Public_health_definitions Substance_abuse

drug users injecting heroin, opiate.

public health practitioners have attempted @ substance use broader perspective individual, emphasizing role of society, culture, , availability. health professionals choose avoid terms alcohol or drug abuse in favor of language consider more objective, such substance , alcohol type problems or harmful/problematic use of drugs. health officers council of british columbia — in 2005 policy discussion paper, public health approach drug control in canada] — has adopted public health model of psychoactive substance use challenges simplistic black-and-white construction of binary (or complementary) antonyms use vs. abuse . model explicitly recognizes spectrum of use, ranging beneficial use chronic dependence.