The immediate adverse effects of drugs and alcohol are expressed in the form of reckless behavior, vandalism and violence. Overdosage of drugs can lead to coma and death due to respiratory failure, heart failure or cerebral hemorrhage. Combining drugs or using them with alcohol usually results in an overdose. The most common symptoms of drug and alcohol abuse in youth are decreased performance in academic fields, absence from school or college for no apparent reason, loss of interest in personal hygiene, withdrawal, isolation, depression, exhaustion, aggressive and rebellious behavior, family and Deteriorating relationships with friends, loss of interest in hobbies, changes in sleeping and eating habits, fluctuations in appetite and weight etc.
Misuse of the drug alcohol can also have far reaching consequences. If the abuser does not get money to buy drugs and alcohol, he may resort to theft. These adverse effects are not limited only to those who consume drugs and alcohol. Sometimes drugs and alcohol can also cause mental and financial distress to one's family or friends. People who take drugs intravenously are more likely to get AIDS and serious infections like hepatitis B. Use of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy has adverse effects on the fetus. Side effects of anabolic steroid use by female athletes include puberty, increased aggression, mood swings, depression, abnormal menstrual cycles, excessive growth of facial and body hair, enlargement of the clitoris, deepening of the voice. In male players, side effects include acne, increased aggression, mood swings, depression, decreased testicular size, decreased sperm production, possible liver and kidney dysfunction, breast enlargement, premature baldness, prostate enlargement, etc.