1. INTRODUCTION
Drugs are spreading in every pore of our lives and eating away our identity. People become different when they are under the influence of such substances. Perception of life changes and these results in variety of questionable decisions which are taken by drug users or people involved in drugs in some other way. Although media tries to warn and inform people about danger that drugs represent and although there are new organizations who help drug users and other people with providing information about drugs and possible drug addiction, drugs are still regarded as a taboo topic, especially in family circle. On a daily basis new information about drugs are available to everyone and with mass media this problem is not ignored any more, more and more people are aware of danger linked with drugs.
People can easily access drugs and this is the main reason why they are spreading so strongly and so quickly. You can literally buy them everywhere.
In our research we will focus on drug problems that people have and relationship towards the drug users and stereotypes and prejudices which are connected to them. We will also take a look at the question why people enjoy taking drugs and possible problems in their lives that encourage them to use drugs, for example that they would limit their 'painful real life', or maybe out of boredom, curiosity, just for fun etc. Later on we will concentrate on possible rehabilitation of drug users and opportunities for gaining back their normal life.
In our research we will focus on drug problems which people have and relationship towards the drug users and stereotypes and prejudices which are connected with drug users. We will also take a look at the question why people enjoy taking drugs and possible problems in their lives that encourage them to use drugs, that they would limit their 'painful real life', or maybe out of boredom, curiosity, just for fun etc. Later on we will concentrate on possible rehabilitation of drug users and opportunities for gaining back their normal life.
Our report starts with literature review, continues with methodology of our research. Further more, we provide findings and conclusion. Finally, it provides some solution to the problem in the shape of our reflexive opinion.
We can divide drugs in six groups: analgetics, hypnotics, sedatives, inebriants, stimulants and hallucinogens. Analgetics are pain relievers, they also improve your mood, such opiates are – morphine, heroin, codeine, methadone... They can cause serious physical addiction. Hypnotics are soporifics and pain relievers such as luminal, veronal, fenalgol, valoron, plivadon..., and they can cause sleepiness, mood improvement... Sedatives are tranquillisers, narcoleptics, antidepressives like apaurin, reserpin, meleril... They heal pathological diseases, cause tranquillity and sleepiness. They don't cause addiction in most cases. Inebriants are alcohol, chloroform, ether, benzin and other organic solvents. Psychical and physical addiction is inevitable. Stimulants such as cocaine, ecstasy and other stimulants (coffee, tea, coke, amfetamin, preludin...) help dealing with tiredness, sleepiness, intellectual concentration but cause psychical addiction. And the last group of drugs is hallucinogens, psychodisleptics such as cannabis, marijuana, hashish, LSD, pejotl, PCP, atropine... which effects are spiritual revelations, broadening awareness, exaltation and they cause psychical addiction (Milčinski, 1983; 56-57).
There are many reasons why people take drugs. We are all different and we all have different problems. The most important thing is how we deal with problems in our life.
The question is, not just why certain groups or individuals are drawn into illicit drug use, but why other, apparently similar individuals or groups, are not.
Theories put forward for illicit drug use are found in widely diverse disciplines, such as genetics, Marxism and so on. What follows is a synthesis- rather than an evaluation- of some of the principal studies in illicit drug use aetiology. These include theories centred on the personal or individual factors which may predispose an individual to experiment with psychoactive drugs, and broader explanations based on the immediate environment of family, friends and social influences, particularly during the vulnerable period of adolescence when risk-taking and sensation-seeking may be important impulses. For some, cultural and socio-economic factors are the keys to understanding the conditions under which illicit drug use is more likely to occur, while for others the influence of formal and informal social control offers the most useful framework for analyses (International Drug control Programme, 1997: 45).
In his book “Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance”, Becker introduces the concept of deviance “… as publicly labelled wrongdoing … the failure to obey the rules that society creates …”, but stress that deviance “… is not a quality of the act committed but a consequence on the application of the rules and sanctions by others to an ‘offender’”. His concept of the deviant career has some of the characteristics of the conventional career, including chance influential factors or career contingencies. This might determine for example how and when an individual comes into contact with an illicit drug using circle which drugs may be available.
An Indian government study carried out over 33 cities in 1989 indicated that the most common contributing factors for illicit drug use were peer group pressures and curiosity, followed by unemployment, poverty, the family environment, stresses and strains of modern life (International Drug Control Program, 1997: 48-49).
