This document discusses drugs and substance abuse, including causes and consequences. It defines drugs and classifies them as legal or illegal. Common abused substances like tobacco, alcohol, and prescription drugs are mentioned. Drug use, misuse, and abuse are differentiated. Stories are provided as examples of misuse leading to abuse. Signs of abuse include physical and behavioral symptoms. Myths about drugs are debunked, such as the idea that drugs make people cool or help forget problems. Causes of abuse include curiosity, peer pressure, and underlying mental health issues. Consequences include addiction, tolerance, withdrawal, and health impacts.

1. DRUGS / SUBSTANCE
ABUSE
Causes & Consequences
Dr. Anwar H. Siddiqui
MBBS, MD

2. INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME
At the end of session we would be able
to :
• Understand the meaning of the term
drug/substance,
• Differentiate between commonly abused
legal/illegal substances /drugs
• Identify the causes and consequences of
Substance/Drug Abuse.

3. What Is
Drug?
• A drug is any chemical, natural or
artificial that can bring about a
physiological, psycological or
biochemical change in your
body.

4. DRUGS CLASSIFICATION
Drugs could be categorized as:
•LEGAL DRUG
•ILLEGAL DRUG
Legal drugs are those that are
prescribed by qualified medical
practitioner and they are available off
the counter/on prescription

5. ILLEGAL
DRUG
LEGAL DRUG
Prescribed
Drug
Over the
counter drug /
substance
Socially
accepted
drugs
Solvent
drugs
Tranquilizer
Heroin
Narcotic
Analgesic Caffeine
Glue
Steroids
Cough
Syrup
Cocaine
Tobacco
Correctio
n Ink
Marijuana
Nail
Polish
Remover
Country
Liquor
Barbiturate
s

6. What Is drug / substance
USE, MISUSE and ABUSE ?
• Drug Use: A drug when taken for medical
treatment as per the prescription of the doctor
constitutes drug use.
• Drug Misuse: When drugs are not taken as per
the direction and doses prescribed by a doctor, it
is called misuse.

7. • Drug Abuse: When an individual with or
without a prescription intentionally takes a
substance or prescription drug in an amount
or frequency other than what is intended to
treat, it is known as ‘drug abuse.’
What Is drug / substance
USE, MISUSE and ABUSE ?

8. DRUG ABUSE
• Any type of drug can be abused.
• Drugs with medical uses can be abused in the following
ways:
• Too Much: Increased dose of any drug taken without
medical advice.
• Too Often: Drug taken too frequently without medical
advice.
• Too Long: Drug is taken for an extended period of time,
longer than the prescribed.
• Wrong Use: Drug taken for reasons other than medical, or
taken without medical advice.
• Wrong Combination: If a drug is taken in combination with

9. COMMONLY ABUSED DRUGS
Tobacco
Marijuana
Cocaine
Heroine
Alcohol
Prescription drugs
Inhalant and solvents
Commonly abused substances among
adolescents are tobacco and alcohol which act
as gateways to the use of other drugs

11. LET’S HEAR A STORY
Rajan, and Parvez, students of Class
XII are good friends. Rajan used to
live in the hostel and once got a bad
cold and cough. The doctor
prescribed him a cough syrup. Rajan
was soon cured. When Rajan was ill,
Parvez used to visit his room
regularly to know about his health.
Once during such a visit, while Rajan was
taking his medicine he mentioned its
good taste to Parvez. Later, whenever
Parvez came to Rajan’s room, he would
taste the cough syrup and soon acquired
such a strong taste for it that he went and
bought the cough syrup for himself from
the chemist. Now he has started
consuming the syrup everyday and does
not feel comfortable if he misses it even
on one day.

12. LET’S ANALYSE THE STORY
•Whether taking cough
syrup by Rajan is use or
abuse?
•Whether taking cough
syrup by Parvez is use or
abuse?

13. LET’S ANALYSE THE STORY
•Do you think Parvez did
something wrong when he
tasted cough syrup, although
he did not need it ?
•Why does Parvez feel
uncomfortable when he
does not take cough
syrup?

