Harms associated with illicit drug use
Five types of morbidity and mortality have been identified as the main health expressions of health harm associated with illicit drug use: 1) overdose; 2) other injury; 3) non-communicable physical disease; 4) mental disorders; and 5) infectious disease. Burden of disease estimates combining years of life lost due to premature mortality and disability indicate that illicit drugs ranked eighth among causes of disease, death, and disability in developed regions of the world. Opioids, cocaine, and amphetamines entail greater risks, especially when they are injected. Many harmful consequences are not completely intrinsic to the properties of the drug, but instead are associated with the physical and social environment in which drug use takes place. These epidemiological considerations need to be taken into account in the allocation of resources for prevention programmes, treatment, and social services.