Chapter 23 Medicines and Drugs Lesson Two Drug Use-A High Risk Behavior Pgs

Substance Abuse  Substance abuse is any unnecessary or improper use of chemical substances for nonmedical purposes  Illegal drugs or street drugs are chemical substances that people of any age may not lawfully manufacture, possess, buy, or sell  Illicit drug use is the use or sale of any substance that is illegal or otherwise not permitted

Factors that Influence Decisions about Drugs  Peer Pressure  Family Members  Role Models  Media Messages  Perceptions

Health Consequences of Drug Use  Physical Consequences: can harm brain, heart, lungs, and other vital organs. An overdose is a strong, sometimes fatal reaction to taking a large amount of a drug  Mental/Emotional Consequences: drugs cloud reasoning and thinking and users lose control of their behavior and lose sight of their values  Social Consequences: substance abuse can have a negative effect on relationships with friends and family members. Teens can be expelled from school. And there are legal consequences

The Addiction Cycle  Tolerance: the body begins to need more to get the same effect  Psychological dependence: a condition in which a person believes that a drug is needed in order to feel good or to function normally  Physiological dependences: a condition in which the user has a chemical need for the drug  Addiction: a physiological or psychological dependence on a drug

Consequences for the Individual  Mental and physical health suffer because of tolerance, dependence, and addiction  Emotional health affected because of loss of control (commit crimes, suicide, etc.)  Higher risk for unsafe sex

Legal Consequences  Using, possessing, manufacturing, or selling drugs are crimes of illicit drug use  Being arrested leads to court fines and legal fees  Driving privileges suspended  Suspension from school, jail time, and probation

Consequences for Family and Friends  Drug users lose interest in activities with friends and family  Friends and family must recognize warning signs  Friends and family convince users to get help

Consequences for Babies and Children  Drugs harm developing fetuses, infants, and kids  Babies born to druggies can have birth defects, behavioral problems, and drug addiction  Some babies show withdrawal symptoms at birth  Children often neglected and abused by addicted parents  Children may have a lifetime of physical and emotional problems

Costs to Society  Drug related crime and violence  Driving under the influence  Drug control costs the U.S. $160 billion per year (lost work hours; lost productivity from jail time, accidents, and death; health costs and legal fees; law enforcement costs and insurance costs