“Tobacco smoke can cause many cancers like methamphetamine which can cause severe dental problems, known as meth mouth, and that opioids can lead to overdose and death,” Mr Suwareh said.
He added that some drugs, such as inhalants, may damage or destroy nerve cells, either in the brain or the peripheral nervous system (the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord).
“People with addiction often have one or more associated health issues, which could include lung or heart disease, stroke, cancer, or mental health conditions,” he stated.
He also pointed out that addiction and HIV/AIDS are intertwined epidemics and that drugs use can also increase the risk of contracting infections like HIV and hepatitis C (a serious liver disease), which can occur from sharing injection equipment or from unsafe practices such as condom-less sex.
“Infection of the heart and its valves (endocarditis) and skin infection (cellulitis) can occur after exposure to bacteria by injection drug use, and other mental illnesses often co-exist. In some cases, mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia may come before addiction,” Suwareh elucidated, saying: “In other cases, drug use may trigger or worsen those mental health conditions, particularly in people with specific vulnerabilities, and some people with disorders like anxiety or depression may use drugs in an attempt to alleviate psychiatric symptoms.
“This may exacerbate their mental disorder in the long run, as well as increase the risk of developing addiction.”
In The Gambia, he stated, Drug Induced Psychosis is one of the leading mental health conditions affecting the population and also causing a lot of dropouts from school, as well as marital and family conflicts.
