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Legal & Illegal Drugs

Legal & Illegal Drugs. Objectives. Warm-up. Define drug abuse & distinguish it from both appropriate use & misuse. Describe how psychoactive drugs affect the brain. Summarize the risks of drug abuse. Myth: Medicines from drugstores can’t harm you.

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Legal & Illegal Drugs

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  1. Legal & Illegal Drugs Objectives Warm-up • Define drug abuse & distinguish it from both appropriate use & misuse. • Describe how psychoactive drugs affect the brain. • Summarize the risks of drug abuse. • Myth: Medicines from drugstores can’t harm you. • Fact: Medicines can be just as dangerous as street drugs if they are used inappropriately. • Writing: What other myths do teens believe about drugs? Write down some statements you have heard from your peers. Which are true? False?

  2. Legal & Illegal Drugs • Facts About Drug Use • Medicines—legal drugs that help the body fight injury, illness, or disease • Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs—medicine sold legally without a prescription • Prescription Drugs—drugs that can only be obtained with a written order from a physician & can only be purchased at a pharmacy • Illegal Drugs—chemical substance that people of any age may not manufacture, possess, buy, or sell

  3. Legal & Illegal Drugs Proper Use Using per label instructions to treat a couch Misuse Mistakenly taking more than is recommended to treat a cough • Facts About Drug Use • Drug Misuse—improper use of medicines • Drug Abuse—when a drug is intentionally used improperly or unsafely • Using any kind of drug for nonmedical purposes Abuse Deliberately taking more than is recommended or taking for purposes other than a couch

  4. Legal & Illegal Drugs • Drug Abuse & the Brain • Psychoactive Drug—mood-altering drug that affects brain activity • The Reward Pathway—area of the brain that releases dopamine, which makes us feel pleasure • The extra dopamine released during drug use can cause user to ignore the harmful effects of the drug and want to continue using it • Flooding the Reward Pathyway with dopamine may lead to intense craving for the drug when it is not available • After a time, drug abuse can dull brain’s reactions to natural levels of dopamine. The user no longer feels pleasure from normal activities

  5. Illegal & Legal Drugs • Drug Abuse & the Brain, cont. • Addiction • Compulsive use of a drug regardless of cost to health, family, or social standing • Abuse of psycho active drugs leads to addiction • A disease that changes the structure & chemistry of the brain

  6. Legal & Illegal DrugsDangers of Drug Misuse & Abuse • Side Effects • Unwanted physical or mental effect caused by a drug • Examples • Nausea • Dizziness • Drowsiness • Can vary from person to person • Tolerance & Dependence • Tolerance—when a person uses a drug repeatedly, they need more to get desired effect • Dependence—body’s chemical need for a drug to function normally

  7. Legal & Illegal DrugsDangers of Drug Misuse & Abuse Withdrawal Drug interactions • Nausea • Vomiting • Headaches • Dizziness • Fever • Digestion problems • Paranoia • Panic • Tremors, seizures, death • Drug Antagonism—each drug’s effect is cancelled out or reduced by the other neither drug has desired effect • Drug Synergism—drugs interact to produce effects greater than those that each drug would produce alone

  8. Legal & Illegal DrugsDangers of Drug Misuse & Abuse • Other Health Risks • Hepatitis & HIV—blood borne pathogens that are transmitted through contaminated needles • Risks to Fetus & Newborn • Broad range of developmental problems • Baby born with drug dependency • Drugs can also pass through breast milk • Impurities • No regulation of illegal drugs = no guarantee that they are pure • Could be “cut” or diluted with another substance • Can vary from batch to batch in concentration = can’t predict what effect drug will have each time

  9. Legal & Illegal Drugs • Effects on Family & Friends • Strained relationships b/c behavior & personality of drug abuser • Interests & activities that helped bind relationships no longer exist • Family & Friends drift away • Legal Risks • Criminal Record • Hard to get into schools, military, jobs • Prison Terms • Fines • May Commit Other Crimes • Shoplifting • Robbery • Assualt

  10. Legal & Illegal Drugs • Costs to Society • US Government spends billions to stop illegal drug manufacturing & sales • Billions spent in prevention, education, treatment & Rehabilitation • Other Costs: • Cost of imprisoning thousands of people for drug-related crimes • Medical Costs for drug-related illnesses & injuries • Premature deaths from drug-related homicides & accidents • Lost work productivity because of drug dependency

  11. Key Questions • How is an over-the-counter drug different from a prescription drug? • Define drug abuse. Give an example. • Briefly describe how psychoactive drugs affect the brain. • What is a side effect? • List three (3) health risks & two (2) other risks that drug abusers face.

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