Abuse of drugs, whether prescription or "street" drugs, has a range of deleterious effects on the user, the people surrounding him and even society at large. It is one of the most serious problems affecting almost every society today, and even though a wide variety of solutions have been proposed and attempted, drug abuse is still a prevalent part of modern life. While the effects are many, five main effects can be found in the lives of many drug abusers.
Dependence
This refers to both physical and psychological dependence on the drug. Physical dependence is when drug abstinence results in quantifiable symptoms in the patient, which can include the nausea and vomiting of opioid abuse, and the deadly syndrome of "delirium tremens" of alcohol abuse which can include life-threatening seizures and hallucinations.
Psychological dependence is found in almost every drug, and are the mental effects the drug has on the abuser. This can include severe cravings that are the hallmark of substance addiction, and the psychological withdrawal symptoms such as fear and anxiety when the patient stops taking a drug.
Effects on the Family
Increased drug-seeking activity can drain an abuser's bank accounts, which can destroy the ability of the user to provide food and shelter for the family. Drug use can cause disruptions in mood, leading to problems at work, with resulting economic consequences for those dependent on the user. In addition, pregnant drug users can pass the addiction on to their offspring and also affect severe damage to the unborn fetus. Drug users also have a high risk of sexually transmitted disease such as HIV and hepatitis B/C that they can pass onto their family or children (in utero).
Effects on Society
Drug abuse hits society very hard from many different directions. The public cost of enforcing drug laws and policy is huge, from street level enforcement, corrections facilities, to rehabilitation programs. In addition, drugs have always been associated with crime, from petty crime to more organized coalitions seeking to control the drug trade. The violence and crime from the dealers and addicts can seriously disrupt the life of neighborhood residents or anyone else who happens to be caught in the crossfire
Effects on the Brain
The brain is very sensitive to the effects of both acute and chronic drug abuse. Drug use can directly alter mood, judgment, cause hallucinations and result in chemical imbalances. Withdrawal also has many mental side effects such as increased anxiety and disruption of normal sleep cycles.
Death
Drug abuse can directly cause death, as in the case of withdrawal from alcohol, for example. Overdose is also very dangerous. Movie and music stars have famously paid the price for overindulgence in their habit, which can happen with many drugs such as cocaine or opiates. Crime is a major cause of death, as both the addict and the dealer engage in various illegal activities that can often turn deadly. In addition, diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV and hepatitis travel very fast within drug user circles, and are quite deadly both to the user and those they spread the disease to. And, of course, drug-impaired users can make terrible lapses in judgment, leading to accidental death such as driving under the influence.
