This article has been written by Harshit Yadav pursuing a Diploma in US Corporate Law and Paralegal Studies course from LawSikho.

This article has been edited and published by Shashwat Kaushik.

Introduction

Drugs are substances that are used to treat illness, alter perception, change mood or change behaviour. Here we will be talking about the drugs that are abused by people for recreational use and can cause addiction. Globally, drugs have been used to get euphoria throughout history and have been an integral part of the celebration. Some countries and communities have a culture of using drugs as a main party ingredient or as a welcoming drink, like the Marwari community, which uses opium as a welcome drink and at functions. The native Indians used cannabis for medicinal and spiritual purposes. With colonialism, the colonists forced people to grow crops like opium, coca, etc., but at the same time they banned drugs in the countries and hence started a war on drugs by making legislation like the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1930. But now, in the 21st century, many countries like the USA, Canada, EU, etc. are legalising and decriminalising drugs while at the same time suffering from the bad effects of drugs, like an increase in crimes against society and drug users becoming a burden on the state. But still, decriminalisation of drugs is rapidly growing, hence making drugs a necessary evil and the world a new world of and for drugs.  

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Types of drugs

There are 7 types of drugs based on their effects. Each type of drug has its own set of characteristics and dangers.

Stimulants

Stimulants increase activity in the central nervous system. The increased brain activity can make you feel like you are speeding up. Stimulants can increase your heart rate, blood pressure and level of alertness. These drugs typically come in pill form. However, they can also be eaten, drunk, or snorted. For example, Ritalin, cocaine, ecstasy, and synthetic marijuana   

Associated risks: Students or athletes can abuse these substances to improve their performances. When abused, stimulants can lead to a variety of unwanted consequences. These effects include paranoia anxiety psychosis depression stroke seizures high body temperature, etc.  

Opioids

Opioids are powerful painkillers that can give you a sense of euphoria. Doctors typically prescribe opioids to people experiencing severe pain. Opioids can be injected and consumed as pills. A few examples are heroin morphine opium norco, etc.  

Associated risks- Opioid abuse can ruin a person’s life. Because it’s highly addictive, it can get a person addicted in just a few days. Some symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, anxiety and an inability to sleep.  

Depressants

Depressants don’t make you feel depressed. Like stimulants, they affect the central nervous system and slow down the messages between the brain and the body. Some examples of depressants include barbiturates, alcohol, Xanax, and valium.

Associated risks: Abusing depressants can cause issues both long and short-term, including confusion Dizziness, extreme sleepiness, slowed heart rate, and difficulty speaking.

Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens work by disrupting brain activity. As the name implies, the drug affects a person’s sensory perception, causing hallucinations. Some examples are psilocybin peyote LSD.

Associated risks: Hallucinogen fears distorted cognition psychosis, etc.  

Dissociatives

Dissociative drugs work by interfering with the brain’s receptors for glutamate. This chemical plays a significant role in cognition, emotionality and pain perception.  

These drugs can be taken as liquids, powders, gases, or solids. Some examples of dissociative drugs include ketamine, DXM, and PCP.

Associated risks: These drugs give the abuser a false sense of invincibility and can cause long-lasting effects along with memory loss speech difficulties suicidal thoughts social withdrawal numbness, etc.

Inhalants

Inhalants are volatile chemical substances that turn into vapours and, when inhaled, cause mind-altering effects and euphoria. These are mostly made up of everyday household items Some examples of inhalants are marker paint, gasoline, nitrous oxide aerosol sprays, etc.

Associated risks: They can have devastating immediate and long term effects, including smell loss, nosebleed weakness, brain damage, increased heart rate, etc.

Cannabis

Cannabis or marijuana, is a natural psychoactive drug derived from the cannabis plant. It can be smoked, eaten or inhaled. A few sources of cannabis are marijuana leaves, hashish, hash oil, sativex, etc.

Associated risks: Cannabis is listed as a Schedule 1 drug, which means it is highly addictive. Abusing this substance leads to both short and long-term effects. Including low sperm count, sedation, lower immunity, chronic anxiety, etc.  

