Classification of Drugs

Classification of Drugs

Do now: • There are categories of drugs listed around the room. Each of you will receive a slip of paper with a drug on it. Tape this paper to the category you think it belongs in.

Stimulants (speed up the body’s functions and movements through actions on the central nervous system) • Caffeine • Nicotine • Amphetamines • Methamphetamines • AKA: Speed, Uppers, Black beauties

Stimulants Cont’d • Cocaine • AKA Coke, Snow, Flake, White, Blow, Nose Candy • short acting stimulant • Sniff, inject, or smoked • Crack (rock form, smoked) goes to the lungs, bloodstream, and organs in about 8 – 10 seconds and goes right to the brain • Highly addictive, rapid tolerance

Depressants • (slow down the body’s functions and movements through actions of the CNS) • Alcohol (ethanol) • Tranquilizers (slows nerve activity and relaxes muscle tension) • Valium, Equanil, Xanax • Barbiturates (higher likelihood of dependency) • AKA: Downers, Barbs, Blue Devils, Red Devils, Yellow Jackets

Narcotics • (any depressant drug made from or chemically similar to opium that reduces pain and induces sleep) • Opium (drug obtained from the seed pod of a poppy plant) • Morphine and Codeine (natural narcotic compounds that contain opium) • Heroin (popular narcotic) • Junk, Smack, Horse, Brown Sugar, Black Tar • Addiction produces harsh withdrawal symptoms (sweating, shaking, chills, nausea, and cramps) • User is usually at risk for overdose because dealers often dilute the drug by adding other substances

Inhalants • Drugs in the forms of gases, aerosols, or solvents that are breathed in and absorbed through the lungs • Most commonly abused in middle school students. • Hairspray, deodorant, keyboard cleaner, etc. • Huff, Whippits,

Inhalant Abuse Signs Paint or stains on the body or clothing Spots or sores around the mouth Red or runny eyes and nose Chemical odor on the breath A drunken or dazed appearance Loss of appetite

Hallucinogens • (causes a great change in perception) • May stimulate or depress the CNS • Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) • Acid, Red Dragon, White Lightning • Experience hallucinations where they may see colorful things and believe that they have superhuman powers • Psilocybin (mushrooms) • Phencyclidine (PCP, Angel Dust, Loveboat

Cannabinoids(Marijuana) • Pot, Weed, Grass, Mary Jane, Dope, Reefer • Can act like all of the above classes • Can be smoked or eaten • Contains 400 chemicals, 60 that are unique to the Cannibus sativa plant

Designer Drugs • A drug that looks like a drug already on the market but has something altered in its molecular structure so that it is a “new” drug and not explicitly banned. • Ecstasy (similar to amphetamines but produces hallucinations and feelings of euphoria)

Anabolic Steroids • A drug that promotes tissue growth and leads to increased muscle mass and improved strength and power. • Taken by pills or injections • Males may get bigger, or develop breasts, lose hair, impotence, shrunken testicles, painful erections, acne, moodiness, aggressiveness, liver, kidney, and heart damage, cancer, coma, or death • Women may have a deeper voice, scalp hair loss, body hair growth and clitoral enlargement

NAME THE CLASS THAT THESE DRUGS BELONG TO! STIMULANTS

DEPRESSANTS

Narcotics

Hallucinogens

Inhalants

Designer Drugs

Anabolic Steroids

Cannabinoids

Classification of Drugs