Forms of drug abuse

Drug abuse can manifest in various forms, including:

• Recreational use: Taking drugs for pleasure or to alter one's state of mind, often in social settings.
• Misuse of prescription drugs: Using medications like opioids, stimulants, or sedatives in ways not prescribed by a doctor, such as taking higher doses, taking them more often, or using them for non-medical reasons.
• Over-the-counter (OTC) drug abuse: Misusing readily available medications like cough syrups containing dextromethorphan (DXM) or decongestants.
• Inhalant abuse: Breathing in fumes from household products like glue, paint thinner, or aerosols to achieve a brief high.
• Injecting drugs: Using needles to administer drugs directly into veins, muscles, or under the skin, which carries significant risks of infection and overdose.