The Most Frequently Abused Drugs in America: Alcohol, Marijuana and Opiates

The risks you take when using drugs can range from becoming addicted to overdosing and even death.  It is important to know what can happen when you smoke weed, use cocaine or even drink alcohol to excess.  We all have to take responsibility for our health and well being.  It’s up to us to make the right decisions when it comes to using “recreational” drugs.  Everyone’s body reacts differently depending on their body and the drug being abused.  The first step is to realize the devastating threat of addiction that you risk and to take this treat very seriously.

Marijuana – This drug is still illegal in most states across the United States, even for medical purposes.  So this remains the most frequently used illegal drug in the U.S.  It has the effect of acting like a mild hallucinogen in most people and when smoked has the effect of stimulating the central nervous system.  This plays out as an increased heart rate and higher blood pressure.  Marijuana also impairs one’s memory and makes it more difficult to focus and concentrate.  In some people symptoms of paranoia come about because the nervous system is over stimulated.

Just as smoking cigarettes can lead to heart and lung disease, so can smoking marijuana.  When you inhale a dirty substance you are going to risk respiratory problems, lung infections and chronic coughing.  Although marijuana smoke has a lot of cancer causing substances in it, there is no proof that it causes cancer.  But the risk is there.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration conducted a recent survey that showed that over 4.5 million people over the age of 12 were abusing or were dependent on marijuana.

Cocaine – This drug is classified as a stimulant and is very addictive.  Users report that cocaine has a euphoric effect when ingested, although it depends on the person whether or not this really does feel good.  This effect can last from 30 to 45 minutes and some people love it and others don’t like it at all. 

Cocaine is often seen as a powdery substance which is snorted up the nose.  It also comes in the form of a rock, which is called “crack” and in this form it’s smoked.  The effect that it has on people is one of speeding up the heart and tightening their blood vessels, which can cause death from this cardiovascular disruption.  Even when you use very little, it can cause death.  This is the cause of most deaths related to cocaine use.  People can die very suddenly and this is not uncommon.

Statistics from the Office of National Drug Control Policy show that 16% of Americans of age 12 and older have tried cocaine at least once.  Statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s recent survey indicated that 1 million people who were 12 and over reported a dependency on cocaine, which was a little lower than what was reported in the year prior.

Opiates – The drugs classified as opiates come as street drugs, like heroin, as well as prescription painkillers such as codeine and morphine.  These drugs stimulate the area of the brain which controls the feeling of pleasure, known as the “reward center”.  This is the part of the body’s central nervous system which is being stimulated by these opiates.  The feel-good sensations of having sex or eating something tasty are mimicked by the opiates.  When used in higher doses it causes some of the functions of the brain to slow down or stop working altogether.  This is how a person can just stop breathing because the brain just turns off control of respiration.  First comes a coma and then comes death.

The NSDUH survey asked participants where they got the painkillers they were using recreationally in the past year.  These are the findings:

55.7% said they received them free from a friend or relative

19.1% reported that a single doctor provided them

3.9% said they got them from someone they didn’t know

0.1% purchased them off the Internet

The survey found that most illegal drug users are gainfully employed.  And of the 55.7% who said they got drugs from a friend or relative, 80.7% said that friend or relative got them from just one doctor.

The results of a survey taken in 2010 showed that almost 359,000 Americans 12 and older were using heroin and said they were dependent on it.  In a survey taken in 2002, that number was significantly lower at only 214,000.

Methamphetamines – This is a powerfully addictive stimulant, most commonly known as “meth”.  It usually comes as a white powdery substance and people either smoke, snort or inject it.  It has the effect of speeding up the heart rate and causing one’s body temperature to become dangerously elevated.  People who abuse meth over long periods experience insomnia, anxiety and sometimes experience hallucinations.  Meth also affects teeth because it’s very acidic and because users tend to grind their teeth, this increases the damage to their teeth.

With any drug that can be injected there is always the risk of dirty needles causing HIV and hepatitis.  So you see individuals with these diseases having been brought about due to their drug use.

Statistics shows that approximately 13 million Americans who are 12 and older have tried meth at least once.  Of those over the age of 12, 277,000 say they are dependent on stimulants, which was an increase from the year before.

Alcohol – Most people who drink do so moderately, but for the ones that drink alcohol to excess there are health risks.  If a woman has more than one alcoholic beverage per day over the long term can increase the risk of coming down with pancreatitis, liver and heart disease.  The same holds true for people over the age of 65.  Men can have 2 drinks per day long-term without undue risk to their health.

Alcohol serves as a depressant, thus causes motor impairment and affects the drinker’s ability to think clearly and maintain good judgment.  Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a very serious learning disability and is caused by a pregnant woman drinking alcohol.  FAS lasts a lifetime and along with the learning disability, the person has impaired vision.  So the effects of drinking while pregnant can be devastating for the unborn baby.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse claims that there are approximately 14 million people in the U.S. who either abuse alcohol or are considered alcoholics. Because our substance abuse treatment center relies on evidence based practices, our Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Program shares many common methods with other successful rehab programs.  The foundations of our dual diagnosis treatment program for substance abuse also rely on the principles of harm reduction, motivational interviewing, stages of change and cognitive behavioral therapy to promote recovery from alcohol abuse and drug treatment.  In fact, our Intensive Outpatient Program in Memphis, TN that has been proven to be effective in the alcohol abuse treatment and drug abuse treatment in peer reviewed treatment outcome studies.   Our treatment center  provides services to those who need more treatment than one hour a week, but less than 24 hour care, by providing three hours of treatment per day, three to five days per week, in an intensive outpatient setting.  If you or a loved one is showing signs of alcohol abuse or needs drug treatment rehab, they should be assessed by a trained mental health professional who can help design a substance abuse treatment plan that can result in recovery.  Treatment for substance abuse can be highly successful.  Call us at 901-682-6136 to schedule an appointment.

Source: www.alcoholismdrugabuse.com