Drug Unit

1. Drug Unit

2. Drug Use • Drug Use – Drugs taken as directed to treat illnesses. (Ex. prescriptions and non-prescription drugs.) • Drug Misuse – The improper use of drugs, when taken not as directed. • Taking more than the prescribed amount • Taking with the wrong foods or at the wrong time of day • Not taking them for the correct period of time

3. Drug Abuse – Intentional misuse of any kind of drug for non-medical purposes. • Drug – any chemical that causes a change in a person’s body or behavior. Directly affects the Central Nervous System. • CNS – consists of your brain and spinal cord, coordinates your thoughts, actions and body functions.

4. Effects of Drugs of Abuse on the Brain • Pleasure, which scientists call reward, is a powerful biological force for our survival. • Dopamine – a chemical neurotransmitter, release messages about pleasure, through nerve fibers to nerve cells. • All drugs that are addicting, activate the brain’s pleasure circuit, by affecting chemical neurotransmission.

5. Examples • Heroin and LSD, mimic the effects of a natural neurotransmitter. • PCP, block receptors and prevent neuronal messages from getting through. • Cocaine interferes with the molecules that are responsible for transportingneurotransmitters back into the neurons. • Methamphetamine causes neurotransmitters to be released in greater amounts than normal.

6. Drug Interactions • Side Effects – reactions to medicine other than intended. • Additive Interaction – When medicines work together in a positive way. • Synergistic Effect – The interaction of two or more drugs that result in a greater effect then when the drugs are taken independently, which can lead to life threatening situations. • Antagonistic Effect - When the effect of a drug is canceled or reduced when taken with another. Which can also lead to life threatening situations. Ex. Stimulant/depressant

7. 1. STIMULANTS • Speed up the CNS. • Cause an increase in heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, dilated pupils and decrease appetite. • Inhalation or injection can cause a sudden increase of blood pressure that will result in stroke, high fever, or heart failure. • Psychological effects include, moodiness, restlessness, anxiety, hallucinations, delusions and paranoia.

8. Examples of Stimulants • Amphetamines • Colorless, volatile liquid • illegally used to stay awake and alert, to improve athletic performance, to lose weight, or offset the effects of depressants. • Medically used to treat ADHD, depression and narcolepsy.

9. Methamphetamines • White, crystalline form of amphetamine. • Medically used to treat Parkinson's and obesity • Illegal use called crank, ice or speed. Can be smoked, snorted, injected or swallowed and can cause paranoia and violence.

12. Cocaine • White powder which is a rapid acting, powerful stimulant. Effects can last from 20 minutes to several hours, followed by a tremendous crash. • Will cause depression, weight loss, physiological dependence, tissue damage in the nose, malnutrition and an increased risk of heart attack. • Crack is the smoked form which effects are felt in seconds. Extremely addictive and dangerous.

13. Depressants • Slow down CNS. Reduce heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure. Relax muscles, relieve tension and bring on sleep. • Alcohol is the most commonly used depressant. • Cause psychological and physical dependence.

14. Barbiturates • Induce sleep, result in mood changes, abnormal sleep and coma. • Rarely used for medical purposes. • Used illegally to cause feeling of intoxication and counteract the effects of stimulants. • If used with alcohol, the decrease in heart rate can lead to death.

15. Tranquilizer • Reduce muscle activity, coordination and attention span • Can be used medically (diazepam) to relieve muscle spasm, anxiety and nervousness.

16. Methaqualone • Originally prescribed to reduce anxiety and help with insomnia. Tasteless and odorless. • Produces temporary feelings of euphoria and withdrawal from is extremely unpleasant. • Serious effects include rapid dependence, headaches, diarrhea, dizziness, convulsions and coma.

17. Narcotics • Derived from the opium plant that have a sedative effect • Can result in psychological dependence. • Also include medicines to relieve pain. • Can cause stupor or sleep so deep to repress respiration and result in coma or death.

18. Examples of Narcotics • Morphine • A natural narcotic compound. • Sometimes used to relieve pain for ex. in a terminal cancer patient. • Causes severe constipation and leads to addiction.

19. Codeine • A weaker form of morphine, often used in cough medicines. • Considered the most widely used opiate in the world. • Can lead to dependence and abuse

20. Heroin • Made from morphine and has no medical use. • Extremely addictive and rapid acting because it quickly passes the blood-brain barrier. • Tolerance develops quickly and withdrawal is painful usually beginning 6-8 hrs. after the use of heroin. • Pain, anxiety, itching, muscle spasms and insomnia. • The purity of heroin is now 15 times higher than in the 1980’s.

21. Hallucinogens • Drugs that alter moods, thoughts, and sense perceptions, including vision, hearing, smell and touch. • Considered to be the most dangerous category because of the life threatening acts it causes people to attempt. • Deaths are caused by strange, destructive behavior that the drug produces in the user.

22. Phencyclidine (PCP, Angeldust) • Powerful hallucinogen in which muscle coordination is impaired, and the sensations of touch and pain are extremely dulled. • Can make the user feel strong and powerful, which can result in tragic deaths, serious accidents, and terrible acts of violence

23. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD, Acid) • One of the most mood altering chemicals with wildly unpredictable effects. • Takes the form of capsule, tablet and liquid. • Causes a false sense of security and power which result in death. • Hallucinations lead to panic, anxiety or accidental suicide.

24. Mescaline • Psychoactive ingredient of the peyote cactus. • This drug leads to “bad trips” or frightening imagined phenomena and can lead to vicious stomach cramps and vomiting.

25. Designer Drugs Ecstasy (MDMA) (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) • A synthetic psychoactive drug with both stimulant and Hallucinogenic properties. • MDMA in high does causes sharp increase in body temp. Leading to muscle breakdown and kidney failure. • May also lead to heart attacks, strokes, and seizures.

26. Health Risks • Psychological Problems • Depression • Sleep problems • Severe anxiety and paranoia • Physical Problems • Involuntary teeth clenching • Increased heart rate • Sweating and chills

27. Long term effects • Damage to those parts of the brain critical to thought and memory • Destroys serotonin producing neurons in the brain • Destroys neurons containing the neurotransmitter dopamine.

28. Ketamine • Ketamine • is an injectable anesthetic that has been approved for both human and animal use in medical settings. • 90% of all Ketamine legally sold today is intended for veterinary use. • Reactions similar to those associated with the use of PCP • Produced in liquid form or as a white powder that is often snorted or smoked with marijuana or tobacco products • Delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function High blood pressure, and potentially fatal respiratory problems

29. Rohyphol • Belongs to the class known as benzodiazepines • Valium, Xanax • Not approved for prescription in the US • Approved in Europe for treatment of insomnia, as a sedative and pre surgery anesthetic. • Tasteless, colorless, and odorless, it dissolves easily in carbonated drinks

30. The sedative and toxic effects or Rohypnol are stronger with use of alcohol • Even without alcohol, a dose of Rohypnol as small a 1mg can impair a victim for 8 to 12 hours • The drug can cause amnesia • The drug is used in sexual assaults (Date Rape Drug) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2udrpuNxcmM&feature=related

31. GHB • Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate • Produced in clear liquid, white powder, tablet and capsule • Often used in combination with alcohol making it even more dangerous • CNS depressant • Effects happen 10-20 minutes after taking it • Last up to 4 hours • Colorless, odorless, and has a slightly salty taste

32. Short term effects • Nausea • Difficulty breathing • Produces withdrawal effects • Long term effects • Coma or death (as the dose increases)