Chapter 22 Illegal Drugs

Substance Abuse

- Main Idea: Substance abuse includes the use of illegal substances, as well as the misuse of legal substances. - Medicines can be accidentally used in an improper way or intentionally abused. - Substance Abuse Def: Any unnecessary or improper use of chemical substances for non-medical purposes - Substance abuse includes the overuse, or multiple use of a drug, use of an illegal drug, or use of a drug with alcohol. Substance abuse includes: - Overuse of a drug - Multiple use of a drug - Use of an illegal drug - Use of drug with alcohol - Some abused substances are illegal drugs - Illegal drugs Def: Chemical substances that people of any age may not lawfully manufacture, possess, buy, or sell - Illicit drug Def: the use or sale of any substance that is illegal or otherwise not permitted - Illicit drug use includes the sale of prescription drugs to those for whom the drugs are not intended. Factors that Influence Teens - Peer pressure - Family members - Role models - Media messages - Perceptions of drug behavior - Misleading information

Marijuana

- Main Idea: Using marijuana has serious physical, mental, social, and legal consequences. - Marijuana is one of the most widely used illegal drugs. Hashish, or hash, is a stronger form of marijuana. - Marijuana Def: A plant whose leaves, buds, and flowers are usually smoked for their intoxicating effects - Marijuana is considered a possible gateway drug, a drug that may lead the user to try other, more dangerous drugs. - Studies have shown that a teen who uses marijuana is 15 times more likely to use cocaine than a teen who has never used marijuana. - The effects of marijuana use vary from person to person, and can be influenced by a person's mood and surroundings. Health Risks of Marijuana - Hallucinations and paranoia - Impaired short-term memory, reaction time, concentration, and coordination. - Lung irritation, coughing - Heart and lung damage - Increased risk of lung cancer - Weakened immunity to infection - Increased appetite - Increased risk of stillbirth and birth defects - In females, risk of infertility - In males, lowered sperm count and testosterone levels - Changed hormone levels

Mental and Emotional Consequences

- Marijuana raises levels of a brain chemical called dopamine that produces a pleasurable feeling called a "high." - When the drug wears off, the pleasure sensation stops, often dramatically. This abrupt letdown is called a "crash." - Marijuana users can experience slow mental reflexes and may suffer from sudden feelings of anxiety and paranoia. - Paranoia Def: An irrational suspiciousness or distrust of others Mental and Emotional Consequences of Marijuana - dizzy - trouble walking - short-term memory - distorted perception - loss of coordination - trouble with thinking and problem solving - very sleepy

Other Stimulants

- The nicotine in tobacco products is a highly effective stimulant. - The caffeine in coffee, tea, cola, and power drinks are all stimulants. Cocaine - Cocaine is a rapidly acting, powerful and highly addictive stimulant. - Users may experience a surge of self-confidence and euphoria followed by an emotional letdown. Crack - Crack, also called rock or freebase rock, reaches the brain seconds after being smoked or injected. - Once in the blood, crack causes the heart rate and blood pressure to soar to dangerous levels. Amphetamines - Amphetamines are highly addictive drugs that some people use to stay alert, improve athletic performance, or lose weight. - Regular use can result in an irregular heartbeat, paranoia, aggressive behavior, and heart failure.

Lesson 1: The Health Risks of Drug Use

Big Idea: Drug misuse and substance abuse are life-threatening behaviors.

Lesson 3: Psychoactive Drugs

Big Idea: Psychoactive drugs affect the central nervous system and can be especially damaging to the developing brain and body of a teen.

Lesson 2: Marijuana, Inhalants, and Steroids

Big Idea: Three often-abused drugs that can have serious physical and mental side effects are marijuana, inhalants, and anabolic steroids.

Driving and Marijuana Use

- Driving under the influence of marijuana is dangerous and illegal. - It is dangerous because marijuana interferes with depth perception, increases reaction time, causes sleepiness, impairs judgement, and slows reflexes.

Physical Consequences of Marijuana Use

- Because marijuana is often smoked, users face the same health risks as tobacco smokers. - Marijuana smoke contains more cancer-causing chemicals than tobacco smoke. - Respiratory System - Users often inhale the unfiltered smoke. - Immune System - Users may be more susceptible to infections. - Reproductive System - Users' hormone levels are affected. - THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, is stored in body fat and traces of it can be present in the blood for as long as a month.

