WOMEN AND DRUGS

WOMEN AND DRUGS

Drug. What is a drug? Drugs that is  the material used in medicine today. But the drug can be fatal if misused. Currently, there are many teenagers who abuse drugs. They use drugs for fun and relieve stress in their lives. The total dose used than is recommended by doctors. Not only the number of men who abused many drugs, but the numbers of women who take drugs are also relatively increased in recent years.

Today, more than 4 million women in this country use drugs. Women of all ages, races and cultures..... Women just like your best friend, your sister, your co-worker, or your daughter....Women just like you. Drug abuse is a serious, continuing illness. There are no easy cures.Women who try to quit sometimes fail at first. But help is available to overcome the illness of drug abuse.Women who use drugs do not have to face the problem alone.

9 million women have used illegal drugs in the past year.3.7 million women have taken prescription drugs non-medically during the past year.More than 28,000 (70%) of the AIDS cases among women are drug-related. 

Almost half of all women age 15 to 44 have used drugs at least once in their life. Of these women, nearly 2 million have used cocaine and more than 6 million have used marijuana within the past year. Most women drug abusers use more than one drug.

To understand drug use by pregnant women, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has been studying treatment for women to develop the most effective approaches. One project, "Perinatal 10," is looking at the effects of treatment, medical care, and support services for pregnant women.

Women can have special risk factors for drug abuse. Also, women can become addicted quickly to certain drugs, such as crack cocaine. Therefore, by the time they seek help, their addiction may be difficult to treat.

Women who use drugs often suffer from other serious health problems, sexually transmitted diseases, and mental health problems, such as depression.

Many women who use drugs have had troubled lives. Studies have found that at least 70 per cent of women drug users have been sexually abused by the age of 16. Most of these women had at least one parent who abused alcohol or drugs.

Often, women who use drugs have low self-esteem, little self-confidence, and feel powerless. They often feel lonely and are isolated from support networks. Women from certain cultural backgrounds or who have difficulty with the English language may not know how to find help for their addiction. Drug Use is a Serious Health Problem.Women who use drugs risk becoming infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The virus can be spread through needles used to inject drugs. Therefore, women who inject drugs and share needles are especially at risk.

The AIDS virus is also spread through sexual contact. Women who have sex with men who inject drugs are at great risk. Between 1990 and 1991, AIDS cases among women rose 17 percent. Today, almost 70 percent of AIDS cases in women are related to either injecting drugs or having sex with a man who injects drugs. AIDS is now the fourth leading cause of death among women. 

A mother who uses drugs risks her life and her baby's.When a pregnant woman uses drugs, she and her unborn child face serious health problems. During pregnancy, the drugs used by the mother can enter the baby's bloodstream. The most serious effects on the baby can be HIV infection, AIDS, prematurity, low birth weight, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, small head size, stunted growth, poor motor skills, and behavior problems.

A mother's continuing drug use puts her children at risk for neglect, physical abuse, and malnutrition. However, NIDA research shows that providing care and treatment to the pregnant drug abuser can reduce many of the negative effects on her baby.

Health Risks Associated with Drug Abuse

MOTHER	BABY
Poor Nutrition High Blood Pressure Rapid Heart Beat Low Weight Gain Low Self Esteem Preterm Labor Sexually Transmitted Disease Early Delivery HIV/AIDS Depression Physical Abuse	Prematurity Low Birth Weight Infections Small Head Size Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Birth Defects Stunted Growth Poor Motor Skills HIV/AIDS Learning Disabilities Neurological Problems

Many women are afraid to seek treatment.Studies have found that more than 4 million women need treatment for drug abuse. Unfortunately, there are many important reasons why women do not seek help. Some women may not be able to find child care. Or they fear that the authorities may take away their children. Some women fear they will be punished if they admit their drug addiction. Many women fear violence from their husbands, boyfriends, or partners. 

Friends and family can help relieve these fears for the woman who uses drugs. They can support her by helping her find good drug abuse treatment and by providing child care and transportation. Good treatment meets women's special needs. NIDA research shows that women drug abusers get better when treatment takes care of all their basic needs. Some women need the basic services of food, shelter, and clothing. Other women also need transportation, child care, and parenting training. Women may need medical care, mental health therapy, and legal assistance. Good treatment also teaches reading, basic education, and skills to find a job. Treatment programs aimed at men often do not provide all of these services. Treatment is especially effective when women can live at a treatment centre with their children.

