Drug Addiction: An

Epidemic Thats Killing

the Youth

What is drug
addiction?
chronic disease that causes dependence on an
illegal drug or a medication.
causes an intense craving for the drug despite the
harm it causes.
extremely hard to quit without medical attention
and the social help of other people.
A disease that can cripple a nation

Drug Addiction in
Bangladesh
More than 1 lakh people are directly involved in
illegal drug trade and supply in our country
Addicts spend Tk 70m for illegal narcotics per day
The average age of the drug addicts is 22
79.4 percent of the users are male and 20.6
percent are female.
SourceJournal of Health, Population and Nutrition (JHPN) of the International
Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,BD) and (The Daily
Star, 2013)

What causes drug

addiction?
The most common root of the addiction which is
Curiosity.
Most drug abusers start off casually mainly by the
influence of peers and eventually try to take
refuge under it when facing difficult situations at
different times in life.
Children left unattended often by parents may
face depression pushing them towards narcotics.

Why do they do drugs?

To
To
To
To
To

fight loneliness
feel good
fight frustration
perform better
keep up with the trend

Signs of Drug
Addiction
Problems developing or maintaining relationships
with others
Continuous cravings for drugs
Anger or aggression when the drug is unavailable
Feelings of powerlessness
Abandoning regular life activities
Lack of motivation
Feelings of depression
Thoughts of harming yourself or others

Side effects: Health

Effects
Mental Adverse Drug Reactions: depression,
hallucinations, confusion, delirium, memory loss,
impaired thinking
Nervous System Adverse Drug Reactions:
parkinsonism, involuntary movements of the face,
arms, legs (tardive dyskinesia), sexual dysfunction
Gastrointestinal Adverse Drug Reactions: loss of
appetite, constipation
Loss of physical beauty and grace

Side effects: Effects on

Social life

Deterioration of relationships with people

Loss of morality
Poor social treatment
Drugs are expensive and put a person on constant
financial pressure.
Drug users ultimately suffer from isolation.
Poor academic performance
Destruction of career

How to prevent Drug

addiction
Needs combined effort of both drug users and
normal people.
Parents can play the most important role
Getting involved in their childrens lives
Establish and maintain good communication with the
children
Making clear rules and enforcing them consistently
Being a positive role model
Helping the children choose friends wisely
Talking to the children about drugs

Role of Friends and

Family
Be a positive force in your friend's life.
Help them find a place to live, if they need one
Help them get a job, if they need one
Remind the person to take any medicine they are
given
Help them avoid places and people that might
tempt them to take drugs again

Personal Effort to quit

drugs
Seek support from friends and family
Join a support group
Find a therapist you connect with
Makeover your space so you have a fresh start
Set manageable goals and a quit date
Turn to your reasons for quitting when temptation
arises
Relieve your stress in healthy ways
Most importantly focus on building a new life

THE END