How is substance abuse defined?

• A. A temporary phase of experimentation
• B. A legal, occasional use of substances
• C. A deliberate abstention from drugs
• D. A disorder in which an individual begins to overuse or becomes dependent on a drug or group of drugs that negatively impacts health and development

Answer: (D)

Substance abuse is a pattern of problematic use of a drug or group of drugs that becomes a disorder, where the person overuses or becomes dependent on the substance and this use causes harm to health and development. It goes beyond simply trying a substance or using it legally or occasionally; it involves ongoing use that impairs functioning and leads to negative health, social, or developmental consequences. The other descriptions describe brief experimentation, nonproblematic use, or abstention, which do not capture the persistent harm and loss of control that define substance abuse.