Commonly Abused Drugs and Their Effects on Health (Drugteststrips)

Drug abuse is one of the major public health issues affecting the lives of millions of people worldwide. According to a latest study published in the health journal, The Lancet 2012, around 200 million people across the world use illicit drugs every year. Use of illegal drugs is highest in developed countries.

Drug abuse is associated with wide range of physical and mental health consequences. Below mentioned are some commonly abused drugs and their effects on human health.

Tobacco:

Tobacco products such as cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and cigars are widely used substances across the world. Tobacco contains Nicotine, a harmful drug that leads to addiction and other health issues.

Smoking tobacco leads to severe health risks like lung cancer, mouth cancer, high blood pressure, heart diseases, gum diseases, etc. It also reduces blood's ability to carry oxygen.

Alcohol:

Excessive consumption of alcohol results in serious health problems. Alcohol abuse affects every organ of the body - liver, heart, lungs, stomach, kidneys, etc. It also leads to mental health issues like depression, anxiety, impaired memory, etc.

Cannabinoids:

Cannabinoids are widely consumed illegal drugs especially by teenagers. There are two main categories of drugs in Cannabinoids - marijuana and hashish. According to the Monitoring the Future 2012 survey, 36.4% of 12th graders are using marijuana, which equates to around 11 students in an average class.

Cannabinoid abuse leads to lung damage, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and respiratory infections. It also leads to psychological issues like addiction, difficulty in thinking, anxiety, impaired memory, psychosis, etc.

Opioids:

Opioids include various drugs like heroin, opium, morphine, codeine and oxycontin. These drugs are depressant drugs and they affect the nervous system.

High doses of these drugs damage the heart, lungs, liver and brain, and also lead to depression, anxiety, nausea, etc.

Stimulants:

Stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamine and methamphetamine are very addictive drugs. Physical effects of these stimulant drugs are increased blood pressure and heart rate, weight loss, cardiac complications, stroke, nausea, fatigue, etc. Psychological effects include impaired decision-making and increased anxiety. Snorting of Cocaine causes nasal damage and methamphetamine also causes dental problems.

Club drugs:

Club drugs come in different types such as MDMA and GHB. These drugs are abused by teens and young adults at nightclubs, bars, rave parties.

The harmful effects of club drugs are impaired memory, muscle breakdown, kidney failure, loss of consciousness, drowsiness, nausea, high blood pressure, depression, decreased appetite.

Hallucinogens:

There are three kinds of hallucinogen drugs - LSD, psilocybin and mescaline. Hallucinogens impair the functioning of the brain, increases heart rate and blood pressure and lead to loss of coordination, appetite loss, memory loss, headaches, sweating, flashbacks, tremors and blurred vision to mention a few.

Above mentioned are just some of the illicit drugs, there are many more illegal drugs that are available in the market and are consumed by people. As an old saying, 'Prevention is better than cure', try to keep yourself away from these harmful drugs to lead a health life.

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