Gone are the days when drugs were only associated with those hippies walking the beaches on this planet. Drugs have casually made their way from sea shores to offices and colleges. Getting drugs or scoring (as many drug dependents like to call it) is a time consuming task but one that is easy because of drug availability globally.
In Australia there are many who are addicted to drugs and this has led to a number of problems for business owners and managers.
Addiction to drugs is a chronic and treatable disease that causes the addict to compulsively abuse drugs. It might start with friends at a party and it grows and develops to become a serious problem.
The statistics suggest that the number of drug addicts in the country have gone up at an alarming rate and this is why companies often run drug tests on their employees. This way the company can be sure that employees are exposed to a safe working environment and that drugs aren’t getting in the way of their profits and success.
While cocaine and heroin are the most commonly abused drugs, methamphetamine (street named speed) is also inching its way up the ladder in the list of most commonly abused drugs.
Methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth is a psychoactive drug that increases alertness, energy and concentration levels. The drug also causes extreme euphoria as it increases the dopamine levels in the brain significantly. The drug is also known to increase libido and enhance confidence and self esteem.
However both short and prolonged usage of the drug can cause a psychosis resembling schizophrenia which can stay with the addict for a few months after the administration of the drug in the body. The worst part of meth is that the withdrawal symptoms are harsh and an addict has to go through a good amount of pain in order to get rid of the addiction. Even after a patient has undergone rehab, the post withdrawal symptoms can linger around for a whole year.
Research around the world has proved that high doses of meth can mat the brain for good and also cause sudden death. You must have come across articles and advertisements with the phrase ‘speed kills’. It is not speed in miles per hour that this phrase talks about but the drug meth that goes by the name ‘speed’ and can cause a number of problems for an addict. These problems can further result in slow or sudden death.
Some physical effects of the drug are as follows:
- Tremors and Ataxia
- Sudden weight loss
- Palpitations
- Diarrhoea
- Pain in joints and muscles
- Heart problems
- Weakened immune system
- Vasoconstriction of peripheral blood vessels
All these physical problems can prove to be extremely dangerous and if an addict does not get proper help at the right time, he can indeed be on his way to ruining his professional and social life. Drugs may help you to give good results at work in the initial few days of abuse but prolonged use can drive you insane and can destroy workplace performance, careers and stability onsite.
Speak to Mediscreen about onsite screening programmes 1300 797040
References:
