Transcript File

Unit 3
Medicine vs. Drugs
Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco
Drugs of Abuse
Chapter 9
UNDERSTANDING DRUGS AND
MEDICINES
What Are Drugs?
• A drug is any substance that causes a change
in a person’s physical or psychological state.
• Medicines are drugs used to cure, prevent, or
treat illness or discomfort.
• Good medicines have the following qualities:
– Effectiveness
– Safety
– Minor side effects
What Are Drugs?
• Drugs of abuse are drugs that people take for
mind-altering effects that have no medical
purpose.
• Drugs of abuse can change the way your brain
works in ways that are unhealthy and
dangerous.
• Drugs that affect your brain can change your
behavior over time and lead to addiction and
long-term health problems.
Types of Medicines
• A prescription is a written order from a doctor for a
specific medicine.
• Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines can be bought
without a prescription.
• Drugs can be taken into the body in the following ways:
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Implanted pumps
Inhalation
Injection
Transdermal patches
Ingestion
Topical application
Drugs as Medicines
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was
created in 1906 to control the safety of food,
drugs, and cosmetics in the United States.
• The FDA uses an approval process for proving a
drug is safe and effective. Some steps include:
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Chemical or cell-culture testing in laboratories
Testing on animals
Testing on human volunteers
Clinical trials to compare to existing drugs
Prescription Medicines
• Prescription medications should only be taken
with a doctor’s recommendation and supervision.
• Taking someone else’s medication or failing to
follow the prescription can be dangerous.
• Prescriptions include the following information:
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Dosage (how much you should take)
When you should take the medicine
How often you should take the medicine
The length of time you should take the medicine
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medicines
• Most OTC medicines are used for common
illnesses, injuries, and disorders.
• When choosing an OTC:
– Decide what kind of OTC will work for you.
– Decide whether you want a generic or brandname medicine. They often have the same active
ingredients but different inactive ingredients.
– Read the labels.
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Medicines
• Long-term use of OTC medicines can cover up
more serious problems.
• If symptoms persist, consult a doctor.
• Herbal remedies and dietary supplements do
not have to be approved by the FDA.
• Because they may have not been thoroughly
tested, herbal remedies and dietary
supplements may not be safe or effective.
Possible Problems with Medicines
• Allergic reactions are the most serious risks to
taking medicines.
• Symptoms of anaphylactic shock include:
– Itching all over the body
– Swelling, especially in the mouth or throat
– Wheezing or difficulty breathing
– A pounding heart
– Fainting and unconsciousness
Possible Problems with Medicines
• Side effects are more common problems than
medicine allergies.
• Drug interactions occur when a drug reacts
with another drug, food, or dietary
supplement to increase or decrease the effect
of one of the substances.
• Labels on OTC packages or drug information
sheets describe possible drug interactions and
may also list potential side effects.
Using Medicines Wisely
• Make yourself part of your own healthcare
team.
• Be prepared to ask questions.
• Learn the facts about any medicine you take.
• Listen to your body.
• It’s not always safe to suddenly stop taking a
drug.
• Speak up and enlist your parents’ help.
Drugs and the Brain
• How Drugs That Affect the Brain Work
– Information processing in the brain takes place at
the connections between neurons, called
synapses.
– Signals are passed across synapses by chemicals
called neurotransmitters.
– Some drugs affect the way neurons communicate
by acting like neurotransmitters, blocking
neurotransmitters, or changing the amount of
neurotransmitters.
– These changes can affect our moods and
emotions.
The Path to Addiction
• Addiction is a condition in which a person can
no longer control his or her drug use.
• Most drugs of abuse activate the brain reward
system, which releases chemicals that give
pleasure.
• Pleasure alone does not cause addiction.
• People who become addicts usually start by
experimenting, then more regular use leads to
a series of changes on the path to addiction.
The Path to Addiction
Addiction is a Treatable Disease
• The symptoms that occur when a drug user stops
using a drug are collectively called withdrawal.
• Stopping drug use can be very difficult because
the withdrawal symptoms are often very
unpleasant.
• Drug addiction is a brain disorder, and it is
treatable.
• Most communities offer a variety of treatment
programs for addiction.
• The best way to avoid addiction is to avoid drugs
of abuse altogether.
Chapter 10
ALCOHOL
Short-Term Effects of Alcohol
• Effects on the Body
– Alcohol irritates the mouth, throat, esophagus,
and stomach.
– Alcohol makes the heart work harder.
– Alcohol makes the body lose heat.
