What do people think of when the topic of addiction comes to mind? Drugs, alcohol, and smoking may be some of the many things considered when the world-wide problem of addiction is addressed. People may be surprised to know that addiction not only consists of drugs, but also gambling and hoarding. Most of the world is affected by this catastrophic problem. Addiction causes health problems, jeopardizes relationships, and causes people to be depressed and have mood changes. These are just a few of the many issues present when people become addicted. Unfortunately, little is done by society to prevent addiction from enveloping the people of the world. Addiction is an ever-growing problem in the world and it needs to stop.

Drugs are the first things that come to mind when addiction is addressed. Drug addiction is a huge problem in our society today. An even bigger problem is the fact that everything from social media to music encourages people, especially young teens, to abuse drugs. Famous actors smoking in movies and respected music artists singing about getting high makes the problem of becoming addicted to drugs much more realistic. One of the most common ways of consuming drugs, smoking, causes hazardous changes in the brain and body that can increase risk of health problems and even death. The main drug in cigarettes is known as nicotine. Nicotine affects the brain by increasing feelings of pleasure for the smoker. The smoker then becomes “hooked” or addicted to this feeling, making it extremely hard to stop smoking. Nicotine also decreases the amounts of monoamineoxidase in the human body. Without this essential enzyme the human brain does not function properly, causing mood changes and strange behavior such as slurred speech. Smoking also affects the skin, lungs, and blood. Every time a person smokes the risk of skin cancer and lung cancer increases. Many forms of heart disease and brain damage are linked to smoking cigarettes. Each day 2,000 people under the age of eighteen become smokers (Opposing Viewpoints Addiction). An especially alarming fact is that over fifty-seven million Americans are smokers today (Opposing Viewpoints Addiction). Out of these fifty-seven million people, twenty-five percent are eighteen to twenty-year olds (Opposing Viewpoints Addiction). Many people do not know that nicotine is also found in tobacco. Tobacco is responsible for over 400,000 deaths in the United States each year (Opposing Viewpoints Addiction). It causes many health problems such as seizures, cancer, and mental disorders. All of these horrendous issues add up to over one hundred thirty-eight billion dollars in health care costs each year (Opposing Viewpoints Addiction). Many people who use tobacco are often curious young adults. In 1999 almost forty-five percent of twelve graders smoked tobacco (Opposing Viewpoints Addiction). That is almost half of all twelfth graders in the United States (Opposing Viewpoints Addiction). Unfortunately, unless we start preventing drug addiction, that number will eventually rise beyond our control.

Another form of addiction is known as gambling. Excessive gamblers will often bet their cash on lotteries and various casino games until they have lost all of their money. Unfortunately, people who are addicted to gambling have no control over how much of their money is lost to the casino games and wagers they take part in. Similar to smokers and drug addicts, excessive gamblers become extremely reluctant to quit gambling once they have started. Excessive gambling is considered a mental disorder. Certain mental disorders such as this one can only be cured with professional or medical help. In 1999, about five million people in America were addicted to gambling (Opposing Viewpoints Addiction). Most of these five million people fell into major debt and lost their jobs, homes, and family due to continuously betting their money. Some gamblers will even sell their own possessions and things of importance to acquire more money to enter lotteries and wagers. Within the year of 1994, Americans wagered 600 billion dollars on gambling (Thakkar, Vatsal G. M.D., Christine Collins Ph.D., and Pat Levitt Ph. D.). That much money spent on gambling is a tremendous waste knowing that there are people in the world who have little money to spare. An even more disturbing reality is that the government does nothing to stop excessive gamblers from throwing their money away, as circulating that much money in a short period of time supposedly “helps the economy grow”. Furthermore, over the past couple of years gambling has increased the rate of domestic violence within the United States by almost sixty-eight percent (Opposing Viewpoints Addiction). This is unacceptable, as thirty percent of all excessive gamblers have abused their children (Opposing Viewpoints Addiction). The rate of crime in America has also increased due to gambling, as more than half of all excessive gamblers commit crimes to get more money to gamble. Gambling not only creates problems for the individual, but it also wreaks havoc upon those who come in contact with the gambler.

The last major form of addiction is hoarding. Hoarding is one of the more dangerous and problematic forms of addiction because of health and safety problems involved. Hoarders are extremely reluctant to dispose or get rid of anything. Trash and useless items become a part of the hoarder’s home causing a pile up of garbage and filth. Exit and entry ways to rooms and different areas of the hoarder’s home become blocked by mounds upon mounds of items. This is a fire hazard considering the hoarder will have much difficulty navigating through their own home. Also, a home filed with trash is a home filled with disease and sickness. People who hoard meaningless junk often become ill due to dangerous waste products found in garbage around their homes. No one should live in unsanitary conditions like this. Furthermore, people who hoard become isolated from the outside world. Social interactions and social relationships are important to live a healthy life. Without social interaction people become depressed and their behavior and emotions change in a negative way. Hoarders will often avoid friends and family members in an effort to hide the truth about their lives. This is absolutely unacceptable. Family and friends provide the support hoarders need to return to a sanitary lifestyle. Sadly, most of the time hoarding is a big problem that is ignored. We, as human beings, need to show support to those who are involved in life-threatening issues like hoarding.

Overall, addiction effects and destroys many lives. We need to take notice of this problem, as the number of people who succumb to addiction becomes higher and higher every day. Without help these people will become sick, depressed, injured, and may even die from the ruthless effects of addiction. A world without addiction would be a great one.