by Robert Killam

Created on: May 18, 2009   Last Updated: May 23, 2009

Drugs are a global problem, but not everyone is part of the solution. In the United States alone, illicit drugs kill around 17,000 people each year, and its adverse effects on those it does not kill can eventually be just as lethal for others, according to www.drugwarfacts.org. Drug rehab programs are in place, but are an "after-the-fact" solution that does good for an individual, but only after the drug addiction has spread and taken over the victim. Drug rehab is a great concept that works to save lives, but for some, drug rehab is not enough.

Drugs are defined as illicit, habit-forming substances that lead to drug addiction. They come in various types, including those derived from plants (like marijuana) and those created in laboratories (like methamphetamine). Drugs are stimulants, depressants, or hallucinogens. Even some drugs that are considered "soft" or "introductory" are hallucinogens (marijuana, for example). There are street names for almost every drug, with many commonplace words being used as euphemisms ("tea" for "marijuana"). The most commonly seized drugs (according to the DEA website) are marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamines. In 2008 alone, 26,425 arrests were made in the United States alone, which is just 4% of the 22-year span of arrest statistics available at the DEA website. In Missouri alone, there were 1,471 "meth incidents" in 2008, which was 21% of all national "meth incidents". According to www.globalissues.org, the "UN estimates that 200 million people use illegal drugs annually with 25 million being classed as problem users" (Issues: Articles: Illicit Drugs).

Drug addiction results in an individual when they become dependent upon the drugs they use in order to feel "normal". Millions of Americans are addicted to cigarettes, which are drugs in their own right, albeit a legal one. However, millions are also addicted to illicit drugs, and their drug addiction causes their body to crave drug dosages. According to WebMD, those suffering from drug addiction will sometimes (depending on the substance) have blackouts, balance problems, convulsions or tremors, will feel sick or depressed, suffer a crawling sensation under the skin (known as "coke bugs"), and/or become agitated.

In order to treat a drug addiction, the obvious first step is to cut off access to whatever drugs there are. The second part of drug addiction treatment is called drug rehab (short for "rehabilitation"). According to Cliffside Malibu (a drug

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