|
Drug use can hurt the body and the brain, sometimes forever. Drug use can also lead to an addiction. An addiction is a long-lasting brain disorder. People with an addiction can't stop taking drugs on their own. They continue to use drugs even when they know that bad things can happen.
Drug Use and Your Health
- Drug use can hurt all parts of your body and cause health problems that don't go away. Drug use, including smoking, can cause diseases that can kill you, like
- Heart disease
- Stroke ('brain attack')
- Cancer
- HIV/AIDS
- Hepatitis (a liver disease)
- Lung disease
- A person misusing drugs is more likely to have accidents while driving, at work, at home, at parties – anywhere.
- Drug misuse can make people angry and violent. People misusing drugs can hurt themselves and other people.
- Drug misuse can make people with depression feel worse. It might feel so bad that they want to end their own lives.
- Drug overdoses can kill people.
Other Effects on the Body
Most of these problems can cause you to be very ill or die.
Heart Problems
Many drugs that are misused (like cocaine) can cause problems like heart attacks and high blood pressure.
Lung and Breathing Problems
Some drugs can hurt your lungs:
- Smoking cigarettes can cause diseases such as cancer and emphysema, a painful lung disease.
- Smoking cigarettes and marijuana can cause lung infections and coughing.
- Heroin and pain medicines can make you stop breathing.
- Inhalants can hurt your lungs and airways AND stop your breathing.
Stomach Problems
Many drugs like cocaine, heroin and pain medicines can make your stomach hurt and make you throw up.
Kidney Problems
Drugs like cocaine and heroin can hurt your kidneys. If your kidneys stop working, you can die.
Liver Problems
Alcohol and inhalant misuse can cause liver disease.
HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis
- Injecting (shooting up) drugs with a needle can hurt your veins.
- Using dirty needles can give you HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Hepatitis is a serious liver disease.
The Link Between Drug Use and HIV
HIV is the virus that causes the disease AIDS. AIDS is a disease that makes your body unable to fight off certain illnesses. There are medicines that can treat HIV and AIDS, but there is no cure yet.
Drug use can put you in danger of getting HIV in two ways:
- Unsafe Sex: When people are misusing drugs, they might not think clearly. They might do risky things. They might have sex without using a condom to protect against HIV, other infections and pregnancy.
- Sharing Needles: When people inject (shoot up) drugs like heroin, cocaine or meth, they can get HIV by sharing a needle with someone who has the virus.
Doctors have learned that helping people to get off drugs also helps them avoid getting HIV.
Drug use hurts brains.
All drugs affect the brain. That's why they can make you feel high, low, fast or slow. They also might make you see things that aren't there.
Some drugs can hurt your brain and affect how you act and how your body feels. These problems might last just a little while, or they may last for the rest of your life.
Some drugs can make your mood change quickly. You might get sad, angry or scared for no reason. You might overreact to little problems. You might get violent or think that someone wants to hurt you.
Some drugs can make it hard to pay attention, remember things or think clearly. That's why people often make bad decisions when they're on drugs.
Drug use can also hurt your ability to enjoy things. When you're addicted, things that used to make you feel good no longer make you happy. You might not enjoy seeing your friends or watching your favourite film because all you can think about is getting more drugs. Usually, you can start enjoying things again once you stop using drugs, but it may take time.
Reference:
U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Easy-to-Read Drug Facts. (n.d.). Effects of drugs. Retrieved 15 August 2019 from https://easyread.drugabuse.gov