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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 December 2009
INTRODUCTION
A wide variety of health problems can be experienced by drug users including dependency, infectious diseases, harmful physiological effects of certain drugs, and risk of overdose and death. These problems are important not only for the individual drug user but also for those people (such as the police) who come into regular contact with them. They are also important in that they increase the burden on the health service and its personnel, including general practitioners and hospital-based services.
PREVIOUS RESEARCH
Previous research on the health problems of drug misusers has tended to focus on the problem of dependency and addiction. However, research has also been conducted on general health problems, the prevalence of injection and sharing equipment, the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV and AIDS, and the link between drug use and alcohol and tobacco consumption.
General health problems
Drug side effects. Most drugs that are commonly misused can cause short-term negative effects on mental and physical functioning. Heroin can produce various kinds of physiological change including dry mouth, drowsiness, impaired mental functioning, and slowed breathing. At high dosages, heroin consumption can lead to respiratory failure. Chronic users can develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining, abscesses, and liver disease. Street heroin is often mixed with various substances, including sugar, starch, and some poisons that may also have harmful physiological effects. Cocaine use can cause constricted blood vessels, increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure.
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