History of drugs

The history of drug or substance use goes way back in time. Contrary to what people generally think, some scientist believe that the relationship between humans and alcohol is about 100,000 years old, as theoretically, they believe that palaeolithic humans and their ancestors know that leaving fruits in jars for a period will make alcohol as early as 25000 BCE the Venus of Laussel, found in caves in France, is a palaeolithic age carving showcasing a woman holding a horn shape jar, which inferred drinking in horn jars. Besides that, hallucinogens have been found in caves in Peru dating back to 8600 BCE -5600 BCE. Evidence of the earliest production of wine was found in China, dating to 7000 BCE. Statues of giant mushrooms found in El Salvador date back to 1000 BCE. Burnt cannabis seeds are found in graves in

India and Serbia date back to 500 BCE. The cultivation of opium was found in Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium BCE, then coffee consumption began in Ethiopia and later spread to the Islamic world in the 11th century. In the 15th century, tobacco smoking and chewing became popular in Europe. Coca leaves were explored in the 16th century, in the 1950s and 1960s, with the discovery and use of LSD and other psychedelics. Late 20th-century crack cocaine epidemics in the USA and, in the 21st century, synthetic drugs like spice/k2 etc. are emerging.

Social impacts of drug or substance abuse

The abuse of drugs leads to addiction to them. Addiction is a brain disease, and it’s not a simple disease but rather a complex one that not only damages an individual’s physical and mental health but also damages his/her social status and also impacts the lives of his/her peers, friends, family and the society in which he/she is living. Substance abuse has affected nearly all aspects of life, including communities, homes, schools, workplaces, jails, etc.  

To understand the social impacts of drug abuse, it’s important to know why people abuse drugs. A deeper understanding of the motivation and causes behind drug abuse can help in framing better policies for the problem.

Why do people abuse drugs

Addiction is not a choice. Many who develop this disorder come as a result of seeking a solution to discomfort, as many of the drugs, such as opioids, directly affect the central nervous system, giving a euphoric feeling.

Some other factors that make people abuse drugs are:

  • Using a substance in peer pressure or out of fear of missing out  
  • Using a substance to improve performance and remove anxiety and nervousness
  • Using a substance to relieve stress  
  • Using a substance to improve mood and feel better physically, mentally or both.

There are other reasons as well for people leaning towards drug abuse, such as poverty. Poverty is one of the strong reasons people get addicted. In a report, it was shown that opioid addiction in 17 states is more prevalent in economically disadvantaged zip codes. Another big reason is that homelessness also increases the risk of drug addiction. Some social stigma also plays an important role in drug addiction, such as racism and stigma related to certain appearances, certain backgrounds, etc. When people belong to these particular areas or communities and face social distrust for them, they tend to submit to drug addiction.  

Social effects of drug abuse

The abuse of substances not only affects a person’s physical or mental health but also has serious negative social consequences that are:

Short-term effects of drugs – people suffering from addiction can notice a change in their behaviour as the disease progresses, which may have short-term negative effects.

Long-term effects of drugs – long-term effects of drugs can be seen after long chronic use of drugs. When the body falls into drug dependence, one can observe a drastic change in one’s personality that can be called a long-term effect of drugs that causes harm to oneself or causes harm to another person due to unemployment.

Some other social effects include:

  • Homelessness: Spending most of your money on drugs will eventually lead you to be homeless.
  • End of relationship: It is seen that people engaged in substance abuse often end their relationship with their loved ones
  • Violence: It is seen that people abusing drugs are often violent and can cause harm to themselves and others  
  • Legal issues: Buying, selling or consuming unprescribed or illegal drugs can also bring legal issues to your door, and you can face prosecution.
  • Corruption: Drug cartels and drug lords also buy off the police and prosecutors to get away with a law that: also increases corruption in the country.
  • Sexual effects: Illegal drugs are also perceived as sexual stimulants and aphrodisiacs. Drugs like marijuana can increase the sexual mood, which leads to sex-related crimes like rape. Also, sexual health is compromised by substance use diseases like AIDS and other infectious STDs that are spread among drug addicts.

