The consumption of alcohol poses several health risks including impaired judgment, impaired coordination, and impaired attention which may lead to difficulty in safely navigating one’s environment or difficulty in safely operating a motor vehicle. Consuming alcohol may alter a person’s ability to learn or retain information, or negatively impact academic, occupational, or social functioning. At low doses, alcohol causes disinhibition and mood lability, increasing risk of inappropriate sexual acts or aggressive behavior. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system and at high doses can cause respiratory depression and death. Repeated use of alcohol can lead to a maladaptive usage pattern referred to as alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence is marked by increased physiological tolerance of alcohol’s effects and alcohol withdrawal upon sudden cessation of use. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms include autonomic hyperactivity such as anxiety, sweating, and tachycardia; tremors, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, psychomotor agitation, seizures, and death. Long-term use of alcohol can cause permanent damage to vital organs, particularly to the brain and the liver.

Illicit drug use poses multiple health risks that can negatively impact academic, occupational, and social functioning. For information on specific adverse effects of a particular drug, please refer to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration list of illicit drugs and associated risks at https://www.dea.gov/factsheets