What is a drug?
A drug is any substance that causes a change in people’s mental, emotional or physical state. Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis are commonly used legal drugs.
Prescription medicine like pain pills, sleeping pills, and antidepressants can help treat health problems when they are used correctly and under the guidance of a healthcare provider.
However, abusing these drugs and using illegal drugs like cocaine, LSD, amphetamines, and heroin can cause problems in people’s lives.
Why do people take drugs?
People start taking drugs for many reasons:
- to fit in
- lack of confidence
- pressure from friends
- out of curiosity or boredom
- for pleasure
- to cope with negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, and stress
- childhood trauma such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction
- families or cultures where people see substance use around them or think it’s normal
- easy access to drugs
- media presenting drug use in a positive or casual way
- lack of knowledge about the consequences of drug use and beliefs that drugs are not that harmful
How many teens use illegal drugs?
In a 2023-24 survey of Alberta students in grades 7 to 12, 16.9% said they had used cannabis, 36.9% had used alcohol, and 3% had used other illegal drugs (like cocaine or amphetamines) in the year before the survey.
What is drug abuse?
Drug abuse means taking one or more drugs in a way that puts you or others at risk of getting hurt. Here are some examples:
- taking a lot of a drug at one time
- taking a prescription drug without a prescription
- taking a prescription or over-the-counter medicine in a way it’s not meant to be used
- taking several drugs (including alcohol) at the same time
- using drugs too often
- using drugs for a long time
The same survey of Alberta students in grades 7 to 12 showed that in the year before the survey, 10.7% of the students said they used an over-the-counter medicine to get high.
What are the risks of drug abuse?
There are many risks:
- health problems
- poisoning (overdose), which can cause serious injury or even kill you
- street drugs are becoming more dangerous and unpredictable because stronger, synthetic chemicals are being mixed in
- having to take more of the drug to get the same effect (tolerance)
- needing the drug just to feel normal (physical dependence)
- feeling like you can’t get by without the drug (psychological dependence)
- relationship problems with family and friends
- problems at school or work
- legal issues
- money problems
Problems related to using drugs can start quickly or develop over time. Often, family and friends that don’t use drugs can tell someone has a drug problem long before the person who's using drugs can.
If you’re concerned that you or someone you know might have a drug problem, we’re here to help.
For more information and to find an addiction services office near you, please call the
24-Hour Helpline.
Where can I find out more?
Visit
Substance Use: Common Drugs to learn more about:
- alcohol
- anabolic steroids
- barbiturates
- caffeine
- cannabis
- coccaine
- ecstasy (MDMA)
- GHB
- Gravol
- heroin
- inhalants
- LSD
- magic mushrooms
- methamphetamine
- opioids
- PCP
- Ritalin
- Rohypnol (roofies)
- smokeless tobacco
- smoking