Anbrados reports that cannabis use amongst young people is not affected by parents drug behaviour, but that parental influence stems primarily from their attitudes and from their closeness to their children. The findings show adolescent drug use to be negatively associated with parent-child communication about drugs and that, conversely, “… the quality of the adolescent’s relationship with his parents seems to be the best protective factor against the use of drugs” (International Drug Control Program, 1997: 50).
Some research suggests that the family influence can remain predominant, but only in the family unit is strong and united; the weaker the family, the greater the peer group influence. Links are sometimes made between drug use and children who have grown up in homes affected by divorce, separation or bereavement. On the whole research does not substantiate a causal effect unless the family unit is qualitatively dysfunctional (International Drug Control Program, 1997: 50-52).
Price, availability and legal status are important influences on illicit drug use. Clearly, availability is a sine qua non for any form of drug use, therefore what must be assessed are degrees of availability of different drug rather than availability itself.
Worldwide, adolescence and young adulthood are the period most associated with the onset of illicit drug use. A report prepared by the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe on drug abuse in 13 European cities indicates that under the age of 15, lifetime prevalence of cannabis use is low (5%) although solvent use is reported in higher proportions. By 17-18 years, between 20 and 30% are reported as having tried cannabis at least once; among young adults the rates were often over 30% (International Drug Control Program, 1997: 53-60).
The user's preoccupation with the substance, plus its effects on mood and performance, can lead to marital problems and poor work performance or dismissal. Drug use can disrupt family life and create destructive patterns of co-dependency, that is, the spouse or whole family, out of love or fear of consequences, inadvertently enables the user to continue using drugs by covering up, supplying money, or denying there is a problem. Pregnant drug users, because of the drugs themselves or poor self-care in general, bear a much higher rate of low birth-weight babies than the average. Many drugs (e.g., crack and heroin) cross the placental barrier, resulting in addicted babies who go through withdrawal soon after birth, and
fetal alcohol syndrome can affect children of mothers who consume alcohol during pregnancy. Pregnant women who acquire the AIDS virus through intravenous drug use pass the virus to their infant.
Drug abuse affects society in many ways. In the workplace it is costly in terms of lost work time and inefficiency. Drug users are more likely than nonusers to have occupational accidents, endangering themselves and those around them. Over half of the highway deaths in the United States involve alcohol. Drug-related crime can disrupt neighbourhoods due to violence among drug dealers, threats to residents, and the crimes of the addicts themselves. In some neighbourhoods, younger children are recruited as lookouts and helpers because of the lighter sentences given to juvenile offenders, and guns have become commonplace among children and adolescents.
Successful substance abuse treatment and addiction recovery addresses the needs of family members and significant others. Whether the patient is facing alcohol addiction recovery or treatment in our drug rehab program, involvement of family members is crucial.
Those closest to the substance abuse patient are considerably affected by the drug or alcohol addiction behaviour and require attention to their own suffering. Because the lives of all family members are inseparable, substance abuse is most effective when treated as a family disease.
When one family member is afflicted with the disease of drug or alcohol addiction, the entire family is affected. Repercussions can take the form of spouse or child abuse, divorce, accidents and negligence, financial loss, stress, and many other effects not so readily apparent.
Family members may invest substantial efforts into keeping up appearances for the addicted individual. The pain of admitting that they cannot control what is happening to the family can be unbearable. Trying to control the substance abuser by removing the drugs or alcohol, eliciting promises of abstinence, and covering up the substance abuse are some of the ways families are drawn into the abuser’s sickness.
Although some family members may seem perfectly healthy, underlying attitudes and behaviours have been shaped by dealing with the substance abuse by the family member:
· Linking of self esteem to the abstinence or relapse of the addict - many family members believe they can control the addict's illness and blame themselves for relapses.
· Excluding their own needs by assuming responsibility for the addict's.
· Anxiety about intimacy and separation.
· Depression.
· Ultra-sensitivity to subtle shifts in the addict's behaviour and mood.
As the data from Information Unit for Illicit Drugs shows, in the period from 1992 to 2004 the number of drug users, which were looking for medical help in the network of centres for prevention and treatment of addiction to illicit drugs, was growing. Every year the course of treatment entered between 200 and 500 persons. In this period (1992 – 2004) every year there were more men cases than women and regarding to age distribution the largest part of people was in the age group from 20 to 24. Among those, who were looking for help, the majority represented individuals, in need for help because of the problems with opiates or heroin.
