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Summary
Drug abuse is a serious public health problem that affects almost every community and family in some way. Each year drug abuse causes millions of serious illnesses or injuries among Americans. Abused drugs include
- Methamphetamine
- Anabolic steroids
- Club drugs
- Cocaine
- Heroin
- Inhalants
- Marijuana
- Prescription drugs, including opioids
Drug abuse also plays a role in many major social problems, such as drugged driving, violence, stress, and child abuse. Drug abuse can lead to homelessness, crime, and missed work or problems with keeping a job. It harms unborn babies and destroys families. There are different types of treatment for drug abuse. But the best is to prevent drug abuse in the first place.
NIH: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Symptoms
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What are some signs and symptoms of someone with a drug use problem?
(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Diagnosis and Tests
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Drug Testing
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Prevention and Risk Factors
- CDC Vital Signs: HIV and Injection Drug Use (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
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Dealing with Drug Problems: Preventing and Treating Drug Abuse
(National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
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Seeking Drug Abuse Treatment: Know What to Ask
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
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Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
- What Is Substance Abuse Treatment? A Booklet for Families (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF Also in Spanish
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What to Do If Your Adult Friend or Loved One Has a Problem with Drugs
(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Living With
- Intervention: Help a Loved One Overcome Addiction (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
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Biology of Addiction: Drugs and Alcohol Can Hijack Your Brain
(National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
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Does Addiction Run in Families?
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
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Drug Use and Viral Infections (HIV, Hepatitis)
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
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Drugged Driving
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
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Effects of Drugs
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
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Health Consequences of Drug Misuse
(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
- How to Identify Drug Paraphernalia (Drug Enforcement Administration)
- Take Action against Hepatitis C (for People in Recovery from Mental Illness or Addiction) (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF
- Taking Medicines Safely After Alcohol or Drug Abuse Recovery (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Specifics
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Hallucinogens
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
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Synthetic Cathinones ("Bath Salts")
(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Images
- DEA Multi-Media Drug Library (Drug Enforcement Administration)
- Identifying Drugs (Drug Enforcement Administration)
Health Check Tools
- Substance Abuse Screening (Department of Veterans Affairs)
Games
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Test Your Knowledge: Exercise Your Brain and Test Your Knowledge of Drugs and How They Affect the Brain and Body
(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Statistics and Research
- Age- and Gender-Based Populations (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
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Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
- FastStats: Illegal Drug Use (National Center for Health Statistics)
- Other Specific Populations (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
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Research Reports: Hallucinogens and Dissociative Drugs
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - PDF
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Substance Use in Women and Men
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Drug Abuse
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hallucinogens
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
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NIDA Notes
(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Find an Expert
- Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Services Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
- Drug Enforcement Administration
-
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Also in Spanish
- Partnership at Drugfree.org (Partnership for a Drug-Free America)
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
Children
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Drugs and Young People: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Bath Salts (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Mushrooms (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Men
- Helping Yourself Heal: A Recovering Man's Guide to Coping with the Effects of Childhood Abuse (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF
Women
- Helping Yourself Heal: A Recovering Woman's Guide to Coping with Childhood Abuse Issues (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - PDF Also in Spanish
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Substance Use in Women
(National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
Seniors
- Drug and Substance Abuse (AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)
Patient Handouts
- Drug abuse (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Drug dependence (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Toxicology screen (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish