What is drug misuse?
Drug misuse, also known as ’substance misuse’, is the repeated and often excessive use of a drug to produce pleasure or escape reality
Drug misuse, also known as ‘substance misuse’, is the repeated and often excessive use of a drug to produce pleasure or escape reality.
Although legal substances such as alcohol and nicotine certainly can be and are misused, when we talk about drug misuse, we tend to think of two kinds of situations:
· use of illegal substances such as marijuana, Ecstasy, cocaine, or heroin
· misuse of legal substances such as prescription drugs (e.g. benzodiazepines, codeine) or fumes from solvents (e.g. glue or aerosols)
Even a small amount of a drug can alter how your brain works. Whether that drug is illegal or an improperly consumed legal substance, if you can’t function normally under its influence, its use constitutes misuse.
The danger lies in the possibility that the short-term effects of the drug — e.g. euphoria, extra energy, sensory enhancement, heightened performance — tend to become so alluring that the drug can take over your life, disrupting your relationships, work, and peace of mind.