The topic of drugs consists of both legal and illegal substances. A legal substance such as caffeine has become addictive very quickly and is normalized in society. It surprised me that caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive stimulant in the world, yet receives so little attention. The amount of sugar, chemicals, and calories in certain caffeinated beverages should set off an alarm in society but doesn't because it is a societal norm to drink it. As for alcohol, it is normal in society to drink it under certain circumstances. These circumstances are age as well as the amount of intake. Something that I noticed about the list of usage in society is that the "worst" drugs are on the bottom of the list as the least used, while the "better" ones are on the top of the list as most used.
I feel that the motivation to use certain drugs is social acceptance. People go to the bar for alcohol, take a smoke break, and go to the coffee room on a regular basis. If someone were to use heroin, cocaine, or opioids at all, there is a stigma towards them. Even if they just tried it for the first time, there is a stigma because people feel that they will do it again. These drugs can kill you after one try. The others can kill you over time, whether it is from a failed liver (alcohol), lung cancer (tobacco), or obesity (caffeine - mainly energy drinks). They are equally as dangerous, one just is able to harm you faster than the other.
The reason that one time turns into more is because of that craving as well as the mindset of "I've done it once, why would a second time matter?" I had an internship with addictions outreach alongside the sheriff's office. This internship taught me how people become addicted. Many people would tell me stories of how they got to where they were and it showed me how real addiction is and the human need to satisfy a craving.
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