The use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco

''The use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco''.

The harmful use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco is a worldwide problem resulting in millions of deaths, including hundreds of thousands of young lives lost. It is not only a causal factor in many diseases, but also a precursor to injury and violence. Furthermore, its negative impacts can spread throughout a community or a country, and beyond, by influencing levels and patterns of alcohol consumption across border. The hazardous and harmful use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco are the major global contributing factor to death, disease and injury: to the user through health impacts, such as alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis, cancers and injuries. The harmful use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco results in approximately 2.5 million deaths each year, with a net loss of life of 2.25 million, taking into account the estimated beneficial impact of low levels of alcohol use on some diseases in some population groups¹. Alcoholism and drugs or tobacco addiction are indicative of the irresponsibility and weakness of the character of the persons using these intoxicants. The relation between alcoholism and various aggressive and criminal acts is often confirmed by police records and prison statistics which indicate that in the present day there is a considerable increase in such alcoholic-criminal episodes.² Some people are able to keep using drugs on an occasional basis. Many other people are not so lucky. For these unlucky others, their use of drugs begins to increase, and the amount of attention they spend thinking about getting high, purchasing drugs, preparing drugs and taking drugs increases until it becomes the center of their lives. As most drugs are illegal, they may become increasingly involved in criminal activities. They may resort to criminal activity (such as robbery, prostitution and drug dealing) in order to gain continuing access to their drugs. They may also kill or injure other people while intoxicated, and may get and pass along to others infectious diseases (like AIDS and Hepatitis). Ultimately, they may end up killing themselves (through suicide, overdose, or drug related physical degeneration and disease). Alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana can lead to addiction, health problems, behavioral problems, accident injuries, in which people cannot stop taking them on their own, even when they know that bad things can happen if they keep using them.

The purpose of our research paper is to analyze the results of using alcohol, drugs and tobacco, inform people about all the results and make them start using less of alcohol, drugs and tobacco.

Structurally the work consists of introduction, three chapters, conclusion, bibliography.

The first chapter is on ''The positive and negative effects of using alcohol, drugs and tobacco''. First, here we present how moderate alcohol, drugs and tobacco consumption provides some health benefits. Then, with all the benefits of moderate alcohol, drugs and tobacco consumption, is presented that their use can cause major health problems.

The second chapter is titled as ''The use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco effects behavior

in different ways''. In this chapter we analyze and present that the use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco changes the reaction to the immediate enviroment.

The third chapter is on ''The use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco is the cause of many

accidents''. Here we show that many accidents are caused from drinking or smoking and driving yearly, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries involving innocent people.

Conclusion idnetifies that alcohol, drugs and tobacco addiction is a powerful demon that can sneak up on you and take over your life before you know it has even happened. There are so many things you can do to get yourself clean and sober, and there’s no better time than the present.

''The positive and negative effects of using alcohol, drugs and tobacco''

We've all heard the reasons why alcohol, tobacco and drugs are bad for you, but what about the benefits? When it comes to alcohol, the key is moderation. Moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits. It can lengthen your life. Drinking occasionally could add a few years to your life. A study by the Catholic University of Campobasso reported that drinking less than four or two drinks per day for men and women respectively could reduce the risk of death by 18 percent, as reported by Reuters. "Little amounts, preferably during meals, this appears to be the right way (to drink alcohol)," said Dr. Giovanni de Gaetano of Catholic University, another author on the study. It helps prevent against the common cold. Provide better sleep. Alcohol has a sedative effect and hence drinking alcohol promotes sleepiness. Alcohol keeps body warm in winter and cold conditions. it rises blood flow to the skin and there by produces warmth. There is a fair amount of evidence that drugs do not harm to the lungs, unless you also smoke tobacco. One study published in Tournal of the American Medical Association found that notonly do drugs not impair lung function, they may even increaselung capacity. It is possible that the increased lung capacity may be due to taking deep breaths while inhaling the frug and form the therapeutic chemical in the drug. The researchers were at a loss to explain the apparent, albeit slight effects of smoking for osteoporosis. It could be that the nicotine in tobacco helps to prevent cartilage and joint deterioration. Harvard researchers were among the first to provide cinvincing evidence that smokers were less likely to develop Parkinson's. Thus, no respectable doctor is encouraging patients to start smoking to get the most out of clopidogrel. But these and the other benefits of smoking reveal how tobacco - perhaps not unlike other potentially toxic plants - might contain certain chemicals of real therapeutic value.

