How to Reduce Drug Abuse

How to Reduce Drug Abuse What to do immediately

The physical health of your patient is an immediate concern. There are three situations in which

a drug user can be in need of urgent medical help:

• Intoxication. This is when a person has used so much of the drug within a short period of time that he is very confused and may be unconscious. This is dangerous for people using heroin or opium because these drugs can suppress breathing.

• Severe withdrawal reactions, such as confusion and fits. Most withdrawal reactions, though, are

milder and can be helped using simple medicines and reassurance.

• Serious infections or injuries.

If a person is not in need of urgent action, then the first goal of treatment is to establish rapport so that she can trust you. Explain that the physical dependence is making her take drugs repeatedly. With the permission of the drug user, counsel the family and involve them in the treatment plan. Where appropriate, also counsel the drug user about the risk of HIV and other infections.

How to Reduce Drug Abuse For people who are willing to stop now:

• Set a definite date for stopping.

• The person should give himself at least one week to recover from the withdrawal reaction.

• Inform close family members or friends who can help during the withdrawal phase.

• If there is a risk of a withdrawal reaction, advise the person about the symptoms and how to control them. Use diazepam for sleep problems, antispasmodic medicines for diarrhoea and painkillers for aches and pains. If you feel unsure about the severity of the withdrawal, it is better to arrange for the person to go to hospital.

• In some countries, specific medicines are used to reduce the withdrawal symptoms of some drugs. The best examples are methadone and dextropropoxyphene, which are used for opium and heroin abuse. However, these drugs are usually available only through special clinics and it is best to refer people to such clinics.

• Relapse is common and often occurs because the person is not able to deal with life difficulties.

How to Reduce Drug Abuse Once drug use is stopped, discuss ways in which he could cope with life difficulties. Identify different things a person can do to reduce the risk of taking drugs such as:

• Giving up friends who also take drugs.

• Getting back to work or school.

• Learning relaxation and problem-solving.

• Spending time doing other enjoyable activities.

• Enjoying the increased money he will have.

• Joining a community group that helps drug users.

How to Reduce Drug Abuse For people who are not willing to stop now:

• Refer them to a community group that helps drug users.

• Consider ways of reducing the drug abuse, for example from smoking half a gram of heroin a day to a quarter of a gram.

• Move from more to less dangerous ways of using drugs, for example from injecting drugs to smoking them.

• Advise regarding reducing risk of infections from injections.

• Point out the damage the drugs are causing.

• Always offer the person a chance to come back to talk to you.

How to Reduce Drug Abuse For people who relapse:

• Explain how this is common. Find out why they relapsed and how they may prevent this from happening in the future.

• Give credit for whatever period of time they had managed to stay off the drugs.

• Start again as you would have the first time they came for help.

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