Papers of the Week

Drug addiction is a chronic biochemical drug use disorder that affects the human brain and behaviour, and leads to an uncontrollable use of a licit or illicit drug. Drug addiction can commence, usually in the young, with the use of a non-medical or a recreational drug in social gatherings, which becomes more frequent over a period of time. It is associated with incremental doses of the drug in order to achieve a state of euphoria. Addiction to drugs has been identified as a relevant social and health problem presenting a risk to public health, especially with regards to communicable diseases (e.g., HIV and AIDS, hepatitis B or C, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted infections).