ADDICTION IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH AND WEALTH OF ADDICT, FAMILY, SOCIETY

Addiction can damage personal relationships, cause legal problems, lead to financial difficulties and serious health issues, and even result in death. Untreated addiction harms family members and affects the following generations.

- DR P.S.VENKATESH RAO

Alcohol, Nicotine, drugs, and other addictions hijack the pleasure or reward circuits or pathways in the limbic system of the brain that produce feelings of pleasure and motivation. When activated, they release a burst of dopamine, which reinforces the behaviour and habits, and drives the pursuit of further “rewards” like drugs, food, wealth, power, and sex. Addiction also sends emotional danger-sensing circuits into overdrive, making one feel anxious and stressed when denied the addiction. Addiction is a complex brain disorder where repeated use of a drug or engagement in misbehaviour changes brain function, creating an intense urge that weakens self-control, leading to a persistent, compulsive craving despite negative consequences. The phrase "Cigarette smoking is injurious to health" is a statutory warning to protect public health, displayed on cigarette packets and in advertisements, encouraging people to quit or not start smoking. On the occasion of World Mental Health Day (October 10), let us raise awareness of societal mental health issues, such as “Addiction is injurious to the health and wealth of the addict, family, and society”.