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The Effects of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

- According to surveys, 140 million Americans aged 12 or older were current drinkers in 2017 and 30.5 million people aged 12 or older used illicit drugs in the past 30 days. Additionally, approximately 19.7 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder related to alcohol or illicit drug use. - Drugs and alcohol can have various short-term mental and physical effects depending on the substance, amount used, and individual factors. Effects may include mood changes, impaired judgment, coordination issues, and both minor and severe health problems. - Common substances of abuse like alcohol, hallucinogens, opioids, benzodiazepines, and inhalants each produce unique short-term side effects

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257 views5 pages

The Effects of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

- According to surveys, 140 million Americans aged 12 or older were current drinkers in 2017 and 30.5 million people aged 12 or older used illicit drugs in the past 30 days. Additionally, approximately 19.7 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder related to alcohol or illicit drug use. - Drugs and alcohol can have various short-term mental and physical effects depending on the substance, amount used, and individual factors. Effects may include mood changes, impaired judgment, coordination issues, and both minor and severe health problems. - Common substances of abuse like alcohol, hallucinogens, opioids, benzodiazepines, and inhalants each produce unique short-term side effects

Uploaded by

Alma Garcia Fama
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Effects of Alcohol and Drug Abuse

According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 140 million
Americans aged 12 or older were current drinkers.1 Just a few years prior, in 2015, an estimated
86.4% of the adult population had consumed alcohol at some point in their lives, while 27% had
engaged in binge drinking within the prior month.2 Additionally, in 2017, 30.5 million people 12
or older used an illicit drug in the past 30 days (which equates to current use), and approximately
19.7 million people 12 or older had a substance use disorder (SUD) connect to their use of
alcohol and/or illicit drugs.1
Though the short- and long-term impact of drug and alcohol abuse may vary from person to
person, many people struggle with the ill-effects of abusing drugs and alcohol every day. Factors
that influence the nature and severity of symptoms that are experienced may depend on a
person’s age, gender, individual physiology, genetic make-up, and mental health condition, as
well as environmental factors related to the family, school, and neighborhood.3,7
And while some side effects are relatively mild, many abused substances lend themselves to
severe and life-threatening outcomes, particularly as a person’s pattern of use progresses.
Addiction is a particularly debilitating development associated with regular drug or alcohol use
that can lead to significant impairment in many areas of a person’s life—from work to school
and interpersonal functioning.4
What are the Short-Term Effects of Substance
Abuse?

Drugs and alcohol have various effects on both mental and physical health. The short-term
effects may depend on the amount used, the potency of purity of the substance, and whether it is
mixed or used in combination with any other mind-altering substances. Drugs and alcohol can
affect a person’s thinking, mood, energy level, and perception.6 They may impair motor
functioning, interfere with decision-making and problem-solving, and reduce inhibition, as well
as cause a host of physical health problems.6
Some of the more common substances of abuse include alcohol, hallucinogens, opioids,
benzodiazepines, and inhalants, each of which produce their own unique short- and long-term
effects.

Side Effects of Alcohol Abuse


A few factors impact the speed at which alcohol’s effects are felt. If someone consumes alcohol
on an empty stomach, he or she may feel the effects far quicker than someone drinking after a
large meal. Weight and body composition also affect alcohol metabolism and intoxication levels.

Depending on the amount of drinking taking place, the short-term effects of acute alcohol
intoxication can range from mild to devastating. Potential effects include:6
 Mood swings.
 Impaired judgment.
 Coordination issues.
 Trouble concentrating.
 Memory problems.
 Slurred speech.
 Uncontrolled eye movements.
 Stupor.
 Coma.
Find out more on alcohol abuse side effects here. 
Relatively mild intoxication can result in increased sociability and euphoria, while higher levels
of consumption can result in sedation and dangerously slowed pulse and breathing
rate.6 Drinking large amounts of alcohol can result in blackouts, or amnesia for the events that
occurred while intoxicated.6
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What to expect?

