Health Risks Associated with Drug or Alcohol Use
Narcotics such as opium, morphine and heroin can cause euphoria,
drowsiness, respirator depression, constricted pupils and nausea.
The symptoms of an overdose of narcotics are slow and shallow
breathing, clammy skin, convulsions, coma and possible death.
Persons experiencing withdrawal from addiction to narcotics can
experience watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, loss of appetite,
irritability, tremors, panic, cramps, nausea, chills and
sweating.
Depression such as barbiturates and Quaaludes can cause slurred
speech, disorientation and drunken behavior. An overdose of a
depressant may result in shallow respiration, clammy skin, dilated
pupils, weak and rapid pulse, coma and possible death. Withdrawal
symptoms include anxiety, insomnia, tremors, delirium, convulsions
and possible death.
Stimulants such as cocaine and crack can cause increased alertness
or euphoria, and increased pulse rate and blood pressure, insomnia
and loss of appetite. An overdose of stimulants results in
agitation, an increase in body temperature, hallucinations,
convulsions and possible death. Withdrawal symptoms include apathy,
long periods of sleep, irritability, depression and
disorientation. Hallucinogens such as LSD and
amphetamines cause delusions and hallucinations, and poor
perceptions of time and distance. The effects of an overdose
include psychosis and possible death.
Marijuana and hashish can cause euphoria, increased appetite,
relaxed inhibitions and disoriented behavior. The effects of an
overdose include fatigue, paranoia and possible psychosis.
Withdrawal symptoms include insomnia, hyperactivity and decreased
appetite.
Alcohol consumption causes a number of marked changes in behavior.
Even low doses significantly impair the judgment and coordination
required to drive a car safely, increasing the likelihood that the
driver will be involved in an accident. Low to moderate doses also
increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, include
spouse and child abuse. Moderate to high doses of alcohol cause
marked impairments in higher mental functions, severely altering a
person’s ability to learn and remember information. Very
high doses cause respiratory distress and death. If combined with
other depressants of the central nervous system, much lower doses
of alcohol will produce the effects just described.
Repeated use of alcohol can lead to dependence. Sudden cessation of
alcohol intake is likely to produce withdrawal symptoms, including
severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations and convulsions. Alcohol
withdrawal can be life-threatening. Long-term consumption of large
quantities of alcohol, particularly when combined with poor
nutrition, can also lead to permanent damage to vital organs such
as the brain and liver.
Mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to
infants with fetal alcohol syndrome. These infants have
irreversible physical abnormalities and mental retardation. In
addition, research indicates that children of alcoholic parents are
at greater risk than other youngsters of becoming alcoholics.
