Drugs In The Life Of Young People

Abstract

The world in which we live sets us in a reality fuelled by the existence of a large variety of psychogenic substances. The temptation of drugs has been verified since ancient times in the human society. The classical definition of drugs is established by the World Health Organization as substances which, once absorbed by a living organism, can alter one or more of its functions. Currently, "drug" can be understood as any substance that leads to psychoactive effects that favour the repetition of consumption due to the installation of the state of pleasure, which is considered to be motivated by the consumer. The consequences of non-management of psychoactive substances lead to the establishment of a degrading physical, psychological condition, namely addiction. Drug consumption among adolescents has several particular aspects due to the lack of fully defined personality traits, which can lead to increased vulnerability of children and adolescents due to the negative socio-familial climate. The present work presents the theme of psychoactive substances and its effects drug use among young people aged between 16 and 22 years. The motives that lead young people to drug use, the environment in which they perceive that drug use is frequent, and the way young people are aware of the effects of drug use on people who consume it have been followed. The methodology used to achieve the purpose of this paper is the questionnaire applied to a total of 30 young people, and the answers received are the result of this investigation.

Keywords: Drugsaddictionyoung peopleconsumers

Introduction

The word "drug" illustrates an erroneous perception in the minds of many people, the drugs being used by a very wide range of people, not just those that exhibit deviant behaviours, their use being a reality that has lasted for centuries. Addiction as a psychological pathology is the most widespread problem of contemporary society that even though many of us do not consume psychoactive substances by various means, yet many of us either eat excessively or buy compulsively, that is, we maintain behaviours that increase emotional comfort for to reduces suffering (Țurlea, 1991). Thus, we can see that addictions serve a purpose, and that dependent people have an unsolved problem or an unmet need in connection with the affectivity originally received by parents, which with the passage of time manifests itself in different forms (Chopra, 2011).

This paper presents the theme of psychoactive substances and their effects, namely drug use among young people aged 16-22. The motives that lead young people to drug use, the environment in which they perceive that drug use is frequent, and the way young people are aware of the effects of drug use on people who consume. The methodology used to achieve the purpose of this paper is the questionnaire applied to a total of 30 young people, and the answers received are the result of this investigation (Neamțu, 2016).

General notions: drugs, addiction

The classical definition of drugs is primarily determined by the World Health Organization as substances which, once absorbed by a living organism, can alter one or more of its functions. As far as pharmacology is concerned, the drug is the substance used in medicine, which can be use abusive to create physical, psychological dependence, severe mental disorder or perception of behaviour.

Dependencies generally serve a purpose. When the internal balance is usually affected, people are looking for a change, and the inability to make that change from within leads to seeking outward aid. Psychoactive substances can lead to such a solution and the result is short and inefficient (table 01 ).

Table 1 -
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Problem Statement

The social category most affected by this drug scourge is the young people because of the desire to experiment with narcotic substances and the desire to affirm through risky behaviours, breaking social norms and that becoming a challenge for them.

At the same time, adolescence is a period of confusion of values, which stimulates non-conformist behaviours not accept by society and, last but not least, by their parents (Abraham, 2005). All these causes influence the vulnerability of young people to drug use; so much of them become addicted due to the negative effects of drugs, denigrating both their physical, mental and moral health and their social status (Ferreol, 2000). A detailed typology of the physical and psychological consequences of drug use was made by Rudgley, (2009, p. 47-211) (table 02 ).

Table 2 -
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Personality development of addicted / post-dependent persons

The personality of addicted is gradual and successive, this being subordinated first to the individual features and then to the types of addictive substances used. Characteristic features that are distinguished by the personality of narcotics are: addiction to affectivity; fear of separation by the family, friends; anxiety or isolation that he feels in relation to others; frustration intolerance; the state of depression; constantly feeling the need for love, approval and valorisation; satisfying needs in the shortest time possible from their expression; disbelief itself and the exertion of a passive state of everything that is happening around him; anger and stubbornness; has no ambition, does not understand why he has to compete with other people; lack of provocative and aggressive attitudes; hypersensitivity and shyness (Edwards, 2006).