With all the benefits the moderate alcohol, drugs and tobacco consumption may have, it is no secret that their use can cause major health problems. Alcohol, drugs and tobacco use can have a wide range of short and long-term, direct and indirect effects. These effects often depend on the specific drug or drugs used, how they are taken, how much is taken, the person's health, and other factors. Drinking and using a lot over a long time or too much on a single occasion can damage the heart, the liver, increase your risk of developing cancer. Drinking and using excessive amounts of alcohol causes raised blood pressure which is one of the most important risk factors for having a heart attack or a stroke. Alcohol, drugs and tobacco can be detrimental to both physical and mental health. Some of the potential long-term effects of alcohol abuse or addiction include: Alcoholic hepatitis, liver cancer, irregular heart rhythm, high blood pressure, stroke, mouth and throat cancer, breast cancer, weakened immune system, irritability, suicidal ideation. Drugs contain chemicals that interfere with the brain’s nervous system disrupting the way nerve cells send, receive, and process information. The drugs cause the disruption by either imitating the brain’s chemical messengers or by over-stimulating the production of neurotransmitters by the nerve cells. For example, drugs such as heroin and marijuana contain chemicals that have a similar structure as neurotransmitters. The similarity in structure allows the drugs to prevent brain receptors from producing neurotransmitters naturally activating nerve cells to send abnormal messages. Smoking causes chronic diseases that appear at older ages, such as lung cancer, as well as adverse health effects that occur in the short run. The immediate and short-term adverse health effects of cigarette smoking are less likely to be directly fatal than the long-term health effects. Nevertheless, they are important public health indicators because they lead to suboptimal health status throughout the life course in smokers and because many of the short-term physiologic effects mechanistically contribute to the etiology of smoking-caused diseases that usually do not become clinically apparent until later adulthood.

Drinking can cause blackouts, memory loss and anxiety. Long-term drinking can result in permanent brain damage, serious mental health problems and alcohol dependence or alcoholism. Young people's brains are particularly vulnerable because the brain is still developing during their teenage years. Alcohol can damage parts of the brain, affecting behavior and the ability to learn and remember. Drinking alcohol and using drugs are the second biggest risk factor for cancers of the mouth and throat (smoking is the biggest). People who develop cirrhosis of the liver (often caused by too much alcohol) can develop liver cancer. Alcohol can cause high blood pressure. It also weakens heart muscles, which can affect the lungs, liver, brain and other body systems, and also cause heart failure. Drinking and drinking heavily over longer periods can cause the heart to beat irregularly (arrhythmia) and has been linked to cases of sudden death. People who drink a lot of alcohol have more lung infections, are more likely to suffer collapsed lungs and can be more likely to get pneumonia. Alcohol can cause the stomach to become inflamed (gastritis), which can prevent food from being absorbed and increase the risk of cancer.

Drugs can have a longer-lasting impact on your mental health, and you need to think seriously about your own strengths and vulnerabilities. Consider whether you use drugs to make bad feelings go away and whether you are in control of your use. Even if you start using drugs with a clear mind they may still affect your mental health. Drugs can simply expose bad feelings you never knew you had. Drugs interfere with the chemicals in your brain. This affects the messages those chemicals are trying to send. You need to weigh up both the short-term and long-term effects that drugs can have on your mental health. The short-term effects may well be something you enjoy – but probably only if they happen like you expect them to. You may also have unwanted short-term drug-induced side effects, such as acting or feeling strange. These are short-term because they pass as the drug leaves your system. Someone who is addicted loses control and judgment and when use of the drug is stopped, may suffer severe psychological or physical symptoms, such as anxiety, irritability, unhappiness, and stress. Withdrawal from certain drugs can also result in severe physical discomfort, such as tremors, flu-like symptoms, diarrhea, bone pain, and even seizures. Long-term users of certain drugs may experience pervasive changes in brain function. Prolonged exposure can lead to deficits in memory, increased depression, anxiety, and sleep problems.

No matter how you smoke it, tobacco is dangerous to your health. Smoking can lead to a variety of ongoing complications in the body, as well as long-term effects on your body systems. While smoking can increase your risk of a variety of problems over several years, some of the bodily effects are immediate. One of the ingredients in tobacco is a mood-altering drug called nicotine. Nicotine reaches your brain in mere seconds and makes you feel more energized for a while. But as that effect wears off, you feel tired and crave more. Nicotine is extremely habit-forming, which is why people find smoking so difficult to quit. Withdrawal from tobacco products can cause temporary congestion and respiratory discomfort as your lungs and airways begin to heal. Increased mucus production right after quitting smoking is a positive sign that your respiratory system is recovering. Smoking increases the risk of mouth, throat, larynx, and esophagus cancer. Smokers also have higher rates of pancreatic cancer. Even people who “smoke but don’t inhale” face an increased risk of mouth cancer. Since smoking affects every body system, finding a way to quit is the most important step you can take to living a longer and happier life.

