Overdose Awareness Day, a painful reminder of the drug menace
ACCORDING to www. addictionhelper.com, there are a multitude of dangers associated with drug addiction, from the obvious physical and psychological dangers to the social and emotional problems that face many addicts and their families.
“Whether you are taking medication that is not prescribed for you or street drugs bought illegally, you are putting your body at risk. There are often side effects associated with any kind of drug use, which is why people should only take medications that have been prescribed for them. Illegal drugs are not regulated, which means there is no way to be sure of what you are taking. The example of teenager Leah Betts, who died after taking her first ecstasy tablet, serves as a reminder of these dangers.
“Prolonged drug addiction can bring about all kinds of psychological dangers to a person. Hallucinations or a blunted view of reality can be developed over time. Drug use often clouds judgement and this poor decisionmaking can lead you into danger. Depressant or barbiturate drugs can slow reflexes, making everyday tasks like driving potentially lethal.
“In addition to the effects that drug addiction has on the body and brain, there is a real risk of other potentially more damaging problems. A drug addiction can affect your work, possibly leaving you unemployed or even unemployable. Likewise, drug addictions will almost certainly put a strain on relationships between family and friends. This social alienation can lead to depression over the situation, which perpetuates a vicious cycle of drug abuse and addiction.”
Last week, the world marked the International Overdose Awareness Day on 31 August, a day that started in 2001.
“Overdose Awareness Day is a day that was created to allow families and loved ones to grieve without stigma — to experience that loss openly, but also to work on preventing overdoses as well. It’s a day to remember, and a day to remember we need to prevent these from continuing to happen.”
Although not classified as a disease, substance abuse is a very destructive addiction that all too often ruins lives. A lot of families have lost their loved ones to drugs via overdose. Some might not have lost them through death, but might have become socially and economically cut off from their loved ones whose lives have been captured by drug addiction.
Activists in campaigns against drugs abuse say there is need to discuss more openly issues to do with drug abuse, and also allow families that lost loved ones to drug overdose to “grieve openly.”
Mr Wilson Box, Projects Executive Director of Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network (ZCLDN) says information on drug overdose must be available to the public.
“As part of commemorating International Overdose Awareness Day, ZCLDN is calling for the provision of opportunities for people to publicly mourn their loved ones who would have died of overdose in a safe environment without feeling guilt or shame. We believe there is need for the government and its development partners to share with communities the information about drug and substance overdose while at the same time sending a message to current and former people who use drugs that they are valued,” he said.