Across the United Kingdom, one in eleven adults consume drugs each year.
While health professionals prescribe some drugs to alleviate the symptoms of medical conditions and treat illnesses, many drugs are consumed for recreational purposes.
When consumed for recreational purposes, drugs can be extremely harmful. Not only can they give way to a number of short and long-term side effects, but they can also become highly addictive.
To offer greater insight into drug use, we have provided a wealth of information and facts about drugs for you to review here.
Types Of Drugs
Across the world, many different types of drugs are consumed on a daily basis. In the United Kingdom, drug types typically consist of Stimulants, Depressants, Opiates and Hallucinogens.
To offer insight into the various types of drugs, we have provided a wealth of information and facts and drugs below.
Stimulant Drugs
Stimulant drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines and ecstasy increase brain activity and often make individuals feel more alert. Stimulant drugs can also help reduce fatigue.
Although stimulant drugs are illegal when used for recreational purposes, some stimulant drugs are suitable when treating medical conditions and mental health disorders such as depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
While safe to use when prescribed by a medical professional, it is believed that more than one million adults use and sadly develop an addiction to stimulant drugs in the United Kingdom.
Depressant Drugs
Morphine, heroin, methadone, alcohol and benzodiazepines are all types of depressant drugs. When consumed, depressant drugs reduce brain function and help individuals relax for a short period.
As confirmed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, depressant drugs can be somewhat helpful in alleviating anxiety, panic, acute stress and sleep disorders when prescribed by a health professional.
However, due to their very nature, depressant drugs can be somewhat addictive. Sadly, this leads many to abuse depressant drugs and gradually develop an addiction.
Opiate Drugs
Across the United Kingdom, opiate drugs are prescribed to relieve acute pain. Classed as painkillers, opiate use has sadly seen a surge in the number of people developing opiate addictions.
Due to an increase in the number of opiate drugs being prescribed, opiate abuse and addictions have also increased.
Data published by the Faculty of Pain Medicine confirms that 5.4% of adults misuse opiate drugs, such as morphine and codeine, each year.
Hallucinogenic Drugs
Although many hallucinogenic drugs are now classified as Class A drugs in the United Kingdom, several individuals across the nation continue to use and abuse them.
Including LSD, acid, magic mushrooms and cannabis, hallucinogenic drugs distort perception and cause individuals to see, hear and feel things that do not exist.
While many individuals believe that consuming hallucinogenic drugs infrequently is harmless, this is sadly not true. Hallucinogenic drugs often come hand-in-hand with many side effects that can ultimately be fatal.
Drug Classifications
In the United Kingdom, drugs are classified as either Class A, Class B or Class C.
Including cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, and methadone, Class A drugs are considered the most harmful drugs and are illegal in the United Kingdom.
Class B drugs are considered to be less harmful than Class A drugs. Class B drugs include, but are not limited to, cannabis, codeine, mephedrone and speed.
Unlike Class A and Class B drugs, Class C drugs are not thought to be as harmful. Including prescription drugs and ketamine, Class C drugs are only illegal when they are not prescribed by a medical professional.
Facts About Drug Use
As touched on above, drugs such as heroin, cannabis and cocaine have a detrimental impact on an individual’s life when abused.
When considering facts about drugs, it is essential to consider that each year drugs cause many to experience a wealth of short and long-term side effects that impair their health and quality of life. Drugs also often lead to hospitalisation.
The NHS has reported that each year, at least 16,994 hospital admissions are made as a result of drug use. In addition, more than 90,000 people require treatment for mental and behavioural disorders associated with drug use.
Facts About Drugs – Health Complications and Mental Health Disorders
Having come to understand various facts about drugs and the types of drugs frequently consumed and abused in the United Kingdom, it is important to also understand the health complications and mental health disorders that often arise as a result of drug use and abuse.
While some drugs can reduce the overall impact illnesses and mental health disorders have on an individual’s life, when abused, drugs can significantly impair both physical and psychological health.
For example, drug abuse can lead to physical illnesses such as organ failure, stroke and heart attacks. Drugs can also have a long-lasting impact on cognitive function. Sadly, this reduces an individual’s ability to retain information and memories.
Furthermore, drug use and abuse can lead to a number of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety and paranoia.
When To Seek Help
Although understanding when to seek help for drug use can be complex, if you experience any physical, psychological or behavioural side effects and rely on drugs, you must take the first step in seeking professional help.
While daunting, doing so will enable you to overcome your drug dependency and secure a future free from the shackles of addiction.
Securing help will also ensure that you can preserve your life and avoid any long-term health complications that may arise as drugs are consumed over a prolonged period.
Contact Us Today
Here at Cassiobury Court, we hope that our facts about drugs provide you with a wealth of information surrounding drug types, drug classifications and the impact of consuming drugs.
If you believe that seeking support for drug abuse or an addiction is in your best interest, please contact us today to discuss how we can assist you.
Likewise, if you had hoped to understand facts about drugs to help a loved one, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your concerns.