Side Effects of Hallucinogen Abuse


Hallucinogens, such as DMT, LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms), and peyote (mescaline), may
all differ slightly in terms of the duration and intensity of their psychoactive and physiological
effects, but there are some areas of overlap in the character of such effects.
Possible short-term effects of hallucinogens may include:6,8

 Hallucinations.
 Synesthesia, or mixing of senses.
 Intensified perceptions.
 Significant anxiety or depression.
 Increased heart rate.
 Heart palpitations.
 Dilated pupils.
 Blurred vision.
 Excessive sweating.
 Tremors.
 Paranoia.
 Impaired judgment.
 Impaired motor control.
Hallucinogen intoxication is commonly referred to as a “trip,” and a negative experience is
called a “bad trip.” There have been some reports of an association between certain
hallucinogens and suicidality, although such occurrences are very rare.6,8

Side Effects of Opioid Abuse


Using opioids, such as heroin or misusing prescription painkillers, like Vicodin, Percocet,
and OxyContin, can be particularly dangerous because of their risks for profound respiratory
depression and overdose.9 Heroin is commonly injected or snorted (and sometimes smoked),
while opioid painkillers are most often taken orally, yet may also be crushed and snorted, or
mixed with liquid solution and injected.
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Some side effects typical of opioids include:6,9
 Initial euphoric rush followed by apathy.
 Dysphoria, or unease.
 Nausea.
 Vomiting.
 Pinpoint pupils.
 Itching skin.
 Drowsiness.
 Memory impairments.
 Attention problems.
 Inattention to the environment.
 Slowed thinking and movements.
 Slurred speech.
 Coma.
Find out more on opioid abuse and side effects.
The pronounced drowsiness and intermittent dosing off exhibited by an opioid  user is often
called “being on the nod.” The decreased breathing rate caused by opioid intoxication can result
in overdose associated respiratory arrest, oxygen deprivation, and subsequent brain and vital
organ injury.6,9

Side Effects of Benzodiazepines Abuse


Benzodiazepines are depressants that are prescribed in the treatment of muscle spasms, tremors,
acute seizures, alcohol and drug withdrawal symptoms, anxiety, and insomnia.16,17 Commonly
prescribed benzodiazepines include Xanax, Valium, Ativan, and Klonopin.18 Benzodiazepine
misuse may result in the following short-term effects:6,16-18
 Drowsiness.
 Impacted physical coordination and balance.
 Impaired attention and memory.
 Depression.
 Vertigo.
 Tremors.
 Respiratory depression.
Benzodiazepines have a high potential for abuse based on their sedative properties, especially
when combined with other depressants including alcohol and opioids.16
Side Effects of Inhalant Abuse
Inhalants are a diverse grouping of psychoactive substances, with some examples including
everyday household products, such as cleaning fluids, spray paint, glue, and markers. Users
typically inhale the chemicals in through the mouth or nose, either directly or from a soaked
rag.12 Sometimes individuals inhale the chemical from a plastic bag or balloon.12 These drugs are
often abused by children or adolescents because they are so easily accessible.12 The short-term
effects of many inhalants are short-lived, only lasting a few minutes.12 The possible side effects
of inhalant abuse include:6,12
 Euphoria.
 Apathy.
 Delusions
 Hallucinations.
 Slow movement and thought.
 Lethargy.
 Poor judgment.
 Dizziness.
 Nausea or vomiting.
 Slowed or delayed reflexes.
 Impaired coordination.
 Blurred vision.
 Slurred speech.
 Tremors.
 Stupor.
 Coma.
Even short-term use of inhalants can have fatal consequences, though. People who inhale from a
closed container, such as a plastic bag, may experience unconsciousness, coma, and
death.6 There is also a condition called “sudden sniffing death” that may occur shortly after
inhalant use that is likely due to the acute development of a fatal arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
or a heart attack.6

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