Date Posted: 2/5/2019 12:29:52 PM
Posted By: Faimus Membership Level: Gold Total Points: 1012
Drug and substance abuse is common practise among the youth in Kenya. The number of youth involved in this practise is ever on the rise. This can be attributed to a number of factors such as the availability of the drugs, the effects of increased exposure social media, peer pressure among others. These drugs abused by the youth do not necessarily have to be illegal since some countries in the world have legalised the use of such drugs. However most of the drugs and substances abused by the youth are illegal. Abuse of drugs among the youth has provided a lucrative market for drug lords, peddlers and smugglers since most of the youth are addicted to those drugs and are unable to live without them unless they undergo drug rehabilitation to break their dependence on those drugs.However these drugs that the youth abuse have far reaching implication in their lives than they may like to acknowledge.• TruancyTruancy is unexplained or unjustified absenteeism. It is not unexpected that the youth who abuse drugs who are either employed or still in school to be absent from their places or work or schools without any satisfactorily reasons. This absenteeism is mainly due to the health effects of the drugs abuse on the individual. An example is depressants such as alcohol that cause drowsiness. A person who is drowsy cannot carry out their job activities or even study effectively. This results in absenteeism. Regular absenteeism eventually leads to loss of jobs and dropping out of school.• Diseases and infectionsDrug abuse results in a series of drugs depending on the drugs abused by the individual. Drugs containing nicotine often cause cancer of the throat and lungs while abuse of alcohol causes liver cirrhosis. These diseases are mostly the long term effects of abuse of drugs. Some drugs such as cocaine are injected into the blood stream. Sharing of the syringes used in the abuse of these drugs leads to transmission of diseases amongst those who abuse the drugs. One of the diseases that is commonly transmitted through this way is hiv/aids. Another effect of drug abuse is loss of control our actions especially in the case of alcohol. This may put an individual in dangerous situations leading to rape which may result in the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and infections. • Unplanned pregnancies.It is said that drug and substance abuse and sex go hand in hand. Tjis can happen in two ways. The abuse of drugs may make an individual vulnerable to be taken advantage of by ill willed people as in the case of rape or the sex may be with the consent of the both parties. Either way, unprotected sex is extremely dangerous to the females because apart from contacting sexually transmitted diseases and infections they make get unplanned pregnancies. Since most of the youth are afraid of responsibility they end undergoing abortions. Abortions have various effects on the health of a female. Some of these effects are psychological trauma, loss of ability to bear children among others.• CrimeYouth who abuse drugs are likely to engage in crime especially in cases where they lack funds to finance their addictions. The drugs abused by the youth are often very expensive and thus those who abuse those drugs should have substantial amounts of money to purchase the drugs. In most cases those who abuse these drugs do not have jobs or a reliable source of income to buy the drugs. The youth may thus result in selling their personal belongings to be able to purchase the drugs. Once they have no more sources of income, they may result in engaging in petty crime such as pick pocketing, selling house hold items belonging to their parents or robbery which sometimes may involve violence.• ViolenceOne of the effects of drug abuse is aggressiveness. Among the youth, this may result in fights, marital conflicts and other forms of violence when they are crossed or when they are not in agreement with each other. Acts of violence may go as far as causing severe bodily harm or murder in more serious cases. Any form of violence against others is punishable by law.
Next: How the human immunodeficiency virus is transmittedPrevious: Stress management skills and techniques
Get premium membership