Whatever the substance be - marijuana, nicotine, alcohol or stronger drugs like heroin and cocaine, the substance takes hold of the addict's spirit making it irresolvable for him to live without the substance. The craving is irrepressible and the addict becomes entirely without choice in the matter.

The addict is physically completely dependent on the drug and without it, his body just cannot manage to be typical. Such withdrawal, when implemented willingly or by force, results in overwhelming trembling of limbs, hallucinations, sleeplessness and sometimes even other heart difficulties.

Drugs have an influence on the central nervous system and the brain. The influence of the drug manifests itself in the conduct of the body and mind. The body's coordination and the mind's capability to rationalise get affected. Since the chemicals in the brain get affected, the drug takes a fierce grip on the user.

Addiction to illicit substances also results in obsessive-compulsive behavior such as promiscuity, robbery and other unusual actions. The motive is usually to raise finances for financing the obsession and if it means unacceptable deeds, the addict feels no remorse about it.

A significant fact about drug addiction is its occurrence among certain types of people. Such people incorporate children of addicts, people with very low self-respect and people who are certain that they are helpless and cannot control events in their lives. People with such backgrounds become practically totally incapable over their compulsion when they start using illegal drugs.

Social and peer pressure too play a important role in dependency. What starts as chance use in clubs, parties and further social occasions due to the need to be with it, or part of the in-clique, spills over into the private life. The addict will start using the drug when lonely and eventually come to a circumstance where he is powerless to be without it.

Drug dependency does not show partiality to any social or economic caste in selecting its victims. People from all strata are affected - the rich, the poor and all those between. Celebrities and the common man also fall prey and that is why it is significant that you absorb as much as possible about it so that compulsion can be prevented before it becomes a certainty.

Sufficient evidence is available about drug addiction but the hard actuality is that it has assumed epidemic proportions and is spreading very quickly. Drug dependency is a bane on civilization and it must be wiped out. If that has to be achieved, we need to educate ourselves about the facts regarding drug compulsion and you have made a start by reading this item.