How drug use affects your health
Adverse health effects can range from nausea and anxiety to coma and death. There are risks associated with the chronic use of all psychoactive drugs, including alcohol. A pregnant woman who uses alcohol, cigarettes or other drugs exposes her fetus to serious risks, including miscarriage, low birth weight and brain damage.
Substance abuse may involve controlled substances, illegal drugs and alcohol—all of which pose a health risk. When drugs are used in combination with each other, their negative effects on the mind and body are often multiplied beyond the effects of the same drugs taken on their own.
Alcohol is the drug most frequently misused on college campuses. Even small amounts of alcohol significantly impair the judgment and coordination required to drive a car, increasing the chances of having an accident. Consumption of alcohol may be a factor in the incidence of aggressive crimes, including acquaintance sexual assault and domestic violence. Moderate to large amounts of alcohol severely impair the ability to learn and remember information. Because alcohol is a depressant, very large amounts can cause respiratory and cardiac failure, resulting in death.
Cannabis impairs short-term memory and comprehension. It can cause confusion, anxiety and, for some, lung damage and abnormalities of the hormonal and reproductive system. Hours after the feeling of getting high fades, the effects of the drug on coordination and judgment remain, heightening the risk of driving or performing other complex tasks. Cannabis, a fat-soluble substance, may remain in the body for weeks, and overuse can cause paranoia, panic attacks or psychiatric problems.
Club drugs refer to a wide variety of drugs including MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB, rohypnol, ketamine, methamphetamine and LSD, and are often used at raves, dance clubs and bars. No club drug is safe due to variations in purity, potency and concentration, and they can cause serious health problems or death. They have even more serious consequences when mixed with alcohol.
Depressants such as barbiturates, Valium and other benzodiazepines, quaaludes and other depressants cause disorientation, slurred speech and other behaviors associated with drunkenness. The effects of an overdose of depressants range from shallow breathing, clammy skin, dilated pupils, and weak and rapid pulse to coma and death.
Hallucinogens such as LSD, MDA, PCP (angel dust), mescaline and peyote can cause powerful distortions in perception and thinking. Intense and unpredictable emotional reactions can trigger panic attacks or psychotic reaction. An overdose of hallucinogens can cause heart failure, lung failure, coma and death.
Narcotics like heroin, codeine, morphine, methadone and opium cause such negative effects as anxiety, mood swings, nausea, confusion, constipation and respiratory depression. Overdose may lead to convulsions, coma and death. The risk of being infected with HIV/AIDS or other diseases increases significantly if you inject drugs and share needles, and there is a high likelihood of developing a physical and psychological dependence on these drugs.
Stimulants – cocaine, amphetamines and others – can cause agitation, loss of appetite, irregular heartbeat, chronic sleeplessness and hallucinations. Cocaine and crack cocaine are extremely dangerous and psychologically and physically addictive. An overdose can result in seizures and death.
Tobacco, with its active ingredient nicotine, increases heart rate and raises blood pressure. The tar in cigarette smoke is a major cause of cancer and other respiratory problems. Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke can promote arteriosclerosis, and long-term effects of smoking include emphysema, chronic bronchitis, heart disease and lung cancer.