Today in Russia more than 8,000,000 people use drugs, of which 700,000 are officially registered with a diagnosis of drug addiction. It should be borne in mind that the real numbers are much higher than the official data tell us. The statistics are truly terrifying. In addition, over the past 20 years there has been a serious “rejuvenation” among drug addicts. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), over the past two decades, the number of drug addicts between the ages of 14 and 18 has grown by more than 15 times. The majority of drug addicts fall within the age range from 20 to 35 years.

This effect of early addiction to drugs in recent years is due to the emergence of new synthetic drugs ( spice , salt). For a long time, these substances were sold legally, and their use was not punishable by law. Today the picture has changed a lot, smoking mixtures are included in the list of prohibited ones and are equated to hard drugs of the opium series, their distribution and use is severely punished at the legislative level. However, the number of people dependent on spice and salts continues to grow steadily, especially for young people. Synthetic drugs are sold cheaply and in large quantities, and can be purchased by any teenager who knows how to use a smartphone. Serious psychological dependence is formed after the first use, addiction at the physical level develops after several doses, followed by withdrawal syndrome or brittleness.

Causes of addiction

The reasons for the formation and development of drug addiction can be different. As a rule, they appear in a complex and it is difficult to single out any one. In each case, various factors can push a person to use drugs.

The causes of drug addiction can be roughly divided into three groups:

• Physiological;
• Social;
• Psychological.

One of the main physiological causes of drug addiction is heredity. More specifically, children of alcoholics and drug addicts are born with an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain that are responsible for the delivery of the hormones of happiness: serotonin, endorphins, and dopamine. In life, this manifests itself in the form of an unstable emotional state, a predisposition to stress, an increased level of anxiety and internal dissatisfaction.

In the first stage , drug use helps the person overcome the above symptoms. Instead of anxiety comes calmness, satisfaction, a sense of self-sufficiency. The insidiousness of drug addiction, as a disease, lies in the fact that drugs each time bring less pleasure, and a person wants more and more. So, in the doomed to failure pursuit of “high”, overdoses occur, so drug addicts switch to heavier drugs.

The psychological reasons for addiction include:

• Immaturity;
• Dissatisfaction with your own life;
• Low level of responsibility;
• Failure to enjoy healthy ways
• Inability to solve accumulated problems;
• Lack of hobbies and vital interests;
• Childhood injuries;
• Other internal conflicts.

The foundations of personality are laid at an early age. Therefore, a lot depends on the parents and the immediate environment of the child. Firmness of character, self-confidence, conscious choice in favor of a healthy lifestyle are the foundations of a full-fledged and self-sufficient personality. Such a person will be able to resist external influences, defending their own interests. After all, it is under the influence of bad company, out of a desire to be accepted and not stand out, that teenagers first try drugs.

The social situation in the country is also extremely important. For example, television today is full of hidden propaganda of immoral lifestyles. Various attributes 228, AUE, 4.20, which are directly related to drug use, are popular among schoolchildren and students .

Public opinion and social environment play an extremely important role. The Soviet Union, where there were no drugs at all, is a good example. A healthy lifestyle was popular in the USSR. If a guy didn’t go to the army, then they always looked at him askance. Today everything is completely different.