Safe Drug Use Important in Preventing Drug Addiction
Many cases of drug addiction started from mere curiosity. An error in the use of a prescription drug, for example, could have led to experimentation. In a typical case, the person probably enjoyed the euphoria he experienced when he first took the drug, and this made him use the drug repeatedly.
This is the same reason why parents have to be extra careful about the drugs they keep in their medicine chests. A young child may be tempted to try what a bottle in the chest contains, adding to the many cases described above.
Time and again, it's been said that prevention is better than cure, and this applies to drug addiction; it's a lot better to prevent the problem from happening than to deal with it when it does occur. There are many ways by which drug addiction can be prevented, and one of these is in using drugs safely.
If a list of safe drug use is to be made in this regard, it will most probably be topped by this: A person should not take doses of drugs beyond what have been prescribed by his doctor. In addition to this, he should follow the instructions indicated on the medicine label to a tee.
Unused portions of medicines should not be saved for future use, unless this has been consulted to a doctor. Also, drugs that have been prescribed to you must not be shared with anyone else just because you think you have the same case of illness. There could be serious consequences - drug addiction included - if a person takes medicines or drugs that are not intended for him.
If a person feels he is ill and decides to see a doctor, he should provide enough information to the doctor about what he feels is wrong with him. This is important so that the doctor can prescribe the appropriate medication and treat him effectively. The person also has to make sure that the doctor knows all the drugs he uses regularly, whether these are nonprescription or prescription medications. This is to avoid the risk of drug interactions or overdosage.
A person should keep a record of any bad reaction he has had to a drug prescribed to him. Such reaction may include getting into an intense state of euphoria. The person may mistake the condition for wellbeing, and here lies the potential for addiction or abuse as the person craves for more of the drug.