The Vagaries of Drug Addiction

The definition of vagaries goes like this: An unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or in someone’s behaviour. That definition certainly sounds like an employer describing a worker’s unusual behaviour due to drug use. Drugs have unpredictable effects on people. There are those who are able to hide their addictions and there are those who act irrationally after drug use. Surprisingly, there are also people who use hard drugs and do not get addicted, while others are addicted after a single use of a drug like cocaine or meth. The mysteries of the difference of the effects of drug use on people is under intense research scrutiny, and a new study indicates that the shape of the brain may play in a role.

Not everyone who uses cocaine becomes addicted, and it is impossible to predict the particulars of how someone will react to drugs. It takes random alcohol testing to detect some people’s drug use and for-cause drug alcohol testing to prove substances were used. There remain a lot of medical mysteries concerning drug use. However, some mysteries are being slowly revealed through in-depth studies of the brain, such as why some people can repeatedly use cocaine and not develop a dependence.

The frontal lobe of the brain plays an important role in self-control and decision making. At Cambridge University, researchers found during a study that recreational drug users who used cocaine for many years and did not get addicted had a much larger frontal lobe region that developed naturally before drug use. On the other hand, cocaine addicts had a much smaller frontal lobe region in comparison compared to non-addicts. It is believed that the smaller size is partly due to drug use and partly due to genetics. However, the smaller the brain region managing decision making, the less self-control people have. People who are addicted are compulsive and impulsive and will act without thinking. People who are not addicts were called sensation-seekers who get bored easily and so look for new experiences.”¹

In the workplace, any drug use by a worker is bad, whether or not the person is addicted. Yet, the study does support the importance of Employee Assistance Programs or individualised counselling programs. Dr. Karen Ercshe, study leader, interpreted the study findings to indicate that preventative strategies tailored to each person’s brain structure and personality profile will be the most successful.

In Australia, 39.8 percent of people have used an illicit drug. One in ten have used ecstasy or hallucinogens; less than one in ten had used meth, cocaine or heroin. Cannabis was the most frequently used drug. The average age of the first-time illicit drug user was 19, highlighting the fact that employers cannot make assumptions about age because anyone over 19 years old is a potential drug user.² The World Drug Report 2012 published by the United Nations reports that one out of every eight people using illicit drugs will get addicted.³

^{This article has been taken from : http://mediscreen.net.au/articles/the-vagaries-of-drug-addiction/}