Average age at first use of illicit drug in observing period was 16 and average age of using primary drug is for women 18 and for men 19 years. Among those, who were asking for medical help for the first time, was remarkable withdrawal of searching for help because of problems with heroin, looking for help because of problems with cannabis was increasing and also because of problems with cocaine, but in smaller account.
Combined use of drugs increased too; most common combinations are heroin and cannabis, heroin and cocaine and cocaine and alcohol. Average Slovenian problematic user of illicit drugs is a man, less than 30 years old who has problems with heroin. Before entering drug treatment program he was using heroin more than two and a half years, his first illicit drug, which he consumed, was cannabis. He uses heroin daily but he uses other drugs too. He is in treatment in central-Slovenian region and he is not well educated.
Legislative basis allows treatment of addiction from illicit drugs in public medical network. Overlook of expenses of Institute for Medical Insurance in Slovenia, which are intended for running the centres for prevention and treatment of addiction to illicit drugs, points out growth of trend all the way to the year 2004, in year 2005 this trend of financial resources turned backwards, which can be ascribed to novelty in offering replaceable medications for treating addiction to opiates.
Slovenia has taken over definition of The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) at defining mortality because of illicit drugs. In the period from 2001 to 2005 the number of deceased because of illegal drugs was increasing, number of dead men was about three times higher than number of deceased women. Total number of deaths is highest among people in the age group from 25 to 29 and among women from 20 to 24. Largest number of deaths was because of heroin, other opiates and methadone (Inštitut za varovanje zdravja, 2007).
People mostly have problems with admiting, that they have problems with drugs. This is especialy hard for teenagers, because they are convinced, that they have control on everything. They deny addiction and they claim, that they have things under control. Denying and hiding from their friends can soon become almost that big problem as adiction it self.
This causes, that a person wants to get away from others, that are concerned about him, and care for him and in the end they can be left alone and frightened (Urad za droge, 2008a).
Slovenia like the rest of the world, also has centres where people are rehabilitating, I would like to expose one of them, and their program for helping former drug users of illicit drugs.
This center for social work is in Brežice and the program is called: »Group for (self) help for former addicted from illicit drugs «. Users of programme are also abstainers and their close relatives or confidential person. Goals of the programme are: 1. to keep and strengthen quality of life; 2. to keep abstinence; 3. to develop emotional, cognitive and behavioral skills, 4. to teach how to use crisis and conflicts in personal life as oppurtunity for personal development and not for justifing your failures; 5. teaching of concrete social skills; and 6. to develop abillity of communication. Their goals are covering four fields: social, material, psychic and somatic (Urad za droge, 2008b).
Drug addiction follows a cycle like this: problem (discomfort or emotional or physical pain that a person is experiencing) and not dealing with it.
A person has a problem or discomfort that he do not know how to resolve or cannot confront. It could be a problem where a person do not »fit in« as a child or a teenager, because of its schoolfellows or work expectations, identity problems or divorce as an adult. It can also include physical discomfort, such as for example chronic pain. The person experiencing this has a real problem. He feels his situation as untenable but he sees no good solution to the problem. We are all experiencing problems in our life but the difference between addict and non-addict is that addict chooses drugs (or alcohol) as a solution to his problem (Urad za droge, 2008c).
Sometimes the way of getting into treatment is determining the kind of treatment that is available, it is depending wheather treatment is voluntary or compulsory, whether entry is during the social services, emergency room referral, the criminal justice system or promptet by problems in the workplace.
Treatment programmes are different according to short, medium or long term goals such as abstinence, an overall reduction of drug related harm to the user and to society through lower morbidity and mortality rates, less risky sexual or injecting practices, a reduction in the level of criminal activities and the return to employment, family life or other responsibilities.
Abstinence-based treatment begins with detoxification, the process by which the drug is eliminated from the human organism, generally by natural metabolism. Psychotherapy and behaviour theraphy are provided on a group or individual basis, they help the patient to understand the reason for the compulsive drug use and to find the strenght to overcome it.
