Drug Use and AbuseCRJ124NICCSara NelsonI Introduction Drug use and abuse are constantly increasing. There is a widespread misunderstanding about medications. Many believe that a drug is something that the government has made illegal to use or consume. However this is not entirely true. A drug is any chemical you take that affects how your body works. Alcohol, caffeine, aspirin and nicotine are all drugs. A drug must be able to pass from your body to your brain. Once inside the brain, drugs can change the messages that brain cells send to each other and to the rest of the body. They do this by interfering with the brain's chemical signals, I'll talk about this later in the article. I chose drug use as a topic because from my earliest years as a child I remember someone in my life was always addicted to drugs or using drugs. Because of this, I have seen many of the drug trends present on the streets, in schools, and in our homes. Having a child of my own, I have made it a goal, like many others, to make sure my daughter knows right from wrong and says no! When I was in school they didn't implement drug awareness programs, they didn't talk to us much about drug use, or even show us in our classrooms the war America is facing when it comes to drugs. Many fads come and go. However, it seems like a trend has been around for too long. Substance abuse of any kind is common in most populations. II Literature In America it is estimated that 12.8 million Americans use drugs. Of the 12.8 million, 6% of the population are children aged 12 and over. This number shows the number of people who have used drugs in the last 30 days. The...... middle of paper......pamine release, or pleasure from the things they once did. The drug user is only able to experience pleasure if the drug is in his system. This is how the brain of a drug addict or addict works. This lack of pleasure does not last forever. Through a period of detoxification the person will regain those normal sensations of pleasure. However, many cannot hold on long enough to realize that the sensations return on their own after a while.http://www.helpguide.org/mental/drug_substance_abuse_addiction_signs_effects_treatment.htm http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk /whoami/ findoutmore/yourbrain/howdodrugsaffectyourbrain/whatisadrug.aspx http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/emerging-trends https://www.ncjrs.gov/htm/chapter2.htm http://www. drugabuse.gov /sites/default/files/rrprescription.pdfhttp://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/846099/dr-drew-talks-teen-prescription-drug-abuse