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| Addictive Disorders |
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| Addiction is defined as a habit forming dependence of a person on some harmful materials such as tobacco, alcohol, drugs (psychotropic). The repetitive dependence factor in use of these materials will make a person insensitive to these intoxicants / narcotics. This further promotes one to use overdoses of these materials to obtain so called intoxication. So, use of such material becomes a habit and will be a part of daily routines of addicts. The process is called addiction and person in question is called addict. Addiction is a social evil than a physiological / anatomical disorder. |
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| Addictive disorders are disorders caused by addiction to tobacco, alcohol and drugs. |
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| Tobacco is consumed as smoke (cigarette, bidi, cigar) chewing substances (gutkha) inhaling powder (snuff). Tobacco contains an alkaloid - nicotine. It is responsible for intoxication - by stimulating the conduction of nerve impulses and by increased secretion of adrenalin. However, nicotine alone is not consumed. A tobacco leaf consumed in any ways - contains carbon monoxide (as smoke), benzpyrine, N - Nitrosodimethylene and tar. They cause number of disorders in human body such as - |
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| Cancer |
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| Highly dangerous fatal disease. It is generally difficult to cure. Tobacco can cause throat cancer, lung cancer, lip cancer, oral cancer. The carcinogen (cancer causing chemical) in tobacco is benzpyrene. Tobacco smoke has potentiality to inactivate a specific gene (called P-53) which is responsible to naturally check the cancer growth. |
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| Bronchitis |
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| Tobacco smoke can cause inflammation of throat and bronchi leading to a disease called bronchitis - which is characterised by severe cough and accumulation of phlegm. |
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| Cardiovascular diseases |
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| Tobacco smoke can increase the secretion of adrenalin - which causes blood pressure and heart beat leading to many cardiovascular diseases. |
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| Emphysema |
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| Inflammation of alveoli by tobacco smoke increase the surface area of alveoli causing a disease called emphysema. |
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| Gastric and duodenal ulcers |
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| Consumption of tobacco juice - while chewing tobacco can cause ulcers in alimentary canal by increased secretion of gastric juices. They may be cancerous or non - cancerous ulcers. |
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| Foetal growth |
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| Smoking during pregnancy can cause number of deformities and irregularities of foetal growth. It can even lead to miscarriages. |
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| Due to all such possible diseases, consumption of tobacco in any form is necessary to be curbed. 31st May is observed as 'No Tobacco Day' all over the world. |
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| Unfortunately, government of India has adopted dual policy in respect of tobacco. Such policy is self contradictory and antipeople because - |
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 Government of India encourages growing of tobacco by arranging Govt - sponsored market through tobacco board. |
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 It exports large quantity of tobacco and earns revenue in terms of excise and custom duties. |
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 At the same time, it adopts many anti - tobacco policies like recently promulgated ban on smoking in public places and ban on consumption of guktha. |
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 Government of India has sponsored number of health awareness programmes connected to tobacco consumption. |
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 Government has recently increased the installed capacity of cigarette production by 3 times. |
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| India is the top consumer of tobacco. The proportion of bidi smokers to cigarette smokers is 13:1 indicating very high level of bidi consumption. In fact, bidi is more dangerous than cigarette and no attempt is made by Govt. to curb production, sale and smoking of bidi. |
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| Consumption of alcohol in any form regularly can lead to a habit formation. Once drinking habit is a part of his life, an addict cannot afford to live without alcohol. |
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| Alcohol is consumed in mild forms (beer, wine) or concentrated forms (whisky, brandy, rum, gin, vodka). Alcohol is supplied in our country either as distilled and bottled liquid or locally prepared pouched country liquor. A country liquor may contain methanol besides ethanol. Consumption of methanol can be fatal - causing often reported hooch tragedies. |
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 Social pressure |
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| People drink for the sake of company of their friends, bosses, and juniors and then it becomes a habit. |
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 Intoxication |
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| Alcohol can cause intoxication of central nervous system. |
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 Escapism |
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| Those who would like to escape from the problems of life or escape from disappointments usually consume alcohol to temporarily keep away from them. |
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 Celebration |
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| Many people drink to celebrate small or important occasion like examination results, child birth, success in business, etc. |
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 Family history |
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| Many people drink alcohol because drinking is part of their family history. |
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 Status Symbol |
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| Some elite class people may not have any other reason to consume alcohol other than status symbol. |
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| Alcohol is not a food replacement as it cannot give any nutrient other than some carbohydrate. But consumption of alcohol can increase the appetite and change the food habits. |
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| Alcohol is indeed a sedative (chemical to increase sleepiness or drowsiness), depressant (depresses the functional efficiency of body) and anaesthetic (causing loss of sensation) besides acting as stimulant of central nervous system. Although stimulation is found in initial months of consumption, an addict fails to obtain any stimulation but his nervous system can lose its normal functions due to continuous consumption of alcohol. |
