Introduction
Substance intoxication is a serious medical condition that can cause mild to serious life-threatening conditions. It occurs due to infrequent intake or abuse of psychogenic drugs, resulting in acute pharmacological symptoms like flushing, unstable walking, euphoria, hyperactivity, uncoordinated speech, and unstable judgment to severe conditions like poisoning and death. Pharmaceutical companies act as one of the major culprits in substance over usage. Substance abuse is a serious problem in many nations affecting it financially and being a global burden. These financial problems, on the whole, affect the health, education, and social systems and kill more people due to overdose, car crashes, and alcohol-related accidents.
What Is a Substance?
Theoretically, a substance is defined as any psychoactive compound with the potential to cause health and social problems, including addiction. These substances are available in three ways, namely:
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Legal - These are drugs that are commercially available and do not need any prescription, for example, tobacco.
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Illegal - The use of these drugs is entirely prohibited as it can cause severe addiction. (cocaine and heroin).
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Controlled - These drugs are contraindicated to be sold for commercial purposes and are allowed to be used only by licensed practitioners (Oxycontin).
What Are the Reasons for Substance Abuse?
Although the exact cause of substance abuse is unknown, it occurs due to various psychological reasons like anxiety, depression, or other stress due to environmental or work-life factors. The people are introduced to these medications as they already have a history of mental or psychological disturbances to which these medications come to aid. Still, over time, discontinuation of these drugs causes withdrawal symptoms. The other history of causes can also be childhood trauma, family issues, or severe traumatic injuries leading to over-acid pain medication.
What Are the Commonly Used Substances?
Drugs that are called substances that are classified according to their type are:
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Nicotine: The nicotine substances are cigarettes, cigars, vapor - cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff, etc.
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Alcohol: This includes all forms of alcoholic drinks like wine, beer, or any distilled liquor.
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Opioids: These are drugs that are highly addictive in nature, and they are heroin, Oxycodone, Vicodin, Methadone, and Buprenorphine.
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Depressants: These drugs are commonly prescribed for psychosomatic patients. They are barbiturates. For example, secondary and Benzodiazepines like Alprazolam, Valium, and Chlordiazepoxide.
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Stimulants: These drugs are neuro stimulants like cocaine, Methamphetamine, Amphetamine, and Atomoxetine.
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Cannabinoids: These are plant-derived drugs. marijuana, hash oil, edible cannabinoids, and hashish.
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Hallucinogens: These drugs cause a state of euphoria. For example, LSD, MDMA, and Mescaline.
How Does Substance Toxicity Occur?
Substance toxicity occurs when the toxic agents react with the endogenous molecules that act as a trigger, which subsequently disrupts the normal function of the cell structure. This initiates repair in the molecules from the cell or tissue level. Various reasons for toxicity begin with exposure to drugs in youngsters.
According to the American public health and safety department, almost 61 million people in the United States are on drug intake. Forty-four million go through illegal or non-prescribed drugs in a year in which the most common substance issue is alcohol intake. These misuse of drugs can result in serious endangering and expensive consequences like vehicle crash injuries, sexual or child abuse, child neglect, marital violence, stroke, suicide attempts, and mostly drug overdose. The other reason faced daily is the prolonged regular usage of these substances leading to increased dosage or high frequency, which affects not only the community but a person's mental and physical health along with impairment. Though these disorders range from mild to severe or even chronic effects, it mostly leads to addiction which may be a major community problem.
What Is the Reason for Substance Toxicity?
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Binge drinking.
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Stress.
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Curiosity.
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Violence.
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Abuse and neglect.
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Chronic mental illness.
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Habitual usage.
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Misuse of painkillers
In Whom Is Substance Intoxication Commonly Seen?
The general prevalence of substance intake around the globe is seen in around eight to ten percent of the world's population, among which seven percent are women and nine to eleven percent are men.
What Are the Medical and Financial Losses That Occurs Due to Substance Intoxication?
Both financially and medically, the government of the community has to go through a great loss, and more money transactions happen illegally with no legal revenue turnover and increased expenses for medical needs and hospitalization due to drug overdose. According to the center for disease control and prevention (CDC), the approximate cost spent on binge drinking alcohol is around 249 billion dollars. According to the national drug intelligence center, the intake of illegal drugs and misuse of non-prescribed medications cost around 193 billion dollars, and the medical expenses done by the government due to drug or substance intoxication are around 120 billion dollars annually. The occurrence of cases annually is around 20 percent in primary care clinics, 40 percent in general hospitals, and more than 70 percent in emergency or critical care units, with a death rate of sixty-eight percent annually.
What Are the Medical Conditions Occurring Due to Substance Abuse?
Various medical symptoms are seen as a result of substance intoxication as all these drugs predominantly affect the body or directly the nervous system. Some of the medical conditions associated with substance intoxication are:
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Damage to the brain and spinal cord.
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Mental health illnesses.
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Lung diseases like asthma.
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Heart diseases like chronic heart failure.
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Toxicity.
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Cancer.
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Tremors.
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Heart valve disorders.
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Skin infections.
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Hepatitis B and C.
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HIV or AIDS.
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Death.
How Can We Eliminate Substance Intoxication on a Global Level?
Eliminating substance intoxication should be handled both smartly and on a humanitarian basis. This is achieved by :
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Community participation in the eradication of habits.
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Community education.
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Medical and nursing aids to handle withdrawal symptoms.
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Organizing support groups for habit breaking, suicide prevention, and easily reachable toll-free numbers.
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Conducting motivational sports and programs encourages people.
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Legal monitoring of substance production and distribution.
Conclusion
On a whole substance, intoxication is like cancer, leeching both the person as an individual as well as a family, community, or county. Overall, substance intoxication is a global threat and is a seriously monitored problem in many nations which may potentially damage the peace, welfare, and financial status of the countries. The approach towards substance intoxication is made on a holistic and multidisciplinary level, where people from various fields and sectors of work come together to eradicate it, along with financial and medical aid from global funding organizations and nonprofitable communities.
