Why do people use alcohol and drugs?
Estimates are that approximately 15% of humans are "hardwired" for addicton. Research shows the later the age of onset of initial use, the less the liklihood of addiction.
During adolescence, most kids will experiment with substances and the majority of adults use some type of mood-altering drug, though most do not experience problems or misuse drugs.
People use different drugs for different reasons. The reasons can vary from drug to drug, from person to person or from occasion to occasion. A person may have more than one reason. People may start using a drug for one reason (curiosity, pleasure, social pressures, or for medical reasons) and may continue using it for quite another (such as tension relief or escape).
Positive Reinforcement
A person may use a drug and keep using a drug because the effects are pleasurable or positively reinforcing. Examples of such pleasurable or positively reinforcing effects can include: feeling "high", relaxation, disinhibition, relief from pain, tension or unpleasant emotions, being able to sleep or to stay awake or achieve enhanced athletic performance.
Curiosity
Drugs are talked and written about a lot these days. They are a frequent topic of conversation. Some people may have friends or acquaintances who use drugs illegally. Since curiosity is a natural aspect of human behaviour, it is not surprising that many people, especially young people, are tempted to experiment with drugs, both legally and illegally.
Celebration
The use of drugs such as alcohol, may be part of a family occasion, cultural or religious celebration or practice.
Emotional Pressures
Some people use psychoactive drugs to relieve various emotional problems, such as anger, stress, anxiety, boredom or depression. Others take psychoactive drugs to boost their self-confidence. Some young people may use drugs as a way of rebelling or to express their alienation from mainstream society.
People may also use drugs to help them forget about or cope with traumatic life events or situations or to relieve the symptoms of severe psychiatric illness.
Social Pressures
The social pressures to use drugs can be very strong. Both young people and adults may feel social pressure to use drugs (e.g., alcohol on social occasions). Children may be especially influenced by their parents' use of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs, and use their parent's use to justify their own drug use.
In some groups, drug-taking is the fashionable thing to do. It is the badge of belonging and the key to social acceptance. Abstainers are excluded. It is hard to be different; so people go along. Going along may mean using cannabis or drinking heavily to be part of a group in which this is the norm without regard to potential negative consequences.
Group pressures of a different kind exist for those engaged in competitive sports or body building. People may use substances, particularly anabolic steroids, because they view such drug use as an accepted part of a successful training regimen.
Previous Drug Use
For most people, trying a drug, particularly using a drug illegally, for the first time is a major step. A single experiment does not mean a person will become a regular user of drugs, but it may remove some of the barriers against trying drugs again.
In some cases, people who regularly use one drug are more likely to use other drugs as well. For example, regular smokers are more likely to be heavy drinkers than nonsmokers. Not surprisingly, there is also a high correlation between smoking tobacco and cannabis use.
Also, those who start to smoke or drink early in adolescence are more likely to develop drug problems in later life, than those who begin smoking or drinking in later adolescence.
Dependence
Some people use drugs because they have become physically or psychologically dependent on them. It does not matter whether the drug is mild or strong, whether it was first used for medical or non-medical purposes, or whether it is used legally or illegally. When people continue using a certain drug because they experience discomfort or distress when use is discontinued or severely reduced, they can be said to be drug-dependent.
