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Drug Use Recreational Drugs

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Recreational drugs are substances used for nonmedical reasons usually for leisure or pleasure but can cause addiction, health issues and even criminal activity. These types of drugs typically include cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines, alcohol, tobacco, opiates and other psychedelic drugs. The significance of this behavior to public health is that drug usage can have effects on prescription medication effectiveness and the damage a disease can inflict on one’s self. Not only can this behavior have effects on physical dimensions of health but mental and emotional health can be greatly affected. These effects could be events like making mistakes at work, relationship conflict over drug use and being more likely to participate in other risky health behaviors such as unprotected sex. A study at Boston Medical Center shows how even “weekend-only” drug use can quickly and easily transform into a more frequent habit. The study had a sample size of 483 primary-care patients who made two visits the medical center six months apart. Among those who claimed to be “weekend-only” users for the first visit, only 19.2% maintained that label while more than half the sample reported using drugs more than just on the weekend (Saitz, et al, June 2016). The behavior of using recreational drugs is relevant because this course attempts to apply different models and theories to possibly change health behavior; drug use is a behavior that many people would like to personally change in order to improve

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