By Alex Kerwin
Alcohol and drug addiction are conditions where a person is
physically and possibly mentally addicted to their substance of choice. In some
cases, an individual is addicted to more than one substance. The addiction can
cause health problems, social problems, legal problems, family problems and
work problems. In extreme cases, either type of addiction can lead to death, by
either overdose or issues arising from extended use.
As of 2009, in the United States alone, there was an average of 15,183 liver-related alcoholism deaths. That is compared to an average in the same year of 24,518 total deaths from alcohol, and that does not include motor vehicle accidents and alcohol related murder. Between 2000 and 2004, the number of alcohol-related deaths climbed 0.6 percent on a global scale. It is unclear whether this was due to an increase in alcoholism, binge drinking or a rise in drinking all around. It is known that as countries develop the number of women who consume alcohol rises, so there is an expectation of increase in China and India in the future.
Drug addiction is no less dangerous than alcohol addiction. In fact, in some cases, it is exponentially worse. A lot of street drugs are mixed up in people's houses with absolutely no legal standards for production, due to their illegality. An example of such a drug is Krokodil, which is essentially gasoline and Codeine. The two mixed together become a toxic injected drug that is universally deadly for addicts who do not stop. It begins a cycle of extreme tissue damage, lowering the life expectancy of users to two to three years. Furthermore, it is an injected drug, which is always dangerous, given the potential spread of disease.
Statistics show that about one in nine people between 12 and 25 have abused prescription drugs. This trend is not changing. In fact, all the evidence points to a rise in prescription drug abuse among Americans. Between 1990 and 2000, the rate of people abusing prescription medications almost quadrupled.
Because there are so many dangers related to addiction of both drugs and alcohol, it is paramount that addicts get the help they need. They can find it at abuse treatment centers. Most treatment centers offer a variety of treatments for drug and alcohol abuse. They may offer medicine to patients to ease withdrawals. They may offer counseling. They can have both outpatient and inpatient programs. The trick is finding the right one and committing to it. It is a life-saving choice.
As of 2009, in the United States alone, there was an average of 15,183 liver-related alcoholism deaths. That is compared to an average in the same year of 24,518 total deaths from alcohol, and that does not include motor vehicle accidents and alcohol related murder. Between 2000 and 2004, the number of alcohol-related deaths climbed 0.6 percent on a global scale. It is unclear whether this was due to an increase in alcoholism, binge drinking or a rise in drinking all around. It is known that as countries develop the number of women who consume alcohol rises, so there is an expectation of increase in China and India in the future.
Drug addiction is no less dangerous than alcohol addiction. In fact, in some cases, it is exponentially worse. A lot of street drugs are mixed up in people's houses with absolutely no legal standards for production, due to their illegality. An example of such a drug is Krokodil, which is essentially gasoline and Codeine. The two mixed together become a toxic injected drug that is universally deadly for addicts who do not stop. It begins a cycle of extreme tissue damage, lowering the life expectancy of users to two to three years. Furthermore, it is an injected drug, which is always dangerous, given the potential spread of disease.
Statistics show that about one in nine people between 12 and 25 have abused prescription drugs. This trend is not changing. In fact, all the evidence points to a rise in prescription drug abuse among Americans. Between 1990 and 2000, the rate of people abusing prescription medications almost quadrupled.
Because there are so many dangers related to addiction of both drugs and alcohol, it is paramount that addicts get the help they need. They can find it at abuse treatment centers. Most treatment centers offer a variety of treatments for drug and alcohol abuse. They may offer medicine to patients to ease withdrawals. They may offer counseling. They can have both outpatient and inpatient programs. The trick is finding the right one and committing to it. It is a life-saving choice.
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Alex Kerwin writes for Treatment-Center.net to
raise awareness of the dangers of drug and alcohol addiction.
...interesting timing for this post..I must confess i've found myself dabbling with Zanax lately and i dont nderstand why..I've had no real obsession for Alcohol for almost 5 years now,but the desire for narcotics still comes and goes.I know zanax isn't a narcotic but i feel it may be a first step back to the opiates...God help me..
ReplyDeleteI agree, alcohol and drug addiction can be equally dangerous. In fact, alcohol is just another drug, albeit a socially acceptable one. It can cause horrible withdrawal, and I've even seen a couple of people pass away when they tried to detox without medical hep. Anyone with a drinking problem needs to seek treatment as soon as possible to avoid horrible health complications.
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