Pros And Cons Of Addicts

An addict just injected himself with the potent drug of heroin. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter is then released. This is the "feel good feeling" receptor in your brain. Addictive drugs can release two to ten times the amount of dopamine that natural rewards do. In a person who becomes addicted, brain receptors become overwhelmed. The brain responds by producing less dopamine causing less impact on the brain's reward center. In time, the desired substance no longer gives them as much pleasure. Their brains adapt an effect known as "tolerance". With tolerance the addict either takes more of the drug or seeks a more potent drug to get the desired effect. Hence why some addicts may start with marijuana then end with sticking a needle of heroin in their arm. With people finding ways to escape "real life" the drug epidemic has been increasing. "Narcan is credited with reversing more than 10,000 overdoses from 1996 to 2010," according to the Centers for Disease Control. "But while recovering addicts praise the drug's effectiveness, There are concerns that the drug abusers are viewing it as a safety net." …show more content…
I believe this cause through the article he disccuses more pros about how the drug saves lifes and how addicts get a second chance even if they have been revived a few time due to overdosing. The author states thru Dr.Alexander Y. Walley an addiction medicine specialist that "Naloxone (brand name Narcan) encourages riskier drug use was like seatbelts encourage riskier driving." The author states that addicts disagree with the comment that Narcan is a safety net saying "Why would anyone want to get high to the point where they have to take Narcan and immediately sober up and by blocking opiate receptors, it plunges them into withdrawal and make them violently