The medical prescription of substitute drugs for dependence - producing ones has most commonly been associated with opiate addiction since the introduction of methadone in 1965, and it remains the most common form of treatment for heavily dependent opiate users in the developed world. For the dependent user who whishes to remain drug - free, detoxification is only the eginning of a long, hard struggle against the world, for the long – term, heavy drug user, sustained abstinence is the exception rather than the rule.
The success or failure of drug treatment programes depends on many factors, both internal and external to the drug – dependent individual. For some, total abstinence is the most suitable course of treatment, for others a slow reduction in dosage accompained by supportive psychotheraphy is preferable.
The factors that seem to give most hope of success are early intervention and duration of treatment: the sooner treatment can begin and the longer care is provided, the better seem to be the chances of a successful outcome (United Nations, 1997: 213-220).
For more information see the appendix 12.1.
Methods used in our research in order to find solution how to increase rehabilitaton rate of drug addicts we did a qualitative research, with closed tipe of questionnaire. We interviewed a former heroin addict. The questionnaire used in our interview is in the appendix 12. 2.
Person we interviewed told us that he started using drugs when he was 13 years old, first drug that he had taken was marijuana. When he was 18 he started with heroin and his addiction lasted for 5 years with short brakes. He started using heroin again because of boredom. Basic reason for using heroin was that he was in his own world in which he felt good. He was employed so he had money for buying heroin, so he spent 200€ per week, therefore he spent 800€ per month. Friends were the main reason that he started using drugs and they also provided heroin for him. His parents had very positive influence on him, they wanted to help him so they sent him on detoxification to Dianovo, Portugal, where he stayed for 11 months. In community they want you to do different free-time activities so that you forget about drugs. Then he came back to Slovenia for 3 months reintegration, where they help you to integrate back into the normal life. The treatment is successful only if you really want to quit drugs and you are not forced into it. If you do not want to get back on the old tracks you must find drugs repulsive and you must hit the rock bottom, to recognize that situation is serious. He thinks that it is necessary to find help for addiction; it certainly helps, rather than overcome the addiction by yourself. You must also find the strength in yourself or else you most definitely will fail.
9. CONCLUSION
Our findings in this project are that it is hard to prevent people from taking drugs or trying drugs for the first time. Using drugs is not socially integrative because it causes fall outs between families, friends and other members of society. Parents are the main preventional mechanism, because they can inculcate you a sense for moral values that does not include a need for drugs for enhancing your self-confidance. Especially important moral values are because they serve as a sheild from temptations. Basic reason for trying drugs, in many cases, are friends, which encourage you to try it because it is a cool thing. If you want to stop taking drugs in first place you must loose your bad friends who are nothing but bad habit. On the other hand if you start using drugs it is very important that you have the right people around you who can help you realising that you should stop using drugs and if necessary to get professional help. Support from people close to you is crucial for successful treatment because they can help you through difficult moments. Support of family, friends etc., is crucial even after rehabilitation when you have to integrate in the society again. Finally, foundation for rehabilitation is you own will and strenght, without that your treatment basically is not possible. Being forced in rehabilitation is not the right way to start your new life without drugs.
1. International Drug Control Programe (1997): World Drug Report. Oxford University Press (p. 45-56)
2. Inštitut za varovanje zdravja, (2007), Accessed on: http://www.ivz.si/index.php?akcija=novica&n=1447, (8. 3. 2007)
3. Urad za droge (2008a), Spoznati in preprečevati, Accessed on: http://www.uradzadroge.gov.si/pomoc1.php?id=1 (08.03.2008)
4. Urad za droge (2008b), Imam težave z drogami! Kam po informacije in pomoč? Accessed on: http://www.uradzadroge.gov.si/pomoc2_A_C.php?org=4
5. Urad za droge (2008c), Spoznati in preprečevati, Accessed on: http://www.uradzadroge.gov.si/pomoc1.php?id=1 (08.03.2008)
6. International Drug Control Programe (1997): World Drug Report. Oxford University Press (p. 213-220)
7. Milčinski, Lev (1986): Droge v svetu in pri nas, Delavska enotnost, Ljubljana
abstainers – vzdrzneži
enhancing – povečati
illicit drugs – prepovedane droge
inebrians - opojne snovi
inclulcate – vcepiti
morbidity – obolevnost
sensory deprivation - senzorna deprivacija
soporifics – uspavala
susceptible – dovzeten
untenable – nevzdržen
withdrawal – umik
Switzerland has one of the highest »per capita« rates on heroin and cocaine use in Europe, with an estimated 30,000 individuals who have a regular, intensive and problematic use of heroin or cocaine, equivalent to about 1% of the the general population at risk between the ages of 15 and 50.
