Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is a patterned
use of a substance (drug) in which the user consumes the substance in amounts
or with methods neither approved nor supervised by medical professionals.
Substance abuse/drug abuse is not limited to mood-altering or psycho-active
drugs. If an activity is performed using the objects against the rules and
policies of the matter (as in steroids for performance enhancement in sports),
it is also called substance abuse. Therefore, mood-altering and psychoactive
substances are not the only types of drugs abused. Using illicit drugs –
narcotics, stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, cannabis, even
glues and paints, are also considered to be classified as drug/substance abuse.
Substance abuse often includes problems with impulse control and impulsive
behaviour.
The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency,
but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts. The terms
have a huge range of definitions related to taking a psychoactive drug or
performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect. All of
these definitions imply a negative judgment of the drug use in question
(compare with the term responsible drug use for alternative views). Some of the
drugs most often associated with this term include alcohol, amphetamines,
barbiturates, benzodiazepines (particularly temazepam, nimetazepam, and
flunitrazepam), cocaine, methaqualone, and opioids. Use of these drugs may lead
to criminal penalty in addition to possible physical, social, and psychological
harm, both strongly depending on local jurisdiction. There are many cases in
which criminal or antisocial behavior occur when the person is under the
influence of a drug. Long term personality changes in individuals may occur as
well. Other definitions of drug abuse fall into four main categories: public
health definitions, mass communication and vernacular usage, medical
definitions, and political and criminal justice definitions. Substance abuse is
prevalent with an estimated 120 million users of hard drugs such as cocaine,
heroin and other synthetic drugs
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