Introduction Substance use and abuse may cause serious harm and disrupt an individual’s life. Therefore, it is paramount to be able to identify the risks related to substance abuse and the methods to lower or manage these risks. The current paper provides an analysis of the case of X, a 19-year-old man who engaged in regular drug consumption while studying in secondary school and suffered from numerous adverse consequences associated with his substance use and mental health issues. Risks Identified Risks That X Poses to Himself On the whole, X is apparently suffering from paranoia, or “unfounded fears that others intend harm to the individual,” which may be induced or exacerbated by the cannabis use (Freeman et al., 2014, p. 391). In addition, the paranoia may be triggered by major life events (Freeman et al., 2014); it seems likely that the fact that X’s girlfriend ended their relationship could be perceived as such. According to World Health Organization ([WHO], 2016), the constant use of cannabis is associated with such problems as an increased risk of mortality (nearly a fourfold risk when compared to the general population), possibly irreversible decline of cognitive performance, an increased chance of developing schizophrenia in the future (2.4 times more likely when compared to the general population, over the period of 15 years), an increased risk of suicide mortality (for males, odds ratio = 2.28, 95% CI: 1.54-3.37), and other issues (pp. 23-29). According to WHO (2013), individuals who use injection drugs (such as heroin or other opioids) face a much greater risk of mortality when compared to those who do not use such substances. It is stated that the most common causes of death in this group include not an only drug overdose, but also the HIV infection gained when using non-sterile injections (WHO, 2013). Other serious diseases such as hepatitis C can also be transferred via non-sterile injections (MacArthur et al., 2014). It is also stressed that persons using injection narcotics often start taking multiple types of such drugs (WHO, 2013). Therefore, X risks numerous adverse outcomes from the continuation of drug consumption alone. These outcomes include a decline of cognitive performance, potential schizophrenia, an increased risk of mortality (including mortality from suicide, narcotic overdose, or AIDS), and so on. Clearly, major adverse life events, such as the separation from his girlfriend, may also pose additional dangers and exacerbate the existing risks (Freeman et al., 2014). In addition, the fact that X has taken heroin makes him eligible for imprisonment for up to 7 years (Government of the United Kingdom, n.d.). Risks That X Poses to Other People According to WHO (2016), individuals who regularly take cannabis face certain risks that might adversely impact others. For instance, teenagers who regularly take cannabis (with an early onset, as was the case with X) may engage in juvenile offending and display behavioral difficulties (WHO, 2016, p. 25). When it comes to the use of opioids, there are also a number of dangers associated with it, such as engaging in delinquent or violent behaviors, which may be a risk for X, who already committ