What are the three categories of drugs?
medically prescribed: used to relieve pain or cure a disease, can be addictive
socially acceptable: alcohol and tobacco, widely used but can have devastating effects
illegal drugs: come in three classes, Christians are opposed to them
What are the reasons for taking drugs?
increase brain activity to make you feel more alert and happy
reduce brain activity to make you feel relaxed
painkillers are used to relieve pain and make the user feel content
heighten senses which improve experiences
How do drugs affect the individual?
- addiction - physically and mentally unable to cope without the drug
- lack of money - lead to stealing to feed their addiction
- health - can lead to health problems such as liver disease or cancer
- feel disconnected from the world - lead to mental illness
- can lead to anxiety/paranoia
How do drugs affect a users family?
- violence - alcohol misuse can lead to physical and sexual abuse
- users may neglect their children as they lose their sense of responsibility
- addicts may steal from their families to feed their addiction
How do drugs affect society?
crime - violence. theft and gangs may stem from drugs
death - smoking kills 114,000 people per year
cost - treating smoking related disease costs the NHS almost £2 billion
Christian views on socially acceptable drugs
Bible states alcohol is a good thing that can be used to “make the heart glad”
Jesus drank wine at his last supper
being drunk can lead to other sins
humans are made in the image of God - alcohol and tobacco damage the body
Reasons we should/shouldn’t help drug addicts
should:
- Jesus healed people
- teaches them a lesson to make them better people
- life is precious - “made in Gods image”
shouldn’t:
- NHS spends £2 billion on smoking related illnesses, wastes tax payers money
- people are aware of the risks when they take a substance
- the body is a temple of the holy spirit and should be looked after
