Psychoactive Drugs
What are the affects of tolerance in substance dependence?
-Diminished effect on the body after repeated use of the same drug. -Body develops compensatory mechanisms to counter the imbalance -increases dosage: users build up to doses that are lethal.
What are physiological affects from chronic toxicity?
-Heart disease -Lung cancer -Cirrhosis -Other health effects
What affects does physical dependence have on substance dependence?
-defined by occurrence of withdrawal syndrome. Physical dependence is the body's need to constantly have the drug(s).
What is a a behavior/social example of chronic toxicity?
-personality and lifestyle changes. -Effects on relationship with friends and family.
What do Glial Cells do?
-provide firmness and structure to the brain -get nutrients into the system -eliminate waste -optimize neuronal functions -create the blood-brain barrier
In substance dependence what are the 3 basic processes?
1. Tolerance 2. physical dependence 3. psychological dependence
Who and when declared a "War on drugs"?
1970, Nixon; tolerance for drug use remained.
In about what year did drug use in the United States peak?
1980
What is an illicit drug?
A drug that is unlawful to posses or use. Manufacturing or selling controlled substances illegally makes them illicit.
Definition of longitudinal study?
A study done over a period of time (months or years)
What is DAWN?
A system for reporting incidence of lethal and non-lethal drug related emergency in some US metropolitan hospitals.
Definition of correlation?
A variable that is statistically related to some other variable, such as drug use.
Definition of antecedent?
A variable that occurs before some event such as the initiation of drug use.
What popular recreational drug was originally developed as a treatment for asthma?
Amphetamine (from ephedrine)
1906 Pure Food and Drug Act
Department of agriculture Pure and honest labeling of drugs Specifically referred to alcohol, morphine, opium, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana Protected people from unscrupulous merchants, not themselves (later included Safety and effectiveness)
What does DAWN stand for?
Drug Abuse Warning Network
What is a drug?
Drug: Any substance natural or artificial, other than food, that by its chemical nature alters structure or function in the living organism. -They alter consciousness and mood
What is an example of an acute physiological affect of a toxic substance?
Ex: an overdose that causes the user to stop breathing or for their heart to stop.
What is an example of an acute behavior of the toxicity of a substance?
Ex: intoxication that impairs actions and increases the danger to them or others
What does DAWN not tell us about how dangerous a drug is?
Frequency correction: number of users vs. number of reported problems. -combination of drugs.
The acronym GRAS stands for:
Generally Recognized As Safe
What are the percentages for HIV, Hep B & C, obtained from Blood borne diseases?
HIV 3-30% Hep B 50-80% Hep C 66-90%
What is psychoactive?
Having effects on thoughts, emotions, or behavior.
The tendency of living systems to maintain body environment and functions such as temperature, water balance, and blood pressure within a narrow range is known as
Homeostasis
What does DAWN tell us about how dangerous a drug is?
Incidence: total ER visits/deaths
What does marijuana drive from?
It drives from dried leaves of the Cannabis plant.
What popular nightclub drug is actually an animal tranquilizer-and difference between a recreational dose of it and an overdose is dangerously small?
Ketamine (special K)
What is more addictive: Marijuana, nicotine, heroine?
N>H>M
Definition of gateway?
One of the first drugs (e.g., alcohol or tobacco) used by a typical drug user.
What 3 things did the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act include?
Purity, Safety, and Effectiveness
Why do the blood borne diseases spread so rapidly with these drug users?
Some states, cities prohibit need purchase without Rx, so people share needles.
What is a blood borne disease?
Specific toxicity for injected drugs.
What receiving region of the neuron is affected by a chemical message that either excites or inhibits?
Synaptic transmission
What makes a drug toxic?
The amount used, How it is used, and what the user did while on the drug.
Definition of Toxicity:
The capacity of a drug to do damage or adverse effects in the body.
What made the government change from a laissez-faire attitude to one of control?
Toxicity, dependence, and crime
Harrison Act of 1914
Treasury department (federal gov) tax all people who produce, import manufacture, deal in, dispense, or give away opium or anything dealing with it. No penalty for possession
T or F: Ecstasy was first popularized by California psychotherapists who tried to use it for "empathy training" in marriage counseling?
True
T or F: The effects of smoking pot can last for 2 days?
True
T or F: does DAWN included improper use of prescription or over the-counter drugs and the use of any other substance for psychic effect, dependence or suicide.
True
T or F: tolerance typically paves the way to physical dependence?
True
What is drug abuse?
Use of a substance in a manner, amounts, or situation such that the drug use causes problems or greatly increases the chances of problems (social, legal, occupational, psychological or physical) occurring.
Definition of deviant drug use
Use of drug that is NOT common within a social group and that is disapproved by the majority, causing members to take corrective action when it occurs.
What is drug misuse of non-prescribed drugs?
Use of non-prescription drugs other than the use intended by the manufacturer.
What is drug misuse of prescribed drugs?
Use of prescribed drugs in greater amounts than, of for the purpose other than, those prescribed.
If a child or animal eats a cigarette, can it be lethal?
Yes
Definition of reinforcement?
a procedure in which a behavioral event is followed by a consequent event such that the behavior is then more likely to be repeated. The behavior of taking a drug may be reinforced by the effect of the drug.
Psychoactive drugs work by:
altering the availability of a neurotransmitter at the synapse interacting directly with a neurotransmitter receptor
What are the regions a neuron contains?
cell body, dendrites, axon, presynaptic terminals
DAWN reported what top 5 most frequent substances in ER visits?
cocaine, alcohol-in-combination, marijuana, prescription opioids, and benzodiazepines.
Catecholamines
hormones released by the adrenal gland. Includes: Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, and dopamine
1962 Kefauver-Harris Amendments
include pre-approval required for human testing; drug had to show effectiveness, include adverse reactions in label.
About what percentage of college students use marijuana?
less than 20%
What is chronic toxicity?
long term effects
Muscular tremors and rigidity in Parkinson's disease results from damage to which one of the following?
nigrostriatal dopamine pathway
DAWN reported what top 5 substance were found in a person after drying?
prescription opioids (not heroin), cocaine, alcohol-in-combination, Benzodiasepines, and methadone.
What is acute in Toxicity?
single use
Definition of Potency:
the amount of drug necessary to cause an effect.
