Signs of Substance Abuse

Substance abuse can come from drugs or alcohol that affect every day daily activities. It can also affect relationships, financial health, and work. From an article I read it said, “you may think you can control how much substance you take in.” I found this interesting because sometimes people don’t think they have a substance abuse problem until they realize they have to take more of the drug to get the same high, or effect. Signs of substance abuse users can have problems with family and work. These users will eat less and rarely sleep. Substance abuse can lead to addiction, which can cause health problems leading to death. Alcohol is labeled as a depressant and it is one common substance abuse that many people have. Alcohol can slow down your way of thinking.

Drinking too much alcohol or drinking alcohol all the time can cause health problems. For example, cirrhosis of the liver. Many people have this disease due to the substance abuse of alcohol. Another type of substance abuse is meth, it is laced with Fentanyl powder. Fentanyl is transdermal, which means it can be absorbed if it meets through skin and can kill someone instantly People do meth because they say it helps them forget about real life problems, and they are less stressed. Meth users enjoy the feeling of being high. For my research paper, I interviewed officer Gaines. She is a 26-year-old, born and raised in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Gaines has been a certified officer since March 2018 after completing the academy and has now been working for Pottawatomie for one year.

I asked the officer about current substance abuse in her community. According to Gaines, in her area the two main substance abuse problems are meth and alcohol. She mentioned that she encounters public drunks and ends up arresting many people for public intoxication and disorderly conduct daily. Officer Gaines said, “the main drug I see a lot of people I arrest is meth.” People can carry meth anywhere, for example in their vehicles. She also stated, “I’ve seen people carry meth in bras, and everywhere in between it seems.” When someone is on meth, they get strong. One thing I learned from officer Gaines is that people on meth have their pain receptors blocked and can’t feel any pain. She said, “meth users are a huge threat when they are in a fight, because they don’t feel anything.” They have a high tolerance for pain.

This interview made me realize that police officers are putting their lives at risk everyday dealing with substance use. Also, it made me realize that there are a lot of crazy people in this world. Drugs can turn someone into the ugliest person ever. Not only does substance abuse affect the life of someone, but it also affects everyone else around them. What we can do to disable this problem is more highway interdiction stops to cut off the main drug supplies that are being smuggled and sold illegally in our community. If someone is dealing with substance abuse, they can get help from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration. Some people with substance abuse is offered counseling and medication to stop the use. Without substance abuse, our community can be a better and safer place.

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