Drug Addiction among Secondary School Students

Abstract

Substance abuse among adolescents is an increasing social and medical problem in Egypt especially with lacking of information regarding prevalence and types of abused drugs. The use of alcohol and other psychoactive substances alters both the function and, ultimately, the structure of the brain by the altered stimulation of particular pathways in the central nervous system (Abdel Hamid et al., 2017). Mood, perception and consciousness are affected by the use of psychoactive substances, which can affect the capacity of persons to exert control over their drug use. The result can lead to physical and psychological dependence, coercing the person to continue taking the drug despite adverse consequences. Besides profound impairment and loss of physical health, people with alcohol and drug use disorders may suffer severely from psychological and psychosocial problems, interpersonal problems, loss of employment, difficulty in participating in education, and legal problems (Atlas on Substance Use, 2010).