What Makes A Drug Addiction?

1579 Words7 Pages
Having a drug addiction is a very tough thing to go through in life. It consumes your life, you wake up wanting drugs, waste the day looking for drugs and go to sleep in a drug induce “. “Coma”. At one time certain drugs were legal to use but of course it became addictive and proven to be fatal. Even though doctors, soda companies, and grocery stores use to sell these legal drugs, it’s questionable to understand what makes these drugs addictive and what made it suddenly illegal. During the 19th century opium was legal and free to use, doctors would prescribe it for tooth aches and also for menstrual cramps. Opium is known as “the Breadseed Poppy and is arguably the most infamous flower in the history of mankind. Used medically…show more content…
In 1943 LSD was accidentally discovered after a Swiss scientist was testing chemicals and it accidentally absorbed into his skin. During the 1950’s when the cold war was taking place, the U.S Army along with the CIA and researchers learned that LSD can be used as “brainwashing” the enemy. LSD is “manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in the ergot fungus that grows on rye and other grains” (drugfree, 2013). LSD or as known as “acid” can have a person hallucinating, alter time and also vivid visions, the drug is unpredictable. In the 1970 congress listed the drug as a Schedule I substances, meaning it is not recognized as medicinal or therapeutic. In the early 20th century heroin was legal believe it or not, and it was used as a treatment for coughs and for as a methadone program for morphine users. Heroin is “processed from morphine which occurs naturally in the seedpod of the Asian opium poppy plant” (heroin, 2012). Used as a pain reliever ended up being an addiction for millions of Americans. Heroin was later outlawed in 1924, but it is still being sold for money and used by users even though it is illegal. What is a drug addiction? “Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use,
Get Access
Related
Get Access