Through the work carried out with populations at risk of drug use and across different life stages (adolescents, young people, and adults), I have been able to identify some erroneous beliefs about psychoactive substance use and the reality behind their consumption, which we will detail below.[vc_custom_heading text=”Psychoactive Substances: Myths about Consumption” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left|color:%231e73be” google_fonts=”font_family:Asap%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Below, we will list the myths created from misinformation, lack of education regarding PSU, and the different types of consumption.
Although the low perception of risk regarding substance use, the initiation of experimental use (when there is initial contact with one or more drugs, which can be stopped or repeated), generally occurs in adolescence; according to the 2011 National Study on Psychoactive Substance Use in School Population.
This study shows how at 12 years of age, many schoolchildren have their first contact with cigarettes and alcohol, and at least 12.1% of Colombian students reported having consumed illicit substances at some point in their lives, including marijuana, cocaine, popper, and solvents.
Added to this are the false beliefs about drugs, such as:[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
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- Alcohol is not a drug.
- Drug addiction is not a serious problem.
- Alcohol helps forget personal problems.
- Drug use helps improve academic performance.
- Drug use helps improve mood and feel better.
- I use drugs for social acceptance.
- If drugs are only consumed on weekends, there’s no problem, it’s not addictive.
- I know when to quit.
- Legal drugs (in Colombia, alcohol, tobacco, and some psychotropic drugs) are 100% safe; the dangerous ones are illegal (marijuana, cocaine, heroin).
- I don’t see immediate consequences.
- Nothing happens to me.
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]These are some of the most frequent statements among adolescents and young people, which, amidst social dynamics, collective thought, and low self-recognition of substance use, affect the useful and healthy life of the population.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Types of Drug Use” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left|color:%231e73be” google_fonts=”font_family:Asap%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Among the types of consumption, we find:
Occasional Drug Use
Which corresponds to the intermittent use of the substance, without any regularity and with long periods of non-consumption.
Habitual Drug Use
These involve frequent use of the drug, which can lead to addiction (depending on the substance, frequency of use, characteristics of the person, and their surrounding environment).
Compulsive Drug Users
Which consists of the compulsive use of a substance, despite the negative consequences it entails; the person needs the substance, and their entire life revolves around it.
Ultimately, it is a fact that young people are increasingly prone to consuming drugs at early ages, and family, educational, and social environments play an important role in awareness processes regarding these types of problems, as does dissemination and information as a prevention tool.
[/vc_column_text][vc_cta h2=”Andrea Romero Escobar” h4=”Author” style=”3d” color=”violet”]Student of the Master’s in Clinical and Health Psychology at ISEP. Specialized psychologist with knowledge in the social-community area and human development, providing care to vulnerable populations, training and development processes through transversal competencies; executor of the program for attention and prevention of psychoactive substance use (PSU), mental health, and Youth program. Additionally, I have training and experience in the organizational field in areas such as: talent attraction and selection, organizational development, and training.[/vc_cta]