Illegal Drugs

intro Where do all drugs come from?

What are some different categories of drugs?

What do we call the drugs that are most likely to be abused?

Drug Abuse The intentional improper use of a drug

Drugs that are used for recreational purposes are called

drugs of abuse many drugs of abuse are illegal drugs-possessing, using, buying,

selling is against the law

Drugs of abuse can lead to overdose: taking too much, causing sickness, unconsciousness, permanent health damage, and death

So why do people start using drugs? Experimentation Escape depression/boredom Enjoyment of risk-taking behaviors Believing drugs will solve problems Peer pressure Glamorization Curiosity

*teens have a higher risk of becoming addicted than adults do. Why?

Types of Abused Drugs Simulants: drugs that temporarily increase a person’s energy

and alertness Depressants: drugs that cause relaxation and sleepiness Opiates: HIGHLY ADDICITVE group of drugs derived from

the poppy plant that are used as pain relievers, anesthetics, and sedatives

Hallucinogens: drugs that distort perceptions and cause a person to see or hear things that are not

real

Stimulants Amphetamines

Produced in labs, used to treat neurological disorders—ADHD, Narcolepsy, appetite suppressant Adderall Dexedrine Ritalin Strattera

Methamphetamine Meth, crystal, ice Smoked, injected, or snorted

Euphoria Loss of appetite Increased alertness Hyperactivity

Permanent brain damage, kidney and liver damage, death Extremely addictive and tolerance builds rapidly Meth labs—byproducts include poisonous gas, toxic chemicals, explosive

substances

Stimulants: Meth Developed in 1919 and used during WWII to keep soldiers

awake Used in the 1950’s as a diet aid Became illegal in 1970 Known as “poor man’s crack” Very addictive Users are known as “tweakers”

***graphic pictures on next slide***

Stimulants:Cocaine and Crack Cocaine

From the coca plant in South America Fine, white powder from leaves is snorted or liquefied and injected Effects are similar to effects of meth

Agitation Paranoia Aggression Can’t eat, cant sleep

“Crash” when effects of drug wear off Agitation Extreme sleepiness Depression Intense craving for more

Overdose can cause Heart attack Stroke Seizures Death

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/cocaine/international-statistics.html

Depressants Slow a person’s breathing and reduce brain activity

Tranquilizers, hypnotics Effects:

Relaxation Loss of inhibition Drowsiness Loss of coordination Slurred speech Disorientation Loss of consciousness Memory loss

Overdose-stop breathing, brain damage, coma, death Combined with alcohol increase risk of death

Depressants

Barbiturates-hypnotic drug used to induce sleep Light anesthesia, epilepsy, insomnia

Amytal  Butisol  Luminal 

lunesta

Tranqs (Benzodiazapines)-reduce muscular activity, coordination, attention span Anxiety, muscle spasms, sleeplessness, nervousness

Valium, xanax, Klonopin

Methaqualone-similar to barbiturates Insomnia Withdrawal is very unpleasant

Rohypnal (better known as…) Lose inhibition, become disoriented, trouble remembering

Opiates=Narcotics Highly valued medicine / deadly drug of abuse From flowering opium poppy plant Medicine

Reduce pain Relieve diarrhea Suppresses coughing Induces relaxation

Abused Quick addiction Unpleasant withdrawal symptoms

Cramps, vomiting, muscle pain, shaking, chills, panic attacks

Opiates: Heroin (1914)

Most commonly abused opiate-chemically altered morphine Swallowed, snorted, smoked, injected “rush” that fades into dreamlike state, feelings of well-being, and

drowsiness Unpleasant withdrawal=desperate to get more=violent crimes Repeated injection

Skin infections Open wounds Scarring Hepatitis HIV/AIDS

Opiates:Morphine and Codeine

Morphine Similar to heroin Pain reliever—severe cancer patients

Codeine Relief of milder pain Stop coughing

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/painkillers/international-statistics.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57608079/krokodil-use-reportedly-spreading-what-makes-dangerous-drug-so-addictive/

Hallucinogens

Distort perception, experience things that are not real, emotional experiences seem deeper and more important, extreme anxiety, fear, paranoia

Hallucinogens: LSD Tablets or absorbed on tongue with small paper squares Effects (not easy to predict)

Increase energy Alter mood Create strange thoughts and sensations Nausea Vomiting Dizziness Bizarre body sensations Emotional swings Panic Confusion

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/lsd/international-statistics.html

Hallucinogens: Mushrooms

Eaten raw or mixed with food Psilocybin

Altered perception of sight, sound, taste, smell, touch Confusion Anxiety Panic

Wrong kind of psilocybin can lead to Stomach pains, vomiting, diarrhea, death

Hallucinogens cont. Phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust, killer weed, super grass)

Developed as surgical anesthetic in 1950’s Its sedative and anaesthetic effects are trance-like, and patients

experience a feeling of being “out of body” and detached from their environment. Use of PCP in humans was discontinued in 1965, because it was found that patients often became agitated, delusional, and irrational while recovering from its anaesthetic effects.

