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How to tell if Someone is Using Drugs

Drug use affects people from all walks of life and all socioeconomic statuses. Whatever the reason a person starts taking drugs, whether recreationally or as prescribed, tolerance, patterns of increased use, physical dependence and, ultimately, addiction may develop-sometimes before the user even realizes it. ¹

When a full-blown substance-use disorder (SUD) develops, it can be extremely difficult to stop using drugs without professional treatment. ² Drug use can wreak havoc on the body and mind and may eventually become deadly. When you realize that you or someone you love has a problem, it's essential to get help right away. There is no shame in admitting that you need treatment for drug use; doing so can be life-saving. Learn about drug detox helplines.

Use of most substances will produce noticeable signs and symptoms. These may include physical or behavioral symptoms-most likely both.

What are Physical Signs of Drug Abuse?

Some of the most noticeable symptoms of drug use are those that affect certain physiological processes. For example, your body's tolerance to a drug develops when a drug is used long or often enough that it adapts to the consistently elevated presence of the substance. When tolerance grows, increased quantities or strengths are required to achieve the previous effects. ¹

Individuals using a drug to get high may come to take such large doses to overcome their tolerance that they place themselves at increasing risk of potentially fatal overdose. ³

Changes in appearance can be additional clues to possible drug use and may include: ⁴

Bloodshot or glazed eyes.

Dilated or constricted pupils.

Abrupt weight changes.

Changes in hygiene.

Dental issues.

Skin changes.

Problems sleeping or sleeping too much.

Signs will vary based on the substance and the method used (i.e., smoking, injection, etc.).

What are Behavioral Signs of Drug Abuse?

Drug use tends to significantly alter a person's behavior and habits. Some drugs can impair the brain's ability to focus and think clearly. ⁵

Changes in behavior, such as the following, are sometimes associated with problematic substance use: 4,6

Increased aggression or irritability.

Changes in attitude/personality.

Lethargy.

Depression.

Sudden changes in a social network.

Dramatic changes in habits and/or priorities.

Involvement in criminal activity.

Learning to recognize the physical or behavioral signs of drug use can help prevent the problem from progressing further.

Illicit Drugs

Click on any substance below to find out some characteristic signs and symptoms of abuse and addiction for that substance. You can also learn how to find help for chemical dependence and drug and alcohol withdrawal.

How much do you know about some of the most commonly abused drugs? Learn the signs and symptoms now.

Prescription Drugs

Additional Resources on Health Insurance Providers and Coverage Levels

Visit the links below to find out more about your health insurance coverage levels, how to get your insurance company to pay for drug and alcohol rehab and also how to pay if you don't have insurance.

Additional Resources on Drug and Alcohol Rehab

Whether you're looking for a specific type of rehab treatment, substance related info or additional guides, below are some our popular and recommended.

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Signs of Substance Abuse | Drug Abuse Symptoms and Effects

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Drug use affects people from all walks of life and all socioeconomic statuses. Whatever the reason a person starts taking drugs, whether recreationally or as prescribed, tolerance, patterns of increased use, physical dependence and, ultimately, addiction may develop-sometimes before the user even realizes it.

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Drug use prevention - school programming and protective factors | NCLEX-RN | Khan Academy

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Goal

Reduce substance abuse to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for all, especially children.

Overview

In 2005, an estimated 22 million Americans struggled with a drug or alcohol problem. Almost 95 percent of people with substance use problems are considered unaware of their problem.* Of those who recognize their problem, 273,000 have made an unsuccessful effort to obtain treatment. These estimates highlight the importance of increasing prevention efforts and improving access to treatment for substance abuse and co-occurring disorders. 1

Why Is Substance Abuse Important?

