Substance Misuse

The term Substance Misuse (or abuse) is used to describe the use of illegal drugs or the use of prescribed or over the counter (OTC) medication, which are being taken at doses higher than what has been recommended by a doctor or pharmacist.

People use drugs for different reasons, for example, some may use drugs on a Recreational basis which means that they will only tend to use drugs occasionally. Others may Binge on drugs which means that when they use a drug they use it to excess (usually a large quantity over a short space of time). In some cases when a person takes a drug for an amount of time they come to rely on the drug and this can develop into a Dependency, which results in a person needing to take the drug to be able to function and feel normal.

There are two types of dependency Psychological and Physical. Psychological dependency is where a person becomes dependent on the effect that a drug will give them and the person may suffer without it. Some drugs such as heroin and alcohol can cause a physical dependency where the body will physically withdraw and a person can become very ill if they go without it.

There are different types of drugs and they each have different effects on the body. Some are stimulants which tend to speed up the central nervous system of the body and increase the heart rate, others are classed as depressant drugs as they slow the central nervous system down, there are also hallucinogenic drugs which affect your perception of things such as what you see, hear and feel. In other words they confuse your senses and can make you see things that are not there or hear sounds differently.

Drugs can cause many problems for a persons health both physically and mentally there has been numerous research studies conducted which identify the real risks and for some drugs its too early to tell what the long term risks are going to be. Drug strengths vary from area to area, even between dealers and you never know exactly what you are taking, the purity of many drugs at street level is low and usually other substances are added to the drug to make it look more that it is….things like, talc, teething powder, brick dust and coffee granules. Even particles of glass have been found in some samples tested! So you really are taking a gamble when you use them.

Its not just those who take drugs who are affect by them its also family members and friends who can suffer either directly or indirectly.

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is a piece of legislation which categorises illegal drugs into Classes A, B and C depending on those which are considered the more harmful. The list below shows the categories of each drug controlled under The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the type of drug they are considered to be (stimulant, depressant or hallucinogenic) and the maximum penalties a person could incur.

         (This list is by no means exhaustive but details the more prevalent substances)

There are a range of services in Flintshire which are able to provide confidential advice and support for those who wish to address their substance use. There is help for those who want it and there is also support and guidance for family members who want to support someone through treatment or who simply need support for themselves. There are those who have never tried drugs but are still curious, information is out there for people to make informed choices about what to do and there are a range of services and advice lines who would be happy to help and websites where you can gain information at you leisure. The message is clear, be informed before you make any decisions and there are a number of links for you to find out further information about services in the area and more in depth information about drugs.

If you would like to know more about services in Flintshire and where you can go for help and advice, follow this link: www.nwsmf.org.uk

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