''The use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco effects behavior in different ways''

Alcohol, drugs and tobacco influence your behavior in many ways. The most obvious way is that it changes your reaction to your immediate environment. Heavy drinking is dangerous, especially when you are in an unfamiliar area. Alcohol, drugs and tobacco cause chemical changes in the brain which can initially make you feel relaxed. The behavior of an addicted person is baffling, frustrating, frightening and sad. Alcohol, drugs and tobacco abuse not only affect the individual, but also can have far-reaching consequences that affect family, employment. Users' actions and words are dictated by their need for more drugs but those who know and love him (or her) may not be able to understand why they are acting the way they are. Without realizing that alchohol, drug and tobacco use is behind the odd, erratic, abusive or criminal behavior you are looking at, the mystery may continue for years.

Users have to tell lies to mislead people about where they were when they were really out buying or using alcohol, drugs or tobacco. They have to lie about where the hundreds or thousands of dollars went. The more they feel they need them, the more likely they are to feel the need to lie. When you have trusted a person for years and then she/he begins lying to you, it’s very hard to set that trust aside. Family and good friends can be fooled by a skillful liar for years. But all this time, the person is slowly destroying herself/himself.

In many cases, abuse of alcohol, drugs and tobacco and a propensity to violence may stem from a common cause. This cause may be a temperamental trait, such as a risk-seeking personality, or a social environment (e.g., delinquent peers or lack of parental supervision) that encourages or contributes to deviant behavior. Users are very likely to be engaged in criminal acts. This is not true of every addict, but it is a typical pattern for a person who has been addicted for a considerable time. Eventually, the money runs out. They have pawned or sold everything of value. They owe friends and family money. There are no more assets but alcohol, drugs and tobacco have to be obtained. At this point, many people will begin committing crimes. Selling or manufacturing drugs are common ones. Burglary, robbery, identity theft, credit card theft, car thefts and shoplifting are also common³. Many people steal items from the homes of family or friends. For some people, alcohol, drugs and tobacco can make them very aggressive and angry towards others.

We all know these people. Although individual behavior is shaped in part by the environment, it is also influenced by biological factors (e.g., hormones) and ultimately planned and directed by the brain. Individual differences in brain chemistry may explain the observation that excessive alcohol consumption may consistently promote aggression in some persons. They are usually seen getting into some altercation at a bar or yelling angrily over something relatively insignificant. Alcohol itself does not necessarily cause aggression. It increases the amount of aggression a person feels when provoked. Therefore, when a person feels challenged; rather than ignore that behavior, they respond in an aggressive manner. They are limited in their ability to have restraint. Not only do drugs cause a person to draw away from their friends and family and social activities, but they also cause a person to withdraw from their goals. Developing a general lack of interest, a drug user may lose sight of their future. They may stop attending school or work and not complete homework or simple, necessary tasks. For a student using drugs, college suddenly may not appear important anymore. Stress results in increased smoking, but there is little empirical evidence that smoking reduces stress. Stress reduction from smoking is likely the relief of withdrawal-induced negative mood that is experienced between tobaccos. Smokers weigh on average 3-4 kg less than nonsmokers, and the weight-gain seen after quitting smoking also averages 3-4 kg. Changes in eating and energy expenditure are responsible for the body weight changes seen during smoking cessation and relapse. We need to know the full range of conditions under which tobacco affects behavior. Alcohol, drugs and tobacco limit our ability to process information. Heavy amounts of alcohol and drugs consumptions limit a person’s ability to handle even the most simple of information. After heavy drinking, most people’s attention is only allocated to their immediate environment. This explains the attention-related mistakes people make while intoxicated, such as impaired driving. Heavy alcohol consumption affects our concentration and awareness.

