Harmful effects caused by alcohol/drug abuse are as follows:

• Among youth there is drop in academic performance, lack of interest in personal hygiene, isolation, depression, fatigue, aggressive and rebellious behavior, deteriorating relationships with family and friends, loss of interest in hobbies, change in sleeping and eating habits, fluctuations in weight, appetite, etc.
• Excessive dose of drugs leads to coma and death due to respiratory failure, heart failure or cerebral haemorrhage.
• Abusers become mental and cause financial distress to their entire family and friends.
• They may acquire serious infections like AIDS and hepatitis by taking drugs intravenously.
• Intake of alcohol/drugs damages nervous system, liver (cirrhosis) and kidney.
• Drug abuse adversely affects foetus in case of pregnancy, leading to Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).
• Continuous use of narcotics and stimulants cause impotency and chromosomal aberrations.
• Heavy drinking can cause an acute alcoholic myopathy characterised by painful and swollen muscles and high levels of serum creatine phosphokinase (CK). Chronic alcoholic men may show testicular atrophy with shrinkage of the seminiferous tubules and loss of sperm cells.
• Heavy drinking causes acute and chronic pancreatitis.
• Alcohol increases RBC size causing a mild anemia.
• Legal problems occur, such as arrest by police for obtaining and keeping drugs unlawfully.