DRUG
ABUSE
Depending on the
actual compound, drug abuse may lead to health problems, social problems,
physical dependence, or psychological addiction.Some
drugs that are subject to abuse have central nervous system (CNS) effects,
which produce changes in mood, levels of awareness or perceptions and sensations.
Most of these drugs also alter systems other than the CNS. But, not all centrally
acting drugs are subject to abuse, which suggests that altering consciousness
is not sufficient for a drug to have abuse potential. Among drugs that are
abused, some appear to be more likely to lead to uncontrolled use than others,
suggesting a possible hierarchy of drug-induced effects relative to abuse
potential.In addition to being a major public health problem, some consider
drug abuse to be a social problem with far-reaching implications. Stress,
poverty, domestic and societal violence, and various diseases (i.e., injecting
drug users as a source for HIV/AIDS) are sometimes thought to be spread by
drug use. Studies have also shown that individuals dependent on illicit drugs
experience higher rates of comorbid psychiatric syndromes.
Treatments
Beyond the sociological issues, many drugs of abuse can lead to addiction,
chemical dependency, or adverse health effects, such as lung cancer or emphysema
from cigarette smoking.Medical treatment therefore centers on two aspects:
1) breaking the addiction, 2) treating the health problems.Most countries
have health facilities that specialize in the treatment of drug abuse, although
access may be limited to larger population centers and the social taboos regarding
drug use may make those who need the medical treatment reluctant to take advantage
of it. For example, it is estimated that only fifteen percent of injection
drug abusers thought to be in need are receiving treatment. Patients may require
acute and long-term maintenance treatment and relapse prevention, complemented
by suitable rehabilitation.(1)
source
: wikipedia