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There are always dangers when using drugs or alcohol. - Alcohol can put you at risk for neurological problems such as impaired vision, hindered motor coordination and blackouts. Drugs affect each person differently but those that can cause neurological problems include gamma hydroxybutyrate(GHB), methamphetamine, rohypnol and cocaine.
- Alcohol can depress the respiratory system. It can also lead to abscesses on the lungs, tuberculosis, and even pneumonia, according to the American Council for Drug Education. Throat and/or mouth cancer are also respiratory dangers of alcohol. Cocaine also can cause failure of the respiratory system, as well as chest pain. Marijuana can cause a daily cough as well as an increase in lung infections.
- Alcohol can cause psychological dangers such as the inability to concentrate, impaired speech and impaired judgment. Alcohol can also disrupt relationships with anyone you know as it alters your abilities in every aspect. Drugs also can cause psychological harm, including paranoia, confusion, insomnia, depression, forgetfulness, and a change in appetite.
- Alcohol and drugs can be addictive, which only heightens the risk of damage to your health once you become addicted. Your body might become used to a certain amount of drugs or alcohol, causing you to consume more in order to achieve the feeling you seek from either substance. This leads to an addiction.
- Drugs taken during pregnancy travel across the placenta to the fetus. Drugs can cause abnormalities of the fetus, underweight or underdeveloped babies, preterm labor and delivery, and even death of the fetus. Heavy drinking of alcohol during pregnancy can lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which can cause birth defects, decrease or slow fetal growth, alter the size of the baby's head, and affect the baby's development intellectually and behaviorally after birth.
