Transcript Slide 1

By: Savannah Heavrin & Sarah Matthews
Health Consequences of drug
use
• Physical consequences-once a drug enters the bloodstream, it
can harm a user’s brain, heart, lungs, and other vital organs.
• Overdose, is a strong sometimes fatal reaction to taking a large
amount of a drug.
• Mental/emotional consequences. Drugs could reasoning and
thinking, and users lose control of their behavior.
• Social consequences. Even people who are “just experimenting”
with drugs do say things they later regret. Substance abuse can
have a negative effect on relationships with friends and family
members. It can ruin your whole life cause you to end up homeless
and alone.
•
•
•
Understanding the Addiction
Cycle
Tolerance. The body of the substance abuser needs more and more of the drug
to get the same effect.
Psychological dependence. A condition in which a person believes that a drug
is needed in order to feel good or to function normally, It develops over time. The
user has a continuing desire to take the drug for its effect.
Addiction. Anyone who takes drugs risks one of the most frightening side
effects: addiction, a physiological or psychological dependence on a drug.
Addiction causes persistent, compulsive use of a substance known by the user
to be harmful. People in this condition cannot stop without an intervention.
•Legal consequences- teens manufacturing, or selling drugs are committing the crime of
illicit drug use. Being arrested leads to court fines and legal fees.
•For Babies and children-Substance abuse can cause considerable harm to developing
fetuses, infants, and children or drug users.
•Cost of Society- Drug abuse has consequences beyond the individual and family. One of
the biggest burdens placed on society is a rise in drug-related crime and violence because
the use of drugs decrease inhibitions, increase aggressiveness, and clouds judgment
•Marijuana is a plant whose leaves, buds,
and flowers are usually smoked for their
intoxicating effects.
•When used it can raise levels of a brain
chemical called dopamine which causes
the feeling of pleasure. When it wears off
the feeling drops which is called “ a
crash” and the user wants more. This drug
contains more cancer causing chemicals
than tobacco smoke, but causes the same
health damage.
•Marijuana users experience slow
mental reflexes and may suffer
sudden feelings of anxiety and
paranoia-an irrational
suspiciousness or distrust of
others. That means they start to
get suspicious of nothing and feel
that everyone is after them.
•People who use may feel dizzy, have
trouble walking, have difficulty
remembering events that happened earlier,
experience distorted perception, and loss
of coordination. Short term memory lose
also affects users so that will affect
school. They may also have trouble with
thinking or solving problems.
•For teens the use of marijuana might risk damaging the reproductive organs.
In males it affects the sperm production and lowers levels of testosterone, the
hormone responsible for the development of adult male characteristics.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids are
synthetic substances that are simular to
the male sex hormone testosterone.
Use of steroids isn’t only bad for
your body, it have mental and
social consequences also. The use
of steroids can effect friendships
and school work. And if you get
caught you will be going to jail.
Steroids are only good
when used under a doctors
guidance. Medicine with
steroids in them are mixed
with other drugs to dilute
the harmful ingenious.
The four main psychoactive drugs
are:
-Stimulants
-Depressants
-Narcotics
-Hallucinogens
Psychoactive drugs are
chemicals that affect the
central nervous system
and alter activity in the
brain.
Examples of stimulants:
*Cocaine-a rapid acting, powerful, highly
Health Risks of Depressants
addictive drug that interrupts normal functioning
of the central nervous system. It gives you
euphoria, which is a feeling of intense well being
or elation.
Depressants, or sedatives, are drugs that
tend to slow down the central nervous
system. Depressants drugs relax muscles,
relieve feelings of tension and worry, and
cause drowsiness. They can be dangerous
because they slow the heart rate, lower
blood pressure to dangerous levels, and
interrupt the normal rate of breathing.
*Crack-a more dangerous form of crack. It is one
of the most deadly drugs. Other names would be
crack cocaine, rock, or freebase rock.
*Amphetamines-a drug used in prescription
med.s to reduce fatigue, drowsiness and to
suppress the appetite. People use it illegally to
stay awake, improve their performance, and lose
weight.
*Methamphetamine-(meth) a drug used
in treating certain diseases. It is used at
parties or night clubs to get high and
have fun. When use it may provide a
short term feeling of euphoria, but the
after results are depression, paranoia,
damage to the central nervous system,
increased heart rate and blood pressure,
and damage to the brain. It may also
cause death.
Barbiturates belong to a family of
sedative-hypnotic drugs, or drugs that
induce sleepiness. Barbiturate use can
result in mood changes, sleeping more
than normal, and coma.
Tranquilizers are depressants that
reduce muscular activity. They are
prescribed to relieve anxiety, muscle
spasms, sleepiness, and nervousness.
Rohypnol this depressant
which is ten times as strong as
tranquilizers, is better known as
the date rape drug, used in
crimes of violence.
GHB is like Rohypnal, but is
available as a clear liquid, a
white powder, and in variety of
tablets.
Stimulants are
drugs that
speed up the
central nervous
system
Hallucinogens are drugs that alter moods,
thoughts, and sense perceptions including vision,
hearing smell, and touch. These drugs have no
medical use.
PCP is considered one of the most dangerous of
all drugs, and its effects vary greatly from user to
user. Users report distorted sense of time and space.
LSD is an extremely strong hallucinogen. Even a
tiny amount can cause hallucinogens and severe
distorted perceptions of sound and color.
Ketamine is anesthetic used for medical
purposes, mostly in treating animals. Misused as a
club drug, ketamine is often sold as a white powder
to be snorted, like cocaine, or injected.
Ecstasy and other Dangerous Drugs
Designer drugs are synthetic substances meant to imitate
the effects of hallucingens and other dangerous drugs.
Designer drugs vary greatly in potency and strength and
can be several hundred times more stronger than the
drugs they are meant to imitate.
Consequences of drug use
Illegal drugs and other substances play a role in
unsafe situations and negative consequences,
including health, addictions, and difficulties in
school.