DRUGS AND CONSCIOUSNESS

Objective 0 Explore the effects of drugs and alcohol on consciousness 0 Identify major drug categories

Drugs and Consciousness Psychoactive Drug: A chemical substance that alters perceptions and mood (affects consciousness). Psychopharmacology: Study of psychoactive drugs and their effects on behavior and mental processes. 3

How Drugs “Work” 0 Alter interaction between neurotransmitters & receptors 0 Others increase or decrease release of specific neurotransmitters 0 Cross the blood-brain barrier & enter brain tissues.

Dependence & Addiction Continued use of a psychoactive drug produces tolerance. With repeated exposure to a drug, the drug’s effect lessens. Thus it takes greater quantities to get the desired effect. 5

Withdrawal & Dependence 1. Dependence: Absence of a drug may lead to a feeling of physical pain, intense cravings (physical dependence), and negative emotions (psychological dependence). 2. Addiction is a craving for a chemical substance, despite its adverse consequences (physical & psychological). 3. Withdrawal: Upon stopping use of a drug (after addiction), users may experience the undesirable effects of withdrawal. 6

Influences on Drug Use 7 The use of drugs is based on biological, psychological, and social-cultural influences.

Why Risk Addiction? 0 Curiosity 0 Peer Pressure 0 Parental Use 0 Rebelliousness 0 Escape 0 Self-Handicapping 0 Scapegoat

Risking Addiction Risk for addiction depends on lots of things: 0 Personality 0 Genetic makeup 0 Family history 0 Coping skills 0 Drug of choice

Psychoactive Drugs Psychoactive drugs are divided into four groups Depressants 2.Opiates (Narcotics) 3.Stimulants 4.Hallucinogens

STIMULANTS DEPRESSANTS Increase activity in body and nervous system Decrease activity in body and nervous system

CATEGORIES OF DRUG USE 0 EXPERIMENTAL: 0 SOCIAL-RECREATIONAL: 0 SITUATIONAL: 0 INTENSIVE: 0 COMPULSIVE:

Depressants Depressants are drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions. They include : 13 1.Alcohol 2.Barbiturates/Tranquilizers 3.Opiates

Depressants 0 Act on the CNS causing relaxation, sedation, loss of consciousness, death 0 Strong potential for abuse 0 Includes: 0 Alcohol 0 Barbiturates 0 Anti-anxiety drugs like Valium 0 Opiates 14

Drugs and Consciousness III) Depressants (“downers”)Anxiety Medication 0 Anti-anxiety medication can relieve some symptoms of anxiety, but it also comes with side effects and safety concerns—including the risk of addiction. 0 Benzodiazepines, and newer options like antidepressants and beta- blockers. 0 These medications can be very effective, but they shouldn’t be thought of as a cure. 0 Anxiety medication can provide temporary relief, but it doesn’t treat the underlying cause of the anxiety disorder. Once you stop taking the drug, the anxiety symptoms often return in full force. 0 Many medications for anxiety are also habit forming and physically addictive, making it difficult to stop taking them once you’ve started.

Drugs and Consciousness Depressants (“downers”) 0 It is often said that alcohol is a stimulant at low doses, which accounts for its reputation as a “party drug,” and a depressant at higher doses. 0 The truth is that alcohol is always a depressant—people become less self-conscious, less inhibited, more relaxed, and more in the mood for a “party,” even after just one or two drinks, because the alcohol has depressed neural activity in the brain and other parts of the nervous system. 0 As drinking increases, so too does relaxation, disinhibition, poor judgment, and lessened emotional and behavioural control—all of which leads to serious personal and social problems 0 In very large doses, alcohol can be lethal

Drugs and Consciousness Depressants (“downers”) 0 Alcohol’s effects are determined by the amount that reaches the brain. Because the liver breaks down alcohol at a rate of 1 ounce/hour, the number of drinks and the speed of consumption are both important. People can die after drinking large amounts in a short period of time. 0 Men’s bodies are more efficient than women’s at breaking down Following equal consumption: women have a higher blood alcohol level than do men. 0 Combining alcohol with other drugs, like barbiturates (both depressants) can be lethal—together they can relax the diaphragm muscles to such a degree that the person literally suffocates (Actress Judy Garland died from this combination)

Alcohol Alcohol affects motor skills, judgment, and memory…and increases aggressiveness while reducing self awareness. 18 Drinking and Driving Daniel Hommer, NIAAA, NIH, HHS Ray Ng/ Time & Life Pictures/ Getty Images

Alcohol Facts 0 How many drinks does it take to bring your BAC to a particular level in one hour. 1. Locate body weight. 2. From left to right, each square represents 1 drink. 3. First dark line indicates a BAC =.04 (impairment). 4. Second dark line to the right indicates a BAC =.10 (legal intoxication in some states)

Alcohol Drunk drivers are responsible for almost half of all highway-related fatalities

Barbiturates & Tranquilizers 0 Barbiturates : depress CNS activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment. 0 Nembutal, Seconal, and Amytal 0 Tranquilizers : lower anxiety, reduce tension 0 Valium, Xanax, Librium, Rohypnol 0 Strong addictive potential 0 Drug interactions with alcohol 21

Depressants 0 Opiates: Opium and its derivatives depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety. 0 Morphine and heroin 0 Opioids: synthetic opiates 0 Oxycontin, oxycodone 0 Used medically to relieve pain 0 Highly addictive 22

Stimulants Stimulants are drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions Caffeine 2.Nicotine 3.Cocaine 4.Ecstasy 5.Amphetamines 6.Methamphetamines

Caffeine & Nicotine Caffeine and nicotine increase heart and breathing rates and other autonomic functions to provide energy

5 Hour Energy Monster Energy Red BullRockstar Energy Caffeine215 mg160 mg TaurineN/A1,ooo mgN/A1,000 mg Vitamin B128,333%100%80%100% CarnitineN/A 25 mg.

Amphetamines Amphetamines stimulate neural activity, causing accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood. 27 National Pictures/ Topham/ The Image Works

Ecstasy Ecstasy or Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a stimulant and mild hallucinogen. It produces a euphoric high and can damage serotonin-producing neurons, which results in a permanent deflation of mood and impairment of memory. 28 Greg Smith/ AP Photos

Cocaine Cocaine induces immediate euphoria followed by a crash. Crack, a form of cocaine, can be smoked. Other forms of cocaine can be sniffed or injected. 29

Hallucinogens Hallucinogens are psychedelic (mind- manifesting) drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input. 30 Ronald K. Siegel

Hallucinogens 31 1.LSD: (lysergic acid diethylamide) powerful hallucinogenic drug (ergot fungus) that is also known as acid. 2.THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol): is the major active ingredient in marijuana (hemp plant) that triggers a variety of effects, including mild hallucinations. Hemp Plant

Drugs 32 Summary- KNOW CHART

Influences on Drug Use 33 The graph below shows the percentage of US high- school seniors reporting their use of alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine from the 70s to the late 90s.

Marijuana Use 34 The use of marijuana in teenagers is directly related to the “perceived risk” involved with the drug.