One way in which alcohol's, drugs' and tobacco's effects on brain functioning have been measured is to look at how people use what's known as the brain's executive system. Decision-making, problem solving and reasoning are all jobs the executive system takes control of. But when we drink alcohol, it harder to reflect on our behavior and self-regulate. Instead of taking a few deep breaths when we feel slighted or insulted, we give in to our impulses, which for some are violent. Importantly, some people naturally have poorer executive control than others, and these people, particularly if they are male, are more likely to be aggressive after drinking alcohol. No one can account for all individuals or types of violence. Alcohol, drugs and tobacco apparently may increase the risk of violent behavior only for certain individuals or subpopulations and only under some situations and social/cultural influences.

''The use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco is the cause of many accidents''

Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs and tobacco have been a major issue in the world. Many accidents are caused from drinking or smoking and driving yearly, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries involving innocent people. The safest option is not to drink, smoke or use drugsl at all if you plan to drive. Even a small amount of alcohol, drugs or tobacco can affect your ability to drive, and there's no safe way to tell whether you're within the legal limit. Any amount of alcohol, drugs and tobacco affects your judgment and your ability to drive safely. You may not notice the effects but even a small amount of alcohol, drugs or tobacco can: reduce your co-ordination, slow down your reactions, affect your vision, affect how you judge speed and distance. When alcohol, drugs and tobacco are mixed with driving a motor vehicle, there are no limits to who may be at risk. This means that drunk, drugs used or smoked driving has been harming, hurting and killing many innocent people in the world. Alcohol's, drugs' and tobacco's effect on the body varies between different people and depends on factors such as: whether you're male or female, your age, your weight, whether you have eaten recently, the type of alcohol, drugs or tobacco you use, your stress levels. Millions of people worldwide do it. Many say: “What is the harm, I got home safely and no one was hurt?” Just because you made it home safely to your bed does not mean that you are making a right decision. When putting those keys in the ignition and driving away after drinking, using drugs or smoking you are not only putting your life at risk but you are risking the lives of all those you come across while driving.

Alcohol, drugs and tobacci are responsible for approximately half of all trauma deaths and nonfatal injuries in the world—a very tragic and very expensive public health problem that continues every day and every night on our nation’s highways, in our cities. Drunk, drugs used and smoked driving is a serious problem that continues to take thousands of deaths each year. Too many lives have been lost to drunk, drugs used and smoked driving. A death from drunk, drugs used and smoked driving does not only affect the victim but it affects everyone around them such as family and friends. Every 90^th seconds someone is injured by the cause of drunk, drugs used and smoked driving. Drunk, drugs used and smoked driving is not something that happens occasionally. It happens every day of the year. A lot of times, drunk, drugs used and smoked driving victims aren’t the ones who have been drinking, using drugs or smoking. They could be driving home from work one day and get hit by someone who has been drinking, using drugs or smoking. How would you feel if you took someone's life? You would have to deal with it for the rest of your existence.

When we think about drunk, drugs used and smoked driving, we think about teens. Teens are not the only ones who drink, use drugs or smoke and drive but they are mostly the ones who make the wrong choices when it comes to drinking. One reason why teens drink, use drugs or smoke and drive is because of peer pressure. Teens often get sucked in to drinking, sing drugs or smoking. They feel that it is “cool” to drink or smoke and drive. The one thing that teens don’t realize is how much one drink can do. One drink, drug or tobacco can change a life or often many lives in a matter of minutes. In the long run, drunk, drugs used or smoked driving is a serious problem and needs to be prevented.

Even in low doses, drugs can significantly reduce your driving skills. If you have taken drugs, you may drive too slowly, find it difficult to stay awake, or to stay within designated lanes while driving. If you have taken prescription medication, whether legally or illegally, you should be aware of the potential risks while driving. If you are feeling drowsy, aggressive, dizzy, nauseous, light-headed or shaky, it can be dangerous to drive as this may for instance impair your vision. Heavy drinking or smoking affects your motor skills such as eye, hand and foot coordination. Without crucial coordination skills, you may be unable to avoid an impending harmful situation. Some telltale signs of reduced coordination include trouble walking, swaying and inability to stand straight. Too much alcohol, drug or tobacco can even make it difficult to get in your car and find its ignition. Alcohol, drug or tobacco, no matter how much or how little, can influence your concentration. With driving, there are many things that require your undivided concentration such as staying in your lane, your speed, other cars on the road and traffic signals.