Intervju
- Pri katerih letih si se spoznal z drogo?
Z drogo sem se spoznal že pri trinajstih letih, takrat sem prvič kadil marihuano.
- Kdaj si prvič poskusil heroin?
Prvič sem heroin poskusil pri 18 letih, takrat se je tudi začela pot odvisnosti.
- Koliko časa je trajala odvisnost?
Od heroina sem bil odvisen 5 let.
- Ali si kdaj vmes nehal jemati heroin? (če, zakaj si spet začel?)
Vmes sem nehal jemati heroin, vendar sem spet začel, pretežno zaradi tega ker mi je bilo dolgčas.
- Kateri je bil primarni razlog za uporabo drog?
Z njimi sem bil v svojem svetu, kjer sem se dobro počutil.
- Kje si dobil denar za droge in koliko si približno zapravil za njih na teden/mesec?
Denar za droge sem imel, ker sem hodil v službo, na teden sem zapravil za droge približno 200 € , na mesec pa potem takem okoli 800 € .
- Kakšna je bila vloga prijateljev/staršev pri vsem tem?
Takrat so bili prijatelji tisti s katerimi sem se drogiral in tisti od katerih sem drogo dobival, starši pa so imeli zelo pozitivno vlogo, saj so mi hoteli pomagati in so tudi mi pomagali pri odvajanju.
- Kaj te je pripeljalo do zdravljenja? Kam si odšel na zdravljenje?
Vsega sem imel že čez glavo, hotel sem prenehati z jemanjem drog, na zdravljenje pa sem odšel na Portugalsko, v Dianovo.
- Koliko časa je potekalo zdravljenje?
Zdravljenje na Portugalskem je trajalo 11 mesecev, potem pa sem bil še 3 mesece v Ljubljani na reintegraciji.
- Kakšen je potek zdravljenja?
Zdravljenje se začne z odhodom v komuno, tam preživiš okoli 1 leto. V komuni se dela različne stvari od vrtnarjenja, kuhanja do šivanja, itd., hkrati pa imaš tudi skupinsko terapijo, ter pogovore s psihologinjo. Po enem letu se vrneš v Ljubljano, kjer greš v reintegracijo, kjer naj bi si ponovno uredil življenje in se vključil v družbo.
- Izkušnje in mnenje o uspešnosti zdravljenja? Imaš izkušnjo povratništva (prijatelj, znanec)? Razlogi za povratništvo?
Zdravljenje je toliko uspešno, kolikor si tega dejansko želiš. Seveda so povratniki, od trinajstih slovencev s katerimi sem bil na Portugalskem, smo le še štirje, ki nismo povratniki.
- Tvoje mnenje o najboljši poti, da ne postaneš povratnik oz. prenehaš z uživanjem drog?
Dokončno ti mora postati drogiranje odvratno, moraš priti na dno, da ti postane jasno, da to ni v redu.
- Koliko stane bivanje v komuni?
Na Portugalskem je bila cena 820 € na mesec, to je terapevtska komuna, obstajajo pa tudi komune, ki so brezplačne te pa so delovne.
- Kaj/kdo ti lahko najbolj pomaga ko prideš iz komune, da se ne vrneš nazaj?
Najbolj ti seveda pomagajo bližnji, družina in prijatelji.
- Neprijetne izkušnje z nepoznanimi ljudmi?
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- Omejitve pri pridobitvi službe, stanovanja...?
Zaenkrat me to pri ničemer takem še ni omejevalo.
- Kako je ta izkušnja vplivala nate? Kaj počneš danes?
Ta izkušnja odvajanja je name vplivala zelo pozitivno. Trenutno pa delam na televiziji, sem novinar in snemalec.
- Nasvet pri odvajanju od drog?
Splača se poiskati pomoč. Seveda obstajajo ljudje, ki jim rata samim, ampak vseeno priporočam pomoč. Pri odvajanju od odvisnosti moraš biti odločen, če se boš zdravil pod prisilo, ti verjetno ne bo uspelo.
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