Drug abuse by adolescents

Drug abuse is continuing to change the field of health care. Although traditionally an area dealth with by psychiatrists, most medical fields are now encountering the sequelae of drug abuse in one form or another. The recent escalation of drug abuse in the US has increased the need for treatment enormously. A 1987 study of 756 emergency rooms reported 46,331 admissions linked to cocaine--a 1-year increase of 86% In Texas, the level of adolescent substance abuse, which was well below average in 1980, has now reached national levels. As such, we in the clinical setting have important opportunities facing us. With the sudden onset of this epidemic, few clinicians have had an opportunity to gain expertise in recognizing and treating these patients. As earlier intervention is more likely to be successful, such knowledge is important to physicians' efficacy in addressing this problem. This paper reviews the etiologies and sequelae of drug abuse as well as diagnosis, treatment, and the physician's role in stemming the current epidemic.