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Drug abuse is characterized 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 variety 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, cannot afford to buy food, or eat foods lacking the proper
vitamins and minerals. Individuals who abuse injectable drugs risk
contracting infections such as hepatitis and HIV from dirty needles
or needles shared with other infected abusers. One of the most dangerous
effects of illegal drug use is the potential for overdosing-that
is, taking too large or too strong a dose for the body's systems
to handle. A drug overdose may cause an individual to lose consciousness
and to breathe inadequately. Without treatment, an individual may
die from a drug overdose.
Drug addiction is marked by a compulsive craving for a substance.
Successful treatment methods vary and include psychological counseling,
or psychotherapy, and detoxification programs-medically supervised
programs 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
residents of poor, urban neighborhoods. Today, however, people from
all economic levels, in both cities and suburbs, abuse drugs. Some
people use drugs to relieve stress and to forget about their problems.
Genetic factors may predispose other individuals to drug addiction.
Environmental factors such as peer pressure, especially in young
people, and the availability of drugs, also influence people to
abuse drugs.
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