The phrase "drug abuse" conjures images of desperate addicts living on the margins of society. In truth, addiction has many faces, many of which bear no resemblance to the gaunt visage of the street junkie. The consequences of drug abuse can manifest in stereotypically dramatic ways. The addict driven to crime to support his habit is a tragic reality, but addiction can also be cloaked in the appearance of normalcy. The businessperson whose "liquid lunch" decreases her job performance and the homemaker who pops a few more prescription pills to get through the day are both, in reality, drug abusers.
Prescription Drug Abuse
Prescription medications can provide powerful relief from the symptoms of illness, injury or disease, as well as providing treatment of their causes. Drug abuse occurs when prescription medications are consumed in ways unsanctioned by a doctor’s instructions. The National Institutes of Health states that an estimated 20 percent of Americans have, at some point, abused prescription drugs.
Any type of prescription medication can be abused, but some are abused far more often than others. These include stimulants, depressants and painkillers. Abuse of some prescription medications can cause increased risk of accidents, addiction or overdose. Overdoses of prescription drugs can lead to devastating results such as heart failure, seizures, brain damage and death.
Legal Recreational Drug Abuse
Due to public demand, and lobbying by powerful commercial interest groups, certain drugs remain legal for recreational use despite their capacity for causing destructive personal and societal consequences.
Alcohol is a recreational drug that many people use safely. Others, unfortunately, cannot control their alcohol use, and as a result, drink to excess. The consequences of alcohol abuse can be severe, even for those who are not alcoholics. A single intoxicated indiscretion, such as driving while impaired, can be fatal for the alcohol abuser as well as for innocent bystanders. The devastating long-term effects of alcohol abuse are well documented. Career failures, family dysfunction and deteriorating health are classic outcomes of a life of alcohol abuse.
Tobacco is another legally sanctioned recreational drug. Powerfully addictive and undeniably destructive to health, this drug has been used for thousands of years, according to the Boston University Medical Center. Its eradication, though unlikely to ever occur, would save thousands of lives each year.
Illegal Recreational Drug Abuse
Illicit drugs are the most obvious examples of substances prone to abuse. People who abuse drugs such as marijuana, cocaine or ecstasy do so knowing full well that they are flouting the law. For some, that can be part of the attraction.
However the thrill of doing something illegal can quickly be overridden by the consequences. Illicit drugs vary widely in their effects and levels of addictiveness. Even relatively mild drugs like marijuana can be addictive, destroy social functioning and lead to fines and imprisonment.
