Drug abuse is the use of illegal drugs, or the misuse of prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Drug abuse and addiction are a major burden to society. You must take addiction seriously because 25% of Americans die as a result of substance abuse. Drug abusers often try to conceal their symptoms and downplay their problem. Whether they’re using street drugs or medications, drug abusers often have trouble at school, at home, with friends, or with the law.
Although it is true that for most people the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, over time the changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person’s self control and ability to make sound decisions, and at the same time send intense impulses to take drugs. What people often underestimate is the complexity of drug addictionthat it is a disease that impacts the brain and because of that, stopping drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower.
Drug addiction is a pathological or abnormal condition which arises due to frequent drug use. Drug addiction is a state of periodic or chronic intoxication produced by the repeated consumption of a drug (natural or synthetic). Drug addiction is characterized by strong, drug seeking behaviors in which the addict persistently craves and seeks out drugs, despite the knowledge of harmful consequences. Drug addiction is a serious and complicated health condition that requires both physical and psychological treatment and support.

