Transcript Substance abuse Notesx

Substance abuse
8th Grade Health
Vocabulary
 Drug- any chemical substance that causes a change in a person’s
physical or psychological state.
 Prescription Medicine- a medicine that can be bought only
with a written order from a doctor.
 Over the counter Medicine- any medicine that can be bought
without a prescription.
 Stimulant- any drug that increases the body’s activity.
 Depressant- any drug that decreases activity in the body.
Vocabulary
 Ingestion- the consumption of a substance through
the mouth.
 Inhalation- the action of inhaling or breathing in.
 Absorption- soaking into the bloodstream through
the skin.
 Injection- being inserted through needles.
Vocabulary
 Withdrawal- uncomfortable physical and psychological symptoms produced when a
person who is physically dependent on drugs stops using drugs.
 Psychological Dependence- the state of emotionally or mentally needing a drug
in order to function.
 Side Effect- any effect that is caused by a drug and that is different from the drug’s
intended effect.
 Detoxification- the process by which the body rids itself of harmful chemicals.
 Tolerance- the ability to overlook differences and to accept people for who they are.
A condition in which a person needs more of a drug to feel the original effects of the
drugs.
 Addiction- physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable
to stop taking it without side effects.
Gateway Drugs
 A GATEWAY DRUG is a habit-forming
drug that may lead to the use of other, more
intense, addictive drugs.
- tobacco
- alcohol
- cannabis (marijuana)
Prescription drugs
 After marijuana and alcohol, prescription drugs are the most commonly
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abused substances by Americans age 14 and older.
Teens abuse prescription drugs for a number of reasons, such as to get high,
to stop pain, or because they think it will help them with school work.
Most teens get prescription drugs they abuse from friends and relatives,
sometimes without the person knowing.
Boys and girls tend to abuse some types of prescription drugs for different
reasons. For example, boys are more likely to abuse prescription stimulants to
get high, while girls tend to abuse them to stay alert or to lose weight.
When abused and taken in different amounts or for different purposes than as
prescribed, they affect the brain in ways very similar to illicit drugs.
When prescription drugs are abused, they can be addictive and put the
person at risk for other harmful health effects, such as overdose (especially
when taken along with other drugs or alcohol).
Prescription drugs
 There are three kinds of prescription drugs that are commonly abused.
 Opioids— Also known as: oxy, percs, happy pills, hillbilly heroin, OC, or
vikes- Are painkillers like Vicodin, OxyContin, or codeine
 Depressants— Also known as: barbs, reds, red birds, phennies, tooies,
yellows, or yellow jackets, candy, downers, sleeping pills, or tranks, Aminus, or zombie pills- Drugs used to relieve anxiety or help a person sleep,
such as Valium or Xanax
 Stimulants— Also known as: skippy, the smart drug, vitamin r, bennies, black
beauties, roses, hearts, speed, or uppers- Drugs used for treating attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as Adderall and Ritalin
Over-The-counter drugs
 Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are products that are available at
supermarkets, drugstores and convenience stores. There is an
incorrect but widespread belief that because you don’t need a
prescription, these drugs must be less dangerous than those
found behind the pharmacy counter. The fact is, it’s risky to
abuse either.
 The most commonly abused OTC drugs include those that
contain the ingredient DXM (dextromethorphan), which is used
to treat cough, cold and flu symptoms. Also, OTC medications
believed to help with weight loss — like laxatives, diuretics and
diet pills — are sometimes abused. All of these medications can
have serious and potentially fatal side effects over time.
THC-marijuana-cannabis
 Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from
the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, which contains the psychoactive
(mind-altering) chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as
well as other related compounds.
 Marijuana is the most common illicit drug used in the United States.
After a period of decline in the last decade, its use has been increasing
among young people since 2007. Although the federal government
considers marijuana a Schedule I substance (having no medicinal uses
and high risk for abuse), many states have legalized marijuana for
adult recreational use or have passed laws allowing its use as a
treatment for certain medical conditions
 Legalized Marijuana Map
THC-marijuana-cannabis
 Marijuana is usually smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes (joints) or
in pipes or water pipes (bongs). Marijuana can also be mixed in
food or brewed as a tea.
 Many have called for the legalization of marijuana to treat
conditions including pain and nausea caused by HIV/AIDS,
cancer, and other conditions.
 When marijuana is smoked, THC rapidly passes from the lungs
into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to the brain and
other organs throughout the body. It is absorbed more slowly
when ingested in food or drink.
THC-marijuana-cannabis
 Marijuana smoke is an irritant to the lungs,
and frequent marijuana smokers can have
many of the same respiratory problems
experienced by tobacco smokers, such as
daily cough and phlegm production, more
frequent acute chest illness, and a
heightened risk of lung infections. One
study found that people who smoke
marijuana frequently but do not smoke
tobacco have more health problems and
miss more days of work than those who
don’t smoke marijuana, mainly because of
respiratory illnesses.
 Marijuana also raises heart rate by 20-100
percent shortly after smoking; this effect
can last up to 3 hours.