2. Drug Addiction is commonly defined as the
habitual and uncontrollable use of a drug. It is
often used interchangeably with other terms
such as drug abuse and drug dependence...

4. Addiction is the disruptive behaviour or
activity associated with obtaining and using a
drug that a person is dependent on. An
addiction falls into two categories: physical
and psychological, and it doesn't have to be a
severe problem to be classed as an addiction -
there is such as thing as a mild addiction...

6. • Physical addiction occurs after you blitz a
substance so much it actually alters your
body's chemistry. This means your body
develops a hunger for this drug that you have
to keep feeding. If you don't, your body goes
into withdrawal and you get all sort of nasty
symptoms until you feed it again...

7. • Psychological addiction is when your brain
gets hooked to a particular substance or
behaviour that 'rewards' it, i.e. makes you feel
good. The mind is a powerful thing and
therefore an addicted brain can produce
physical manifestations of
withdrawal, including
cravings, irritability, insomnia, and
depression...

9. When it comes to alcohol, nicotine and illegal
drugs, it's possible to develop either a
physical addiction, psychological addiction, or
a mixture of both...

11. According to studies made, it is evident that
the earlier drug use is initiated, the more
likely it is for a person to develop drug
problems later in life. Substance abuse in
youth can lead to many other problems like
the development of delinquent behaviour,
anti-social attitudes and health related
issues. Drug related problems do not affect
the child only, but rather the family and the
community as well...

13. Drug users often don't start using drugs to
become addicted on purpose. But with many
drugs containing substances that are
addictive, young people who use them
casually in their spare time can then become
regular users...

15. Reasons why people start using drugs can
include:
• to escape problems they may be having in
other parts of their life
• peer pressure and fitting in with another
group of people
• being curious about the effects of drugs...

16. Alcohol is the most often used substance
among young people. There are certain risk-
factors that would determine whether an
adolescent will try alcohol or not. Social
acceptability and media advertising are
among those that can easily influence the
vulnerable minds of young people...

18. As mentioned, becoming dependent on drugs
can affect your family and friends. It can also
have a serious impact on your own physical
and mental well-being. Drug overdoses can be
fatal, and you can die instantly from misusing
drugs that you can buy over the counter. This
includes things like aerosols, glues and other
solvents...

20. A 2003 survey of more than 10,000 school
children aged between 11 and 15 showed that
9% were regular smokers, 25% had drunk
alcohol in the last week, 21% had taken drugs
in the last year, and 4% had used a Class A
drug such as cocaine or heroin...

21. The British Crime Survey showed through its
2010 research, one in five people aged 16-24
has used illicit drugs in the last year...

22. But the BCS gathers all its data by knocking on
people's doors, and therefore misses out
people without doors. This includes prisoners,
homeless people, and students living in halls
of residence. Obviously it's a stereotype, but
you'd expect people in these groups to take a
lot of drugs. So the number may well be much
higher...

24. The research conducted by TheSite.org, found
through their research in 2010 where they
asked more than 600 young people about
their drug-taking habits in their 'High or dry'
online survey, showed results that 63% have
taken recreational drugs, and 33% have done
so before their 16th birthday...

26. What makes you more likely to take Drugs and
Alcohol?...

28. Your age is the biggie, with 16-24 years being
the group most likely to experiment with illicit
substances. Next is your gender. That's right.
If you're male, you are twice as likely to use
class A drugs as females...

29. Income also shapes your drug-taking habits.
The cliché of drug users being broke
prostitutes in poverty-stricken crack dens is
not true, with drug use highest in areas
classified as displaying 'urban prosperity'...

30. And your relationship status isn't just a
Facebook declaration - it can also impact your
drug taking tendencies. Single people are
much more likely to dabble with drugs
compared with all other marital-status
groups...

32. Therefore, with the continued rise in the
number of young people drinking underage
and taking illegal drugs there are a number of
negative consequences. One of the most
important is the huge health risk of binge
drinking to young people...

34. Tackling this issue means looking at the
reasons why young people are drinking and
using drugs from an early age and the role of
peer pressure...