Signs of drug abuse

Signs of drug abuse are:

  • Neglect in grooming
  • Changes in appetite and sleep patterns  
  • Sudden weight loss or weight gain  
  • Mood swings and unnecessary fear
  • Secret behaviour  
  • Abnormality of pupil size or bloodshot eyes 
  • Hyperactivity, etc.

Drugs and crime 

Drugs and crime go hand in hand with the increase in drug abuse and crime drugs are the main reason for most of the crime happening on the streets crime are two types one is organised crime other is unorganised. Unorganised crime is referred to as a crime carried out by individuals or small groups without any hierarchy or formal structure for example, petty theft or sometimes murder. Most of the people engaged in crimes like that are drug abusers. According to a study,around 65% of people in jail in the USA have a substance use disorder [SUD]. Drug trafficking alone is the most widespread and lucrative organised crime in the USA, which constitutes 40% of the estimated annual income of as much as 110 billion dollars. Most of the drug related organised crime is done by cartels around the world, some of them also engage in other crimes such as human trafficking, prostitution extortion murder, etc. Some terrorist organisations, like the Taliban, are also engaged in drug trafficking. The history of drug trafficking in the USA started at least in the 1800s with the opium influx from China. In the 20th century, the USA saw the trafficking of marijuana and cocaine in the 1980s. Drug-related crimes are growing and becoming more violent day by day. For instance, in a small, peaceful country like Ecuador, 210 tonnes of drugs were seized and 4500 killings were recorded last year. Drug cartels are recruiting children in Ecuador. For estimating the cost of drug crimes, let’s take the example of England. Examples of users needing £15,000 to £30,000 a year to fund drug habits have often been given. To make such amounts of money from stolen goods, police often suggest multiplying by three, on the basis that stolen goods will fetch about one-third of their normal value. There are estimates of around 306,000 heroin and/or crack users in England, with around 200,000 of them in treatment in any one year. That is a lot of theft, burglary, fraud, or shoplifting if all are stealing to pay for things. This has led some people to suggest that up to half of all acquisitive crime is drug-related and that the market value of goods stolen involved could be between £2-2.5 billion each year. With these frightening stats, we can understand how dangerous the situation is.

How the war on drugs increases violence and rewards the cartels

In 1971, the United States of America adopted a national policy to fight drugs and declared a war on drugs, which failed to curb the drug-related violence in the USA and Latin America. The death toll is rising, continuing in Mexico, which has claimed more than 35,000 lives since December 2006. In another report, it was stated that over 30,000 people have died each year since 2018 in Mexico. Government policies targeting drug trafficking have inadvertently fueled violence, as crackdowns on drug operations can lead to increased violence. Government seizures of illegal drugs may reduce supply, but they also drive up prices, increasing profits for drug cartels and leading to conflicts over higher profits. Arresting or killing drug kingpins can make them more impatient and less concerned about long-term profits, leading to increased conflict and violence within cartels. The research showed that the government should reexamine the policies to cope with the problem.

Economics of drugs

Understanding the economics of drugs is very important to understand the importance and gravity of the problem. RAND Corporation found that drug abusers bought $100 billion worth of drugs annually. Only opioid abuse, overdose, and treatment costs reached $75 billion in the US in 2013. National drug control agencies are also demanding $46.1 billion in total to support drug treatment and prevention. Also, it is evident that the drugs are inflation-proof as no matter what the price of drugs is, people who are addicted to them are going to buy them no matter what. Also, the margins on drugs are very high. Also, with time, the drug trafficking industry evolved using the latest technology. Now, drug cartels are using decentralised cryptocurrencies like bitcoin; annually, $76 billion worth of transactions are made with cryptocurrencies. Drug cartels are now financing drug marketplaces on the dark web and also supplying free samples, running a properly organised market place on the dark web for illegal drug trafficking, making it more concerning for the governments of countries around the globe. With those numbers of drug sales, we can now estimate how big this industry is.  