Opiates

- Abusing opiates dulls the senses, causes drowsiness, constipation, slow and shallow breathing, convulsions, coma, and death. - Opiates Def: Drugs such as those derived from the opium plant that are obtainable only by prescription and are used to relieve pain Codeine - Codeine is a highly addictive ingredient in some prescription cough medicines. - Codeine use can cause drowsiness,dizziness, labored breathing, low blood pressure, seizures, and respiratory arrest. Morphine - Morphine is sometimes prescribed to treat severe pain, but is generally used for only a short time. - Side effects include fast or slow heartbeat, seizures, hallucinations, blurred vision, rashes, and difficulty swallowing. Heroin - Heroin is a processed form of morphine that is injected, snorted, or smoked. - Heroin slows breathing and pulse rate and can cause infection of the heart lining and valves, liver disease, coma, or death. Oxycodone - Oxycodone contains a strong opiate. It is often referred to by the brand name OxyCotin. - A side effect of this drug is suppression of the respiratory system, which cause death from respiratory failure.

Other Depressants

- Depressants are drugs that tend to slow the central nervous system. - Depressants are dangerous because they can slow heart and respiration rates and lower blood pressure. - Alcohol is a commonly used depressant. - Combining small amounts of depressants can cause shallow breathing, weak or rapid pulse, coma, and death.

Club Drugs, Stimulants, and Depressants

- Main Idea: Club drugs, stimulants, and depressants can cause irreversible health damage. - Certain drugs are classified by their effects. They may speed up or slow down the senses, or affect judgment. - The term club drug describes drugs found at concerts, dance clubs, and drug parties, called raves. - These drugs are sometimes disguised in foods, or slipped into drinks and taken without a person's knowledge. Club Drugs - Many club drugs are designer drugs. - Def: Synthetic drugs that are made to imitate the effects of other drugs - Ecstasy, or MDMA, has both stimulant and hallucinogenic effects. - Hallucinogens Def: Drugs that alter moods, thoughts, and sense perceptions, including vision, hearing, smell, and touch - Ecstasy may cause short-term euphoria. - Euphoria Def: A feeling of intense well-being or elation - Rohypnol, or "roofies," are depressants, or sedatives that are colorless, odorless, and tasteless. - Depressants Def: Drugs that tend to slow the central nervous system - Rohypnol is called the "date-rape" drug. - Engaging in sexual activity with a person under the influence of a date-rape drug is a criminal offense. - Never allow a stranger to handle your drink at a social event. - GHB, or gamma hydroxybutyric acid, is another CNS depressant. - Like Rohypnol, it can be used as a date-rape drug. Meth - Methamphetamine, or meth, is a stimulant. - Stimulant Def: A drug that speeds the action of the central nervous system, the heart, and other organs - Meth takes a great physical toll and can cause depression, paranoia, delusions, and death. - LSD (Acid), or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), can cause hallucinations and severely distorted perceptions of sound and color. - Flashbacks—states in which a drug user experiences the emotional effects of a drug long after its actual use—can also occur.

Hallucinogens and Opiates

- Main Idea: Hallucinogens and opiates seriously alter the sensory controls in the brain. - Hallucinogens overload the brain's sensory controls. Opiates, which are highly addictive, cause confusion and dull the senses. - Users of hallucinogens experience hallucinations and can also experience flashbacks, or states in which they feel emotional effects of a drug long after its actual use. - Users of hallucinogens sometimes harm themselves physically, or behave violently and harm others. Powerful and Dangerous Hallucinogens - PCP, or angel dust, is one of the most dangerous of all drugs, and its effects vary greatly from user to user. - The drug creates a distorted sense of time, increased muscle strength, increased feelings of violence, and the inability to feel pain. - DXM, or "tussin," is a cough suppressant sold as an over-the-counter medicine. - When misused, it can cause hallucinations, paranoia, panic attacks, nausea, increased heart rate and blood pressure, seizures, and addiction.

