Anthology of Monographs on Addiction Studies

Drug abuse represents a major security, social and public health problem to most countries in the world. The problem stems from the costs to society caused by drug use, sales and trafficking around the world. These costs include, but not limited to drop in economic productivity due to drug abuse, health care, crime infestation and prevention, death related to over dose and distribution. Coupled with all the above are other indirect harm to society: petty theft, DUI deaths, HIV/AIDS epidemic, child abuse/neglect, violence and disintegration of the family and marriage systems.

A unique feature of drug abuse is that it is no respecter of people or nations. It affects all countries, race, economic class, religion, political group and age group equally. More over, the impact of drug abuse is spreading so fast worldwide that it can only be seen as a global canker threatening to destroy the fabric of international community. Countries of the world are aware of the dangers and potential implications of continued global drug abuse. As a result, attempts were made early in the 20^th century to address the problem.

In 1909, 13 nations meet in Shanghais, China, for the first international conference on narcotic control. That meeting, later known as the International Opium Convention, lead to the signing of the first binding international law governing the control of drugs. Several conferences have been held at an attempt to foster international cooperation among nations to end the drug problem. More recently, March 16 to 21, 1998, representatives from 130 governments agreed to draft a Political Declaration that outlined a comprehensive global strategy designed to tackle simultaneously all aspects of the drug problem. In June 8-10, 1998, the UN General Assembly met to adopt the Political Declaration and called for its member states to join an international campaign to combat illegal drugs use, production, and trafficking of illicit drugs. The Assembly also called for the reduction of demand for these drugs.

A time line was set demanding that by 2003, member states are to have established or enhanced drug-reduction programs; strengthened legislation to combat illicit manufacture, trafficking, and abuse of synthetic drugs; taken steps to halt laundering of illegal drug profits; and improved cooperation between judicial and law enforcement authorities so that they can effectively deal with the international criminal organizations involved in the drug trade. The Assembly further asked that by 2008, member states are to have eliminated or significantly reduced the manufacture and marketing of illicit drugs; achieved significant reduction in demand; and eradicated or significantly reduced cultivation of coca bushes, cannabis plants, and opium poppies. To help achieve this goal, the UN agencies and international financial institutions are to support development in rural regions now economically dependent on the cultivation of these crops.

Despite international anti-drug treaty, drug abuse continues to pose a threat to the United States and other countries of the world. A Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents published in February 9, 1998, quoted the President of the United States: "The fiscal year 1999 budget I proposed contains an increase of nearly $500 million, to $5.8 billion for drug demand reduction, the largest total ever. I have also asked Congress to fund an additional 1,000 law enforcement officers for our borders, so we can slam the door on drugs where they enter." A March 1, 1999 Weekly Compilation-- noted the President as saying that "Strengthening international narcotics control is one of my Administration’s top policy priorities." It is unlikely that the international war on drugs will stamp out drug abuse in the first decade of the 21^st Century. A concerted effort must be made to find new measure to deal with the drug problem.

ADDICTIVE DISORDERS AS A SOCIO-CULTURAL PROBLEM

Our society sanctions excessive, obsessive/compulsive living by promoting the elements of which addictions are made...values based on extreme competition, first class performance and all or nothing attitude. Children are taught that ‘winning is not the only thing, it is every thing.’ Being "number one" (the winner, the best, the prettiest, the handsomest, the thinnest, the most successful, the smartest, the wealthiest, etc.) is stressed in many media messages.

Our culture also fosters external methods of coping, as the stress to meet unreasonably high standards becomes unbearable. We are encouraged to look outside of ourselves for easy answers to life’s complex problems, (Hall and Cohn, 1987). As the stress of our cultural competitive living mounts, neurochemistry of the brain changes to produce addictive disorders of various kinds. Robert Heath (1949-1950) had proven through animal research that when rats were subjected to extreme conditions before given a reward, their brain chemistry changed, thereby subjecting those rats to be addicted to alcohol.

Media commercials abound that portray the busy, wealthy, businessman who pops anti-acid pills to maintain his busy schedule; the working mother who takes ‘Advil’ to maintain her cool in course of her busy day; ‘macho’ baseball stars who dip snuff and chew tobacco for the win; the liberated woman who is told approvingly, "You’ve come a long way, Baby"; the thin lady who feeds on packaged lean cuisine to maintain her slim; the happy friends who have found happiness in drinking ‘Budweiser’; the happy family who won millions from the state lottery; the sexy lady who goes shopping when the going gets tough. These themes blend together to become key ingredients in the cyclical, addictive process.

Even our music promotes addictive pursuit of sex and drugs. "All Night Long," "I’ve Got to Have Kaya (marijuana) Now," "You Are My Everything," "All or Nothing At All," "Cocaine," "I Don’t Want To Be Alone," "I’ll Never Smile Again, Until I Have You," are a short list of songs that reinforces obsessive/compulsive pursuits of sex, love and drugs as a way of life. Sometimes societal folklore promotes harmful addictive substances. For example, "In the late 1500, Nicholas Nortes of Servilla, Spain, presented a long list of disorders, including toothaches, which he claimed could be cured by tobacco syrup, tobacco enemas, or inhaled tobacco smoke."

Other cultural influences forge ways for addictive disorders. The Russians and Irish tend to drink more. Oakley Ray and Charles Ksir noted that ‘both regions experienced frequent famine.’ Joan and Arden Christen assert that when stress levels become unmanageably high, addiction-prone persons tend to seek internal equilibrium from an outside source – a specific product or process. Once that relief from painful, stressful feelings or situations has been obtained through the use of chemical or process behaviors, the stress cycle is more easily reactivated-- and the addictive cycle is repeated.

Addictive disorders have been recognized as a societal problem very early in human history. Anacharsis, 600 B.C. wrote "The vine bears three types of grapes: the first of pleasure, the next of intoxication, and the third of disgust." When addictive disorders are perceived as a socio-cultural problem, society tends to view the afflicted from the perspective of moral turpitude. Oftentimes, moral sanction is meted out or social ostracizing of those afflicted with addictive disorders.