Research Questions

Drug use among children and adolescents has several particular aspects due to the lack of fully defined personality traits, which can lead to increased vulnerability of children and adolescents due to the negative socio-familial climate (Ferreol, 2000). By elaborating this article as a result of application of appropriate search and data collection methods, we will try to confirm or defeat those structures that will lead us to outline an idea about drug use among young people.

Is there a direct relationship between external factors and internal factors of drug use and drug use?

Is there a direct relationship between the awareness of the effects of psychotropic substances and the degree of prevention in what constitutes the consumption of psychotropic substances?

Purpose of the Study

This research has a descriptive-finding character. Its purpose is to demonstrate the role of psychotropic substances use in the development of young people's personality. As we can see in the theoretical part of this paper, literature has repeatedly drawn attention to the increasing use of drugs among young people, to the causes and factors that lead to drug use, but also to their consequences in their physical development, mental and social (Simache, 2010).

The primary objectives of the research were:

- to identify the level of youth information on drug use; identifying the reasons that lead young people to drug use; identifying the environment in which they believe that the most frequent use of drugs is being carried out; identifying how young people are aware of the effects of drugs on people who consume them.

The secondary objectives of the research were:

- to identify young people's attitudes towards drug users; identifying young people's attitudes towards the drug-related process; - identification and detection of forms of drug use prevention; (Zamfir & Vlăsceanu, 1993).

Research Methods

In the realization of the present paper and in order to achieve the proposed objectives were used as instruments and methods: the observation, the questionnaire. Through these methods and techniques, I sought to highlight the issue of the use and effects of drugs on young people and their consequences on behaviours and the personality of consumers.

Submission of the questionnaire:

This questionnaire has a scientific purpose, namely how to know to use drugs among young people, what they think about drug use and how they can influence the lives of young people. Please answer all questions (with the x-bans of the correct response variants) as appropriate in your situation. We assure you that there are no good or bad answers to this questionnaire. Responses are confidential.

The sincerity of your answers depends on the validity of our conclusions.

Selection of the group of subjects subject to research

In the development of the drug survey, we have developed a scientifically-validated questionnaire to find out about the use of drugs among young people, what do they think about drug use and how the drugs can influence the lives of young people, so the questionnaire was carried out on 30 persons ages 16 to 22 and includes 17 essential questions in knowing young people's opinion about drugs. By age, 53.33% were 16 years old, 33.33% were 17 years old and 13.33% were 22 years old; according to their sex 66.66% were female and 33.33% were male; depending on the living environment, 23.33% come from rural areas and 76.66% come from urban areas; while their tuition status is 86.66% enrolled in the high school program, while 13.33% are enrolled in the university program.

Findings

Analysis of the questionnaire

Responding to the question "Where did you first find out about drugs?", 40% of the sample responded to the films, 40% parents, 26.66% TV shows, 20% friends, 20% newspapers, magazines and the internet , 6% from radio shows.

Asking if they were able to consume drugs, 70% responded negatively, while 30% responded positively. Confirming that 86.66% never consumed drugs, 6.66% consumed occasionally, 3.33% consumed once, and 3.33% consumed weekly.

Inviting to be characterized, they responded that they are well connected to the people around 60%, happy 46.66%, 30% tired, optimistic 30%, nervous 20%, depressed 16.66%, useless 10%, aggressive 6, 66% and euphoric 6.66%.

To the question "What do you think are the most common drugs?", Tobacco had 76.66%, alcohol 66.66%, marijuana 63.33%, 33.33% cocaine, 26.66% heroin, 23.33% ecstasy, 20% cannabis, 10% morphine and 6.66% LDS.

They said that the reason for drug use is the 66.66% curiosity, the desire to experience new experiences 50%, friends and entourage 36.66%, madness and snobbery 30%, family conflicts 13.33%, shyness 3.33 % debt 3.33%.

In other words, 93.33% of drug use is consumed in the family, and another 6.66% claim that mother, father, brothers are drug users, of which 3.33 consumes marijuana and 3.33 tobacco.

Ask about the number of people I know as drug users, responded that I know: more than 5 people 40%, one or two 23.33% and no person 36.66%. Also, young people consider that drug use is frequent at parties 73.33%, in bars and discos 53.33%, friends 36.66%, at school 26.66%, at home 16.66% and at hostels 13.33 %. And the place they consume is 10% and school 3.33%.

