HIV and Intravenous (IV) drug abuse
ADEZE OJUKWU
New Jersey, USA
Friday, April 23, 2004
The battle against Intravenous (IV) drug abuse has become more urgent than ever. According to United States (US)- based physician, Dr Chidi Achebe, recent estimates from the United Nations, (UN) indicate that about 10 per cent of all HIV infections across the planet are contracted from contaminated needles or other injecting equipment. And more specifically about 22 percent of the world’s HIV/AIDS population injects drugs. He said that in North America and Europe, IV drug abuse has long been one of the three major ‘engines for the spread of the AIDS epidemic.’ Though, Africa has not witnessed an IV drug epidemic like many other parts of the world, the populations of Nigeria, the Ivory Coast – intermittent transit countries for heroine- as well as Gabon, Uganda, Zambia and South Africa appear vulnerable.
Abuse, according to Dr Achebe, arises when the use of drugs or prescriptions for purposes other than those for which they were indicated or in a manner or in quantities other than directed. ‘The substances include heroine, Codeine and Morphine; Phencyclidine and Analogs, stimulants such as amphetamines and cocaine, as well as depressants such as Librium, valium and ativan. When any of these is administered through the veins-intravenously-it is termed ‘Intravenous’ IV drug use,’ he explained.
Though psychoactive drugs have always been used by people, for curative, religious and recreational purposes for hundreds of years, the UN on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) agency for Drug control posited that, the invention of hypodermic syringes enabled people to inject these drugs, making their effects more powerful and the risk of addiction more serious. Over the years, various United Nations Conventions have restricted the sale and use of different substances to medical purposes. Nevertheless the abuse has continued to worsen.
A psychoactive substance, according to the agency, is any substance that people take to change either the way they feel, think, or behave. ‘This includes alcohol and tobacco as well as natural and manufactured drugs. In the past, most drugs were made from plants, such as the coca bush for cocaine, opium poppies for heroin and cannabis for hashish or marijuana but currently drugs such as Ecstasy or LSD are produced by synthesizing various chemicals. They fall into three categories: depressants-heroin, barbiturates, stimulants- cocaine, crack, amphetamines and hallucinogens - marijuana, Ecstasy, LSD, and are either ingested, inhaled, smoked, injected or snorted.’ Here is the agency’s fact sheet on drug abuse.
Depressants are sedatives that act on the nervous system. They provide artificial relaxation and relief from anxiety and mental stress but tend to produce psychological dependence; withdrawal from heavy use is severe.
Stimulants are agents that activate, enhance, or increase activity of the central nervous system. They include amphetamines and synthetic appetite suppressants such as phenmetrazine or methylphenidate. Stimulants can give rise to symptoms suggestive of intoxication, including tachycardia, pupillary dilation, elevated blood pressure and nausea or vomiting. They can also cause violent and aggressive behaviour, agitation and impaired judgement. A full-blown delusional psychosis may occur.
Hallucinogens are chemically diverse and produce profound mental changes such as euphoria, anxiety, sensory distortion, vivid hallucinations, delusion, paranoia and depression. They include mescaline and LSD.
Effects
Drugs can be harmful in a number of ways, both through immediate effects and through damage to health over time. Even occasional use of marijuana affects cognitive development and short-term memory. In addition, the effects of marijuana on perception, reaction and coordination of movements can result in accidents.
Hallucinogens (such as LSD) distort perceptions, alter heart-rate and blood pressure and, in the long term, cause neurological disorders, depressions, anxiety, visual hallucinations and flashbacks.
Cocaine and amphetamines cause tremors, headaches, hypertension and increased heart-rate. Long-term effects include nausea, insomnia, loss of weight, convulsions and depression.
Heroin use initially results in nausea, slow respiration, dry skin, itching, slow speech and reflexes. Over a long period of time there is a serious risk of developing physical and psychological dependence, which can result in acute overdose and even death due to respiratory depression.
‘There is a tendency to present some drugs (such as cannabis and Ecstasy) as less harmful than they actually are, without taking into consideration their long-term consequences and the effects they have on adolescent development, particularly on the development of certain critical functions (cognitive ability and capacity to memorize). Ecstasy has been presented as having little or no side effects, but studies show that its use alters, perhaps permanently, certain brain functions and also damages the liver and other body organs.’
‘Although not regarded as illicit, inhalants are widely abused, especially by disadvantaged youth. Some of these volatile substances, which are present in many products such as glue, paint, gasoline and cleaning fluids, are directly toxic to the liver, kidney or heart, and some produce progressive brain degeneration.’
‘The major problem with psychoactive drugs is that when people take them, they focus on the desired mental and emotional effects and ignore the potentially damaging physical and mental side effects that can occur. No illicit drug can be considered "safe". In one way or another, the use of psychoactive substances alters the normal functioning of the human body, and in the long run they can cause serious damage.’