Addictions and its affects on the mind and body

Pam-Marie Guzzo Culture November 9, 2015

Nothing beats a cool beer on a hot night or relaxing joint after plugging away on an essay for hours. However, overuse of any substance can cause some serious problems down the road. Here are the top fi ve drugs used by London residents under 24 years of age, and their long-term mental and physical consequences.

	Mental	Physical
Alcohol	• May trigger depression, memory loss, seizures, mood swings • Effects motor coordination, temperature regulation, sleep, learning ability	• Sexual dysfunction, ulcers, heart damage, stroke, malnutrition • Increased cancer risks: mouth, oesophagus, throat, liver, breast • Immune system weakening, leading to pneumonia, tuberculosis and other diseases
Marijuana	• May trigger schizophrenia, depression, psychosis, anxiety • Effects planning, memory, focus, fl exibility, abstract thinking	• Cough, increased phlegm production, lung infections • Increased cancer risks (up to three times more than cigarettes) • Supressed immune system, leading to bacterial infections and tumours
Prescription Opioids	• Decreased libido, sexual dysfunction, exhaustion • May trigger anxiety, depression, anorexia	• Increase in unpleasant gasses, constipation, intestinal pain, diarrhea, vomiting • Supressed immune response, increasing length of diseases
Cocaine	• Irritability, panic attacks, paranoia, restlessness • May trigger psychosis, hallucinations	• Loss of appetite, malnutrition, extreme weight loss • If snorted: loss of smell, nosebleeds, hoarseness, problems swallowing • If ingested: severe bowel gangrene (intense pain, fever, vomiting, death) • If injected: severe allergic reactions
Methamphetamines	• Anxiety, confusion, violence, mood swings • Psychosis, including paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, repetitive actions • Reduced motor speed, impaired learning function, memory loss	• Severe dental problems, including tooth decay and loss of teeth • Weight loss, skin sores