Effects of Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is commonly considered to have adverse implications on the society and individual health. Ample research has been done to prove that there is a positive impact of drug use on personal health that in turn positively impacts on the society. Some of the commonly used drugs for example alcohol and marijuana have been proved to have health benefits. The thesis of this paper is that drug use is helpful.
Use of marijuana has a close correlation to type two diabetes.  Tetrahydrocannabinol is an active
ingredient in marijuana and helps the body take in insulin that is a common risk factor for diabetes. Also, marijuana is used to help cancer patients as they undergo chemotherapy as it stops metastasis in some aggressive cancer. Marijuana further helps patients suffering from glaucoma by taking it either orally or by inhaling it (Bolla et al., 2002). It is also an excellent pain reliever and helps increase appetite.
Alcohol, which is a commonly used drug, lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease. Moderate amounts of alcohol raise levels of high-density lipoprotein that is associated with greater protection against heart disease (Baum-Baicker, 1985). Drinking wine occasionally for both men and women reduces the risk of death by 17 percent hence lengthening a person’s life. Besides, taking one to two glasses per day of alcohol for a healthy person reduces the chances of developing type two diabetes (Baum-Baicker, 1985).
Other than the commonly used drugs, pharmaceutical drugs are used to save lives by preventing diseases such as measles, polio and malaria. In conclusion, following the arguments above, drugs not only affects negatively an individual’s health but also positively. It is clear that as much they have health benefits they should not regularly be used rather they should occasionally be used. This however does not justify the abuse of these drugs. A prescription is necessary so as to observe the benefits listed.
References
Baum-Baicker, C. (1985). The health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption: a review of the literature. Drug and alcohol dependence, 15(3), 207-227.
Bolla, K. I., Brown, K., Eldreth, D., Tate, K., & Cadet, J. L. (2002). Dose-related neurocognitive effects of marijuana use. Neurology, 59(9), 1337-1343.