Abuse and misuse of certain harmful substances such as tobacco smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, use of illicit drugs such as marijuana and cocaine; constitute very unhealthy lifestyle practices that could lead to development of non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and different types of cancers.1
Habitual and excessive use of medication not prescribed by doctors also constitute health hazard.
Harmful Substances to Avoid
1. Tobacco smoking
Cigarette smoking significantly increases the risk of developing health problems such as stroke and cardiovascular diseases.2 It was also shown that smokers had 45% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, when compared with non-smokers.3
Furthermore, cigarette smoking has been linked to cancers of lungs, oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract, prostate, cervix, breast, mouth, and possibly some other organs of the body.4 Ultimately, about half of persons that smoke cigarette eventually dies from diseases arising from that lifestyle.5,6
About 8 million people die each year as a result of tobacco smoking, including an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers, who are affected by the second-hand smoke of the smokeers.7
It is worrisome that while people in high-income countries are making progress in moving away from smoking, more people in low- and middle-income countries are adopting smoking lifestyle; with up to 80% of the 2.3 billion smokers in the world living in middle- and low-income countries. It was found that up to 22.3% of world population in the year 2020 smoked tobacco.7
Secondary or passive smoking also constitutes significant health risk for those that are exposed to it. This is a situation where somebody does not directly smoke, but inhale smoke that comes from somebody who smokes. This usually occurs in public places where people are allowed to smoke, and among people co-habiting with a smoker.
Primary and secondary tobacco smoking in pregnancy could lead to miscarriage, delivery of low-birth-weight baby, premature delivery and stillbirth.4 Vaping is a new trend in tobacco use, where vaporized liquid is inhaled from electronic device.
Other chemicals and harmful products are usually added to nicotine and inhaled as vapour. Vaping, like regular tobacco smoking is also injurious to health, and could lead to various forms of cancers.8
2. Excessive alcohol consumption
Alcohol is an organic substance that depresses the activity of the central nervous system when taken into the body.9 This can adversely affect almost every system in the body, causing more than 200 types of disease conditions and injuries.10
About 5.3% of yearly global death, representing about 3 million deaths are attributable to excessive use of alcohol. Harmful effects of alcohol manifest relatively early in life, hence 13.5% of total deaths in people aged 20 – 39 years are attributable to alcohol consumption.10
Some other health and social problems such as road traffic accident, suicide, rape and violence could be linked to alcohol consumption. Incidence or outcomes of some infectious diseases such as HIV, sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), and Tuberculosis could also be linked to excessive alcohol consumption.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) which once developed in the womb, stays with the individual all through life10. It occurs as a result of excessive alcohol consumption by pregnant women. Excessive alcohol consumption could also lead to miscarriage or pre-term delivery. The features of FAS include some facial features such as thin upper lips, small eyes, and short upturned nose.
Other features include deformities of fingers, joints and limbs; vision and hearing problems as well as slow physical growth. Some long-term adverse health effects of excessive alcohol consumption include;11
- Different cancers (Liver, colon, esophagus, breast, rectum, cervix, prostrate, throat, etc)
- Liver diseases such as Cirrhosis
- High Blood Pressure
- Stroke
- Mental health problems (Dementia, depression, amnesia, anxiety, etc)
- Immune suppression
3. Illicit drugs
These drugs currently do not have generally agreed medical use, and have high potential of abuse and addiction. Some call them illegal drugs. These are psychotropic drugs, affecting the mind and mental processes.
Examples of these drugs are Opioids, alkaloid and Cannabinoids. Opioids include Heroin, and Fentanyl. Cocaine is an alkaloid, while Marijuana and Hashish are examples of Cannabinoid. Some opioids such as Morphine, Codeine and Tramadol are reasonably used in medical practice, but are controlled.
Every year, about 500,000 deaths globally can be attributed to drug use.12 In 2015, it was reported that as high as 31 million people suffered from drug use disorder.13 Health effect of drug use can be physical or mental.
