The harmful social and physical effect of psychoactive drugs use.
Usage of drugs can lead to short-term and long- term negative health effects on the mind and
body. It include both street drugs and medications such as: Alcohol, caffeine, Tylenol,
nicotine, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, sleeping pills etc..
First I will begin with the harmful effects that can occur while using these drugs. They are
likely to have long term effect on the body when they are used regularly. and occur when
taken with alcohol. Let’s take for example heroin and alcohol.
Heroin is use by smoking, snorted, or injected and this drug acts quickly to carry out its
results. In short, consider it to be very harmful.
Alcohol can be harmful due to the quantity that you have drink and will change your
personality as well as your mood. The harmful short term effects include
The harmful effects of psychoactive drug use.
Short- term include:

Accidents

Assaults

Suicide/ mood change

Potential coma

Depression
and
Where as the long term effect of these drug include
Long-term effect include:

Heart problem

Violent behaviour (hostility)

Lung cancer

Liver cirrhosis

Death
Next we have the social effects these psychoactive drugs can cause social impact on your
social life with family or even close friends as such persons may isolate themselves. Let us
use marijuana and cocaine as examples. Persons who smoke large doses may find that they
have become reliant on these drugs as well as they may find that friends may start to
withdraw from them because of their behaviour. As for cocaine it is highly addictive, and
person will crave the same experience over and over this may cause an over dose or even
cause them to feel suicidal. The short term effect are as followed/ include
The social effects of psychoactive drug use.
Short-term effect include: karl.whyte@utech.edu.jm

Disruptive behaviour

Bulling

Peer relationship (gang related)

Reckless behaviour

Aggressive

Anger / sexual behaviour let not forget about the long term effect and these include
Long-term effects include:

Causing harm to yourself

Breakdown of relationship (this means that family, friends, spouse co-workers etc
may want to distance their self from you due to your actions. It can also cause

Unemployment

Criminal behaviour such as burglary, stealing
And last the physical effects, these effect can intervene with people’s ability to carry out
certain task. Let me use nicotine and ecstasy for examples. Nicotine is highly addictive it may
cause dizziness, changes in blood flow and also decreased the appetite. While ecstasy may be
illegal as other drugs are it can be misuse. It cause sweeting, increases energy, pleasure that
can lead to attention or even memory loss.
And these short term effect include:
The physical effects of psychoactive drug use:
Short –term effects include:

Increase blood pressure

Rapid heartbeat

Dizziness

Potential coma

Loss appetite As for the long term effect they are
Long-term effects include:

Insomnia

Respiratory difficulties

Cardiovascular illness

Kidney damage

Heart disease

Nose bleed which can be continuous. Now over to my other group member
Examples of psychoactive drugs include both street drugs and medication:
Alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, marijuana, cocaine and certain pain medicines.
Paracetamol
The degree of harm that can be done to a person while using a drugs is determine by a
number of factor’s such as:

The type of drugs (quantity)

The individuals (Age, gender, mood, weight, and tolerance to drugs)

The environment ( Social settings, background, prescribed or legal)