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What is Detoxification, or "Detox"?

Detoxification is the process of allowing the body to rid itself of a drug while managing the symptoms of withdrawal. It is often the first step in a drug treatment program and should be followed by treatment with a behavioral-based therapy and/or a medication, if available. Detox alone with no follow-up is not treatment.

What is Withdrawal?
How Long Does it Last?

Withdrawal is the variety of symptoms that occur after use of some drugs are reduced or stopped. Length of withdrawal and symptoms vary with the type of drug. For example, physical symptoms of heroin withdrawal may include: restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, and cold flashes. These physical symptoms may last for several days, but the general depression, or dysphoria (opposite of euphoria) that often accompanies heroin withdrawal may last for weeks. In many cases withdrawal can be easily treated with medications to ease the symptoms, but treating withdrawal is not the same as treating addiction.

It is estimated that in 2000 illegal drug use cost America close to $161 billion:

• $110 billion in lost productivity
• $12.9 billion in healthcare costs
• $35 billion in other costs, such as efforts to stem the flow of drugs.

Note: The costs of smoking, not included in the $161 billion cost of illegal drug use, is approximately $138 billion.

For more details on the economic cost of drug abuse, see The Economic Costs of Drug Abuse in the United States, 1992-1998 [PDF].

Beyond the raw numbers are other costs to society:

• spread of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C, either through sharing of drug paraphernalia or unprotected sex
• deaths due to overdose or other complications from drug use
• effects on unborn children of pregnant drug users
• other effects such as crime and homelessness.

If a Pregnant Woman Abuses Drugs, Does it Affect the Fetus?

Many substances including alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs of abuse can have negative effects on the developing fetus because they are transferred to the fetus across the placenta. For example, nicotine has been connected with premature birth and low birth weight, as has the use of cocaine in some studies.

Whether a baby's health problems, if caused by a drug, will continue as the child grows, is not always known. Research does show that children born to mothers who used marijuana regularly during pregnancy may have trouble concentrating, even when older. Our research continues to produce insights on the negative effects of drug use on the fetus.

How Can I Receive Educational Materials Regarding Drug Abuse?

NIDA produces a variety of educational materials for the general public and healthcare providers:

• Research Report Series
• NIDA Infofacts
• NIDA NOTES
• Therapy Manuals
• Community Alert Bulletins

We have a publications catalog online and orders can be placed by calling the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 1-800-729-6686. Many of our publications are available in both English and Spanish.

NIDA Goes Back to School provides science-based drug abuse education materials geared to students in grades 5 through 9 and their teachers. Students are encouraged to join Sara Bellum, a budding neuroscientist, as she explores the effects of various drugs on the brain. Students and teachers can learn through the Mind Over Matter curriculum, or they can go online to join in Sara's Quest an interactive web-based program. Also available is Marijuana Facts For Teens and a companion booklet, Marijuana Facts Parents Need to Know.

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