title: Substance use. 1: Background, risks and effects of commonly used drugs, and current issues.
abstract: This article, the first in a two-part unit on substance use, describes the scope of the problem, the most commonly used substances, and current trends in drug use. It also identifies the risks and effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of York.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hamilton
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology