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What is Substance Abuse?
People abuse substances such as drugs, alcohol, and tobacco for varied and complicated reasons, but it is clear that our society pays a significant cost. The toll for this abuse can be seen in our hospitals and emergency departments through direct damage to health by substance abuse and its link to physical trauma. Jails and prisons tally daily the strong connection between crime and drug dependence and abuse. Although use of some drugs such as cocaine has declined, use of other drugs such as heroin and "club drugs" has increased. Finding effective treatment for and prevention of substance abuse has been difficult. Through research, we now have a better understanding of the behavior. Studies have made it clear that drug education and prevention aimed at children and adolescents offers the best chance to curb abuse nationally. The 1996 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse estimated the number of users of illicit drugs in the United States to be about 13 million. In addition, the survey estimated that 10% of Americans abuse or are dependent on alcohol, and 25% of Americans smoke cigarettes. Abused substances produce some form of intoxication that alters judgment, perception, attention, or physical control.
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Also known as Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, alcohol dependence, Drug Dependence, Drug Usage, Substance Use Disorders, Substance Dependence, Glue Sniffing, Substance-Related Disorders, Substance Use Disorder, Substance Addiction, illicit drug abuse, Drug Use Disorders, narcotic abuse, Substance Abuses, Drug Use Disorder, hallucinogen abuse, Drug Habituation, Substance-Induced Organic Mental Disorders, Substance Induced Organic Mental Disorders
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Substance Abuse information from trusted sources:
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ...
SAMHSA works to improve the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, alcohol and drug addiction treatment, and mental health services. Read more on
www.samhsa.gov
National Institute on Drug Abuse - The Science of Drug Abuse and ...
The mission of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is to lead the Nation bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction. Read more on
www.nida.nih.gov
WHO | Substance abuse
Substance abuse refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. Psychoactive substance use can lead ... Read more on
www.who.int
Substance Abuse - What Is Substance Abuse?
Substance abuse can simply be defined as a pattern of harmful use of any substance for mood-altering purposes, but the broad range of substance abuse in ... Read more on
alcoholism.about.com
NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) created the NIDA for Teens Web site to educate adolescents ages 11 through 15 (as well as their parents and ... Read more on
teens.drugabuse.gov
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the part of your brain called the substantia nigra. The nerve cells are responsible for producing a chemical called dopamine, which helps to transmit messages from your brain that control and coordinate your body movements. Read more on
www.nhs.uk
Iressa
Substances that are inducers of CYP3A4 activity increase the metabolism of gefitinib and decrease its plasma concentrations. In patients receiving a potent CYP3A4 inducer such as rifampicin or phenytoin, a dose increase to 500 mg daily should be considered in the absence of severe adverse drug reaction, and clinical response and adverse events should be carefully monitored (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY-Pharmacokinetics-Drug-Drug Interactions and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION-Dosage Adjustment sections). Read more on
www.druglib.com
Allergies
An acquired hypersensitivity to a substance (allergen) that does not normally cause a reaction. It is essentially an antibody-antigen reaction but in some cases the antibody cannot be demonstrated. The reaction is due to the release of histamine or histamine-like substances from injured cells. There may be a genetic predisposition to acquire a particular allergy. The number of exposures necessary to produce enough antibodies to cause an allergy varies. An allergy may occur the second time a person is exposed to a particular allergen, or may not occur until years later when repeated exposures have produced sufficient antibodies. Manifestations most commonly involve the respiratory tract or the skin. Allergic conditions include eczema, allergic rhinitis or coryza, hay fever, bronchial asthma, urticaria (hives), and food allergy. The immune system is a highly complex defense mechanism that helps us to combat infection. It does this by identifying "foreign bodies" and mobilizing the body's white blood cells to fight the infection. In some people, the immune system wrongly identifies a non-toxic substance as an invader, and the white blood cells overreact and do more damage to the body than the invader. Read more on
www.emedicinal.com
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and ...
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View Read more on
Internet
NIH - Substance Abuse
Alcohol Abuse in Pregnancy see Pregnancy and Substance Abuse · Alcohol and Youth · Alcohol Consumption · Alcoholism; Amphetamine Abuse see Methamphetamine ... Read more on
health.nih.gov
Contents
Alcohol Dependence
For most adults, moderate alcohol use is not harmful. However, nearly 17.6 million adults in the United States are alcoholics or have alcohol problems. Alcoholism is a disease with four main features: Alcoholism carries many serious dangers. Heavy drinking can increase the risk of certain cancers. It can cause damage to the liver, brain and other organs. It can cause birth defects. It increases the risk of death from car crashes and other injuries as well as the risk of homicide and suicide.
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www.nlm.nih.gov
Drug Abuse
Drug abusers use substances to modify their mood or state of mind, even when doing so causes difficulties at work, school, or with relationships, health, or the law. Substance abuse contributes to many social ills, including crime, accidents, and family violence. For example, substance abuse causes impaired judgment, which may lead to the spread of HIV through needle-sharing and trading sex for drugs. Drug-related problems cost an estimated $160 billion or more annually.
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www.pdrhealth.com
Drug dependence
Drug addiction, or dependence, is the compulsive use of a substance, despite its negative or dangerous effects. However, a physical dependence on a substance (needing the drug to function) is not always part of the definition of addiction. Some drugs (for example, certain blood pressure medications) do not cause addiction but they can cause physical dependence. Other drugs cause addiction without leading to physical dependence. Cocaine is an example. Tolerance to a drug (needing a higher dose to attain the same effect) is usually part of addiction. See also: Drug abuse Drug abuse first aid Cocaine intoxication Cocaine withdrawal Opioid intoxication Opioid withdrawal
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www.nlm.nih.gov
Drug addiction
Drug addiction is a dependence on a street drug or a medication. When you're addicted, you may not be able to control your drug use and you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes. Drug addiction can cause an intense craving for the drug. You may want to quit, but most people find they can't do it on their own.
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www.mayoclinic.com
Narcotic Abuse
Pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical treatment. Doctors can prescribe several different drugs to relieve pain. The most potent pain-relieving drugs are narcotics.
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www.emedicinehealth.com
Diet and substance abuse recovery
Drug Abuse in Pregnancy
When you are pregnant, you are not just "eating for two." You also breathe and drink for two, so it is important to carefully consider what you give to your baby. If you smoke, use alcohol or take illegal drugs, so does your unborn baby. First, don't smoke. Smoking during pregnancy passes nicotine and cancer-causing drugs to your baby. Smoke also keeps your baby from getting nourishment and raises the risk of stillbirth or premature birth. Don't drink alcohol. There is no known safe amount of alcohol a woman can drink while pregnant. Alcohol can cause life-long physical and behavioral problems in children, including fetal alcohol syndrome. Don't use illegal drugs. Using illegal drugs may cause underweight babies, birth defects or withdrawal symptoms after birth.
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www.nlm.nih.gov
Drug abuse first aid
A variety of resources are available for treating substance abuse and chemical dependency.
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www.nlm.nih.gov
Drugs of Abuse Screen
To screen for drug use, to monitor someone with a substance abuse problem, or to detect and evaluate a drug overdose
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www.labtestsonline.org
Child Abuse
Child abuse occurs across all socioeconomic levels and ethnic groups. For parents and other caregivers, factors that may increase the risk of becoming abusive include: Low self-esteem, Poor impulse control, Depression, Anxiety, Marital conflict, Domestic violence, Financial stress, Social isolation, Alcoholism or other forms of substance abuse, A history of mistreatment as a child
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www.mayoclinic.com
Substance abuse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" ...
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en.wikipedia.org