Women can get help for their drug addiction.It is hard to beat drug addiction. But the woman who uses drugs can get better with the right kind of treatment... even if she has tried to quit before and failed. Treatment is available, often close to home. The first step is to find out what kind of treatment a woman needs and where she can get it. Call the free National Drug Information Treatment and Referral Line. Call for yourself... or call for a friend.

Women who get treatment can rebuild their lives.After completing drug treatment and getting off drugs, women need help from family, friends, and employers to stay off drugs. Family education and counselling programs in the neighbourhood help women return to their families or jobs. With good treatment and community support, women can recover from the illness of drug abuse and begin to build a better life. In Islam there are several different schools of thought, and each of them have their rulings based on their interpretations of the Quran and the traditions of their prophet, Muhammad. Although they differ on some issues, it is agreed by all the schools that the use of drugs and alcohol is forbidden in Islam. This decision is based on the Quran, traditions of Muhammad, and Islamic logic. 

One should understand that when Muhammad first brought Islam to his people, the Arabs, they were very fond of alcohol. They drank it, they made it, and they sold it. They made wine from dates and grapes, and it was a very lucrative business for the people. Slowly, through Quranic revelations, Muhammad began to teach the people to refrain from intoxication and eventually forbid it completely.

The Quran and many Islamic traditions refer to the state of intoxication as being forbidden. In these texts, the example of this state is often said to be the result of drinking wine. It is agreed among all Islamic scholars that intoxication is any substance that clouds the intellect and hinders one from making clear judgments. Based on this definition, intoxication refers to both drugs and alcohol. The Quran is the holy book and guide for all Muslims regardless of the school of thought they follow. The Quran is not compiled in a chronological order; for example, chapter 4 could have been revealed before chapter 2. Drugs and alcohol are referred to in the Quran as intoxicants. The term "intoxication" (the English translation of its Arabic counterpart "sukara") was first mentioned in the Quran in chapter 4, "An-Nissa" (Women). Verse 43 of this chapter states, "O you who believe, do not observe the Contact Prayers [Salat] while intoxicated, so that you know what you are saying."  This verse only forbids intoxication when praying and does not forbid it in any other situation.

The next revelation was in chapter 2, "Baqara" (The Cow). Here it says, "They ask you about intoxicants and gambling: say, 'In them there is a gross sin, and some benefits for the people. But their sinfulness far outweighs their benefit.'" With this verse, intoxication is now being shunned not just in prayer but in any situation. Finally, in verses 90 and 91 of chapter 5, "al-Maidah" (The Feast), the Quran says, "O you who believe, intoxicants, and gambling, and the altars of idols, and the games of chance are abominations of the devil; you shall avoid them, that you may succeed. The devil wants to provoke animosity and hatred among you through intoxicants and gambling, and to distract you from remembering God, and from observing the Contact Prayers [Salat]. Will you then refrain?"  This is the last revelation about intoxication, and based on this, Islamic scholars all agree that drugs and alcohol are forbidden.

The traditions of Muhammad, also called "A-Haadith," are records of what Muhammad said and did. These traditions clarify things that aren't mentioned or can't be known by reading the Quran alone. An example of this is Muslim prayer. The Quran commands prayer but does not describe the movements or the detailed rules of it. By watching and listening to their prophet, Muslims learned how to pray. These traditions are another factor in deciding what is permissible and what is forbidden in Islam. An example of two traditions speaking about intoxication:

Aisha, the wife of Muhammad, heard him say, "All drinks that produce intoxication are Haram [forbidden] to drink."  This is quoted from an Islamic book of traditions known as Al-Bukhari.

"The prophet prohibited people from the usage of intoxicants and narcotics. Any substance which befogs and intoxicates the mind, the prophet has stopped us from taking it."  This is from a book of traditions called As-Sunaan Abu Dawood.

In conclusion, the drug is very dangerous for women who have misused it. It is stated in the Qur'an that we are prohibited from excessive drug use as it can be fatal to us. Therefore, we must take precautions so that we do not get stuck in a drug abuse problem. We also must help other women who have substance abuse problems. Our job as a vicegerent on earth is to guide our Muslim brothers to the road chosen by Allah. God willing our lives will always be blessed by Allah.