5.6 Drug and Substance Abuse
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5.6.5 Methods of Drug Use and Social Risk Factors
5.6.5.1 Methods of Drug Use
There are four primary methods of drug use: injecting, snorting, swallowing, and
smoking. Methods of drug use are also called route of drug administration. Smoking
is used for drugs such as tobacco, cocaine, opium, marijuana, as well as heroin.
Smoking takes the drug to the lungs before it is absorbed into the bloodstream.
Why is smoking among the fastest ways for an individual to experience a
high?
Smoking poses various health risks, including heart disease, hypertension, and
other lung infections. Snorting or inhalation is mainly practiced by users of heroin,
amphetamines, tobacco, and cocaine. One becomes high after about 15 min after
the intake of the drug. Some of the negative impacts associated with snorting are
the destruction of the septum and the respiratory system. Injections entail using a
syringe to inject an illicit substance into one’s bloodstream. It can be carried out
in three major ways: intramuscular, intravenous, and subcutaneous injections. The
major impacts are damage to arteries, thus leading to thrombosis and hemorrhaging,
veins’ scarring, and increased the likelihood of infection because of contamination
(Elliott et al. 2017).
Why do you think injection is the most lethal way of drug administration?
Finally, oral administration or swallowing is among the easiest ways of using
drugs. The drug moves through the mouth and into the stomach where the stomach
lining absorbs it into the bloodstream. Some of the drugs that are swallowed are
opium, alcohol, ecstasy, magic mushrooms, marijuana, and opium. It is among
the safest methods of taking drugs for various reasons. First, the substance is
slowly absorbed, thus leading to effects that are less dangerous and extreme.
Second, the digestive system automatically induces vomiting in case the drug user
ingests anything that could be risky. Notwithstanding, there have been reports of
deaths attributed to the swallowing of cocaine, thus suggesting that this route of
administration still poses certain dangers (Pramanik and Vidua 2016).
5.6.5.2 Social Risk Factors
Ideally, not all adolescents with addiction may have a history of abuse. Some other
factors, including social influences that exist in adolescence or childhood, could
125
5.6.5 Methods of Drug Use and Social Risk Factors
5.6.5.1 Methods of Drug Use
There are four primary methods of drug use: injecting, snorting, swallowing, and
smoking. Methods of drug use are also called route of drug administration. Smoking
is used for drugs such as tobacco, cocaine, opium, marijuana, as well as heroin.
Smoking takes the drug to the lungs before it is absorbed into the bloodstream.
Why is smoking among the fastest ways for an individual to experience a
high?
Smoking poses various health risks, including heart disease, hypertension, and
other lung infections. Snorting or inhalation is mainly practiced by users of heroin,
amphetamines, tobacco, and cocaine. One becomes high after about 15 min after
the intake of the drug. Some of the negative impacts associated with snorting are
the destruction of the septum and the respiratory system. Injections entail using a
syringe to inject an illicit substance into one’s bloodstream. It can be carried out
in three major ways: intramuscular, intravenous, and subcutaneous injections. The
major impacts are damage to arteries, thus leading to thrombosis and hemorrhaging,
veins’ scarring, and increased the likelihood of infection because of contamination
(Elliott et al. 2017).
Why do you think injection is the most lethal way of drug administration?
Finally, oral administration or swallowing is among the easiest ways of using
drugs. The drug moves through the mouth and into the stomach where the stomach
lining absorbs it into the bloodstream. Some of the drugs that are swallowed are
opium, alcohol, ecstasy, magic mushrooms, marijuana, and opium. It is among
the safest methods of taking drugs for various reasons. First, the substance is
slowly absorbed, thus leading to effects that are less dangerous and extreme.
Second, the digestive system automatically induces vomiting in case the drug user
ingests anything that could be risky. Notwithstanding, there have been reports of
deaths attributed to the swallowing of cocaine, thus suggesting that this route of
administration still poses certain dangers (Pramanik and Vidua 2016).
5.6.5.2 Social Risk Factors
Ideally, not all adolescents with addiction may have a history of abuse. Some other
factors, including social influences that exist in adolescence or childhood, could