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groups, therefore, present greater opportunities for the health
educationalists to make their influence felt.
It is ironic and regrettable that the cheapest and most effective
method of prevention proves, at the moment, to be unacceptable
to so many authorities.
Drug Addiction
Although there is international control of narcotics, previous
legislation enacted in the United Kingdom covering all aspects
of drug abuse is consolidated in the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1971,
which will operate from 1972/73. This Act aims not only to continue
restrictions on existing drugs but it will enable the Home
Secretary, by regulation, to control new introductions without
the need for further substantive legislation. New penalties and
fines for various drug offences will also be brought into force.
In 1969, drug dependence was defined, rather technically, by
the W.H.O. as "a state, psychic and sometimes physical, resulting
from the interaction between a living organism and a drug,
characterised by behavioural and other responses that always
include a compulsion to take the drug on a continuous or periodic
basis in order to experience its psychic effects, and sometimes to
avoid the discomfort of its absence. Tolerance may or may not be
present. A person may be dependent on more than one drug".
In simple terms this means that there can be physical and/or
psychological dependence and that physiological changes inflicted
on the body by drug usage may, on its withdrawal, produce illness.
Further, it also implies that even after physical withdrawal
symptoms have abated a psychological craving for the drug may
persist. Tolerance means the body's resistance to a drug which
gradually develops after regular use so that eventually a larger
dose is needed to produce the same effect.
Although, currently, drug addiction seems to have lost its
"topicality", nevertheless, its threat to society continues. Of
the community, two sections, namely, adolescents between 13 and
17 years and middle-aged women between 34 and 50 years, are
considered to be most vulnerable. Adolescents, because even
non-users tend to believe that drug takers are more "with it"
and therefore more socially acceptable; middle-aged women,
because a significant proportion become dependent upon drugs
regularly prescribed for depression, anxiety and sleeplessness.
(Some 40% of these patients have repeat prescriptions—many
extending over 16 years and 50% for more than 4 years.)
It has been estimated that, in 1960, there were 24,000 cannabis
users and that the present figure is in excess of 2 millions.