Illegal Drug Use: Stimulants and their Effects

1. Lesson 57 Illegal Drug Use

2. Stimulants • Group of drugs that speeds up the activities of the central nervous system • Uppers • Feel alert, awake, and active • Increase • Blood pressure • Heart rate • Breathing rate

3. Stimulants continued • Use of stimulants is always followed by a “crash” • Down period- feelings of weakness, fatigue, sleepiness, sadness and depression • Can develop psychological and physical dependence

4. Stimulants • Amphetamines • Cocaine • Ephedrine • Caffeine

5. Amphetamines • Chemically manufactured stimulants that are highly addictive • First used in the 1930’s to treat narcolepsy • Conditions for uses multiplied • Sold without prescriptions in inhalers and powders

6. Amphetamines • Abuse and bizarre violent behavior among teens and prisoners led to recognition of harmful effects and • Research of very limited therapeutic effects led to • Medical profession reduces use

7. Amphetamines Uses now • Narcolepsy • Certain types of obesity

8. Euphoria Increased alertness Perception of improved self esteem and self confidence Increased body temperature Rapid breathing and heart rate Impulsiveness Methamphetamine Stimulant in amphetamine family Effects- short term Addiction is very likely to occur after 1 use

9. Meth • Effects are similar to cocaine • Major difference is the half-life • the time required for the activity of a substance taken into the body to lose one half its initial effectiveness • The half-life for cocaine is less than 45 minutes • The half-life for meth is 3-6 hours

10. Nervousness Irritability Restlessness Insomnia Drastic weight loss Paranoia Desperation Permanent neurological changes Meth Effects- long-term

11. Meth • Death is possible from overdosing • Even after your brain dies your body can suffer • Elevated body temperature • Cardiovascular shock • Convulsions • Tremors • Death

12. Ice • Purest methamphetamine • A.k.a. Crank • Compared to crack, the half-life of ice is 60 times longer

13. Stimulant in amphetamine family Cocaine • Highly addictive drug obtained from the leaves of the coca bush • It can be snorted, smoked or injected • A.k.a. • Coke • Snow • Blow

14. Cocaine • Leaves are soaked in kerosene and sulfuric acid until they begin to break down to form a paste consisting of 20- 85% of cocaine sulfate is produced • Hydrochloric acid is then used to convert the paste to flakes or rocks of nearly pure cocaine • Colorless or white, odorless powder

15. How Cocaine is Administered • Can be absorbed through a mucous membrane • Circulated in the blood to heart lungs and other organs • Reaches the brain in about 5 minutes

16. Cocaine Administration • Inhaled • Reaches the brain and nervous system in 3 minutes • Effects peak in 15-20 minutes and disappear in 60-90 minutes

17. Cocaine Administration • Injected into a vein • Reaches brain in 15 seconds • 100% absorption of drug • “High” crests in 3-5 minutes and lasts 30-40 minutes • Smoked • Reaches brain in 7 seconds

18. Freebase • Freebase is the purified base form of cocaine processed from the paste using volatile (evaporating rapidly; passing off readily in the form of vapor) chemicals • The wisps of smoke produced are inhaled a.k.a. ‘chasing the dragon’ as when used with heroin

19. Initial Effects of Cocaine • Effects are similar to amphetamine • Studies couldn’t distinguish between the effects of the 2 in small doses except that amphetamine’s actions are longer lasting

20. Cocaine is a vasoconstrictor Narrows the blood vessels Appetite is deadened Cannot sleep Temperature may rise or fall Heart rate, blood pressure and breathing speed up Metabolism is sped up Initial Effects of Cocaine

21. Confusion Anxiety Depression Short-tempered Lose interest in food Aggressive Thinking impaired Difficulty concentrating and remembering Long-term Effects

22. Long term Effects • Cocaine psychosis • Have delusions and become paranoid • Visual, auditory or tactile hallucinations • Most common is formication- the sensation of bugs crawling under the skin • Can last days, weeks, even months

23. Runny nose Burns and sores on the nasal membranes Perforation of the septum between the nostrils Sore throats Hoarseness Shortness of breath Cold sweats Tremors Damage to liver Long-term EffectsThose who sniff cocaine regularly experience

24. Other Risk • Intravenous users risk: • Hepatitis • HIV • Other blood borne diseases • Freebase smokers • Lung damage • Mucous membranes • Cilia • Elasticity

25. Crack • Named for the sound it makes when it is smoked • Almost pure cocaine • Most accessible and powerful form of cocaine • Works faster than other forms • Takes about 7 seconds to reach the brain

26. Crack • Acts as stimulant and local anestthetgic • Hyper-aroused state in which the user experiences • a decrease in appetite • Rapid breathing • Tingling in the fingers • Sense of well-being • Lowered anxiety

27. Crack • Euphoric state is shorter on crack than cocaine • Cocaine high lasts 1 ½ hours • Crack high 20 to 30 minutes

28. Crack • After coming down, user experiences • Restlessness • Irritability • Depression • Headaches • Convulsions • Insatiable craving for more

29. Ephedrine • Stimulant that is found naturally in the ephedra plant • Common in decongestants • May be used to cook meth • FDA banned over the counter sales of products containing ephedrine

30. Sedative Hypnotics • Group of drugs that depress the nervous system

31. Sedative Hypnotics • Group of drugs that depress the activities of the central nervous system • Sedative- drug that has a calming effect • Hypnotic- drug that produces sleep • Sleeping pills and tranquilizers

32. Sedative Hypnotics Two major types • Barbiturates • Benzodiazepines

33. Barbiturates • Type of sedative hypnotic that used to be prescribed to help people sleep and to relieve tension • Rarely prescribed because of addictive tendancies

34. Barbiturates • About 2500 variations for the barbituric acid have been made • Only about 15 remain in mediucal use • Small doses calm nervous conditons • Large doses cause sleep about 20 to 60 minutes after taking

35. Barbiturates • The effects may progress through successive stages • Sedation • Sleep • Coma • Death *The last of course from misuse or abuse

36. Benzodiazepines • Often prescribed for anxiety • Commonly known as tranquilizers • Muscle relaxers • Anticonvulsants

37. Benzodiazepines • Flunitrazepam • Date rape drug • A.k.a Roofies