The drug-addiction (of the Greek toxikon = poison and handled = madness) results in a repeated and excessive use of one or more subtances Toxique S (Analgésique S and/or Psychotrope S) without therapeutic justification. This use is accompanied by an unverifiable desire to continue to consume the product, accompanied by Accoutumance and dependence.

According to WHO, the strict definition of drug-addiction corresponds to four elements:

• an irrepressible desire to consume the product ( See the detailed article Addiction );
• a tendency to increase the amounts ( See the detailed article tolerance );
• a psychological dependence and sometimes physics;
• of the fatal consequences on the daily life (emotive, social, economic).

Limits of the term

This term is often associated with that of dependence (or dependence) and of Addiction but its psychiatric connotation (Manie = Folie) for certain is marked too much and it is thus less utilisé.
Describing a mode of use, it is different from the Addiction which describes a behavior and dependence which describes the Symptôme S related to the catch of a substance.

Some strictly limit it to the use of prohibited psychotropic substances (or Drogue S)

In Psychiatry, they are the concepts of research of the pleasure and of Aliénation which is in the center of the definition, drug-addiction is defined according to three axes: Pleasure, Forced and Toxicity. It is the search for pleasure - or the avoidance of the situation of displeasure related to the absence of product - which would push with the repeated use; this repeated use would induce, because of installation of a Accoutumance, a sudden constrained use by the user and this constrained use installed in the duration would reveal the toxic character of the produit.
Accordingly, more than the product, it is the personality of the user who determines drug-addiction, being defined as having an abnormal and prolonged craving whose origin would be to allot to emotional problems.

Context

Historical context

Until the beginning of the 19th century, these products remain confined with their uses traditional or medical but during the century, in particular because of scientific progresses, certain products start to generally be consumed with an aim hedonist of research of the pleasure in the artistic mediums or scientists. This use had already been noted at the 18th century in China with the Opium what caused the wars of opium.

As of 1810 - 1820 appear speeches calling into question the relevance of the use of two Psychotrope S inducing a dependence: the Opium and the alcohol.

This sociocultural tolerance explains the fact that certain products highly accustoming and generating public health problems (of which drug-addiction) are regarded as relatively inoffensive sometimes escaping any regulation in certain parts of the world (alcohol consumption in Occident, khat with the Yemen).

Collective representation of drug-addiction

The popular vision of drug-addiction also evolves/moves with measurement of advanced of science or the regulations.

Until the Years 1960, drug-addiction is regarded as an anecdotic problem.

In the Years 1970, problematic consumption (in particular the psychotropic illicit ones) explodes in the Western countries to become public health problems whereas in same time is set up an international regulation. The drug addict of the time is then regarded as a delinquent patient, victim of his consumption and whose only safety consists of the Abstinence.
It has an negative image and dangerous because it conveys the idea of moral transgression and its behavior can have punishable and somatic consequences. The Western drug addict-type of the time exclusively uses a type of precise products in the search of a precise effect. The fast development of this type of drug-addiction leaves the stripped professionals, the field of knowledge being developed little; the assumption of responsibility generally concerns the Psychiatrie.
The psychoanalytical Psychothérapie of inspiration is then the technique of the most widespread intervention near the drug addicts. This technique and the speech which accompanies it little by little will become a kind of prism by which the behavior of the drug addict is explained and included/understood. The drug addict is then illustrated like a suicidal individual fascinating pleasure to play with death. He is inconstant, infantile, irresponsible and symbolizes the suffering like the need for care. The weaning thus seems its only safety for its own good.

In the Années 1980, the appearance of the AIDS brings an evolution of mentalities by the installation of the policies of reduction of the risks - in particular in the Western countries, which operates a semantic slip where the drug addict becomes user of drug . , etc). These reports/ratios define potentialities of risk of improper use and differentiate the occasional users from the problematic users, putting forward which much more than the product, it is above all the factors of a nature psychological or social which determine drug-addiction.

Specialists as for example Claude Olievenstein then described two modes of consumption concerning the psychotropic illegal ones.

• festive” or “entertaining” consumption known as a “or sometimes “of performance” which would rather relate to a population especially young and resulting from all the mediums where consumption would be induced by the pleasure, curiosity or by an effect of group.
• a consumption known as “problematic” indicated by the term drug-addiction which would relate to a population having difficulties preliminary to the consumption of psychotropic and for which this consumption would be induced by the discomfort.

In the facts, the users who are regarded as “with problems” are those whose consumption induces a meeting with the systems public, medical, social or legal.

Consumption known as “problematic” is also opposed to the concept of occasional consumption .

It is as advisable to specify as it is this concept of problematic consumption which makes it possible not to regard as drug addict the patients treated with the Morphine since their consumption is controlled by a Médecin and does not induce behavior of the compulsif type thanks to a regular catch.

For the Tobacco, the dependence can be evaluated according to criteria like the consumed quantities and the amount of time observed between the alarm clock and the first cigarette.

For the alcohol, problematic consumption is estimated according to a standard of WHO fixing daily consumption without danger to health at three standard alcohol glasses per day for the men and two for the women.

As for psychotropic illicit, it is the Héroïne which generally poses a problematic consumption requiring a medical and social assumption of responsibility of the user.

In France, one estimates that the number of new patients treated per annum is of 55.000 for the Tabac, 43.000 for the alcohol and 34.000 for drug-addiction.

Theses interpreting drug-addiction

These theses though sometimes opposite because of their research fields, from/to each other are not exclusive. The mechanism of drug-addiction brings into play many factors.

Psychiatric theses

According to the old formulations (end of the 19th century), drug-addiction would testify to a major disorder of the personality resulting from original tares often associated with other perversions. would be at the origin of psychological disorders including one deep insecurity which would involve an immaturity often observed among drug addicts., play with the Mort or membership of a band . ;

• an environmental context with an accessibility to the products or with close relations themselves users;
• a difficult family context (family conflicts, excessive parents or without authority, violence, abuse, etc);
• of the psychological problems (lack of satisfaction in the relationship with others, etc);
• a personality disorder. Between 20 and 40% of the drug addicts would suffer from a personality disorder;
• a context of search for performance (professional, school or sporting).

Consequences

Drug-addiction is considered a phenomenon of company having effects on the individual and the company in general.

Drug-addiction is also a factor intervening in some Accident S of the road or work with the consequences which such accidents can imply.

Legal consequence

Certain countries (in particular the France) penalize the use and/or the classified possession of Psychotrope S as illicit exposing then to penal sanctions going of the care obligation to the sorrow of Emprisonnement associated with a Amende.

In many countries, it is interdict to lead under the effect of a Psychotrope (alcohol, Stupéfiant S, psychotropic drugs).

In other countries, consumption is completely tolerated. Authorizations generally depending on psychotropic soups traditionally in the country concerned. Alcohol in France, Coke in Bolivia, etc…

Medical consequence

In addition to the immediate effects on psychism had with consumption, drug-addiction has physical effects (opportunist dependence, Accoutumance, diseases, etc) being able to go until death (Surdose, Cancer, various complications, etc), these effects differing however according to the product, its mode and its rate/rhythm of consumption. It is advisable for example to stress that the drug addicts have 5 to 10 times more risks to die compared to an equivalent and nonconsuming population.

In England, in 1998, a study established that 11% of the 16-20 years stopped for an offense nonrelated to drug were tested positive with the Opiacé S whereas in the total statistics of the population only 1,5% of the 16-20 years are opiate experimenters.

Various assumptions come to explain this prevalence.

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