What are substance use and abuse?
• Why do I need to learn about substance use and abuse? • What are the differences between substance use and abuse in high school and college? • What are some of the necessary skills to support healthy and responsible attitudes and behaviors about substances? What are substance use and abuse? Substance use refers to the use of any substance, legal or illegal, typically to alter one’s mood or consciousness. Substances can be taken orally, sniffed, smoked, or injected. Substance abuse refers to substance use that causes physical, social, academic, emotional, or mental injury to the user. These effects can be short lived or long lasting, affecting the user and those in one’s personal life. Why do I need to learn about substance use and abuse? Many college students find that the freedom of their new environment allows them to experiment with a variety of things, including substances like alcohol and other drugs. Using alcohol in small amounts may be relatively harmless (unless one is using
