Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

I
illicit drug use Any use of substances not legal
to possess. Many illicit drugs are “underground”
drugs that individuals manufacture specifically for
illicit use. Some of these drugs may be legal in
other countries though are not legal in the United
States or in the country in which the person is
using them. As well, illicit drugs may be drugs that
are legal but the person possessing them does not
have legal authorization, such as a physician’s prescription.
A significant health concern with illicit drugs is
their production. Many drugs that come in loose
form (such as HEROIN, COCAINE, METHAMPHETAMINE,
and marijuana) are “cut” with various and often
unknown substances, including other drugs and
sometimes chemicals not intended for human
consumption. These fillers, which dilute the DRUG’s
strength, may alter the actions of the drug or
themselves cause effects in the body that are
unexpected or toxic. The manufacture of illicit
drugs in pill form is also questionable, with
potency and ingredients varying certainly from
batch to batch and often from pill to pill. Many
people who manufacture illicit drugs such as
methamphetamine have little knowledge of
chemistry beyond that required to produce the
drugs, and produce the drugs in less than ideal
and often unsanitary conditions.
Other illicit drugs are produced in countries
where their use is legal; they are smuggled into
the United States and other countries. The production
circumstances may or may not be of
acceptable standards in terms of the drug’s purity
and consistency and the cleanliness of the manufacturing
environment. Manufacturing inconsistencies,
sanitation, and impurities may all pose
health risks for people who use drugs smuggled
into the United States from other countries. The
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other significant risk with illicit drugs is the legal
consequence for their possession, which may
result in jail sentences, fines, and serious consequences
for a person’s career, family, and lifestyle.
In the United States the 1970 Controlled Substances
Act (CSA) and its subsequent revisions
establish the legality of drugs. Other countries
have comparable legislative guidelines.
COMMONLY ABUSED ILLICIT DRUGS
ANABOLIC STEROIDS AND STEROID
PRECURSORS
GAMMA HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID
(GHB)
LSD
mescaline
METHYLENEDIOXYMETHAMPHETAMINE (MDMA)
COCAINE
FLUNITRAZEPAM
hashish
HEROIN
marijuana
METHAMPHETAMINE
peyote
See also ADDICTION; CLUB DRUGS; DESIGNER DRUGS;
STIMULANTS; HALLUCINOGENS; NARCOTICS; OPIATES; PRE-
SCRIPTION ABUSE; SCHEDULED DRUGS; SUBSTANCE ABUSE
PREVENTION.
injecting drugs, risks of The potential health
consequences of sharing needles and DRUG paraphernalia.
Sharing needles allows the passing of
BACTERIA and viruses that are in the BLOOD among
all individuals who use the needles. Rinsing with
water or cleaning with bleach is not enough to
prevent INFECTION with many bloodborne
pathogens.
Intravenous drug users who share needles and
drugs have particularly high risk for infection with
bloodborne viruses such as HEPATITIS B, hepatitis C,
HIV/AIDS, and for acquiring bacterial infections
such as TUBERCULOSIS and MENINGITIS. It is also possible
to acquire infection with some SEXUALLY
TRANSMITTED DISEASES (STDS).