Drugs

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Introduction
Counting the Cost of Addiction
Alcohol
Smoking
Why is Smoking Bad?
Risks of Smoking
The Cost of Smoking

Our Body is a Temple
Trying to Stop
Seek Professional Help
Illegal Drugs
Why Take Drugs?
British Law and Drugs
Bad Effects of Drugs

Drug Dealers
The Effects of Drugs
Getting High and Substance Abuse
One In Five First Time Users Die
Been There, Done That!
Real Life

Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and other Addictions

Most ungodly habits and addictions like smoking, drugs, and heavy drinking are very expensive and can lead you into debt, possibly crime and on a slippery downward spiral.

If you have ever seen a drug abuser or an alcoholic then you know how you could end up. If you take drugs then it could happen to you! Certain things may be legal but are they moral or godly?

God loves you and has an exciting plan for your life. There is hope for anybody with an addiction as God can do all things. Jesus came to defeat the works of the evil one. I know of former illegal drug abusers who are now converted and serving God.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ‘Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body.’

"Call to me and I will answer you; I will tell you wonderful and marvellous things that you know nothing about" Jeremiah 33:3.

Counting the Cost of Addiction

Many former drug addicts have said that they got more than a high from their addiction.

Many lost all their friends and found new ones - all drug users. They lost concentration at school, their grades got worse and some got kicked out of school.

Their addiction was so expensive that it led to debt, and then debt led to crime. First they stole from the family, and then they broke into someone’s house. Some went to prison and many now have a criminal record.

It broke up their family because their parents could not handle the pressure of having a drug addict and thief in the home. Older people ended up divorced and penniless.

Drugs seriously affected their health, and in many cases led to mental health problems and sometimes to a premature death.

In the wider world they helped put an extra burden on the National Health Service (NHS), and on the taxpayer. They supported the criminal underworld in Britain, and helped to destabilize developing countries and helped to keep their citizens in poverty by funding criminal activities.

This is no game: Your actions have serious consequences for you and for those around you.

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Alcohol

Proverbs 20:1 ‘Wine is a mocker, intoxicating drink arouses brawling and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.’

In regards to alcohol people often say, “How much is too much?” To be honest I don’t know, as it affects different people in different ways.

Social drinking in the UK has put may Christians on a downward slope that led to their backsliding. We are told not to associate with any believer who is a drunkard, and it is wise to stay away from any ungodly drinking culture 1 Corinthians 5:11, Proverbs 23:19-20, Ephesians 4:17-24.

Don’t get tarred with the same brush. If you force, encourage or cajole someone to go for a drink with you, then you are in big trouble as the Bible warns against this, Habakkuk 2:15.

In most countries there is an age limit before people can start drinking; this should help protect children from alcohol abuse.

Personally I recommend that you do not start drinking socially as it could lead you astray or at least into sin. By encouraging a weaker brother or sister to go with you, you could lead them into sin 1 Corinthians 8:9-13. If in doubt whether it is right or wrong be over cautious and do not do or take it, stay safe rather than sorry. If you know that you have sinned then repent, as God is merciful and forgiving.

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Smoking

Smoking is the biggest single cause of preventable disease and premature death in the UK. Every day 300 people die due to smoking. It is estimated that one in four people will be killed prematurely by their habit.

Smoking kills five times more people before their time than all theses other causes put together: Road accidents, suicide, murder, AIDS, drug and solvent abuse.

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Why is Smoking Bad for You?

Tobacco smoke is made up of thousands of chemicals; some of them are very harmful. The main ones are: Tar. Is it like the stuff that is put on roads?! It clogs up the lungs and damages them. Nicotine. Can cause addiction, it increases the heart rate and blood pressure. Carbon monoxide. It reduces the ability of your blood to carry oxygen to the brain and muscles.

Risks of Smoking

Smokers run a greater risk of... Lung and throat cancers and other cancers, Heart attacks, stroke, breathlessness, bronchitis, emphysema, stomach ulcers, premature ageing of the skin, wrinkles, stained teeth and finger tips.

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The Cost of Smoking

If you smoke 20 cigarettes a day at Ł4.60 (UK Prices 2003) then that will cost you Ł32.20 a week and Ł1674.40 a year! And most of that goes to the taxman. If you gave up smoking, just think what you could spend that money on.