Substance abuse has a major impact on individuals, families, and communities. The effects of substance abuse are cumulative, significantly contributing to costly social, physical, mental, and public health problems. These problems include:

Teenage pregnancy

Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)

Other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)

Domestic violence

Child abuse

Motor vehicle crashes

Physical fights

Crime

Homicide

The field has made progress in addressing substance abuse, particularly among youth. According to data from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey, which is an ongoing study of the behaviors and values of America's youth between 2004 and 2009:

A drop in past-year use of methamphetamine was reported for all grades, and lifetime use dropped significantly among 8th graders, from 2.3 to 1.6 percent.

Among 10th and 12th graders, 5-year declines were reported for past-year use of amphetamines and cocaine; among 12th graders, past-year use of cocaine decreased significantly, from 4.4 to 3.4 percent.

Decreases were observed in lifetime, past-year, past-month, and binge use of alcohol across the 3 grades surveyed.

In addition, in 2009:

Past-year use of hallucinogens and LSD fell significantly, from 5.9 to 4.7 percent, and from 2.7 to 1.9 percent, respectively.

Past-year use of hallucinogens other than LSD decreased from 5.0 to 4.2 percent among 12th graders.

Marijuana use across the 3 grades showed a consistent decline starting in the mid-1990s; however, the trend in marijuana use has stalled, with prevalence rates remaining steady over the past 5 years.

Understanding Substance Abuse

Substance abuse refers to a set of related conditions associated with the consumption of mind- and behavior-altering substances that have negative behavioral and health outcomes. Social attitudes and political and legal responses to the consumption of alcohol and illicit drugs make substance abuse one of the most complex public health issues. In addition to the considerable health implications, substance abuse has been a flash-point in the criminal justice system and a major focal point in discussions about social values: people argue over whether substance abuse is a disease with genetic and biological foundations or a matter of personal choice.

Advances in research have led to the development of evidence-based strategies to effectively address substance abuse.

Improvements in brain-imaging technologies and the development of medications that assist in treatment have gradually shifted the research community's perspective on substance abuse. There is now a deeper understanding of substance abuse as a disorder that develops in adolescence and, for some individuals, will develop into a chronic illness that will require lifelong monitoring and care.

Improved evaluation of community-level prevention has enhanced researchers' understanding of environmental and social factors that contribute to the initiation and abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs, leading to a more sophisticated understanding of how to implement evidence-based strategies in specific social and cultural settings.

A stronger emphasis on evaluation has expanded evidence-based practices for drug and alcohol treatment. Improvements have focused on the development of better clinical interventions through research and increasing the skills and qualifications of treatment providers.

Emerging Issues in Substance Abuse

In recent years, the impact of substance and alcohol abuse has been notable across several areas, including the following:

Adolescent abuse of prescription drugs has continued to rise over the past 5 years. The 2007 MTF survey found high rates of nonmedical use of the prescription pain relievers Vicodin and OxyContin. It is believed that 2 factors have led to the increase in abuse. First, the availability of prescription drugs is increasing from many sources, including the family medicine cabinet, the Internet, and doctors. Second, many adolescents believe that prescription drugs are safer to take than street drugs. 2

Military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have placed a great strain on military personnel and their families. This strain can lead to family disintegration, mental health disorders, and even suicide. Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicate that from 2004 to 2006, 7.1 percent of veterans (an estimated 1.8 million people) had a substance use disorder in the past year. 3

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Reduce substance abuse to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for all, especially children. In 2005, an estimated 22 million Americans struggled with a drug or alcohol problem. Almost 95 percent of people with substance use problems are considered unaware of their problem.* Of those who recognize their problem, 273,000 have made an unsuccessful effort to obtain treatment.

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Risk factors for drug use and drug abuse

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What are the effects of alcohol?

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Australian Government Department of Health

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It's different for each person

How alcohol affects you can depend on a range of factors, including your:

gender

mental and physical health

medical conditions

use of other drugs and medications

Alcohol can affect you more quickly if you:

drink on an empty stomach

have a lower tolerance to alcohol

have a lower percentage of fat and muscle on your body

are a young person

weigh less

don't usually drink alcohol

What happens in your body

As you drink alcohol, it:

passes into your blood through the walls of the stomach and small intestine

travels to all parts of the body including the brain

slows down your brain and affects almost all parts your body

affects the way you think, feel and behave

Alcohol only takes a few minutes to reach the brain in an average, healthy person.

