How to tell if you are addicted?
It takes more than an “eye chart” to know if someone is drug dependent. For example, if someone has red eyes, it doesn’t mean they are smoking marijuana. You may have conjunctivitis. Therefore, substance dependence can be distinguished by three of seven symptoms:
- tolerant;
- abstinence syndrome;
- Spend more time and money than you want to acquire, use or restore these substances;
- The consumption is greater than expected or the consumption takes longer than expected;
- relinquish activities and responsibilities;
- Failure to attempt to stop consumption;
- Continued use despite awareness of negative consequences.
However, the only way to completely determine this is through laboratory tests or user confessions. But making statements like those made by Maria Jimena Duzan is reckless behavior that will harm not only the defendant, but many others, as examples of prominent figures in journalism are used to explain what is shocking, unexpected, or unpleasant the behavior of. Unless Maria Jimena is serious, as a Mexican friend said: “I have no proof, but I have no doubt either.”
On the other hand, the above indicators may vary from substance to substance. Those who have an alcohol problem and drink alone may experience hand tremors or memory loss. But it can also indicate the onset of Parkinson’s disease or a result of aging. Those who use stimulants such as cocaine or amphetamines can be talkative, sometimes incoherent, and may become aggressive and paranoid in the later stages of their use.
“Heavy” marijuana users are rarely aggressive except during withdrawal, but may experience memory and learning problems, lack of motivation and concentration. The most common are mixtures of several substances, especially alcohol. When this happens, behavior generally deteriorates.
People who reach this point are sick, but that doesn’t mean drug use is a disease. If you eat too many chips or drink too much water, you can get sick, but that doesn’t mean eating chips or drinking water is a disease. Again, these positions simplify an issue that has multiple dimensions and perspectives: psychological, social, medical, familial, economic, and legal.
How is the situation in Colombia?
Unfortunately, we have no reliable data. In 2019, a national study conducted by DANE had serious methodological errors. The results show a decrease in consumption in Colombia, while the global trend is increasing. This has always been the case in Colombia and other parts of Latin America. Consumption of cigarettes and alcohol has barely declined. But the pandemic has changed this trend in some countries.
Furthermore, given that the Colombian state has no large-scale prevention campaigns and that conditions of social anxiety and poverty are breeding grounds for material consumption, this alleged decline has to be viewed as a miracle.
On the other hand, the prices of marijuana, cocaine and even heroin, which are rarely consumed, are prohibitively high compared to other countries. So we have all the factors in favor of increased consumption, but none in favor of prevention.
According to our ten-year data, 87% of the population consume alcohol at some point in their lives, 11.5% smoke marijuana, and 3.2% smoke cocaine. Beyond this, sedatives, basuco and poppers barely exceed 1%: 1.8%, 1.2% and 1.2% respectively. The rest are below 1%.
Regarding the school population, the latest study, which is seven years old, shows higher figures than for adults (except for alcohol). The study showed 69.2% had tried alcohol, 11.7% had tried marijuana, 3.9% had tried cocaine and 4% had tried inhalants.
However, both studies are outdated, given that data on almost all aspects are constantly changing. Materials, prices, consumer groups, reasons for consumption, the number of girls consuming and the age at which they start consuming have all changed. With these foundations, it cannot be assumed that appropriate policies will be developed to address the problem.
What suggestions does the government have?
Recent proposals from the Petro government do not give much hope. Prevention is always the main focus in any public health approach, not just in drug abuse but in any health problem. But in Colombia, they prefer to limit the damage and engage in treatments that are not backed by science. There is talk of suspending epidemiological research, which would be a serious mistake. Initiatives in the field of prevention, on the other hand, are taken by the Ministry of Justice and not the Ministry of Health.