14. THE FAULT PARVEZ DID
often, casual first use or experimentation
with drugs leads to addiction and
dependence that involve increasing
tolerance, development of withdrawal
symptoms and disruption of
psychological, occupational and social
functioning

15. • Addiction is a disease
that affects your brain
and behaviour
• When you’re addicted
to drugs, you can’t resist
the urge to use them, no
matter how much harm
the drugs may cause.

16. • Tolerance refers to a condition
where the user needs increasing
amount of the drug to
experience the same effect.
Smaller quantity that was
sufficient earlier becomes
ineffective, and hence the user
is forced to increase the amount
of drug intake at regular
intervals.
• Dependence the body becomes
so used to functioning under
the influence of drug that it is
not able to function normally if

17. • Withdrawal syndrome.
When the drug is
withdrawn, several
physiologic reactions
occur. This symptoms
range from mild tremors
to convulsions, severe
agitation and fits,
depending on the type of
drug abuse.
.

19. WHY DO PEOPLE USE DRUG?
Lack of basic
knowledge about the
drug/ substance
effects
Curiosity and the urge
to try something new
Desire to fit in
“not able to say NO”
Low self esteem,
stress, family
problem
relatively easy
availability of
drugs
Desire to look cool
or grown up.
(Media glamorizing
substance usage)
family history of
substance abuse
Belief that drug will
help them overcome
sadness, anxiety etc

20. No one starts taking
substances with the aim of
getting addicted to them.
Very few young people
realize that
experimentation can lead
to addiction.
Attitudes related to
smoking, drinking and
substance abuse are
formed during early
adolescence, so this is an
important age to invest in
prevention efforts

21. SIGN AND SYMPTOM OF DRUG ABUSE
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
• Reddening and puffiness of eyes,
• Running nose, congestion,
coughing.
• Pupil large or smaller than usual
• Messy appearance, lack of
cleanliness
• Drowsiness and lethargy
• Loss of appetite, significant
weight loss or gain
• Fresh numerous injection marks
on body, blood stains on clothes

22. SIGN AND SYMPTOM OF DRUG ABUSE
BEHAVIORAL SYMPTOMS
• Decline in performance
• Changing mood, temper tantrums,
hostility
• Loss of interest in sports and daily
routine
• Withdrawal from family environment
and non-participation in family work.
• More time spent in personal room, in
the bathroom or away from home
• Sudden lowering of grades in schools,
absenteeism

23. COMMON MYTHS RELATED TO
SUBSTANCE/ DRUG ABUSE
There is no harm in trying just drugs
once, because one can stop after that.
Almost all drug addicts start by trying just once.
Once the drug is taken, the user is always
amenable to further drug intake, which becomes
a part of his/her habit.

24. COMMON MYTHS RELATED TO
SUBSTANCE/ DRUG ABUSE
Drugs sharpen thinking and lead
to greater concentration
Drugs induce dullness and adversely affect
normal functioning of body and mind.

25. COMMON MYTHS RELATED TO
SUBSTANCE/ DRUG ABUSE
Will power alone can help a drug
addict stop taking drugs
Addiction transforms into a disease. which
requires medical and psychiatric treatment

26. COMMON MYTHS RELATED TO
SUBSTANCE/ DRUG ABUSE
Drug use makes one ‘cool’ and
better accepted by peers
It may seem that use of drugs
helps in wining more friends but this is a myth as
these peers are not true friends or well wishers.
Furthermore, over a period of time, drug
dependence makes one asocial and isolated

27. COMMON MYTHS RELATED TO
SUBSTANCE/ DRUG ABUSE
Drugs helps people forget their
problems.
Very often the opposite is found to be true. People
bring up forgotten problems under intoxication.
Drugs only adds on other problems

28. COMMON MYTHS RELATED TO
SUBSTANCE/ DRUG ABUSE
Drugs increase creativity and
make the user more imaginative
Drug addict loses clarity and becomes incoherent
in action.

29. Thank
you…