Drug is a chemical substance which is derived from plant, animal or mineral resources(synthetic) which can be used in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases in plant and animal. It can also be defined as a chemical substance which causes a change in physiological function of the body.
Drug a potential poison if not administered properly it can have a very harmful effect on the person taken it and as such it should be handled by a qualified health personnel
Here is list of 6 most commonly abused drugs in Africa
1. PARACETAMOL (ACETAMINOPHEN)
Paracetamol is an analgesic drug which is used in treatment of mild to moderate pain .It also has antipyretic properties(ability to reduce fever). Paracetamol is an over the counter drug (OTC) and the most commonly used analgesic all over the world.
The normal adult dose of Paracetamol should not exceed 4 gram in a day and it should be taken just for 3 days. The Paracetamol overdose can cause severe liver damage that is the reason care must be taken when handling it,but unfortunately people take Paracetamol just anyhow even where there is no need of taking it.
2 Marijuana
Marijuana is one of the most commonly used illicit drug in the world.. In Africa today millions of youth between the ages of 16 to 36 years smoke Marijuana. It is addictive and also has harmful effect on the brain such as decreased in mental ability for those who started as teenagers and other effect such as dry mouth, red eyes, paranoia and anxiety.
3 Tramadol
Tramadol is a weak narcotic analgesic which is used in the treatment of mild to severe pain.Most youths today use tramadol as an aphrodisiac (that is a drug that increases libido) , making it as one of the most abused drug today in Africa.
See the rest on the next page,
4 Heroines/Cocaine and other Narcotics
Narcotic analgesics are commonly used in the treatment of moderate to severe pain especially in terminally ill patients. Narcotics are highly addictive because they change the chemistry of the brain: they decrease the perception of the pain and alter body's reaction to pain. when taken, the body create less endorphins because the effect of narcotics are so much more intense than those of endorphins.
People take narcotics for the ability to reduce pain, create relaxation and for immediate euphoric effect. Narcotics should be discouraged except for clinical use and those who are indulging in taking it should be encouraged to go for drug rehabilitation.
5 Dexametasone
Dexametasone is a corticosteroid which is used in the treatment of many conditions such as rheumatoid problems, severe allergies, skin diseases, asthma and chronic obstructive lung diseases.
Most youth today ignorantly use dexametasone for the purpose of adding weight but unfortunately dexametasone causes d retention in sodium in d body which brings about d accumulation of fluid and this can result in some disease conditions such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and some other disease conditions.
6 Non Steroidal Anti- Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS)
These includes diclofenac, ibuprofen, piroxicam, naproxen, teloxicam etc . This class of drug has three properties namely analgesic, anti inflammatory and anti-pyretic properties. They are commonly used for disease conditions such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, dysmenorrhea(painful menstruation) etc. NSAIDS are one of the most abused drugs in Africa because of easy accessibity.
NSAIDS should be used with caution because of various adverse effects such as ulceration heart problem such as myocardial infarction and kidney problems.
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