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What is substance abuse? As you have learnt, drugs affect the body by changing the mental and physical status of a person. Some other substances also work in the same way and are not necessarily drugs. The non-medical use of a substance including drugs, that changes an individual’s mental and physical status and affect the health adversely, is known as substance abuse. Once a person starts using a substance, his mental state is altered and the person cannot get out of this habit. The extreme dependency on the substance compels them to increase the intake every day. This is called addiction. Substance misuse is widespread today including adolescents across the world. Socially acceptable drugs like tobacco and alcohol abuse not only ruins the life of the individual but can also influence them to associated with crime and violence. Commonly abused substances There are substances that can be abused for their mood- altering effects such as inhalants and solvents. On the other X s hand, there are drugs that can be abused that have no mood- a altering or intoxication properties, such as, anabolic steroids. C They are abused by the adolescents and youth during body - n building, to look more muscular. t Commonly abused substances are tobacco, alcohol, a marijuana (ganja), opium, cannabis, solvents (petrol, glue, u d correction ink) and aerosols inhalants, cough syrup, caffeine, l cocaine and ecstasy. There are other substances like gutka a and paan (betel). s h These substances can be ingested, inhaled, drunk, P chewed or injected by a syringe in the blood. Some of these d substances make one addicted, even if taken once. a h l Reasons for substance abuse in young people e H Young people are more vulnerable to substance abuse due to the following reasons — ••During the process of growing up, poor self-esteem, low 188 achievement at school, performance pressures, etc,. are some of the factors that promote substance abuse in adolescence. Resorting to substance use as a means of ‘growing up’ or fun also makes the adolescents more vulnerable to substance abuse. ••Pressure from peers or friends to try an addictive substance, the urge to gain popularity among friends, and desire to experiment and curiosity to try out new things also make young people particularly vulnerable to substance abuse. Reprint 2026-27