Overview: Substance Abuse

From PhilanthropyWiki

Substance Abuse Overview

Substance Abuse is a descriptive term relating to the overuse of drugs and alcohol. It may include:

• the overuse of legal drugs such as alcohol, tobacco and prescription medication
• the consumption of substances which are not meant for consumption, such as petrol fumes
• the use of illegal drugs such as cannabis, amphetamines, heroin or cocaine

The Australian Institute of Health & Welfare (AIHW) has estimated that in 1998 around 18,000 deaths and more than a quarter of a million hospital episodes were drug or alcohol-related.