Drug abuse by celebrities, performers, and athletes

Drug abuse in pop culture is a serious problem, glamourization of drugs by the media only adds to the problem of drugs in society as people tend to make media personalities their ideals and tend to follow everything they do in their movies and songs. Several movies and songs glorify drug abuse. Some examples are Wolf of Wall Street, Scarface, etc., where drug use is glorified by the hero of the movie. Various artists, including Daniel Radcliffe [Harry Potter], are also suffering from substance abuse disorder. These instances and glorification of drugs influence children and teens, as well as some adults, to move towards the drug, and they start to use drugs to look cool like their heroes, gradually binding themselves into the darkness of substance abuse disorder.  

Policies for drugs around the globe

The world has a split view on drugs. Some countries are moving towards the legalisation of drugs, some are making stricter laws for drug abuse or selling; and some are somewhere in between strict laws and legislation that decriminalises drugs. The question is why decriminalise or legalise drugs? The demand for decriminalising started when people started thinking that the war on drugs was a failure and in a 2021 poll majority of 66% of people voted to decriminalise drugs instead of the opposite; they thought that previous policies were a failure and should focus on the health approach the reasoning behind that is the money spent on catching drug offender and then punishing them should rather be spent on volunteer rehabilitation, drug education, etc. Oregon became the first state to decriminalise hard drugs and the Netherlands was the first country to completely decriminalise the sale and use of cannabis. Countries like Switzerland have safe rooms sponsored by the government where heroin addicts can have a dose in a safe environment with safe needles. Also, Switzerland is considering legalising cocaine for recreational use to make the country’s rampant drug use safer.

India

In India, the laws regulating the use of drugs are multifaceted and stringent, aiming to maintain public health and safety. These laws are primarily governed by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) of 1985, which classifies and controls various substances, their production, possession, cultivation, sale, purchase, and consumption.

  1. Classification of drugs:
    • The NDPS Act categorises drugs into five schedules based on their potential for abuse or dependence:
      • Schedule I: Includes substances with high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, such as heroin, LSD, and cocaine.
      • Schedule II: Contains drugs with high potential for abuse and limited accepted medical use, such as morphine and pethidine.
      • Schedule III: Includes drugs with moderate potential for abuse and some accepted medical use, such as codeine and buprenorphine.
      • Schedule IV: Consists of drugs with low potential for abuse and primarily used for scientific or industrial purposes, such as dextromethorphan and ephedrine.
      • Schedule V: Includes drugs with low potential for abuse and minimal risk of physical or psychological dependence, such as dextromethorphan-containing cough syrups.
  2. Controlled substances:
    • The NDPS Act strictly regulates the production, possession, and distribution of controlled substances, which include drugs listed in Schedules I to IV.
    • Manufacturing and distribution of these substances require a licence from the Central Government, and production is restricted to authorised facilities.
    • Penalties for unauthorised manufacture or distribution can be severe, including imprisonment and fines.
  3. Restrictions on possession and consumption:
    • The NDPS Act prohibits the possession, consumption, and sale of controlled substances without a valid prescription from a registered medical practitioner.
    • It also restricts the quantity of certain drugs that can be prescribed and dispensed.
    • Violation of these provisions can result in legal consequences, including arrest, prosecution, and punishment.
  4. Drug trafficking and illicit drug trade:
    • The NDPS Act addresses drug trafficking and the illicit drug trade by defining offences such as illegal import, export, production, and sale of controlled substances.
    • It empowers law enforcement agencies to investigate, arrest, and prosecute individuals involved in drug trafficking activities.
    • Severe penalties are prescribed for drug trafficking offences, including imprisonment for long terms and substantial fines.
  5. Drug abuse prevention and treatment:
    • The NDPS Act also recognises the need for drug abuse prevention and treatment. It provides a legal framework for establishing drug de-addiction centres and rehabilitation programmes.
    • The government has undertaken various initiatives, such as the National Drug Demand Reduction Programme, to create awareness about drug abuse, promote prevention measures, and provide treatment and rehabilitation services to individuals struggling with drug addiction.
  6. Drug law enforcement:
    • The NDPS Act is enforced by various law enforcement agencies, including the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
    • These agencies conduct investigations, seize illegal drugs, and apprehend individuals involved in drug trafficking and abuse.
    • They also work in collaboration with international organisations and other countries to combat drug trafficking and ensure effective drug law enforcement.

