Drug abuse is the use of any chemical substance that can cause physical, mental, emotional or social harm to an individual or to the people close to them. It increases adolescent’s’ risk of sexual practices, poor academic performance, juvenile delinquency, developmental problems and accidents.
It is important for teenagers to distinguish between what is true and what is a lie when it comes to information about drug abuse. Teenagers may believe drugs help people forget about their problems or reduce the pain caused by problems. The problems do not go away and often get worse with drug use.
Bhang is viewed as a drug that opens the gate to the use of other drugs, by addicts and researchers alike. Although research is ongoing, many experts believe that long-term use of bhang is potentially dangerous and may lead to: a decrease in motivation, memory loss, damage to coordination, impaired judgement, damage to the reproductive system, and throat and lung irritation.
Alcohol, being the most commonly abused addictive substance, is a drug. As is true of any such substance, it affects the mind or body. Alcohol is the most frequently used drug among adolescents because it is readily available. Many young people use alcohol weekly and many are addicted to it. Alcoholism is a disease, just as diabetes or epilepsy are diseases. Ethyl alcohol affects anyone who drinks it, and ethyl alcohol is present in beer, as well as in wine and liquor. Drinking beer can cause the same problems as wine or liquor It can respond to treatment, which includes eliminating all alcohol consumption. Factors that influence how alcohol affects the individual include: body weight, amount of alcohol consumed, the presence of other drugs in the system, the general health of the individual at the time and how recently she or he has eaten. Alcohol, like cocaine and other drugs, can actually depress a person’s sexual response. The drug may lessen inhibition with a sexual partner, but it causes problems such as a lack of erection, or loss of sexual feeling. In addition, alcohol or drugs may cause a person to do something sexually that he or she would not do when sober. When a person takes a drink, alcohol immediately slows reaction times, affects balance and decreases coordination Only time will cause a person to become sober. It takes one hour for the liver to process one half ounce of pure alcohol.
More people are addicted to cigarettes than any other substance. As soon as people start smoking, they experience yellow staining of teeth, bad breath and a shortness of breath that may affect their physical performance. Addiction to nicotine is quick. People who smoke for any period of time have a greater risk of lung cancer and other lung diseases, cancer of the tongue and throat and heart disease. Cigarette smoking is a very difficult habit to break but stopping is essential for good health. If there is no permanent heart or lung damage, the body begins to heal itself when a person stops smoking. Smoking by pregnant women may result in premature birth and low birth weight babies.
Using inhalants (like glue and petrol) can be extremely dangerous because they can cause permanent damage to organs like the liver, brain or nerves.
Like alcohol, miraa affects motor coordination, slows reflexes and affects the way we see and interpret events around us. Any of these changes increases the likelihood of an accident while driving