"What drug effects do you think are of greater importance?" 80% said it was bad for health, 33.33% it offers quiet, 23.33% that give trust in you and 3.33% give you force.

Consequences of drug use are taken into account by young people: behavioral problems 77.66%, psychological problems 66.66%, financial problems and tensions in inter-human relations 53.33%, drug abuse 33.33% epilepsy and increased risk of HIV / AIDS infection, hepatitis 13.33% physical problems 3.33%. They showed a disapproval attitude of 40%, irrespective of 33.33% and acceptance of 26.66%.

Considering that 46.66% of addiction is created, considering that everyone has the freedom to make their own 33.33% health and life choices, and the remaining 20% ​​think we have to accept any person indifferent to their defects.

Interpretation of data

According to the studies conducted, the internal and external factors that lead to drug use are the 68.33% curiosity, 36.66% the desire to live of the new experiences, 31.66% for the friends and entourage, 31.66%, the stupidity and the snobbery 28.33%, 13.33% family conflicts, 8.33% fear of accountability and 1.66% shyness. Young investigators say that drug use is 66.66% in bars, 50% in bars and discos, 20% in friends, 20% in schools, 8.33% at home and 8.33% in student dorms. Therefore, it is confirmed that there is a direct relationship between internal factors, external factors and the consumption of psychoactive substances, the existence of these factors favouring the development of a favourable framework for drug use.

According to the studies, the most common drugs are: 75% tobacco, 45% alcohol, 38.33% marijuana, 31.66% cocaine, tea and coffee in 25%, heroin to 16.66%, cannabis to 15%, ecstasy to 13.33%, morphine to 8% , 33%, and in LSD 3.33%. The investigated young people consider that the substances mentioned above have the following effects: it is bad for the health of 80%, it provides a soothing, soothing state 76.66%, give trust in you 20% and 1.66% think that they give you force; and the consequences of drug use are: psychiatric problems 61.66%, behavioural problems 60%, financial problems and tensions in human relations 40%, drug addiction 30%, physical problems 26.66%, increased risk of HIV / AIDS infection, hepatitis 20% and epilepsy 6.66%. Concluding, we note that there is a direct relationship between awareness of the effects of psychotropic substances and the degree of prevention in what constitutes the consumption of psychotropic substances, which leads to the confirmation of our hypothesis.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when we refer to the use of drugs in human society, we find that "the drug" is the substance absorbed by a living organism that can modify one or more of its functions or, in other words, the substance used in medicine the abusive use of which may create physical, psychological dependence, serious mental or behavioural perceptions.

By realizing the present paper, both theoretically and methodologically and practically, based on the studied sample, I sought to highlight the importance and causality of internal and external factors favouring drug use, such as the level of informing young people about the effects of their consumption, the environment in which their administration is most frequently used, the way young people use these substances, the effects and consequences of their use on the personality of the young, on the physical and the psychic, as well as their attitudes towards consumers and consumption psychotropic substances (Verza, 1993).

It has also been found, based on the research that has been carried out, the need to implement prevention programs appropriate to their ages through substantial collaboration between the media, school institutions, government and other state institutions responsible for educating the young generation. At the same time, given that the family is the core of the existence and the good functioning of a society, the implementation of programs especially educational in the direction of developing a healthy life, without any means of promoting psychoactive substances, I consider to be most important. Educating parents, whether or not they are experiencing the tragedy of drug use, in terms of supporting those involved in detoxification treatments is also relevant. Therefore, the problem of drugs requires a pragmatic and objective approach at both individual and general level that it involves all society and not just those who consume such substances, as we have seen in the studies conducted drug abuse does not account of the social situation of the individual, does not take into account age, does not take into account sex, does not take into account religion or other social dimensional delimitation.

References

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Publication Date

15 August 2019

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978-1-80296-066-2

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Future Academy

Volume

67

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1st Edition

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Subjects

Educational strategies,teacher education, educational policy, organization of education, management of education, teacher training

Cite this article as:

Darie*, N., & Varga, A. C. (2019). Drugs In The Life Of Young People. In E. Soare, & C. Langa (Eds.), Education Facing Contemporary World Issues, vol 67. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 328-334). Future Academy. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2019.08.03.39