Drugs Take a Heavy Toll

- Main Idea: In addition to the physical risks to a person's health, substance abuse can damage all aspects of your life. - Drug use can create problems that affect a user's physical, mental/emotional, and social health. Consequences for the Individual - Stop pursuing their interests and goals - Engage in dangerous behaviors - Engage in sexual activity - Acting recklessly - Be at risk of depression and suicide - Be involved in violence or crime - Be arrested. Consequences for Friends and Family - Teens who use illegal drugs may stop spending time with friends who value a drug-free lifestyle. - Family members who feel responsible for their loved ones feel the burden of the emotional and financial costs of drug abuse. Consequences for Others - If a pregnant female takes drugs, those drugs are passed to the fetus. - The fetus may be born with birth defects, behavioral problems, or a drug addiction. Consequences for Society - Illegal drug use can result in a rise in drug-related crime and violence. The consequences of drug abuse—mental, emotional, physical, legal, and social—are 100% percent preventable. - Driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI) can result in collisions that cause injuries and deaths. - Rise in drug-related crime and violence - DWI/DUI can result in collisions that cause injury and death - Economy is affected- drug abuse costs the U.S. economy $180 billion per year - Costs result from: Lost work hours and productivity due to drug-related illnesses, jail time, accidents and death - Health care costs and legal fees - Law enforcement costs and insurance costs due to drug-related damages, injuries and deaths

Inhalants

- Main Idea: Inhalants can cause the death of brain cells. - All inhalants are extremely dangerous, and some are labeled as poisons. - Some inhalants are prescribed by doctors, while others are inhaled to achieve a high. - Inhalants Def: Substances whose fumes are sniffed or inhaled to give effect Inhaling solvents, aerosols, glues, paints, varnishes and gasoline can cause: - Liver and kidney damage - Blindness - Brain damage - Paralysis - Cardiac arrest - Death Immediate Effect of Inhalants; - glassy stare - slurred speech - impaired judgment - nausea - coughing - nosebleeds - fatigue - lack of coordination - Inhalants can be accidentally inhaled when doing household chores. - When using inhalants, work in a well-ventilated room and wear a mask if a project requires long exposure to the fumes.

Effects of Psychoactive Drugs

- Main Idea: Psychoactive drugs change the functioning of the central nervous system. - The effects on a teen's developing brain and body can be especially damaging. - Psychoactive drugs change the functioning of the central nervous system. - Psychoactive drugs Def: Chemicals that affect the central nervous system and alter activity in the brain Four Main Groups of Psychoactive Drugs - Stimulants, Opiates, Depressants, Hallucinogens Consequences of Psychoactive Drugs - Psychoactive drug use can result in health problems and addiction. - Using psychoactive drugs often leads to poor judgment and behaviors, which may put teens at risk for unintentional injuries, violence, STDs, unintended pregnancy, and suicide.

Consequences of Steroid Use

- Main Idea: Steroids can cause severe health problems. - Athletes who use steroids can face expulsion from a team or event, monetary fines, tarnished reputation, and jail time. - The use of anabolic-androgenic steroids can result in unnatural muscle growth. - Def: Synthetic substances similar to male sex hormones - Anabolic refers to muscle building. - Androgenic refers to increased male characteristics. Side Effects of Steroids: - weak tendons and ligaments - weight gain - acne - high blood pressure - liver and kidney tumors - HIV or hepatitis B - violent behavior - extreme mood swings - depression - paranoia - Effects on Males: Shrinking testicles, reduced sperm count, baldness, development of breasts, increased risk of prostate cancer - Effects on Females: facial hair, baldness, menstrual cycle changes, a deepened voice

How Drugs Affect Your Health

- Overdose Def: A strong, sometimes fatal reaction to taking a large amount of a drug Physical Health: - For some illegal drugs, users inject the substances with a needle. This increases the risk of contracting diseases such as hepatitis B and HIV Mental Health: - Abusing drugs affects your mental health by impairing your ability to reason and think. - The influence of illegal drug use may cause teens to behave in ways that go against their values. Social Health: - Abusing drugs affects your social health in these and other ways: - Teens who use drugs may lose friendships with teens who choose to live drug-free. - Relationships with family members may suffer. Other Effects of Drug Use - People who abuse drugs can develop tolerance. - This is a condition in which the body becomes accustomed to the drug and causes the user to experience a need for more and more of the drug to achieve the desired effect. - Psychological dependence: Causes a person to believe that a drug is needed in order to feel good or to function normally. - Physiological dependence: A drug abuser develops a chemical need for a drug and experiences symptoms of withdrawal when the effects of the drug wear off. - A person with an addiction is someone who requires persistent, compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful. - Addiction Def: A physiological or psychological dependence on a drug The addiction cycle: - A user takes a drug to experience short-term pleasure. - As the effects of the drug wear off, the user then experiences symptoms of withdrawal. - The user takes the drug again to relieve the pain symptoms and to repeat the feelings of short-term pleasure. - Drug use leads to changes in thinking and the lowering of inhibitions.