Club Drugs and Prescription Drugs

In the recent times, certain drugs have emerged that have potentially damaging effect on the health of humans. Such drugs include methamphetamine, ecstasy and heroin whose use is carefully monitored by the government enforcement agencies. This, therefore, means that they should be avoided by all means. Some drugs, however, are thought to be comparatively safe hence are often used for recreation purposes. They include cocaine, marijuana and club drugs. The truth, however, is that these recreational drugs can just cause as much damage as those that have always been labeled the bad drugs. There is a high probability of irrational judgments, health risks or other risks associated with pregnancy for persons who continually abuse drugs.

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The Club drugs are used more often by teenagers and youth in dance parties, concerts or clubs all which are characterized by fast-paced, electronic music that is repetitive and is also accompanied by light shows. These kinds of rave cultures involve the use of a variety of both legal and illegal substances. The dangerous recreational drugs present in such venues are in most instances controlled by gangs. The club drugs often include tobacco and alcohol. Other common substances are ketamine, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GBH), MDMA also referred to as Ecstasy and Rohypnol. The use of methamphetamine has gradually gained popularity among the youth.

The misuse of prescription drugs is slowly becoming a national disaster among the young people in many countries. It has been rated as the second most prevalent form of illegal drug use after marijuana (Rassool, n.d.). The two types of misuse that have since been documented include prescription medication abuse and the use of another persons prescribed medication intentionally. The former is an intentional high-risk behavior that often occurs when a person uses his or her medication without the formal procedure. In such instances, these individuals are driven by the desire to try and treat their symptoms or even experiment on themselves. This is regarded as a form of drug abuse since the user fails to adhere to their medication as prescribed. In the second case, however, the motivation may be driven the desire to manage symptoms that may be linked to an actual or imagined health problem, to get oneself high or even in the pursuit to create an altered state.

According to Smith (2005), the prescription drugs are often diverted by the rogue users especially when they forge, alter or fake a prescription, obtaining unwarranted prescriptions from non-registered medical practitioners or even cases where personnel purchase stolen drugs from health facilities. Such illegal activities have thrived with the recent rise in the cost of drugs with the cartels cashing in to fill the gap. Some of these drugs can also be acquired through certain practices known as doctor shopping. Such cases have been reported whereby a doctor shopper visits health facilities in the pretence of being sick and seeks a prescription. Most of the drugs abused under this category include psychoactive substances such as the tranquilizers, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, narcotics and stimulants.

The emerging patterns of substance abuse just as the case of fashion trends tend to revolve in a cycle. Certain drugs are often popular during certain times and fade off with time creating room for others to emerge. This enables the drug users to switch from drug to drug with some persisting for many years. It is evident that the misuse of prescription and club drugs has long-term psychological effects on its users. The problem of addiction has spread through all levels of the society. The prescription drugs as already mentioned account for the second most misused and abused drugs behind marijuana and ahead of other drugs such as cocaine. The prevalence of iatrogenic addiction has resulted from the misuse of sleeping tablets, pain relievers and antidepressants. The illicit sale of prescription drugs has increased with some drugs sold over the internet without the prescription from medical personnel.

Abuse & Dangers (2016) article argues that club drugs vary in their effects. An example is MDMA, a synthetic drug that has both psychoactive and stimulant properties. Some of the adverse effects of ecstasy consumption include nausea, blurred vision, sweating and muscle tension. The effects it has on a persons psychology are insomnia, depression, memory loss and paranoia. Dehydration may also accompany it, more so for users who frequent clubs especially when they do not observe a proper water consumption habit. When accompanied by dehydration and overheating, MDMA can cause death. It has also been found to cause the death of brain cells. Ketamine has hallucinogenic effects while Rohypnol and GBH have sedating effects. Other severe effects of ketamine are amnesia and delirium whereas Rohypnol can cause prolonged amnesia.

Concerning club drugs and their use for recreational purposes, the users need to educate and made aware of their potential risks. Accurate information about new recreational drugs must be made available to young adults and caregivers by the professionals. Their frequency of use should also be keenly monitored not only by guardians but also government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is also important that physicians who prescribe medical drugs to be aware of doctor shoppers more so in populations thought to be of a lower risk. The ways in which certain drugs are diverted and the magnitude of this vice should also be studied to obtain data that will be useful in drafting a program to educate the public, prescribers and public agencies.

References

Abuse, A., & Dangers, C. (2016). Club Drug Abuse and Dangers - Futures of Palm Beach. Futures of Palm Beach. Retrieved 29 March 2016, from https://www.futuresofpalmbeach.com/addictions/club-drug-abuse/

Rassool, G. Understanding addiction behaviours.

Smith, C. (2005). Community/public health nursing practice. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Saunders.