Chapter 23 Medicines and Drugs Lesson Four Psychoactive Drugs Pgs

Psychoactive Drugs  Psychoactive drugs are chemicals that affect the central nervous system and alter activity in the brain  Some psychoactive drugs are used for medicinal value under a doctor’s supervision  There are four main groups: stimulants, depressants, narcotics, and hallucinogens

Stimulants  Stimulants are drugs that speed up the central nervous system.  Some stimulants have medical uses (such as those that control hyperactivity)  Cocaine, crack, amphetamines, and methamphetamines are the most dangerous stimulants

Cocaine (Snow, Flake, Blow, Candy, Rock)  Cocaine is a white powder extracted from the leaves of the coca plant (Benzoylmethyl Ecgonine)  Users experience a feeling of confidence and euphoria  Effects can last from 20 min to several hours

Cocaine  Regular use can lead to depression, fatigue, paranoia, and dependence  Can cause malnutrition and cardiac problems  When snorted, it can collapse the nasal septum  When injected, users can contract HIV or hepatitis B from infected needles  Overdosing can result in cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, seizures, and death

Crack Cocaine  Crack is an even more dangerous form of cocaine (cocaine + hydrochloride)  In its pure form, it reaches the brain in seconds after being smoked or injected  Provides a short, but intense euphoria  Once in the blood, the heart rate and blood pressure soars which can lead to cardiac or respiratory failure

Amphetamines (Benzedrine) (Speed, Bennies, Black Beauties, Uppers)  Amphetamines are found in prescription medicines to reduce fatigue and suppress appetite  Some people use amphetamines illegally to stay awake, lose weight, or improve athletic performance  Regular use can result in twitching, irregular heartbeat, paranoia, and heart damage

Methamphetamine (Speed, Meth, Chalk, Ice, Crystal, Crank)  Meth is made from ephedrine, found in common cold/allergy medicines  Medically it is used to treat certain diseases and obesity  It is a white odorless powder easily dissolved in alcohol or water  It can provide a 12 hour euphoria. People feel confident, courageous, tireless, and invincible  Regular use can result in depression, paranoia, damage to the CNS, increased heart rate, damage to brain cells, and death

Depressants (Flunitrazepan)  Depressants are sedatives that tend to slow down the central nervous system  Depressants relax muscles, relieve feelings of tension and worry, and cause drowsiness  Depressants include alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers, rohypnol, and GHB

Barbiturates (Barbituric Acid)  Barbiturates are drugs that induce sleepiness  They may be prescribed for medical purposes  They are used illegally to produce a feeling of intoxication  When combined with alcohol they can result in death

Tranquilizers (Phenothiazines & Benzodiazapines)  Tranquilizers are depressants that reduce muscular activity, coordination, and attention span.  They are prescribed by doctors to relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, sleeplessness, and nervousness.  When overused, physiological and psychological dependence occurs  Withdrawal causes severe shaking, coma, or death

Rohypnol (Flunitrazepan) (Date-Rape Drug)  Rohypnol is a club drug and is ten times stronger than tranquilizers  It looks like an aspirin tablet and dissolves easily into soft drinks  Victims often wake up with no recollection of what happened in the previous hours

GHB Gammahydroxy Butyric Acid  GHB is produced naturally & synthetically  Also used in date-rape crimes  It is a club drug available as a clear liquid, white powder, or tablet and capsule form  The drug leaves the bloodstream quite quickly making it difficult for emergency room personnel to determine that an overdose occurred

Narcotics  Narcotics are specific drugs obtainable only by prescription and are used to relieve pain  Opium, morphine, oxycontin, codeine, and heroin are narcotics  Narcotics cause euphoria, drowsiness, constipation shallow breathing, convulsions, coma, and death  They are highly addictive

Opium  From the opium poppy  Ancient civilizations used opium for medicine and rituals  Used for pain relief and euphoria  Contains the alkaloid used to make morphine, codeine, and heroin  Highly addictive  Can cause constipation, respiratory problems, seizure, and coma

Morphine (Opium Alkaloid)  Made from opium  Used medically as a severe pain reliever  High potential for addiction and tolerance  Health risks include fatigue, anxiety, muscular/bone aches and pains, tremors, heart attack, and stroke

Codeine (Opium Alkaloid)  Made from opium  Prescribed for mild to moderate pain relief  Treats cough, sore throat, and irritable bowel syndrome  High doses = euphoria  Can cause physical dependence  Health risks include constipation, nausea, chills, pain, & respiratory depression

Heroin  Heroin is a processed form of morphine that is injected, snorted, or smoked  Used in UK for acute and agonizing pain  Heroin depresses the CNS and slows breathing and pulse  Users experience euphoria, relaxation,  Abuse can cause infection of the heart lining and valves  Pneumonia, HIV, and hepatitis B can result from the use of infected needles  Withdrawal can be very painful

Hallucinogens  Hallucinogens are drugs that alter moods, thoughts, and sense perceptions including vision, hearing, smell, and touch.  Hallucinogens include PCP, LSD, and Ketamine

PCP (Phencyclidine)  PCP is considered one of the most dangerous drugs  Effects include distorted sense of time and space, increased muscle strength, and inability to feel pain  Results in aggressive and violent behaviors  Overdoses of PCP can cause death, but death usually occurs because of the destructive behavior of people using PCP (e.g. burning in a fire because they don’t feel pain)

LSD  LSD is a strong hallucinogen and can distort perceptions of sound and color  Inanimate objects seem lifelike  Risk of convulsions, coma, heart and lung failure, and death  Users experience emotions ranging from euphoria to extreme panic and depression

Ketamine  Ketamine is an anesthetic used for medical purposes (usually treats animals)  Ketamine is misused as a club drug, and is sold as a white powder to be snorted or injected. Sometimes it is combined with marijuana or tobacco  It causes hallucinations and may result in death by respiratory failure

Ecstasy and Other Dangerous Drugs (Designer Drugs)  Designer drugs are synthetic substances meant to imitate the effects of hallucinogens and other dangerous drugs  Designer drugs vary in potency and strength and can be 100 times stronger than the drug that they are imitating

Ecstasy (MDMA)  Ecstasy is a combination stimulant and hallucinogen  Creates euphoria, emotional excitement, and enhances sense of touch  Causes confusion, depression, paranoia, psychosis, and long- term damage to brain cells  Results in tremors, paralysis, heart attack, and irreversible brain damage

Consequences of Drug Use  Drugs play a role in unsafe situations and negative consequences  Drug use leads to poor judgment which puts teens at risk for unintentional injuries, motor vehicle accidents, violence, STD’s, unplanned pregnancies, and suicide  The best way to avoid drugs is to avoid places where drugs are used