What Is a Substance Abuse Counselor?

Drug abuse refers to the repeated and large-scale use of drugs with dependent characteristics or dependence potential. This type of drug is not related to recognized medical needs and is a drug for non-medical purposes. Drugs of abuse include non-medical preparations and pharmaceutical preparations, including banned substances forbidden for medical use and controlled drugs.

Drug abuse can lead to drug addiction and other behavioral disorders, leading to serious public health and social problems. ^[1]

Chinese name: Drug abuse

Foreign name: Drug Abuse

Specific explanations for drug abuse

(1) It is unreasonable whether it is the type of drug, or the method and place of use;

(2) self-administration without the guidance of a doctor, this self-administration exceeds the medical scope and dosage standards;

(3) The user cannot extricate himself from the drug and has compulsive use of the drug;

(4) Due to the use of drugs, mental and physical harm and social harm are often caused.

Scope of substance abuse

(1) Narcotic drugs. Such as opioids, cocaine, and cannabis.

(2) Psychotropic drugs. Including central inhibitors, such as sedative hypnotics; central stimulants, such as caffeine; and hallucinogenic agents, such as mescalin, LSD, and so on.

(3) Volatile organic solvents. Such as gasoline, lighter fuel and coating solvents, etc., have inhibitory and hallucinogenic effects, have tolerance and even mental dependence.

(4) Tobacco. Its main ingredient, nicotine, can be addictive even after long-term use.

(5) Alcohol. Long-term drinking can also produce physical and psychological dependence.

If some medicines for treatment are abused, they are very likely to become "lethal" drugs. In addition to heroin, opium, marijuana, methamphetamine, magu, ecstasy, K powder and other drugs known to the public, diazepam (diazepam) and cough water are "new drugs" that are commonly abused in China.

Experts point out that many people believe that over-the-counter medicines can be used with confidence, and in order to pursue efficacy, even increase the dose without authorization. In fact, some unregulated drugs, taken over time or overdose, can lead to dependence. For example, some commonly used medicines such as compound cough drops and cold medicines, because they contain opiates, caffeine, ephedrine, phenobarbital and other narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, may be accumulated for a long time and have dependence.

Harm of substance abuse

Drug abuse is extremely harmful to individuals, families and society. Without effective measures to prevent and control, drug abuse and its related diseases will soon spread worldwide, and any country is at risk. The Asian continent, which was not threatened by drugs in the early 1970s, has become one of the concentrated areas for drug use and production. In the 1980s, 100,000 people died directly from drug abuse worldwide.

1. Serious harm to the physical and mental health of drug users

According to epidemiological research, the epidemic of AIDS has spread and mortality has increased in recent years, and people are regarded as a major disaster for humans today. The transmission of AIDS is mainly three major aspects: homosexuality or sexual disorder, intravenous drug abuse, and blood transfusion or blood products.

According to the data released by the Ministry of Health of China on October 18, 1990, 300,000 key populations were monitored for HIV from 1985 to the end of September 1990, and 416 HIV-positive people were found. Of these, 378 were mainland citizens, and 368 of the 378 were drug users. Drug users are prone to spreading AIDS because they use contaminated syringes with each other, which makes HIV spread quickly.

2. Effects of drug abuse on eugenics

Drug abuse has led many women to a mischief. Physiologically, amenorrhea, ovulation, or infertility often occur. Recently, pregnant women who have taken drugs have found that the babies they give birth to are very low in weight and their fetuses are slower than normal. Clinically, these fetuses who are poisoned by their mothers, once born, show withdrawal symptoms similar to those of an adult cold turkey. The main manifestations are tremor, restlessness, hyperactivity, increased muscle tone, crying, increased breathing, poor suckling, and convulsions. In addition, some newborns have fever, yawning, vomiting, diarrhea, and runny nose. Metabolism also occurs, respiratory alkalosis, loss of large amounts of sodium, changes in plasma serotonin content, and so on.

3 The effects of chronic drug or alcohol abuse on families and children

Family members, especially husbands and wives, are volatile and often suffer from wives and family ruins due to the decline of drug users' lives and moral loss and the depletion of family money. According to research, families of drug addicts have extremely high divorce rates. Drug addicts' wives are prone to anxiety, depression, and despair, and some commit suicide because their husbands do not change their habits.

Family pattern or family ethics or divorce will seriously affect the development and growth of children's mental health. Minor children living in such families are more likely to have abnormal behavior or neurosis. Their academic performance declines, and their enrollment and employment rates are lower than children of ordinary families.

4 Impact on society

According to many sociologist studies, drug use and crime can have a causal relationship. That is, drug use creates crime, and offenders are more susceptible to drug and alcohol abuse, which seriously affects social morality and social order. Drug abuse among the population and the overall epidemic have caused a country to consume a large amount of human, financial, material and social wealth in the prevention, treatment and management of drug control and detoxification, which has increased huge national expenditures. Over time, there will be a social and ethnic crisis.

Substance abuse drug abuse monitoring

Disclose the monitoring of drug abuse to the public through reports on drug control in China, notification of adverse drug reactions, and reports from the International Narcotics Control Board. ^[2]

Drug abuse related social groups

Drug Abuse Prevention Association of China

Introduction

China Association for Drug Abuse Prevention is a national academic social organization, which was established in December 1993. The first president of the association was Comrade Chen Minzhang, then the Minister of Health, and the second and third presidents were Comrade Pan Xuetian, then the director of the Pharmaceutical Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Health. The competent department of the association is the Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China, and the registration department is the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China.

Mission of the Association

Broadly unite national health workers and volunteers in other departments who are enthusiastic about drug abuse prevention and control, and carry out drug abuse prevention (mainly drugs, narcotics, psychotropic substances, alcohol, tobacco, organic solvents) prevention and treatment, and assist the national administrative department Work in accordance with the articles of association.

Association Mission

Carry out academic seminars and exchange of experiences in the prevention and control of drug abuse. Carry out extensive publicity and education on drug abuse prevention and education to improve the health of the public; organize various training courses to improve the technical level of medical and health personnel engaged in drug abuse prevention and treatment; cultivate and establish backbone teams engaged in drug abuse prevention and education ; Efforts to serve medical and clinical research institutions, drug research and production enterprises, develop new technologies and drugs; strengthen business exchanges and cooperation with relevant international social academic groups.

Association members

The association recruits medical and health workers engaged in the prevention and treatment of drug abuse and psychology, society, education, public security, justice, civil affairs, and enterprises engaged in drug abuse prevention and education. Units and individuals who have made certain achievements are group members and individual member.
The association is mainly composed of health administrative departments, medical research institutes, medical and health institutions, drug treatment institutions, pharmaceutical companies and other group member units and individual members related to drug abuse prevention and control.

Association branches

There are 12 branches of the Association: Social Psychological Intervention Branch, Public Security Administrative Forced Isolation Detoxification Branch, Drug Maintenance Treatment Branch, Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Dependence Prevention Research Branch, Family and Youth Work Branch, Synthetic Drug Research Branch, Addiction Medicine Branch, Addiction The Mutual Commandment Chapter, the Substance Abuse and Criminal Psychology Chapter, the Anti-Drug Culture Chapter, the Preventive Education Chapter, and the Judicial Administration Forced Isolation Detoxification Chapter.

Association Publications

"Chinese Journal of Drug Abuse Prevention and Control" is a national academic journal that has been approved for publication by the Ministry of Science and Technology at home and abroad. This journal is headed by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, and hosted by the Chinese Association for Drug Abuse Prevention and Control and the Institute of Toxic Drugs of the Military Medical College of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. ^[2]