Substance Use and Abuse

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The Healthy People 2020 project reported that substance abuse in the United States has decreased but there are still more than 20 million Americans using drugs, alcohol, or both. The estimated cost of substance abuse exceeds $600 billion annually. This essay discusses psychoactive drugs and their effects. Specific topics include definitions of drug use, abuse, and addiction and withdrawal symptoms. Drug classifications are reported as are the characteristics of use, abuse, and dependence. The essay ends with the pros and cons of harm reduction, substance abuse prevention, and other treatments. There are twelve sources listed in the bibliography of this eight page paper.