Saah, T. The evolutionary origins and significance of drug addiction. Harm Reduct J 2, 8 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7517-2-8.

Summary

Drug addiction is believed to have evolutionary origins in the way the human brain responds to substances that can alter mood and behavior. It is thought to have emerged as a byproduct of the brain’s reward system, which originally evolved to reinforce behaviors necessary for survival, such as eating and reproducing. When individuals are exposed to addictive substances, the brain’s reward circuitry can become hijacked, leading to compulsive drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior. The significance of drug addiction is profound, as it can lead to numerous social, health, and economic issues. In current society drug use is promoted at such an high status this influences us people at young ages to make it seem ok but no one emphasizes on how detrimental substance use is on a humans’ mind and body.

Rhetorical Analysis

In “The evolutionary origins and significance of drug addiction” writer Tammy Saah describes the conditions and consequences of substance use. The use of drugs were used within ancient civilizations specifically natural drugs; where it wasn’t detrimental for the average human body due to the lack of salient [wanting] behavior. However, now drugs are produce more than ever with no limitation of the resources there’s “excessive amounts of salience in modern environment, we have no internal comtrol … leaving us vulnerable to addiction” (Saah 2). This highlights the major destruction in the the modern world  due to drugs we are so openly accessible to and leaves us to not having a strong mindset to thave a control over yourself if you do or don’t do drugs.

What so amazing is when the ancient civilizations were using psychotropic plants instead of it having negative effects it actually had positive effects boosting energy and fitness. When Saah speaks about how human brains have evolved dealing with emotions and drugs are used it brings more “positive emotions”and with some people it’s hard to deal with emotions so drugs are used to not have these “negative emotions” avoided. “To regulate and compensate for negative emotions… expose themselves to fitness-increasing situations and avoid fitness-decreasing situations…”(Saah 3). This then helps lead to the important fact of how substance use may create this positive feeling it keeps a false reality in your brain now wanting the drug more not realizing the effect on one’s body.

Once Saah has shown us how emotions had some advantages on a person it goes more deep in how drugs effect emotions and go into addiction. It’s told what specific parts of the brain is targeted by the drugs “Their emotional systems are now concentrated on drug-seeking rather than survival”(Saah 4). This emphasizes the results of taking the drugs and how the person would rather depend on temporary pleasure then health.   A theroy is brought up “drugs for reward” stating people are between the mindset of like vs. want and how different drugs stimulate a different “positive emotion”. “Dependence is often continued because of temporary positive effects with the denial of the more permanent, negative pharmaceutical effects”(Saah 5).

Additionally, Saah represents the idea not only it’s ones’  house to use but can be influenced by the modern day environment we are in. It can come poor parenting, social exposure, and stress a major influence. Drug addiction is looked over so much that treatements for drug abuse isn’t given as much . “extremely short-term and non-frequently offered to jail inmates… considering the correctional institution holds more substance abusers than any other national institution.”(Saah 6). Showing that arresting people is more important than helping people who are in jail who are substance users.

In Saah’s journal she goes in depth on how drugs started to how it is now and drug addiction isn’t taken seriously. The influence in modern day is very high and the production of drugs is high, which is a need to be fixed.