Abusing drugs, whether illegally obtained or prescribed legally, is often the origin of debilitating health conditions. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation goes so far as to claim that substance abuse is the cause of "more deaths, illnesses and disabilities ... than any other preventable health condition." Men and women of all ages, socioeconomic groups and nationalities are at risk for the destructive effects from the misuse of drugs.
Illegal Drugs
Bacterial and viral infections top the list of health risks for many users of illicit drugs, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Common infections among drug users include sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis and tuberculosis. Transmission of viruses and bacteria can occur because of relaxed inhibitions and resulting behavior or through the lack of hygiene in sharing needles or smoking apparatuses.
Drugs that are smoked promote respiratory problems, such as chronic bronchitis, in addition to the increased chance for infections.
According to the World Health Organization, marijuana "can exacerbate schizophrenia in affected individuals."
In a study review published in 2009, researchers Chuan-Yu Chen and Keh-Ming Lin report that daily cannabis use is implicated in increased rates of moderate to severe liver fibrosis and periodontitis. Other recreational drugs, such as ecstasy and MDMA are linked to cognitive deficits, even with infrequent use.
Alcohol
Although alcohol consumption is mostly legal depending on age and location, it can have dire health consequences. The World Health Organization's fact sheet reports that worldwide, unintentional injuries make up one-third of the 2.5 million alcohol-related deaths. One estimate by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is that excessive drinking causes more than 100,000 deaths annually in the United States. This number includes alcohol-related accidents, plus related health conditions such as cancer, liver cirrhosis and stroke.
Liver diseases and cardiovascular problems, such as myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation, are particularly prevalent in long-time abusers of alcohol, the CDC reports.
Tobacco
Cigarette smoking is known to promote several types of cancer, with most lung cancer deaths attributed to smoking. In addition to cancer, smoking factors significantly in the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease and emphysema.
Unlike other drugs, tobacco smoke is hazardous to the health of non-smoking bystanders, through secondhand smoke.
Steroids
The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that the illicit use of anabolic-androgenic steroids, usually for the purpose of bodybuilding, can result in psychiatric dysfunction, liver damage and conditions related to the endocrine, or hormonal, systems of both men and women.
References
- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Substance Abuse, The Nation's Number One Health Problem
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Infections among Persons Who Use Drugs
- World Health Organization: Management of substance abuse, cannabis
- "Current Opinions in Psychiatry": Health Consequences of Illegal Drug Use
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: Steroids