Your attention span is dramatically reduced with drinking, using drugs and smoking which significantly increases the chance of an accident. Excessive alcohol, drugs and tobacco consumption can negatively impact your vision. After drinking, using drugs and smoking you may notice that your vision is blurred or that you are unable to control your eye movement. Impaired vision can affect how you judge the distance between your car and other vehicles on the road. Additionally, fewer objects may be visible within your peripheral vision, or what you can see to either side of you when looking straight ahead. Your brain controls how you judge certain circumstances. When operating a motorized vehicle, your judgment skills play an important role in how you make decisions. For instance, you need to be able to foresee potential problems and make clear decisions if another vehicle cuts you off. Your judgment helps you stay alert and aware of surrounding conditions while driving.

Alcohol, drugs and tobacco addiction is a powerful demon that can sneak up on you and take over your life before you know it has even happened. There are so many things you can do to get yourself clean and sober, and there’s no better time than the present. Overcoming alcohol, drugs or tobacco addiction is a long and often painful process. Leading a clean lifestyle is something that is well within your reach. You now have the tools you need – go out and heal yourself. Obviously the causes of addiction vary depending on the drug and the person. For instance someone addicted to caffeine could more easily quit than someone addicted to the drug heroin. Any type of addictions all start with a person’s ability to wait in order to obtain something that he or she wants which is known as impulse control. Additional to the veriest types of ways to become addicted to a product, there are also the different types of substances that one can get addicted too. For instance, Caffeine, which includes products like: soft drinks, tea, coffee, and soda; can be toxic at sufficiently high doses, but ordinary consumption poses few known health risks, even when carried on for years — there may be a modest protective effect against some diseases, including certain types of cancer.

The symptoms of addiction vary from tolerance to withdrawals. Tolerance results from over exposure to alcohol, drug and/or tobacco and activity over a long period of time. While addicts also experience withdrawal when they stop taking the drug to which they are addicted. They experience painful physical and mental symptoms, this is called withdrawal. Withdrawal makes it almost impossible for addicts to quit their addictions. Some habits become addicting, which results in substance abuse or addiction. We have to remember, that addiction is a mental illness in which one relies on a substance in order to function normally. Like abusers, an addict will engage in the activity no matter what the consequences may be to his or her physical or mental health. They take it one step further than abusers, though; addicts actually have to engage in the activity in order to function. Most addicts have typically engaged in the activity for so long that it no longer has the same effect as it did when they first started. The excitement has worn off; their bodies have become used to the drug; they have become tolerant. Therefore, it takes more of the drug or activity to give them the high they are looking for.

All the while stress is another factor in your environment that might serve as a cause for addiction. Engaging in certain behaviors can help relieve stress. If you have a high-stress life, you might find yourself in engaging in this behavior repeatedly, which can lead to addiction. In order to find out the alcohol, drug and tobacco addiction in people, one should know the short-term and long-term effects of drug usage so one can identify if your close relative is on drugs. He /she should be aware of the consequences and the effects of drugs. When he/she is well-informed with the right information about alcohol, drugs or tobacco and someone is helping them get out of this addiction will solve the situation. Although alcohol, drug and tobacco addiction is a brain disease, it is up to one if they want to get rid of their situation or not. In general, however, there are a number of signs that alcohol, drugs and tobacco abuse is a serious problem.

If you recognize some or all of the following things happening to someone you care about, or happening in your own life, alcohol, drug and tobacco abuse may be an issue that needs to be addressed in treatment: isolating from family and friends who do not use alcohol, drugs, or tobacco, spending time with new friends or friends who get high or drink, never having money or often asking to borrow money, even for small items, changes in sleeping habits. There are treatments one can go through to help themselves become in charge of their addiction and get control back over their life again. Together addiction treatment medications and behavioral therapy is the correct way to gain control back. Many people do not understand why or how other people become addicted to alcohol, drugs or tobacco. They may mistakenly think that those who use drugs lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop their drug use simply by choosing to.

In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease, and quitting usually takes more than good intentions or a strong will. Alcohol, drugs and tobacco change the brain in ways that make quitting hard, even for those who want to. Fortunately, researchers know more than ever about how alcohol, drugs and tobacco affect the brain and have found treatments that can help people recover from drug addiction and lead productive lives. Treatments that are specifically for ones alcohol, drug and tobacco abuse problem can turn out later to be a successful recovery and at the end one will have a life without any abuse. While alcohol, drug and tobacco abuse and addiction can bring serious health consequences, much of the damage can be effectively reversed with proper care. Medical care is as important in addiction treatment as mental health care is, so it is important to choose a program that can treat the whole person – both his mind and body. The most important thing to remember is that no matter how hopeless the situation seems, it is never too late to turn things around.

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