– Alcohol causes the liver to work harder.
– Alcohol causes dehydration.
Short-Term Effects of Alcohol
• Effects on the Mind
– Alcohol slows down the nervous system.
– The drinker loses inhibitions.
– The drinker cannot focus his or her eyes.
– The drinker may have slurred speech.
– The drinker loses coordination and judgment
Short-Term Effects of Alcohol
• Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the
amount of alcohol in a person’s blood
expressed as a percentage.
• Alcohol has different effects at different BACs.
• Binge drinking is the act of drinking five or
more drinks in one sitting.
• Binge drinking can lead to alcohol poisoning,
and can be fatal.
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol
• Prolonged use of alcohol can damage the
heart, blood, liver, kidneys, pancreas, the
digestive tract, and the immune system.
• Cirrhosis is a disease caused by long-term
alcohol use in which healthy liver tissue is
replaced with scar tissue.
• Alcohol causes permanent changes in the
brain due to cell death from dehydration and
lack of oxygen.
• Alcoholism a leading cause of dementia in the
United States.
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol
Alcoholism Affects the Family and
Society
• What Is Alcoholism?
– Alcohol abuse is drinking too much alcohol,
drinking it too often, or drinking it at
inappropriate times.
– Alcoholism is a disease that causes a person to
lose control of his or her drinking behavior.
– Alcoholics are physically and emotionally addicted
to alcohol, and suffer painful symptoms when
they do not have alcohol.
Alcoholism Develops in Stages
Risk factors for alcoholism include:
• Age
• Social environment
• Genetics
• Risk-taking personality
Alcoholism Develops in Stages
Alcoholism Affects the Family
• Families of alcoholics may suffer from the
following:
– Guilty feelings
– Unpredictable behavior
– Violence
– Neglect and isolation
– Protecting the alcoholic
– Ignoring one’s own needs
Alcoholism Affects the Family
• Enabling means helping an addict avoid the
negative consequences of his or her behavior.
• Codependency is the condition in which a family
member or friend sacrifices his or her own needs
to meet the needs of an addict.
• Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a set of physical
and mental defects that affect a fetus that has
been exposed to alcohol because of the mother’s
alcohol consumption while pregnant.
Alcoholism Can Be Treated
• There are many treatment options for
alcoholics.
• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the most widely
used program. It involves a 12-step recovery
method and regular meetings.
• Al-Anon and Alateen provide treatment and
support for people with alcoholics in their
family
Teens and Alcohol
• Drinking and Driving: A Deadly Combination
– Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of
death among teens.
– Many of these accidents are alcohol-related.
– Alcohol impairs driving through the following
means:
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Slows your reaction time
Affects your vision
Makes you drowsy
Reduces your coordination
Affects your judgment
• Alcohol use is illegal for people under 21.
• Driving under the influence (DUI) applies to
anyone with a BAC above 0.08.
• The law has zero tolerance for anyone under 21
driving with any amount of alcohol in their blood.
(0.02 BAC)
To avoid getting in dangerous situations with an
intoxicated driver:
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Don’t drink
Plan ahead: pick a designated driver
Make arrangements with a parent for a ride
Call a cab
Drinking Puts Your Future at Risk
• Drinking and Jail You can be sent to jail for
trying to buy alcohol, possessing alcohol,
possessing a fake ID, or for drinking in a public
place.
• Drinking and Sexual Activity The impaired
judgment from drinking can put you at risk of
any of the dangers of unplanned sexual
activity.
Drinking Puts Your Future at Risk
• Drinking and Diving Alcohol plays a role in
more than 38 percent of drowning accidents
in the U.S.
• Drinking and Teen Brains Alcohol use affects
the rapidly developing brains of teens.
– The best way to avoid alcohol is to stay away from
people who drink and places where people are
drinking.
– You should practice ways of saying “No” so you
will be prepared when someone offers you a
drink.
• Saying No to Alcohol
– Practicing your refusal skills makes it easier to
refuse alcohol if it is offered to you.
• Building Resiliency
– Being offered alcohol can be a stressful situation.
Resilient people continue to be optimistic when
life gets tough.
• Building Self Esteem
– A healthy self-esteem helps you resist pressure to
do things you know are unhealthy.
Chapter 11
TOBACCO USE
Tobacco Use
• All Tobacco Products Are Dangerous
– Nicotine is the addictive drug found in all tobacco
products.
– Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals.
Of these, at least 40 are carcinogens.
