1.4

Consequences of drug misuse

Socially and environmentally, drugs take their toll. Because drugs do not just affect the people
who use them: they impact on the lives of people who become victims of drug-related crime and on
those who have to live with the mess that drug users leave behind. They also affect workers in
other countries who grow the raw materials and the people who are involved in smuggling and
transportation. With drugs like cocaine, speed and ecstasy the high is followed by a comedown where
you might feel tired, depressed and paranoid for a few days. It does not always begin the day after
you have taken the drug - sometimes it could start a few days later. With ecstasy it typically
lasts up to three days, with symptoms at their worst on the last day (weekend clubbers call it
„mid-weekflu“).With crack cocaine the comedown is more of a crash and you might crave more of the
drug. When they crash, some people can get aggressive or violent.

Alcohol misuse is associated with a wide range of problems too, including physical health problems
such as cancer and heart disease; offending behaviours and domestic violence; suicide and
deliberate self-harm; child abuse and child neglect; mental health problems which co-exist with
alcohol misuse; and social problems such as homelessness.

(www.dh.gov.uk)