Smoking is a waste of money, it makes your hair and clothes smell, and it damages your body. The longer you smoke the greater the chances you will have of contracting a serious health problem. Smoke can also damage other people’s health; this is called passive smoking. Roy Castle, a famous Christian and former host of ‘Record Breakers’ (UK), died from cancer because of passive smoking.

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Our Body is a Temple

The Bible speaks about our bodies as being ‘temples of the Holy Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 6:16-19) and that ‘we should not murder’ (Exodus 20:13) (yourself or others). The medical evidence tells us that smoking seriously damages our health, and from the above scriptures we can see, that we should look after our bodies.

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Trying to Stop

If you want to stop smoking, then the best way is to use your will power. You may be able to throw all the cigarettes/cigars/tobacco away or you may want to wean yourself off them by reducing the quantity daily or weekly.

Mike's Experience

"Many years ago I was a smoker and made several abortive attempts to 'give up'; it was not till I let God, through the Holy Spirit, play a part in that attempt, that the resolve to give up was made complete! It can't be done on your own in many instances, we need divine intervention". - Mike.

Seek Professional Medical Help

You should seek medical help; your local doctor or your pharmacist will stock various medicines. You may find that you need prayer to be released from a spirit of addiction. (Your pastor or elder should be able to help you). If you really want to quit, then God will help you, as ‘you can do all things through Christ’ Philippians 4:13. There is a free help-line in the UK which is 0800 169 0 169. The NHS in the UK often runs campaigns to help people stop smoking.

A recent survey showed that nearly 70% of smokers want to stop, so why should we start in the first place?

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Illegal Drugs

Drugs cover a wide variety of connotations, but we will be looking mainly at illegal drugs such as Heroin, LSD and Ecstasy.

The Bible is very clear about the fact that Christians have been ‘bought at a price’ and that we have to ‘honour our body as it is the temple of the Holy Spirit’. Anything that helps to destroy your body or makes you in such as state so that you are unable to think or act properly is wrong.

It has been proven that smoking, certain drugs and drinking excessively can kill you. God says, “You shall not murder” (kill) Exodus 20:13. Whether you kill others or yourself it is wrong and therefore should not be done.

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Why Take Drugs?

People take drugs for all sorts of reasons; peer pressure, for fun, a dare from a friend, an offer from a stranger or just to forget their worries.

It is not always easy to describe what happens to people when they take drugs as a person’s health, age, sex, previous experimenting with drugs and whether they are on medication or have allergies all contribute to how individuals will be affected. It also depends on a person’s mood that they are in at the time, who they are with, where they are and the atmosphere of the place.

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British Law and Drugs

It is a criminal offence to possess drugs, especially if one has the intent to sell illegal drugs, (which includes giving and sharing drugs) most of which will carry a prison sentence or community service if under age.

If the police have reason to suspect you’re carrying an illegal drug they have the right to make you turn out your pockets. They can also take you to the police station and search you. If drugs are found, you could be charged with one of two offences, possession or possession with intent to supply drugs.

Even if you do not get prosecuted for having drugs for personal use there will still be the stigma of a court case with friends, family, school or work colleagues and the local paper finding out.

By opening your mind and becoming in a trance or hypnotic state of being ‘spaced out’ you can unknowingly become open to, tormented by or controlled by demonic beings.

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Bad Effects of Taking Drugs

A man who I used to work with was a regular user of Ecstasy and he told me of a bad trip where a huge orange was trying to attack him. Other people have committed suicide whilst on drugs to escape from their torments. A particular case I read about in my local newspaper was of a teenager who jumped from the top of a five-story car park; the autopsy showed traces of illegal drugs in his blood.

Some drugs can make you feel panicky and afraid. Sometimes people will have flashback especially if taking LSD where they see or hear things from previous trips. People who take LSD a lot can become mentally ill.

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Drug Dealers

Friends offer many people drugs and most drug dealers look normal and do not stand out. You can’t tell a drug dealer by what they look like.

I spoke to a new Christian who used to be a drug dealer before his conversion and he was telling me that he sold the ‘stuff’ for money but never took it himself, as he did not want to become addicted.

In the UK there is a national free drugs help-line which you can call in confidence on 0800 776600; whether you’re calling about yourself or a friend, you can receive info, counselling or a chat.

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The Effects of Drugs

Different drugs have different effects on people and we have placed them into five categories.

1. Stimulants: drugs that act on the central nervous system and increase brain activity. Cocaine, crack, Ecstasy, Poppers, Speed and tobacco.

