The Effect Of Drug Abuse

Drug abuse is characterised by taking more than the recommended dose of prescription drugs such as barbiturates without medical supervision, or using government controlled substances such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin or other illegal

substances. Legal substances such as alcohol and nicotine are also abused by many people. Abuse of drugs and other substances can lead to physical and psychological dependence. Drug abuse can cause a wide range of adverse physical reactions. Long term drug use may damage the heart, liver and brain. Drug abusers may suffer from malnutrition if they habitually forget to eat; most times the cannot afford to buy food or eat food that contain the proper vitamins and minerals. Individuals who abuse injectable drugs risk contracting infections such as hepatitis and HIV from dirty needles and needles shared with other infected users. One of the most dangerous effect of illegal drug use is the potential for overdosage - that is, taking too large or too strong a dose for the body's system to handle. A drug overdose may cause an individual to lose consciousness and to breathe inadequately. Without treatment an individual may die from drug overdose. Drug addiction is marked by a compulsive craving for substance. Successful treatment methods vary and include psychological counselling or psychotheraphy and detoxification programmes - medically supervised programmes that gradually wean an individual from a drug over a period of days or weeks. Detoxification and psychotherapy are often used together. The illegal use of drugs was once considered a problem unique to resident of poor urban neighbourhood. Today, however, people from all economic levels in both cities and Suburbs abuse drugs to relieve stress and to forget about their problems. Genetic factors may predispose other individual to drug addiction. Environmental factors such as peer pressure, especially in young people and the availability of drugs, also influence people to abuse drugs. Drug abuse can also be seen in the rate at which young people are confined to psychiatric hospitals due to overdose.