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| Alcoholism as a social evil |
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| Alcohol consumption has grown as great pervaded addiction openly promoted by governments. No attempts are made by many state governments to curb alcoholism. On the contrary most governments are dependent on alcohol for their revenues. Hence, it can be called as government sponsored addiction. |
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| Many social problems have surfaced due to wide spread alcoholism. |
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| Some of them are: |
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 Most social crimes like murders, burglaries, quarrels, injuries, thefts are caused under the influence of alcohol. |
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 Most crimes on women like rape, violence, kidnaps are performed under the influence of alcohol. |
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 Most road accidents are caused by driving under the influence of alcohol. |
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 Most poor families suffer due to alcoholism - not because they consume alcohol but because they have no money even to eat as their limited earning would be preferentially spent on alcohol by the only earning member. |
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| Alcoholism as a family disaster |
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| Most families - where head of family is an alcohol addict - suffer mild or severe problems. The problems can be in one of the following forms. |
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 Spending on alcohol - depriving the family for their food, essentials, medical needs or educational needs. |
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 An alcohol addict behaves badly with his family members - like beating, quarreling, loosing control over his behaviour. They may cause family clashes - which may grow out of proportion to cause divorces. They may also cause anxieties, frustration and insecurity problems to children of such families. |
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| Alcoholism as a health hazard |
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| Number of ill effects of alcoholism are recorded. Some of them are: |
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 loss of judgement and self control. |
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 loss of emotional control and sense of logic. |
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 loss of moral sense. |
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 visual problems - blurred visions. |
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 neuritis - caused by inflammation of neurons. |
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 gastritis - caused due to inflammation of gastric mucosa leading to excess secretion of gastric juices. |
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 cardiovascular diseases - hypertension. |
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 kidney diseases. |
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| While a drug refers to any synthetic chemical consumed or injected to cause desirable relief from pain or to kill the pathogen causing the ailment. |
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| But some chemicals - whose consumption as drug on regular habit forming basis can cause what is called as drug addiction. Habit forming dependence on these drugs is the main feature of such drugs. |
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| Sedatives and tranquillizers |
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| They are depressants causing general suppression of central nervous system - causing relaxation and drowsiness in the body. Tranquillizers lower the tensions and relieve from worries, while sedatives induce the patient to sleep. |
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| Examples: Benzodiazephines (valium, equanil, Librium, Diazepan, calmpose) or barbiturates |
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| Opiate narcotics |
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| Opiate narcotics are obtained from dried latex of unripe fruits of plant called poppy - (Pappaver somniferum). |
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| Opium derivatives include: |
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| Morphine and codein |
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| Commonly used as analgesic pain reliever. While regular use of morphine can lead to addiction, codein has no drug addiction properties. Usually they are administered under medical supervision under specific situations. |
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| Heroin |
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| Also called diacetyl morphine, it is derived from morphine and has great potentiality as addiction drug. It is banned to be used as medicine. It is most common drug - a drug addict uses to inject, inhale or consume in the body. A synthetic alternative to heroin is pethidine. It has similar effects as heroin. |
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| Stimulants |
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| They are also called mood elevators. They improve the activity of central nervous system and induce excitement, improve self confidence and increase alertness. They are safe addiction drugs - as the addiction value is prevalent without any major health / social / behavioural impairment at lower doses. But higher doses of some stimulants on regular habitual basis may lead to many health problems. |
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| Types of stimulants |
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 Caffeine - present in tea, coffee - Mild doses do not lead to addiction. Even higher doses will not lead to major health problems. |
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 Amphetamines - synthetic strong stimulants. Higher dosage may impair vision. |
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 Cocaine - strong stimulant derived from a plant called Erythroxylon coca. Overdose may cause headache and convulsions. Discontinuation of cocaine cause depression, anxiety and restlessness. |
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 Hallucinogens - They are the drugs that change thoughts, feelings and perceptions. The users claim unusual human experiences such as 'hearing a smell' 'smelling a colour' 'floating in air' 'jumping from a running train' etc. They are also called psychedelic drugs. |
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| Examples: |
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 LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) - a dangerous hallucinogen causing chromosomal and foetal abnormalities. It can cause dangerous effect even at a dosage of 1mg/kg body weight. |
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 Hemp products like bhang, ganja, charas (derived from cannabis indica) and marijuana (hasish) derived from cannabis sativa. |
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