•Drug abuse is associated with spinal cord injury in a very intricate manner.
•People with a history of drug abuse are at a higher risk of injuring their spines (although, not just the spine) in accidents owing to a more risk taking and reckless behaviour.
•Withdrawal from drugs while recovering from an injury can compound the physical health further.
•Chronic pain and shock from the injury can itself become a risk factor for future drug abuse.
•However, as mentioned before, the injury itself causes a number of changes in the body and any drug abuse will likely result in an adverse outcome, potentially a grave one.