The crack epidemic, in particular, has been blamed for the recently noted resurgence of syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases. And it is occurring in a relatively poor population where people have a lot of things that prevent their access to treatment. Therefore, they stay infected longer and are more likely to pass their infections on to others. Fewer addicts would be forced to resort to prostitution if the current prohibitions against drugs were lifted. Neglect of Health Because of addicts' preoccupation with obtaining and using drugs, and the debilitating effects of some of the drugs themselves, many addicts are in very poor health.
Malnutrition is a frequent problem and, in turn, contributes to many others.
Addicts' poor health makes them especially susceptible to diseases ranging from scurvy and shingles to tuberculosis and the flu. Addicts are also more likely to contract communicable diseases and therefore more likely to spread them. These more virulent diseases know few geographical limitations and pose risks to the general population. This reluctance to seek medical care is compounded by the fact that many drug addicts have no private physicians and rely instead on public hospitals or clinics for any care they might get. If, for example, a woman avoids pre-natal care, she may give birth to a baby with low birth weight and other medical difficulties.