– Carcinogens are chemicals or agents that cause
cancer.
• Tar is a sticky, black substance in tobacco smoke.
Tar contains the following carcinogens:
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Cyanide
Formaldehyde
Lead
Vinyl chloride
• Cigarette smoke also contains carbon monoxide,
a toxic gas that keeps oxygen from getting into
the bloodstream.
• Smokeless tobacco products, such as chewing
tobacco and snuff (dip), also contain nicotine and
tar.
• Smokeless tobacco products also contain other
carcinogens, such as arsenic, nickel, benzopyrene,
and polonium.
• Snuff and chewing tobacco lead to mouth sores
and oral cancer.
• Pipe tobacco, cigars, and even herbal cigarettes
also contain nicotine and tar, and therefore
contain a large number of carcinogens.
Nicotine Is Addictive
• Like all addictive drugs, nicotine affects the
brain and other parts of the body and leads to
physical dependence and addiction.
• Quitting tobacco use is difficult and
withdrawal is unpleasant, but the dangerous
effects of tobacco are far worse than the trials
of quitting.
Dangers of Tobacco Use
• Short-Term Effects of Tobacco Use
– Nicotine has the following short-term effects:
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Stimulates the brain reward system
Increases heart rate and blood pressure
Increases breathing rate
Increases blood-sugar levels
Stimulates the vomit reflex
• Carbon monoxide blocks oxygen from the
blood.
• Tar and other chemicals damage the lungs and
inside of the mouth.
Long-Term Effects of Tobacco Use
• Long-term tobacco use leads to addiction.
– Long-term tobacco use has a number of minor effects,
such as stained teeth and fingers and a pervasive
smell of smoke.
• Mouth Smoking changes the natural chemical
balance inside the mouth, leading to increased
plaque, gum disease, and tooth decay. Tar in
tobacco smoke stains teeth yellow.
• Brain Smoking reduces oxygen to the brain,
narrows blood vessels, and can lead to strokes.
Nicotine also changes the brain in ways that lead
to addiction.
Long-Term Effects of Tobacco Use
• Heart Nicotine increases heart rate and blood
pressure and narrows the blood vessels. It also
increases the risk of hardened and clogged
arteries, which can lead to a heart attack.
• Lungs Cigarette smoke puts carcinogens
directly into the lungs. It kills the tiny hairs
that remove harmful substances from the
lungs. The loss of these hairs increases the risk
of bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer.
Long-Term Effects of Tobacco Use
• Skin Smoking breaks down the proteins that
give skin elasticity. This leads to wrinkles and
premature aging of the skin. Smoking also
increases a person’s chances of developing
skin cancer.
• Immune System Chemicals in smoke reduce
the activity of immune system cells. Damaging
the immune system increases the chances of
suffering from diseases such as cancer.
Effects of Smoke on Nonsmokers
• Sidestream smoke is the smoke that escapes
from the tip of a lit cigarette, cigar, or pipe.
This can be as much as half of the total smoke.
• Mainstream smoke is the smoke that is
inhaled through a tobacco product and
exhaled by the user.
• Environmental tobacco smoke (secondhand
smoke) is a combination of mainstream and
sidestream smoke.
Effects of Smoke on Nonsmokers
• Lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke kills
3,000 nonsmokers in the U.S. each year.
• Secondhand smoke also causes other illnesses,
including reduced heart function, headaches,
nausea, and dizziness.
• Children who live with smokers suffer from a
higher rate of lower respiratory infections and
asthma.
• Smoking while pregnant can lead to miscarriage,
premature birth, sudden infant death syndrome,
and developmental problems.
Why Do People Use Tobacco?
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Family and Friends
Misconceptions
Advertising
Curiosity
Rebellion
Costs to families include:
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Over $1,500 a year to buy tobacco
Lost wages due to illness
Medical bills
Funeral bills
Costs to society include billions of dollars for medical
care that smoker’s cannot pay for themselves.
• Tips for Quitting
– Reasons to quit smoking include:
• Smoking is unhealthy.
• Smoking is expensive.
• Smoking stinks.
• Smoking looks unattractive.
• Smoking damages your skin.
• Quitting smoking is difficult, but there are many
support programs and products that can help
you.
• Nicotine substitutes are medicines that deliver
a small amount of nicotine to help you quit
smoking.
Important steps in quitting smoking
include:
• Decide you can do it
• Get started
• Change your habits
• Set goals
• Get support
Chapter 12
ILLEGAL DRUGS
Illegal Drug Use Is Dangerous
• Drug abuse is the intentional
improper or unsafe use of a drug.
