This document discusses substance abuse and prevention. It begins by outlining the objectives of recognizing different types of substances and their effects, distinguishing between mild, moderate and extreme drug use disorders, recognizing the underlying brain chemistry of addiction, signs and symptoms of substance use, and treatment modalities. It then defines substance abuse and lists individual factors associated with it such as developmental, environmental and genetic factors. It describes the main drug epidemics by decade since the 1970s and classifies common drugs like stimulants, depressants and hallucinogens. It provides details on specific drugs like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, opioids and alcohol, outlining their short and long term effects. It lists physical, behavioral and drug-