June 26: World Drug Day
June 26 marks the World Drug Day, an opportunity to raise awareness about drug abuse around the world. The United Nations Agency dealing with drug problems around the world has launched an information campaign to mobilize support and to inspire people to act against drug use. The campaign encourages young people to put their health first and not to take drugs. These illicit drugs include amphetamine-type stimulants, coca/cocaine, cannabis, hallucinogens, opiates and sedative hypnotics. Around 200 million people take drugs at least once a year. Of these, 25 million are regarded as drug dependent. Every year 200,000 people die from drug-related illnesses. Young people are more susceptible to drug use. Prevalence of drug use among young people is more than twice as high as drug use among the general population; three times as high in the case of cannabis. Much more needs to be done to provide young people with the skills, information and opportunities to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Drug users comes from different kinds of backgrounds. They are males and females, young and old, working or unemployed, coming from cities or the country, basically anyone can be a drug user. Marijuana (pot, grass, weed, ganja) is usually smoked in a cigarette and sold in brown chunks. Amphetamines (including meth) and ecstasy are usually sold as pills, but can also come in a powder that can be mixed into a drink. Cocaine, a white or brownish powder, is usually snorted through the nose, while heroin is generally injected with a syringe. Drugs usually create a happy, euphoric feeling, but are associated with several health risks, from lung cancer to other respiratory diseases (for the use of marijuana) to infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, apathy, menstrual irregularities, and irregular heart rhythm. ...
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