What Drives People to Do Drugs?

What are some of the most common reasons people do drugs, then? We’ll list several here. Just as there are many reasons why people drink alcohol, however, there are equally as many reasons why people do drugs.
 
Temporary feelings of euphoria, pleasure and empathy

People do drugs because they want that feeling, however temporary, of euphoria. This feeling is often equated with pleasure, and, possibly, empathy. The fact is that the state of euphoria is often followed by a crash, a severe reversal of feeling. This may lead the drug user to increase dosage or frequency, neither of which is a good outcome.
 
To just get “high”

Related to feelings of euphoria is the intention to just get “high” on drugs. This is a deliberate intention to do drugs to achieve that state of altered awareness – whether to forget problems, check out from reality, or just for something to do.
 
Increased energy

Another common reason people cite for why they do drugs is that drugs give them increased energy, a “burst of energy,” as some will say. Such an energy boost is short-lived, however, often leading to increased usage to maintain or recapture that energetic feeling.
 
Like the “rush”

Others say they just like the rush, or an acute awareness to emotion, that drug use gives them. The fact that this happens almost instantaneously is a large part of the attraction. The “instant high” is very hard to turn down, especially for an addictive personality type.
 
Peer pressure

Many young people get their first exposure to drugs through their peers, mostly at gatherings such as unsupervised parties, and during weekends and summer nights. It’s very difficult for some personalities to buck the prevailing mood of the group, to stand up for their own beliefs, and just say “no.”
 
Family influence

Surprisingly, a 2005 study of some 16,000 teenagers in Orange County, California, found that teens said family members had the biggest influence on whether or not they used drugs, tobacco or alcohol. This is good news for parents who can use this as an opportunity to reinforce family values – that it’s not okay to do drugs. Teens also lean by observation: if parents don’t use or abuse drugs and it’s not tolerated in the home except for prescribed medical purposes, teens are more likely to steer clear of drugs.
 
Thrill-seeking and risk-taking behavior

For many people, the opportunity to take risks and constantly seek out thrills is just too tempting to turn down. This especially holds true when it comes to doing drugs. Whether it’s an illegal drug like cocaine, ecstasy, GHB, amphetamines, methamphetamines, opiates and sedatives, hallucinogenic drugs or designer drugs, even prescription medicines they find at home (or in the homes of friends), it’s a thrill to “experiment” with drugs.
 
Boredom

When a person is bored, they’ll typically look for something to relieve their boredom. Without schedules, routine, strong family values, role models and discipline, an easy path to alleviating boredom is to engage in drug-taking behavior.
 
Rebelliousness

Teens often rebel against authority, whether parental, societal, religious or otherwise, by taking drugs. In some teen groups, doing drugs is almost a rite of passage. Teens also may think that it’s “cool” to do drugs, that all the hippest kids do it.
 
To overcome shyness, to fit in

A painfully shy person may begin to experiment with drugs to help overcome their inability to relate comfortably with others. Others may choose to do drugs in the mistaken belief that it will help them to fit in.