Drug misuse, abuse, and addiction can all lead to both short-term and long-term health effects.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition (DMS-4) defines drug abuse as “a maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress.”
The effects of drug abuse depend on the type of drug, any other substances that a person is using, and their health history.
In this article, we discuss the impact of drug abuse and explain how to treat drug addiction.