Transcript Drug

Chapter Seven:
Making Decisions about Drug Use
© 2011 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Drugs
 Drug = any substance, natural
or artificial, other than food, that
by its chemical or physical
nature alters structure or
function in the living organism
 Psychoactive drug = any
substance capable of altering
feelings, moods, or perceptions
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Process Addictions
 Compulsively engaging in behaviors such
as gambling, shopping, gaming, sexual
activity
 Cause serious financial, emotional,
social, and health problems
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The Process of Addiction
 Addictive behavior has three common
aspects:
•
•
•
Exposure: Introduced to the drug or behavior
that is considered pleasurable
Compulsion: Time, energy, and money are
spent to pursue the behavior. Normal
behavior has already degenerated
Loss of control: Addicted people lose the
ability to control their behavior and results in
addiction to more than one drug or behavior
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Codependence
 Applies to people who are close to an
individual who is addicted to something
 Characteristics of codependents:
• Focused on protecting or coping with the
•
•
addict
Lose their sense of identity
Experience stress, often resulting in
chaotic behaviors, addictions, and physical
illnesses
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Basic Drug Terms and Concepts
 Central nervous system
 Routes of drug administration
 Drug misuse
 Drug abuse
 Drug dependence
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Central Nervous System
 Neuron: A nerve cell
• Axon: The portion of a neuron that conducts
•
electrical impulses to the dendrites of adjacent
neurons
Dendrite: The portion of a neuron that receive
electrical stimuli from adjacent neurons
 Synapse: The location at which an electrical

impulse from one neuron is transmitted to an
adjacent neuron
Neurotransmitters: Chemical messengers
that transfer electrical impulses across the
synapses between nerve cells
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Action of Psychoactive Drugs on
the Central Nervous System
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Drug Administration
 Routes of administration
• Inhalation
• Injection
• Absorption
• Ingestion
 Dose-response curve: The size

of the effect of a drug is related to
the amount of the drug
administered
Threshold dose: The smallest
amount of a drug that has an
observable effect
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Drug Misuse and Abuse
 Drug misuse: Inappropriate use of
legal drugs intended to be medications
• Intentional or unintentional
 Drug abuse: Any use of a drug in a
way that is detrimental to health or wellbeing
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Drug Dependence

Addiction/physical dependence: Compulsive,
uncontrollable dependence on a substance, habit, or
practice to such a degree that cessation causes severe
emotional or physiological reactions
• Withdrawal illness: Uncomfortable response of the body as it
•


attempts to maintain homeostasis in the absence of a drug
Tolerance: An acquired reaction to a drug in which the
continued intake of the same dose has diminished effects
Psychological dependence: Craving a drug for
emotional reasons and to maintain a sense of well-being
Intoxication: Dysfunctional and disruptive changes in
physiological and psychological functioning, mood, and
cognitive processes
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Dynamics of Drug Abuse
 Individual factors
• Genetics
• Personality, attitudes,
•
beliefs
Interpersonal skills,
self-esteem
 Environmental
factors
• Home and family
• School
• Peers
• Community
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 Societal factors
• Youth subculture
• Modeling and
•
advertising
Self-medication
movement
Six Categories of
Psychoactive Drugs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Stimulants
Depressants
Hallucinogens
Cannabis
Narcotics
Inhalants
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Past Month Use of Selected Psychoactive
Drugs among Americans 12 and Older
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Stimulants
 Key actions: Stimulate the function of the
central nervous system
•
•
Increased heart rate, blood pressure, brain function
Feelings of energy, exhilaration
 Examples:
• Cocaine
• Amphetamine
• Methamphetamine
• Caffeine
• Ritalin
• Adderall
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Depressants
 Key actions: Slow the function of the central
nervous system
•
•
•
Reduced heart and breathing rates, blood pressure
Lowered inhibitions, impaired judgment
Sedation, drowsiness, loss of consciousness
 Examples:
• Barbiturates
• Rohypnol
• Alcohol
• Tranquilizers
• GHB
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Hallucinogens
 Key actions: Altered states of feeling and
perception (hallucinations, distortions of reality)
•
•
•
Increased temperature, heart rate, blood pressure
Weakness, tremors, nervousness, paranoia
Synesthesia (sensation of combining of the senses)
 Examples:
• LSD
• PCP
• Mescaline
• Ecstasy and designer drugs
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Cannabis
 Active ingredient: Tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC)
 Key actions:
• Euphoria, confusion
• Slowed thinking and reaction time
• Impaired balance and coordination
• Cough, frequent respiratory infections
 Examples:
• Hashish
• Marijuana
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Narcotics (Opiates)
 Key actions:
• Relief of pain, euphoria
• Reduced heart rate and blood pressure
• Sedation, drowsiness, confusion
 Natural and synthetic; derived from the Oriental

poppy plant
Examples:
•
•
•
•
Opium
Morphine
Heroin
Oxycodone
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Inhalants
 Volatile compounds
 Key actions:
•
•
•
Unpredictable, drunklike effects; aggression
Euphoria
Damage to respiratory and cardiovascular systems
•
•
•
•
•
Gasoline
Glues
Paint
Aerosol propellants
Nitrites (“laughing gas”)
 Examples:
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Combination Drug Effects
 Synergistic effect = heightened or



exaggerated effect produced by the concurrent
use of two or more drugs
Additive effect = combined (but not
exaggerated) effect produced by concurrent
use of two or more drugs
Potentiated effect = the use of one drug
intensifies the effect of a second drug
Antagonistic effect = effect produced when
one drug reduces or offsets the effects of a
second drug
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Societal Response to Drug Use
 Early prevention programs
 Drug testing
 Treatment and intervention
 Nationwide organizations to increase
awareness
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Preventing Drug Use
 Primary prevention: Measures intended to
deter first-time drug use
•
Education
 Secondary prevention: Measures aimed at
early detection, intervention, and treatment;
targets those who are starting to experiment
•
•
•
Hotlines, counseling
Screening
Employee assistance programs
 Tertiary prevention: Treatment and
rehabilitation of dependent users
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Drug Testing
 Increasingly popular prevention tool
 Federal employees and contractors
 Many private companies test to screen
job applicants or monitor employee drug
use
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Treatment and Intervention
 Treatment
• College or University Settings
• Community programs
• Hospital facilities
• Private facilities
 Intervention: An organized process that
involves encouraging a chemically
addicted individual to enter into drug
treatment
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Facts about Substance Abuse
Treatment
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Chapter Seven:
Making Decisions about Drug Use
© 2011 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.