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Article: Substance Abuse
- Article from:
- Dictionary of American History
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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SUBSTANCE ABUSE
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
is characterized by repeated use of a substance or substances in situations where use leads to
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or contributes to
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markedly negative outcomes. Defining substance abuse can be difficult. "Substance" refers to the spectrum of drugs that can be potentially abused, such as illicit drugs (marijuana, heroin), licit drugs (alcohol, tobacco), and prescription drugs (Vicodin, Xanax). "Abuse" refers to the use of a substance when it is not medically indicated or when its use exceeds socially accepted levels. Technically, substance abuse is one in a spectrum of substance use disorders outlined in the American Psychiatric Association's
Diagnostic and ...