Some people seem to dislike the term drug "abuse", yet the terms are interchanged all of the time. drug-abuse Drug AbuseDrug abuse is considered the conscious, improper use of drugs. harm-reduction Harm Reduction"Harm Reduction" is an approach to substance abuse and addiction that works to reduce the harm caused by use, while encouraging reduction and eventually elimination of unsafe substance use. drug-addiction Drug AddictionPeople can become addicted to drugs, which leads to chronic drug abuse if not managed properly. |
The government refers to illegal or improper use of drugs as "drug abuse" not drug use. The research arm of the National Institutes for Health (NIH) is called the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA).