What is Drug Abuse?

• What is Drug Abuse?
• Effects of substance abuse
• Resistance and Dependency

Substant abuse is "using drugs without observing predetermined rules." Drugs are strictly cracked down by law, such as the Drug and Psychotropic Drug Control Law and the Stimulant Control Law. In addition, drugs can be abused if used for purposes other than the original purpose, such as "use for treatment of illness and wounds." If used for this purpose, even once used it is a substance abuse.

Our brain has an excellent mechanism to process information at a tremendous speed and control the mind and body. However, abuse of drugs damages the mechanism of the brain and causes various disorders as abuse continues.
And once damaged brains do not return to their state before they use the drug.
Care should be taken, especially in growing youth brains, as they are more susceptible than adults.

Resistance is a phenomenon in which a drug that is initially effective will have to increase its usage in order to obtain the same effect by repeatedly using a drug. If you continue to abuse, the effect of the drug gradually diminishes, it will not work with the same amount, and it will lead to a vicious cycle of increasing intake and frequency.

There are two types of drug dependence: physical dependence, which causes abnormalities in the body, and mental dependence, which makes it impossible to suppress the irresistible desire for drugs.
Physical dependence is that when repeated use of drugs, suddenly changes to the body where there is always a drug in the body, and when the drug can no longer be used, sweat, hand trembling, hallucinations, impaired consciousness, etc. It is a state where withdrawal symptoms appear.
On the other hand, mental dependence is a state in which a strong desire for drugs, such as being unsatisfactory, anxious, and not being able to go without drugs, appears without drugs.
When you become physically or mentally dependent, you will not be able to control the use of drugs on your own will, and you will be able to take drug search actions to get drugs at any cost, to escape from withdrawal symptoms and to thirst for drugs.

If you would like to know more details, please refer to the related materials and links.

[Source/Citation]
Drug Abuse Prevention Reader "Drug abuse is no good. Zettai." “Let's Live Healthy Part 38” (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)