All you Need To Know About Drug Abuse

A drug is a substance which may have medical, intoxicating performance, enhacing or other effects when taken or injected into the human body or an animal's. Drug are not considered as food.

Drug Abuse then may be defined as; as a patterned use of a substance in which the user consumes the substance in amounts or method neither approved nor advised by a medical professional. It is also known as substance abuse. When an activity is performed with an object against the rules and policies of matter (as in steroids for performance and enhacement in sports), it may be termed Drug Abuse. Illicit drugs such as Narcotics, stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hellucinogens, cannabis, glues and paints are abuse of drugs.

Health complications that may arise from drug abuse include; social problems, morbidity, injuries, high libido, violence, homicides, suicide, physical dependence, psychological addiction and eventually death.

Treatment of drug abuse is critical for many around the world. Often a formal intervention is necessary to convince the substance abuser to submit to any form of treatment. Behavioural intervention and medications exist that have helped many people reduce or discontinue drug abuse. Example of such interventions include; Applied behaviour analysis, behavioural psychology, and clinical trials. Several evidence based interventions have emerged, such as behavioral marital therapy, motivational interviewing, community  reinforcement approach, exposure therapy and contingency management.

Finally, drug abuse leads to Impulsivity which is characteriesd by actions based on sudden desire, whims or inclinations, rather than careful thought. The most common chemical substance abused mainly by entertainers (musicians commonly) is cocaine- a stimulant that increases alertness and cause feeling of euphoria.

PS; Please be warned- just as bitter substances may have sugar coatings, illegal and unauthorized usage of drug have numerous side effects. Addiction may result to serious complications that may terminate with death.

See shocking photos of drug abuse victims after the cut....

Written by Ekpelinwa Uju,

Department of Parastology And Entomology,

Nnamdi Azikiwe University.