Overall, the laws on the usage of drugs in India are aimed at preventing drug abuse, controlling the supply and distribution of controlled substances, combating drug trafficking, and providing a framework for drug abuse prevention and treatment. These laws are essential in safeguarding public health, reducing drug-related crimes, and promoting the welfare of individuals and society as a whole.

Legalising cannabis  

Another surprising thing trending on the internet is the reasons people are giving to legalise cannabis. From economic reasons to portraying it as a step towards ending racism. Here are some reasons why cannabis must be legalised.

Economic burden

For decades, millions of Americans were put behind bars and arrested for marijuana possession—more than murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault combined. Prohibition also hurts the economy in terms of lost wages and also affects the future of people, as Americans with criminal records find it hard to get the jobs and education they want.

For the environment

Legalisation of cannabis can increase biodiversity and if grown illegally, it will be grown in environment-damaging ways. But if legalised, the precious seed of marijuana can be saved, which will increase biodiversity and be beneficial for the environment.

Legalisation for public health

The legalisation of marijuana will improve the health sector as well because of its medicinal properties, as it is also beneficial for many syndromes like PTSD. States that legalised cannabis also recorded fewer opioid overdose deaths and people will not use hard drugs.  

For revenue

Legalisation of cannabis will generate revenue from taxes for governments. The states that have legalised marijuana have earned millions of dollars from taxes, with California generating a whopping 1.2 billion from marijuana taxes. It will also generate jobs and employment.

For racial justice

The legalisation of marijuana also has its roots in racism, as marijuana prohibition was done because of anti-Mexican sentiments. With the Mexican Revolution in 1910, the government started to regulate and make strict laws on marijuana, gradually outlawing it. Also, people of colour, like black Americans, have a higher chance of getting arrested in cases of marijuana possession. People think legalising cannabis will stop people stereotyping people of colour as criminals and police will not regularly search their communities for marijuana.  

Cannabis is safer than alcohol

Research has shown that cannabis is safer than alcohol as it has less potential for addiction. People die more because of alcohol than because of cannabis. More than 50,000 people die because of alcohol.

Global stance on hard drugs  

Global stances on hard drugs are split. Some countries have a strict prohibition approach, while others are taking a liberal approach to it. Countries like the Philippines have the death penalty for drug trafficking, and countries like Switzerland legalize them for recreational use.

The emergence of new deadly hard drugs

With countries having liberal approaches towards hard drugs and decriminalising and legalising them for recreational use, the emerging of new deadly and highly addictive drugs hitting the streets of countries like the USA is catching them completely off guard. Drugs like xylazine or tranq are becoming a threat to the country because the drug is highly addictive and “just eats the skin away,” experts say, making it a threat to the nation. Other new drugs in this segment are carfentanil, which is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and synthetic cannabis, which is a fake weed more dangerous than its leafy counterpart. Drugs like xylazine and flakka are also called zombie drugs as they lead to necrosis and then painful death.

Conclusion

As we have established, the problem of drugs is not new; drugs were an integral part of society and developed along with humans, from alcohol in the Palaeolithic age to flakka in the modern day. There were times the drugs were considered some potion from the gods in some ancient cultures, then they became social evil and further transitioned into an essential element for happiness and an important ingredient of modern-day parties. Now drugs are a new global trendsetter as many protests are going on for decriminalisation and legalisation of drugs, changing the point of view and portraying them in a new picture, making cannabis safer than alcohol, using hard drugs is liberal, etc. Economics say it’s a good approach as it will bring revenue to the nation, generate jobs, and make everyone happy, but the other side of the coin is that people are becoming addicts and losing it. New and more dangerous drugs are introduced by the cartels frequently, violence is increasing, children are joining cartels and crime is still there. By legalising it, the government is making it easier for the cartels to supply drugs. In the end, I’ll leave it to you to decide whether you like this new world of drugs or not.

If you or anyone you love is suffering from a problem of drug abuse or substance abuse disorder, you can give a call to the national helpline at 1800-11-0031 for assistance from the government.

References

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