• Drugs used for recreational purposes
are called drugs of abuse.
• Many drugs of abuse are illegal
drugs. Possessing, using, buying, or
selling these drugs is illegal for
people of any age.
• Using illegal drugs is not only against the law,
it is also dangerous. Here are some of the
reasons:
– Illegal drugs can have permanent effects on the
brain and the body.
– You can become addicted.
– You can catch infectious diseases from needles.
– You can overdose.
– You can lose the ability to make responsible
decisions about other risky behavior.
Why Do People Begin Using Drugs?
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a desire to experiment
a desire to escape boredom or depression
enjoyment of risk-taking behavior
a belief that drugs solve personal, social, or
medical problems
• peer pressure
• glamorization of drugs by the media
Teens and Illegal Drug Use
• Teens have a higher risk of addiction to drugs
than adults do because teens’ brains are still
developing.
• Drug use or abuse can change the function of
the brain.
• Altering brain development with drug use can
lead to a life-long struggle to overcome
addiction.
Types of Illegal Drugs
• There are many types of illegal drugs, but
they all have three things in common.
–They affect the function of the brain.
–They are dangerous to your health.
–They can result in drug dependence
and addiction.
Marijuana
• People who use marijuana build up a tolerance,
so they need more and more to get high. This can
lead to physical dependence.
• Common short-term effects of marijuana include:
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Slowed thinking ability
Difficulty paying attention
Distorted sense of time and distance
Loss of short-term memory
Loss of balance and coordination
Increased appetite
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Marijuana
• Smoking marijuana over a long period has
many of the same negative health effects as
smoking tobacco.
• Marijuana use is also dangerous when driving.
The loss of attention and coordination can
make driving high as dangerous as driving
drunk.
• Hashish has the same effects as marijuana,
but stronger.
Inhalants
• Inhalants are drugs that are inhaled as vapors.
– Commonly abused inhalants include paint thinner,
glue, gasoline, marker fluid, propane, butane, and
nitrous oxide.
• Because inhalants are often common products,
they can be easy to get and inexpensive.
• Inhalants are a common gateway drug for teens.
– Inhalants damage many organs.
– Inhalants kill brain cells.
– Inhalants can cause sudden death
Club (Designer) Drugs
• Club drugs, also called designer
drugs, are drugs designed to
resemble other illegal drugs in
chemical structure and effect.
• Some common club drugs are
Ecstasy, GHB, Ketamine, and PCP.
Anabolic Steroids
• Anabolic steroids are synthetic versions of the
male hormone testosterone that are used to
promote muscle development.
• Anabolic steroids have a few legitimate medical
uses.
• Most people take anabolic steroids illegally and
without guidance from a doctor.
• Unlike most drugs of abuse, steroids have no
immediate psychoactive effect. Their primary
effects are on the body.
Stimulants
• Caffeine and nicotine are mild, legal stimulants,
although they are addictive.
• Amphetamines are a group of stimulants
produced in laboratories. They are highly
addictive. Repeated use can cause severe damage
to the body and brain.
• Cocaine and crack cocaine are stimulants derived
from the coca plant. They are also highly
addictive. Overdose of these drugs can be very
dangerous.
Depressants
• Depressants have effects similar to the effects of
alcohol. They are highly addictive when abused.
• Using depressants in combination with alcohol
increases the effects.
• Overdose may cause brain damage, coma, or
death.
– Rohypnol is a hypnotic widely used as a date-rape
drug.
– Dextromethorphan (DXM) is an ingredient in cough
syrups. In high doses its effects are similar to the
effects of PCP.
Opiates
• Opiates, such as morphine and codeine, can be
very effective medicines when used properly in
limited amounts.
• Opiates reduce pain, relieve diarrhea, suppress
coughing, and induce relaxation.
• When abused, opiates result in addiction very
quickly. Withdrawal symptoms are severe.
• Heroin is a chemically altered form of morphine.
• Heroin is highly addictive. This addiction is
debilitating and often ruins people’s lives.
Hallucinogens
• LSD is usually taken as tablets or absorbed
through the tongue on small paper squares.
• LSD can increase energy, alter mood, and produce
strange sensations or hallucinations. The effects
of LSD can also be frightening.
• Mushrooms are a naturally poisonous species of
mushroom that produce effects similar to LSD.
• LSD and mushroom users can experience
flashbacks long after they have taken the drugs.