Physical effect may include increased blood pressure and heart rate, stroke, seizure, pain relief, changes in coordination, feelings of being more awake or sleepy, tendency towards violence, and improved sociability. Mental health effects on the other hand include psychosis, depression, delusion, and memory loss.14
Some drug addicts that use opioids intravenously, share needles and end up getting infected with blood-borne infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus.
4. Less addictive illicit drugs
Drugs classified as Hallucinogens and Inhalants belong to group of controlled drugs that are less addictive. Hallucinogens affect the brain, altering perception of reality and result in visual and auditory hallucinations. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and Psilocybin Mushrooms are examples of hallucinogens.15
Inhalants are not taken orally, but commonly inhaled. Use of inhalants is very dangerous for human health. They produce psychoactive effects when used, and could be in form of solvents, gases or aerosol.
They can be found in household items and products such as deodorants, nail polish, paint thinner, and gasoline.16 Some mental Health problems associated with use of inhalants include;16
- Anxiety state
- Depression
- Self-harm behaviours
- Aggressive behaviour
- Suicide tendencies.
Prolonged use may give symptoms such as;16
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Auditory hallucinations
- Slurred speech
- Seizure.
5. Addictive regular medical drugs
These drugs are frequently prescribed to manage certain medical conditions such as anxiety state, sleep disorders, epilepsy, etc. Common classes of these drugs are Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates.
Examples of Benzodiazepines are; Diazepam, Lorazepam, and Nitrazepam; while Phenobarbitone and Amytal are examples of Barbiturates.15 These drugs are highly addictive.
6. Miscellaneous
Soft drinks that contain little quantity of caffeine and sugar, used to be referred to as Energy drinks. Current definition of energy drinks explains that in addition to caffeine which is a stimulant and sugar, it commonly contains alcohol and some other additives such as vitamins, herbs or roots such as ginseng.
It could also contain stimulant that is stronger than caffeine. It is generally consumed in order to have additional boost of energy, and concentration. Use of this drink could be addictive, leading to excessive consumption.17
When consumed excessively, energy drink could result in symptoms such as anxiety, restlessness, inability to sleep, muscle twitching, and periods of inexhaustibility.18 Later adverse health effects could be raised blood pressure and stroke.
REFERENCES
- https://prescribinglifestyle.com/the-seven-pillars-of-lifestyle-medicine (accessed, 06/07/2023)
- Rodgers A, Ezzati M, Vander Hoorn S, Lopez AD (2004). Distribution of major health risks: Findings from the global burden of disease study. PLoS medicine, 1(1), e27.
- Willi C, Bodenmann P, Ghali WA, Faris PD, Cornuz J (2007). Active smoking and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA , 298, 2654 – 2664.
- https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/lifestyle/what-are-the-health-risks-of-smoking/ (Accessed, 27/08/2023)
- Doll R, Peto R, Boreham J, Sutherland I. Mortality in relation to smoking: 50 years’ observations on male British doctors. BMJ. 2004 Jun 26;328(7455):1519.
- Banks, E., Joshy, G., Weber, M.F. et al. Tobacco smoking and all-cause mortality in a large Australian cohort study: findings from a mature epidemic with current low smoking prevalence. BMC Med 13, 38 (2015)
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco(Accessed, 27/08/2023)
- https://chronicdata.cdc.gov/Policy/Electronic-Nicotine-Delivery-Systems-Key-Facts-Inf/nwhw-m4ki/data (Accessed, 27/08/2023)
- Oxford Paperback Reference (2002). Concise Medical Dictionary, 6th Edition. Oxford University Press, New York, United States of America.
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol# (Accessed, 27/08/2023)
- https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm (Accessed, 27/08/2023)
- World Health Organization (2019). The Public Health Dimension of the World Drug Problem. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
- World Health Organization (2015). World drug Report. World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/effects-of-drug-abuse (Accessed, 17/09/2023)
- https://www.mentalhelp.net/substance-abuse/inhalants/mental-health-effects/ (Accessed, 17/09/2023)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_drink (Accessed, 17/09/2023)
- Bedi N, Dewan P, Gupta P. Energy drinks: Potions of illusion. Indian pediatrics. 2014;51(7):529–533. (Accessed, 17/09/2023)
