demographic group lies in assuming that drug users have homogenous traits, causes and proclivities. In actuality, she ascertained, the problem is a result of a complex combination of many factors which themselves must be deconstructed to be fully understood and dealt with on a proactive basis.
Marijuana, cocaine and designer drugs have been the perennial emblem of the drug subculture in Europe and America, as well as recreational drug favorites with weekend partiers looking to enhance the fun of a night on the town. It is estimated that as many as 3 million people in Britain and more than 6 million in America have tried these "hard" and "recreational" drugs at some point, with an estimated 500,000 being regular consumers in Britain alone. Pederson and Skrondal's 1999 study reviewed the patterns of how a drug or fad becomes popular and then how it spreads from a specific to the general population. Subcultures create a basis for the diffusion of styles and fashions, which subsequently spread to larger groups.
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) produced a study that surveyed 7800 university students across Canada. This study identified 10.2% of the population as using illicit drugs other than cannabis. Alcohol was noted as the drug of choice among university students, with 92% of the population having tried it at least once. Quebec students had the highest rate of both cannabis and alcohol use in the previous 12 months (28.7% and 88.3%, respectively) (Gross et al. 2002: 541-546).
A recent article in the journal Science, "Addiction is a Brain Disease, and It Matters," summarizes the evidence that long-term exposure to drugs produces addiction: Taking drugs elicits changes in neurons in the central nervous system that compel the individual to take drugs. Because these changes are presumed to be irreversible, the addict is perpetually at risk for relapse. "Virtually all drugs of abuse have common effects, ei...