2. Depressants: drugs that act on the central nervous system and slow down brain activity. Alcohol, gases, glues and aerosols, GHB and tranquillisers.

3. Hallucinogens: drugs that act on the mind, distorting the way users see and hear things. Cannabis, Ketamine, LSD and magic mushrooms.

4. Analgesics: drugs that have a pain killing effect. Heroin.

5. Anabolic Steroids: these drugs promote the growth of skeletal muscle and increase lean body mass.

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Getting High and Substance Abuse

Every year many people, especially the young, try to get high and then die through sniffing or inhaling solvents. Products such as aerosols, lighter fuels, correcting fluids, sprays, gas and glues can kill if inhaled or sniffed through the nose or mouth in large doses.

There is nothing cool or trendy about killing yourself, choking to death, a heart attack or an accident whilst under the influence and then bringing grief upon family and friends.

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One In Five First-Time Users Die

Every time a person misuses a solvent they run the risk of death. One in five of the people, who die from this abuse, were trying it for the first time. Don’t take the risk of trying and dying.

If you have started then you need to stop; the sooner the better. There are no bad withdrawal affects, but it is better not to start in the first place.

Become a man or a woman and refuse to abuse your body with solvents. Any girl or boy can do; it but it takes a mature, responsible person to say no and to possibly run away from a situation where you could be tempted or led away with peer pressure.

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Been There, Done That!

Alarna (not her real name) felt pressured into smoking as a teenager. She got into a little trouble for stealing from her mum to buy cigarettes, but apart from that she was ok. Now in her mid-twenties she is finding it very hard to stop. She regrets getting addicted and wishes she had back all the money she spent on smoking – to pay off her student debt!

Frank (not his real name) began to take drugs, stopped going to church and after some time became an addict. He could not remember anything that he had learned at school and one day they caught him with drugs - he was thrown out. He got involved with a criminal gang and terrorized his neighbourhood. Years on he met a Christian who showed him Christ was not boring, but that He could change his life. Frank gave his life to Jesus, and found new purpose in Christ; He went to Bible College and went back to school to get the grades that drugs had robbed him of.

Victoria (not her real name) was a teenager who helped in her youth group. She went to a Christian friend’s 18th birthday party. They had made a decision to have alcohol at the party and many people ended up getting drunk. Victoria ended up in a lot of trouble and totally regrets going.

Hope (not her real name) took drugs now and again for fun. She was not an addict and lived a very successful life. At the a nightclub she bought another drug to spice the night up. In the early hours of the morning she collapsed and died. The police realised she had been sold a contaminated drug. Her family were completely broken and live with continual grief as they watch other people’s children grow up and get married.

James (not his real name) smoked for around ten years. Finally he decided to give it up. Twenty-five years on, he has saved over fifteen thousand pounds, which has been spent on giving his family a better standard of living. James has also used that money to give to mission work, and there are people all over the world who have been saved, or healed because he gave up smoking!

Peter (not his real name) was a teenage Christian who started going to the pubs with his Christian friends. They all entered into the British drinking culture and most of them ended up backsliding. They were not getting drunk all the time, but they were away from God.

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Real Life

At the end of the day a drug may be able to give you a sense of relief and freedom for a period of time, but as the effect wears of you will be brought back into the world of reality.

The choices that you make today will affect the way you live tomorrow; don’t throw your future away. The only true path to harmony, peace, joy and contentment is when individuals are in a living relationship with the living God. Jesus Christ has come to give you life to the full (John 10:10) but the devil tries to kill, steal and destroy.

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. He died on the cross; He took the punishment that we deserved so that we could enter into a real relationship with Him.

You don’t have to sniff chemicals or take drugs to get high. There are better and safer ways of getting a buzz and in any case a ‘chemical high’ is artificial-it’s not the real thing, it’s a passing wonder of destruction. Jesus came to give you life to the full and only He can give you real peace, joy, comfort, love and contentment.

Jesus can give you the more than a ‘buzz’. We can have a living relationship with the Creator of the universe!

Tell Jesus that you are sincerely sorry for the wrong things that you have done and ask Him into you life, then turn and follow Him. You can find more answers to life’s problems in the Holy Bible. Read it and apply its teaching to your life and you will be amazed.

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'THE
JUST
SHALL
LIVE
BY
FAITH'
Hab. 2:4