Abusing Illicit Drug: Systemic and Orofacial Health Complications
Abstract
Mohamed A Bassiouny
Illicit drug use has plagued global societies since the dawn of the twentieth century [1]. Multiple illicit drugs, including crack/co- caine, heroin, methamphetamine, and opioids are currently found in abundant supply in the US. The non-medical use of prescription psychotherapeutics medications, including pain relievers, tranquil- izers, stimulants, and sedatives can also be abused. Methamphet- amine availability has swept across the US from the western and midwestern regions, while cocaine use has remained relatively stable at a high level since 2009 [2-5]. Overdose deaths from drug category that includes methamphetamine increased 7.5 times be- tween 2007 and 2017 [6]. Meanwhile, the number of people using heroin for the first time rose from 90,000 in 2006 to 170,000 in 2016, nearly doubled [7,8].