Not Every Drug User Becomes an Addict!

Australians are one of the world’s leading illicit drug users, with around 42% of those over the age of 14 admitting to the use of drugs at least once in their lives – and 15% saying that they have used drugs in the past 12 months.

Statistics also suggest that drug use in Australia is on the rise, with some arguing that online marketplaces have made drugs more accessible to users.

Policy makers have responded by rolling out expensive campaigns to highlight the impacts of drug addiction; and there is no doubt that addictions can have a devastating impact on many users and their families.

But there is a common belief amongst non-users that every user is an ‘abuser’ who is unable to manage their daily life and therefore requires intervention.

But despite the fact that a significant proportion of Aussies use illicit drugs, those who become addicted are in the minority, with most only using drugs on a casual basis such as at the odd music festival or party.

So what makes an addict – and how can the government better tailor their response to assist those in the grips of severe drug addictions?

The Red Flags

Research has found that those who succumb to drug addiction often have certain characteristics which make them more susceptible.

In particular, socioeconomic factors such as a lack of education and employment appear to be ‘red flags’ for drug addiction.

This is reflected in the fact that higher rates of drug addiction tend to be observed in areas associated with poverty.

For many years, medical professionals have warned that those who have a family history of mental illness are more likely to become addicted to drugs.

Now, research seems to confirm that view, with organisations such as SANE Australia saying that those with mental health problems often abuse drugs in order to feel better in the short-term – which then leads to addiction.

In other cases, illicit drugs can make the symptoms of underlying mental health issues more apparent; triggering psychotic episodes which later develop into long term illnesses.

It is certainly the case that many working professionals use drugs – but experts suggest that they are less prone to addiction because of their work and social obligations, which keep them busy and require them to be drug-free.

They say that those in higher socioeconomic categories also tend to have stronger social support systems, which:

‘enable them to manage the risks associated with their drug use, avoiding the most dangerous drugs and managing their frequency and scale of use to reduce harm and maximise pleasure.’

Stronger relationships with friends and family also means that those with stable work have a greater network of people to turn to if they feel their drug use is spiralling out of control.

Drugs by Addictiveness

Of course, there are other factors which may increase a person’s chances of becoming addicted.

One major factor is the type of drug that a person uses. It is known that some drugs are more harmful than others; primarily because their chemical composition means that they are more addictive.

In 2007, drug expert Professor David Nutt examined 20 commonly used drugs and assessed them in terms of physical dependence, psychological dependence and pleasure to determine which drugs were most addictive and harmful.

He gave them a rating on a four-point scale, with a rating of 0 indicating no risk, 1 some risk, 2 moderate risk, and 3 extreme risk.

He found that drug dependence is caused largely by the pleasurable effects of the drug, with drugs that are associated with greater ‘pleasure’ such as cocaine and opioids more commonly abused.

According to Nutt, drugs that have a quicker effect on the brain and produce a longer high are more likely to get abused as users crave their pleasurable effects.

Drugs which produce withdrawal symptoms such as cravings, anxiety, sleeplessness and sweating are also more likely to be used on a regular basis by those wishing to avoid these symptoms.

Nutt’s assessment of these factors revealed that heroin is the most addictive drug, with a rating of 2.77, closely followed by cocaine, with a mean rating of 2.30.

Surprisingly, despite government policy suggesting otherwise, ecstasy was revealed to be relatively harmless, with a rating of 1.09 – ranking even lower than cannabis, which had a score of 1.33.

Ironically, legal substances including tobacco and alcohol were perceived to pose a greater risk in terms of harm and addictiveness. Alcohol had a mean score of 1.85, while tobacco had a mean score of 1.62.

How Should We Treat Drug Addiction?

Given that drug addiction has an association with socioeconomic status, what is the best way to treat drug users?

For years, many health care professionals, policy makers, lawyers and players in the criminal justice system have criticised the punitive (punishment focused) approach that Australia and other countries have taken to drug use.

They have argued that the ‘war on drugs’ has clearly failed, and that an approach based on legalisation, regulation, diversion and treatment is far more beneficial in a range of ways.

This week, Greens leader Richard Di Natale suggested looking to the Portuguese system to better understand how to treat drug users.

In Portugal, drug use is considered to be a health issue, rather than a criminal justice issue.

Instead of fronting court over drugs, users they are directed into rehabilitation programs. Although drug use remains illegal, and police still target drug suppliers, the Portuguese system focuses on directing individuals who have a drug habits away from the criminal justice system.

Mr Di Natale says that Portugal has already seen the beneficial impact of its policy, with the money saved from prosecuting and imprisoning drug users being reinvested into treatment centres.

And instead of seeing an increase in drug use, the country has observed a significant decrease in the negative impacts of criminalisation; with a lowering of overall crime rates, a dramatic reduction in overdoses and fewer cases of transmitted diseases such as HIV.

Mr Di Natale’s view has won support from several other politicians, including Liberal MP Sharman Stone.

But despite widespread support from health professionals and a handful of politicians, there are sadly many more who want to criminalise and lock people up without due regard for the consequences.