More About Substance Abuse

Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse and substance use disorder, is a patterned use of a drug in which the user consumes the substance in amounts or with methods which are harmful to themselves or others, and is a form of substance-related disorder. Widely differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, medical and criminal justice contexts. The exact cause of substance abuse is not clear, with theories including: a genetic disposition; learned from others - or a habit which if addiction develops, manifests as a chronic debilitating disease