behind how exactly they’re working in the body—and they have a few theories.

“Many of us in the medical community are really beginning to think about these drugs as health promotion drugs, not just weight loss drugs or even anti-obesity drugs,” says Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist and professor at Yale University School of Medicine.

In March, Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy became the first weight loss medication to also gain approval to help prevent serious heart problems in people with cardiovascular disease. In an international trial of more than 17,600 people with excess weight, weekly injections of Wegovy significantly reduced the risk of a major cardiac event . Researchers followed participants for an average of three years and found that those who took Wegovy were 20 percent less likely to die of a heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular cause.

Eli Lilly, which makes tirzepatide, is also looking to expand Zepbound’s uses. The company announced this month that its weight-loss drug improved symptoms in heart failure patients with obesity and led to a 38 percent reduction in hospitalizations.

One in every four deaths each year in the United States is due to heart disease, and obesity is increasingly a factor . Excess weight can cause high blood pressure and cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Weight gain can also affect how the heart muscle functions, increasing the risk of failure. It’s perhaps no wonder then that a drug that helps people lose weight would also improve heart health. But there are reasons to think there are other factors at play beyond weight loss.

“When we first saw the results, we wondered, is this simply about weight loss?” Krumholz says. “But what we’re seeing is that having more weight loss doesn't necessarily translate into more benefit.”

In the trial of people with heart disease, Wegovy lowered blood pressure, cholesterol levels, heart rate, and heart inflammation before participants reached their maximum weight loss. What’s more, the drug seemed to reduce major cardiac events regardless of how much weight they lost . The same was true for heart failure patients. This all suggests to Krumholz that the drug is, at least in part, working on the cardiovascular system in some other way. “This is the big question,” he says. “What is the exact mechanism of benefit?”

Semaglutide and tirzepatide work by mimicking the action of GLP-1, a hormone found naturally in the body. These drugs act on GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas to trigger the release of insulin after eating, which helps control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. They also bind to GLP-1 receptors in the brain to make people feel full, leading them to eat less.

Scientists are still trying to understand the other knock-on effects of these drugs, including the cardiovascular benefits. One explanation is that GLP-1 receptors also exist on cells in the heart, blood vessels, liver, and kidney, so these drugs may act directly on these organs. “It turns out that these receptors are present in many parts of the body,” says Katherine Tuttle, a clinical professor of nephrology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

A recent trial led by Tuttle was stopped early due to overwhelming evidence that semaglutide has protective effects on the kidney. The study included more than 3,500 people with both type 2 diabetes and kidney disease. About half of the participants took a weekly injection of semaglutide while the other half got a placebo shot. After an average of three and a half years, the semaglutide group had a 24 percent lower likelihood of having a major kidney disease event—such as needing dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Clinical trials aren’t usually designed to determine the mechanism of a drug—and in fact, the mechanisms of many drugs on the market aren’t entirely known. But Tuttle has her own theory for how semaglutide is protecting the kidney: by shutting down inflammation.

GLP-1 drugs may even calm inflammation in the brain, raising hope that they could be used to treat conditions like dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Inflammation is thought to play a role in the development of both conditions.

In a UK trial of 200 people with mild Alzheimer’s disease, an older GLP-1 drug called liraglutide appeared to slow shrinking of the parts of the brain that control memory, learning, language, and decisionmaking by as much as 50 percent. Those who received weekly injections of liraglutide over 52 weeks also had an 18 percent slower decline in cognitive function after a year compared to those who got the placebo. Obesity is a known risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease, but the study didn’t specifically include people with obesity, which suggests that the drug is helping through another means.

The authors, who presented the findings last month at the Alzheimer’s Association annual conference, think liraglutide could be working in a few different ways—including reducing inflammation in the brain and lowering insulin resistance.

Heather Snyder, vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Association, says the results are exciting, although larger trials will be needed to confirm this protective effect. “This is really the first study where we’ve seen a hint of this benefit for individuals,” she says.

And the neuroprotective effects may extend to Parkinson’s disease as well. An older diabetes drug in the GLP-1 family, lixisenatide, seemed to slow the progression of Parkinson’s symptoms in a small study of 156 patients in France. In results published in April , participants with early-stage Parkinson’s who took the drug for a year saw no worsening of motor symptoms such as tremors, balance problems, slowness, and stiffness. Those who received a placebo, meanwhile, experienced a decline over the same period.

Because GLP-1 drugs interact with the brain and seem to curb food cravings, scientists wonder if these medications could also curb cravings for addictive substances. Parts of the brain involved in eating behaviors are also involved in the use of alcohol and drugs. In mice, semaglutide has been shown to reduce alcohol consumption and binge-like drinking , and some people who have taken semaglutide and other GLP-1 drugs have self-reported less drinking and smoking.

In 2019, researchers at Penn State wanted to see if this class of drugs could help reduce cravings in people with opioid use disorder. In experiments with rats, they showed that GLP-1 drugs could reduce fentanyl-seeking behavior and relapse to heroin. The group launched a pilot study of 20 participants who were living at a residential treatment facility. Half were given the GLP-1 drug liraglutide, and the other half received a placebo. Measuring cravings can be tricky, so researchers used a smartphone app that pinged people four times a day to ask about their craving as well as their mood and stress levels.

When the three-week study ended, researchers found that those who received the GLP-1 drug reported a 40 percent reduction in opioid craving compared to those who got the placebo. The study didn’t follow participants after they left the residential facility, so it’s not known whether the drug actually curbed their opioid use. That, of course, is the important outcome, since many people who initially recover from addiction experience a relapse.

Patricia Grigson, a professor of neural and behavioral sciences at Penn State College of Medicine who led the study, says GLP-1 drugs seem to block the signal in the brain that gets released after eating or taking an addictive substance. “It would appear that they're just knocking down that reward signal,” she says. Grigson presented the findings at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference earlier this year. Her group will test semaglutide next in 200 people getting treatment for opioid addiction, and they plan to start recruiting participants for that study this fall.

With so many people turning to GLP-1 drugs to lose weight, their other health benefits may soon become clearer—and so could the answers about how exactly they’re working. Grigson says newer drugs like tirzepatide, as well as ones still in development , may work even better than previous GLP-1 medications. “If they look safe, they need to be tested,” she says. “And the sooner, the better.”

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