Substance abuse involves the misuse of mind- and mood-altering drugs to achieve a change in consciousness or "high." Despite its legality and widespread use, tobacco is a drug with the ability to cause addiction and disease. Understanding the nature of smoking and substance abuse allows people to identify problems and seek help sooner for more favorable outcomes.
Prevalence
As of 2010, despite an overall decline in tobacco use, smoking is still the primary cause of preventable illness and death in the United States. The use of other drugs also remains a problem, with over 20 million Americans age 12 and over being current illegal drug users in 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Causes
While the exact cause of substance abuse is unknown, a variety of risk factors have been identified. According to Medline Plus, genetic influences, emotional trauma, mental illness and the effects of the drugs themselves add to a person's overall risk of addiction.
Peer pressure and easy access to drugs are often factors in drug abuse, while half of full-blown addicts suffer from underlying mental health conditions like depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Peer pressure may also play a role in a person's decision to start smoking, as can media influence and a desire to rebel against parental influences during the adolescent and teen years.
Health Effects
The potential health risks of smoking and substance abuse are serious. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that smoking is a known cause of heart disease, respiratory diseases like emphysema, reproductive problems and cancers of the throat, lungs, bladder and pancreas.
Drug and alcohol abuse has dangerous consequences as well, with overdose and addiction being the most common. Chronic health problems like liver disease in alcohol abusers and cardiovascular damage in the users of cocaine and other stimulants are also possible outcomes of long-term abuse.
Prevention/Solution
The best prevention against smoking and substance abuse is to avoid using tobacco and other drugs altogether.
Substance abusers can find help through rehabilitation programs, detoxification centers and outpatient treatment groups. Smokers who wish to quit may increase their chances of success by using nicotine replacement products, which allow smokers to gradually decrease their doses of nicotine to minimize withdrawal symptoms.
Significance
Smoking and substance abuse are serious health threats to people of all ages and economic backgrounds. Both conditions represent major preventable causes of disease and death in the United States. By preventing and treating tobacco addiction and substance abuse, it's possible to decrease the likelihoods of disability and disease, and the societal costs that go along with them.
