Drugs

Introduction to public health

Spring 2019
What are drugs?

 A drug is any substance (with the exception of food and water) which,
when taken into the body, alters the body’s function either physically
and/or psychologically. Drugs may be legal (e.g. alcohol, caffeine and
tobacco) or illegal (e.g. cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin).
What is addiction?

 Addiction is a complex issue. Some drugs are more physically addictive

while others are mentally or socially addictive. Drug use can lead to
tolerance and dependence.

 Tolerance – This means that a person needs more of the drug to achieve
the same effects they experienced previously with smaller amounts.

 Dependence – This means that the drug becomes central to a person’s life
and they feel they cannot function properly without it.
What do drugs do to you?

 You probably know that drugs affect feelings and moods, judgment,
decision making, learning, and memory.

 But they can also cause or worsen other health problems—cancer; heart
disease; lung disease; liver function; mental disorders; and infectious
diseases such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and tuberculosis.
Drugs and pregnancy

 Drugs can affect an unborn child. It is safer not to use any drugs during
pregnancy unless under medical supervision. Psychoactive drugs cross the
placenta (the barrier between the mother's and baby's blood) so a baby is
exposed to the same chemicals as the mother. These chemicals can affect
the growth and development of the baby and cause miscarriage,
premature birth and birth defects.
Drugs and teenagers

socialising with friends, peer pressure or the

need to feel part of a group
relaxation or fun
boredom
curiosity, experimentation or wanting to take
risks
to escape from psychological or physiological
pain.
How to say no to drugs

1. Try to avoid situations where drugs and alcohol might be present.

2. Prepare yourself for occasions where someone may offer drugs to you
3. Walk away. Try to lose them if at all possible.
4. Avoid further encounters. You should avoid the person who offered drugs at
all costs.
5. Keep your food, drink with you during parties.
Associations for treatments in Lebanon
Treatments for drugs addiction

 behavioral counseling
 medication
 medical devices and applications used to treat withdrawal symptoms or
deliver skills training
 evaluation and treatment for co-occurring mental health issues such as
depression and anxiety
 long-term follow-up to prevent relapse
Celebrities who died from drugs
What country are all drugs legal?

 Portugal. In 2001, Portugal became the first European country to abolish all
criminal penalties for personal drug possession, under Law 30/2000.
Drugs statistics in Lebanon