Still made-classified as a designer drug Dissolvable power, tablets, capsules Snorted, smokes, injected, swallowed—used to “lace” other drugs

Salvia Plant found in southern Mexico Hallucinogenic high lasting only minutes Made popular by YouTube Chew leaves, drink extracted juices, inhaled, most commonly smoked http://www.sagewisdom.org/legalstatus.html

More Types of Illegal Drugs

Despite differences in type, all illegal drugs: Affect function of the brain Are dangerous to your health Can result in dependence and addiction

Four more-commonly abused illegal drugs: Marijuana Inhalants Club drugs Anabolic steroids

Marijuanapot-weed-reefer-dope

Dried flowers from the plant cannabis sativa Active chemical: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Different plants may have different levels of

THC Usually smoked, but can be mixed with food and eaten

Effect of Marijuana Felt within minutes and lasts for 2-3 hours

Slowed thinking ability Difficulty paying attention Distorted sense of time and distance Giddiness Loss of short-term memory Loss of balance and coordination Increased appetite Anxiety Panic attack

Marijuana smoke has also been found to contain many of the same carcinogens as cigarette smoke Chronic bronchitis Damaged lung tissue

Marijuana Long-Term Affects learning and social behavior THC changes the way sensory info gets into the brain difficulty remembering, processing, and using info Difficulty maintaining attention and shifting attention to meet

changing demands Frequent respiratory infection

Develop dependence Immediately suffer withdrawal symptoms

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/marijuana/international-statistics.html

Inhalantspoppers, snappers, whippits

Drugs inhaled as vapors (sniffing, huffing) Examples

Nitrous oxide Asthma meds Common household chemicals

Glue, paint thinner, gasoline, felt-tip marker fluid

Effects of Inhalants Hyperactivity Loss of inhibition Dizziness Loss of coordination Difficulty speaking or thinking Fear Anxiety Depression Nausea Vomiting Headache Loss of consciousness

Effects cont. Brain

Loss of vision and coordination, death of brain cells, brain damage, coma Heart and Blood

Irregular heartbeat, heart attack, decreased ability to carry O2 Lungs

Irritation, suffocation Liver

Permanent liver damage Kidneys

Permanent kidney damage Bladder

Loss of bladder control

Effects cont.

Permanent hearing loss Bone marrow damage Death from suffocation Stop heart beat all together

Sudden sniffing death syndrome “Unfortunately, people only discover that they are sensitive to organic

solvents after it’s too late”

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/inhalants/international-statistics.html

Often used as gateway drugs

Club (Designer) Drugsecstasy, GHB, ketamine, PCP

Designed to closely resemble common illegal drugs in structure and effect Changing laws finally made these illegal Strength and quality unpredictable and unknown Overdose hard to treat b/c not known exactly what is in the drug

Designer Drug: EcstasyE, X, XTC, Adam, Molly, MDMA

Acts as stimulant and hallucinogen Taken as a pill but also crushed and snorted

Increased awareness of senses Hallucinations Increased energy Loss of judgment

Effects of Ecstasy Muscle tension Teeth clenching Impaired learning and memory Nausea Chills Increased or irregular heartbeat High blood pressure Heart attack Brain damage Death

*also decreases body’s ability to regulate temperature—easily overheated, may lead to death

Other Designer Drugs GHB—G, Liquid X, Liquid E

Narcolepsy, alcoholism Euphoria, relaxation, dizziness, loss of inhibition Vomiting, memory loss, respiratory problems, loss of

consciousness, seizures, coma, death Mixed with Ecstasy=higher risk of seizure Used in many sexual assaults-date rape drug

Ketamine (Special K) Anesthetic developed in 1963 to replace PCP Odorless, tasteless Injected, street drug is evaporated into powder Hallucinations, numbness, inability to move, loss of memory, coma Also sometimes used as date rape drug

PCP

Designer Drugs:Look-Alike Drugs

Abused substances slightly different from better-known drugs Never know exactly what is in them, how strong it is Cheaper than well-known drugs but just as dangerous

Anabolic Steroids Synthetic versions of the male hormone testosterone Used to promote muscle developing “anabolic” means “building” Medicine

Treat muscle wasting in AIDS Wound healing in elderly Abnormally low amounts of testosterone in males

Most use illegally to aid in muscle growth Don’t have immediate psychoactive effects

Do not trigger increased production in dopamine to create “high” Effect body, not brain** Addictive??

Steroids Effects on Body

Adolescents-Bones mature too early and growth stunted Severe acne Increased cholesterol Rapid weight gain Liver damage Kidney tumors Heart disease Heart attack

Effects of Mind Irritable Aggression “Roid Rage” Hyperactivity Bizarre sounds, feelings of paranoia, panic attacks, depression,

anxiety, suicidal urges Withdrawal can lead to depression

Synergistic Effect Mixing two drugs together

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/mouse/