Your liver removes most of the alcohol in your body by breaking it down.

Blood alcohol levels

As you drink, the level of alcohol in your blood rises.

The level of alcohol in your blood is called blood alcohol concentration (BAC). A BAC of 0.01 means there is 0.01g of alcohol in 100ml of your blood.

In an average, healthy person, one standard drink:

increases BAC by about 0.02

takes about one hour to break down

But remember, this can be different for everyone.

BAC is what police test for in roadside alcohol breath tests. If you're a fully licensed driver, you're breaking the law in Australia if you drive with a BAC over 0.05.

How long alcohol stays in your blood

Drinking more than one standard drink per hour will increase your BAC. The faster you drink, the higher your BAC.

When you stop drinking, your BAC will keep rising as the alcohol in your stomach goes into your blood.

The only way to lower your BAC is time. The more drinks you have, the more time you need.

You cannot remove alcohol from your blood by vomiting, having a cold shower or drinking coffee.

Short-term effects

Drinking alcohol can affect your body straight away. A healthy person is likely to experience the following:

BAC of up to 0.05:

feeling of wellbeing

talkative, relaxed and more confident

BAC of 0.05 to 0.08:

impaired judgement and movement

reduced inhibitions

BAC of 0.08 to 0.15:

slurred speech

impaired balance, coordination, vision and reflexes

unstable emotions

nausea and vomiting

BAC of 0.15 to 0.30:

unable to walk without help

sleepy

difficulty breathing

memory loss

loss of bladder control

possible loss of consciousness

BAC of over 0.30:

In the short term, drinking too much alcohol can also lead to:

accidental injury (to yourself or others)

being in a road accident

deliberately harming yourself or others

unprotected or unwanted sex

alcohol poisoning

Binge drinking (drinking a lot of alcohol in one session or a short period) can be even more harmful and risky.

Long-term effects

Drinking more than 2 standard drinks a day can seriously affect your health over your lifetime.

Long-term effects include:

If you're pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy, drinking any amount of alcohol can harm your fetus (unborn baby) or newborn.

Social and financial problems

Alcohol can reduce your inhibitions and lead you to behave in a way you normally wouldn't. You may commit a crime, behave in an antisocial way or do something embarrassing.

Your behaviour could affect your friendships, your work and your family.

If you drink a lot or become dependent on alcohol, you could end up spending a lot of money on your drinking.

For more about how alcohol can affect you, read alcohol and your life.

Taking alcohol with other drugs

Drinking alcohol at the same time as taking other drugs, including medicine, can be very risky. This is because alcohol can:

increase the side effects of other drugs

reduce the effect of medicine such as antibiotics or diabetes medicine

hide the effect of a drug or medicine

Find out more about the dangers of mixing drugs and alcohol and medications.

Reducing the effects

To reduce the effects of your drinking:

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Alcohol affects everyone. How it affects you depends on how much you drink, your health, your age and other factors. Drinking too much can lead to harmful short-term and long-term effects. It can affect your physical and mental health, your job, your finances, your family and your community.

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Alcohol affects everyone. How it affects you depends on how much you drink, your health, your age and other factors.

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How To Recognize The Signs And Symptoms Of Substance Abuse

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Substance abuse can change you or a loved one’s personality and habits. Recognizing the signs and symptoms makes it easier to seek out the necessary help.

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This video describes the risk and protective factors related to substance abuse. 

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This video describes the risk and protective factors related to substance abuse. 

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This article describes the symptoms and causes of substance abuse

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This article describes the symptoms and causes of substance abuse

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Drug addiction (substance use disorder) - Symptoms and causes

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Drug addiction affects your brain and behavior to the point where you can’t control your use of legal or illegal drugs, even when you know they cause harm.

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This is a form of substance abuse, when one takes too many pills.