Compared to the life of one hundred years ago, the contemporary world is becoming more and more complicated. Technology continues to evolve, and some people find it difficult to adapt to the changes.
Young people especially struggle, because they have to learn in a different way than their parents and teachers did. People need to know many things that they have not learned at school. For example: How to use the Internet and mobile devices, such as smart-phones. They also need to handle money, which means going to the bank and managing accounts according to their financial circumstances.
Young people must look for a job and a place to live. It is stressful for them and they look for ways to relax, so as to improve their mood otherwise, it is quite common for teenagers to abuse nicotine, alcohol and drugs.
Drugs are a global problem. Even though most drugs are illegal, drug trafficking remains the second biggest business in the world. Only the military business is bigger.
We can divide drugs into three groups, which can cause illnesses, addictions or even death: Hard drugs include, for example, heroin and cocaine. People use these drugs because they enhance their mood, and make them feel independent, strong or relaxed. These drugs are highly addictive and can quickly damage the body via illnesses, such as hepatitis or AIDS. It is not unusual for some addicts to die. This class of drugs is very expensive, and because addicts often lose their jobs, they are forced to steal, so as to be able to buy the drugs to feed their addiction.
The class of drugs that are categorised as 'Soft drugs' include, for example, Marijuana. Although the impact of these soft drugs, is generally not as severe as hard drugs, and are less expensive, they do affect one’s mental well being, may actually damage one's lungs, brain and mucous membranes, and are illegal.
There is also a group of legal drugs. This includes alcohol and tobacco products. It is possible to buy them in normal retail outlets, such as shops and supermarkets that are licensed to sell them. In the Czech Republic, the sale of these products, is restricted to persons who are more than 18-years of age. But this is a regulation that is rarely followed. The sellers sell it to nearly everybody because they need to earn money. They know that if they do not sell it to a customer he will go to some other shop. Governments try to limit the consumption of alcohol and tobacco products, by imposing high taxes, which cause higher prices. But, even though it creates a vicious circle, governments do not want to prohibit the use of alcohol and tobacco, since they earn high tax revenues, from the sale of alcohol and tobacco products.
Thousands of drugs addicts die every year. Some die from the drugs themselves. Others die from AIDS because they share infected needles. Smoking cigarettes can lead to respiratory diseases, lung or stomach cancer, a stroke, heart disease or a heart attack.
But these are not the only problems of the young generation. There is also a threat of various illnesses known as civilization diseases... especially AIDS.
This deadly disease is the result of infection by the HIV virus, which is carried in the bloodstream. As of today, there are two major ways for people to become infected with the HIV virus. One way is through sexual contact with an infected person, and the other way is by sharing needles with an infected person.
In the past, people could also be infected, via a blood transfusion. But this method of transmission is much less likely, because of the stringent testing of donated blood. There is also a possibility to infect a baby during the pregnancy, if the mother has AIDS. About 12 million people have AIDS, and, every day, more than 200 people will probably become infected with the HIV virus.
Unemployment is an economic danger for every country. In the Czech Republic, many people are unemployed. The percentage varies from region to region, but, it is somewhere between 2 and 20%. The most affected regions are in the north of Bohemia and Moravia with their over reliance, on heavy industry. There is a lack of demand for coal and steel on the world markets, so thousands of workers have been laid off. Another reason for unemployment is that hundreds of companies have gone bankrupt. School-leavers often cannot find a job and have to be on unemployment benefits. For most people, being out of work for a long time, is humiliating, depressing and may lead to mental disorders or even suicide.
Children and young people sometimes have parents who are too busy at work, to spend time and to care more for their children. They know it is bad for their children and they try to compensate, by giving them money. But although the children have more pocket-money, the children need parents, more than the money.
Children usually do not know what to do with their money, so they do not learn the habit of saving for the future. This often means that, when they grow up, they often have trouble managing their financial affairs. Children also miss the benefit of having a role model, since they need to see how adults behave, what to do and say, etc. When children are always alone they too often watch TV or play computer games. They live in a fiction, not in a reality.
