Drug and substance abuse refers to any harmful or precarious use of psychoactive substances including alcohol and illicit drugs. In simple terms, it's using a legal or illegal substance in a way you should not. For example, taking high doses, irregular doses, sharing doses, or uncalled-for doses.

According to World Health Organisation ( WHO), cannabis remains the most abused drug in Africa with the highest prevalence in west African and central African countries with rates between 5.2% and 13.5%. Injecting drugs poses a higher risk of blood-borne diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Substance abuse, although it might mean addiction, it also means the overlooked abuse, the use of legal drugs, or the use of prescription, that is over the counter drugs or alcohol for purposes other than those for which they are meant to be used. For example, the use of these drugs in excessive amounts. Mostly abused over-the-counter medications include opioids and other pain medications or sleep medications. Both legal and illegal drugs are widely abused and highly addictive.

RISK FACTORS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Peer pressure The need to fit in and be part of a group.

Mental health issues Depression, anxiety, and panic attacks make individuals vulnerable and succumb to addiction to avoid vulnerability.

Family history Growing up in a toxic drug addiction atmosphere contributes to a higher likelihood of drug and substance abuse.

Pain Drugs like heroin and other opioids seem like the only way out of pain and once used victims become hooked.

EXAMPLES OF ABUSED DRUGS INCLUDE;

Alcohol

Heroin

Cocaine

Marijuana

Over-the-counter medications like opioids

Tobacco

1Heroin

Heroin is a highly addictive opiate drug derived from morphine used illicitly and has a narcotic-producing euphoria. It gets to your brain easily even after a few infusions. It's so hard to stop.

Opioids affect the opioid receptors in the brain and make you feel relaxed and pleasurable and even relieve pain. According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADS), signs of heroin use in a person include;

• Slurring or speaking slower than normal.

• Reduced pupil size.

• Flushed skin.

• Reduced concentration span.

Heroin has so many negative effects on the health of the user ranging from lung infections, kidney and liver complications, and increased exposure to blood infections like hepatitis B and C because of needle sharing.

2ALCOHOL

Alcohol, according to World Health Organisation(WHO), is a psychoactive substance with dependence-producing properties. It's a depressant drug that contains ethanol. The effects of alcohol came differently across different people and depending on frequency and amounts.

Too much drinking has been the cause of so many accidents and problems in the drinker's life apart from the health implications. Health complications as a result of too much drinking include liver inflammation, several types of cancers, and heart problems.

Research shows that alcohol was responsible for 5.5% of all deaths in America and 6.7% of all disability-adjusted life-years. The rates and frequency of alcohol consumption have increased over the years.

3ABUSE OF OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATION

These are often neglected and not considered as abuse but they are as dangerous as any other drug. Abuse of over-the-counter medication involves;

• Overdosing of the prescribed amount; taking too high quantities more regularly than the prescribed intervals.

• Sharing the prescribed medication with others without experts' advice especially pain medication like opiates.

• Taking drugs for non-medical reasons is a pleasure.

4COCAINE

Cooking is a stimulant that causes dopamine; a natural chemical in the body to be released in high quantities and sent to the parts of the brain that controls pleasure. It causes the short-lived intense feeling that is followed by intense feelings of depression and wanting more.

Victims have sudden increased strength and energy, intense happiness, and extreme sensitivity to touch, sound, and sight. Individuals who normally use cocaine do not eat well and are more exposed to mental health issues like anxiety or paranoia. Cocaine, even with short-term use can cause seizures, heart diseases, strokes, or respiratory complications. It's very addictive and forces victims to take more and higher quantities to get high.

EFFECTS ON DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

1FINANCES

Each year, drug and alcohol addiction costs American businesses and organizations about 81 billion dollars in lost profits. Individually, addictions cause a strain on their finances. They do not have time to work and when they do, it is very low productivity.

Addiction also directs all the resources to their next high. It paves way for poverty. The amount of resources by both the addicts and those around them in health, legal and other disturbances succumbs most to poverty.

2RELATIONSHIPS

Those individuals do not have time for friends or family. They are busy chasing the next high. The lost contact causes a strain in these relationships that is difficult to overcome.

The effects of substance abuse such as anger, irritability, and mismanagement of finances cause regular fights and disagreements. If not addressed, drug and substance abuse always lead to breakups and neglect. They exhaust their partners and families emotionally, mentally, financially, and physically. Some addicts are aggressive and violent to their partners and even their children.

3CAREER

Most careers hit dead ends as a result of drug and substance abuse. They are laid off or not paid because of their sudden disinterest in work and poor delivery. Research shows that 42% of those with an addiction who are employed report a decrease in productivity due to their addictions.

The effects of addiction do not affect the addict alone, the colleagues, bosses, and all around them are forced to carry extra burdens and bear other side effects like irritability, aggression, or anger.

4HEALTH

Drug and substance abuse has been known to cause some serious medical conditions like respiratory problems, kidney damage, and cardiovascular problems among others. Drugs that are injected ie cocaine, expose the user to blood born diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B, and C.

Mental health imbalances caused by drug abuse like opioids and heroin causes mental issues like depression and anxiety.

Conclusion

"Drug addiction can take people to dark places, delusional thinking caused by chemical changes in the brain can keep them there." BHC summit.