Significance

• According a 2005 survey by the National Institutes of Health, more than 8 percent of Americans age 12 and above used drugs in the past year. People who abuse drugs may put themselves in danger or behave irrationally to obtain their drugs. According to the Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse of the White House, 27 percent of inmates in prison for robbery committed their crimes to acquire drug money.
  
  

Types

• According to the National Institute on Drug Addiction, the dangers of drug abuse depend on the chosen drug, as well as the method and duration of use. Physical dangers include brain damage, respiratory problems, heart disease, gastrointestinal problems and infectious diseases.
  
  The dangers of drug abuse for pregnant women and their unborn babies include miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight and behavioral problems during childhood.
  
  Mental health dangers include anxiety, depression, aggression and memory lapses.
  
  Drug abuse adversely affects the community through domestic violence, auto accidents caused by operating under the influence and drug-related crimes.
  
  

Features

• According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug abuse leads people to take part in risky behaviors such as sharing needles and having unprotected sex, causing the spread of infectious diseases including HIV and hepatitis B and C. Steriods may cause permanent hormonal problems, including breast development in adult men, facial hair growth in adult women and infertility.
  
  

Considerations

• A person's health may worsen if more than one drug is abused. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the synergistic effects of alcohol and heroin may damage the liver more than one would alone. Brain changes resulting from abusing drugs increase suicidal tendencies or aggression toward other people or pets.
  
  

Theories/Speculation

• According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of addiction, including violent and irrational behavior, are sometimes the result of chemical changes caused by the drugs on the pleasure center of the brain. People with family histories of drug or alcohol addiction or mental health conditions are more susceptible to addiction.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• The dangers of drug abuse can be avoided by not using drugs. According to the Centers for Disease Control, dangers associated with drug use can be reduced by using clean injection needles and not sharing drug equipment, which may lessen the risk of spreading infectious diseases or bacterial skin infections. Drug treatment centers may also minimize the dangers of drug abuse by substituting less harmful substances such as methadone in place harmful drugs like heroin.
  
  

Warning

• Inhalants are drugs that act quickly on the brain and may cause rapid loss of consciousness or death. According to the National Institutes of Health, a cocaine overdose can result in a fatal heart attack after the first use. Crimes committed to get drugs, such as theft, robbery, or assault, may result in imprisonment.