Alcohol can have short- and long-term effects on the brain and disrupts the brain’s communication pathways. These can influence mood, behavior and other cognitive function. Brain damage may also occur through alcohol-induced nutrition deficiencies, alcohol-induced seizures and liver disease. In pregnant women, alcohol exposure can impact the brains of unborn babies, resulting in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. It is reported that alcohol-induced brain problems can often be corrected with proper treatment.
Abstinence from alcohol for months or years can help partially repair thinking abilities, like memory skills.
All drugs–nicotine, cocaine, marijuana and others–affect the brain’s “reward” circuit, which is part of the limbic system. This area of the brain affects instinct and mood. Drugs target this system, which causes large amounts of dopamine—a brain chemical that helps regulate emotions and feelings of pleasure—to flood the brain.
This flood of dopamine is what causes a “high.” It’s one of the main causes of drug addiction.
Although initial drug use may be voluntary, drugs can alter brain chemistry. This can actually change how the brain performs and interfere with a person’s ability to make choices. It can lead to intense cravings and compulsive drug use. Over time, this behavior can turn into a substance dependency or drug and alcohol addiction.
Substance use disorders are associated with a wide range of short- and long-term health effects. They can vary depending on the type of drug, how much and how often it’s taken and the person’s general health. Overall, the effects of drug abuse and dependence can be far-reaching.
They can impact almost every organ in the human body. Side effects of drug addiction may include:
A weakened immune system, increasing the risk of illness and infection Heart conditions ranging from abnormal heart rates to heart attacks and collapsed veins and blood vessel infections from injected drugs.
Nausea and abdominal pain, which can also lead to changes in appetite and weight loss
Increased strain on the liver, which puts the person at risk of significant liver damage or liver failure Seizures, stroke, mental confusion, brain damage and Lung disease. Problems with memory, attention and decision-making, which make daily living more difficult Global effects of drugs on the body, such as breast development in men and increases in body temperature, which can lead to other health problems
— PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE
Prescription drug abuse is much more common in adults than in teenagers; however, there has been a drastic rise in the number of teens who abuse prescription drugs. Adolescents can gain access to narcotics, barbiturates, amphetamines, and other prescription drugs on the streets, and many of these drugs are being sold by those who have prescriptions for them. Teens can also gain access to these drugs by going through their parent’s medicine cabinets and drawers. It is quite easy for underage kids to gain access to prescription medications because so many adults use them. Painkillers, antidepressants, mood enhancers, sleep aids, and anti-anxiety pills are commonly prescribed to adults by physicians, and these drugs have the ability to ease mental and physical discomfort within minutes.
— PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE
Prescription drug abuse can be just as problematic as recreational drug abuse. Many individuals believe that taking prescription drugs continuously is not as hazardous to a person’s health as taking street drugs, but nothing is further from the truth. Many recreational and prescription drugs are made with the same addictive substances, and a person can overdose on prescription drugs just as easily as they can on recreational drugs. The majority of doctors who prescribe medication to their patients provide strict guidelines on how each patient should use the drug. However, doctors cannot monitor their patient’s activities once they leave the doctor’s office, so they have no control over whether or not patients follow the directions printed on their prescription bottles. Some patients even manipulate doctors into giving them higher doses of a particular drug in order to feed their addiction.
— RECREATIONAL USE ABUSE
Many people who become addicted to recreational drugs, such as speed, cocaine, marijuana, and heroin, start taking drugs on an experimental basis. The majority of individuals who experiment with recreational drugs do so during their teenage years, but it is becoming more common for individuals to start with recreational drugs during adulthood. During the experimental stage, most people do not think that they will become addicted. In fact, in many instances, recreational use does not lead to drug abuse. There are many reasons why people start experimenting with drugs. Many do so because they want to fit in with their peers. Others start using drugs because they want to enhance their energy or improve their athletic performance. It is also common for individuals to use drugs in order to cope with stressful jobs, events, and people. Some individuals start experimenting with drugs in order to deal with intense feelings of anxiety or bouts of depression.
Illicit drug use poses risks for pregnant women and their babies. Drugs may contain impurities that can be harmful to an unborn baby. Pregnant women who use drugs may be more likely to harm the fetus with risky behaviors and poor nutrition.
Drug use can lead to premature birth or low birth weight. It can also cause the baby to have withdrawal symptoms (sometimes in the form of neonatal abstinence syndrome), birth defects or learning and behavioral problems later in life
Substance use disorders can lead to multiple behavioral problems, both in the short- and long-term, which can include:
These effects of drug abuse have serious consequences, like missed work, punishable offenses, accidents and injuries.
Drugs and substance abuse can also lead to multiple physical effect, both in the short- and long-term, which can include: