Drugs in Perspective

Definitions  drug- any substance that alters one’s ability to function emotionally, physically, intellectually, financially, or socially.  psychoactive drug- any substance that has the capability of altering mood, perception, or behavior.

Use, misuse, abuse  drug use- using a legal drug the way in which it was intended  drug misuse- intentionally and inappropriately using a legal drug in ways it was not intended  drug abuse- the intentional and inappropriate use of a drug resulting in physical, emotional, financial, intellectual, or social consequences for the user.

Dangerous Drugs Rank the list of drugs from least dangerous to most dangerous: heroin Ecstasy heroin Ecstasy cocaine marijuana cocaine marijuana alcohol codeine alcohol codeine nicotine methamphetamine nicotine methamphetamine nitrous oxide PCP nitrous oxide PCP caffeine aspirin caffeine aspirin muscle relaxants opium muscle relaxants opium LSD rohypnol LSD rohypnol DXM DXM

Good drugs vs. bad drugs A good drug is a drug that……. A bad drug is a drug that…… Drug use is considered socially unacceptable when…….

Reasons for drug use  Why do people use drugs?  Why do teenagers use drugs?

Reasons for drug use  Experimentation  Pleasure/escape from boredom  Peer influence  Spiritual purposes  Stress relief  Self-discovery  Social interaction  Rebelliousness

Patterns of drug taking  Experimental use  Social-recreational use  Circumstantial-situational use  Intensified use  Compulsive use

Factors influencing drug effects  age  gender  dosage  purity- quality of a drug; non- contamination  potency- drug’s ability to produce an effect  drug interactions

Factors influencing drug effects  Tolerance- need more drug to get same effect  set- psychological state, personality, and expectations of the user  setting- physical and social environment  route of administration

Routes of administration  oral ingestion  injection (intravenous, subcutaneous, or intramuscular)  absorption  inhalation

Drug classifications  Categorize the types of drugs into their appropriate drug classification: Stimulants, depressants, cannabis, hallucinogens Stimulants, depressants, cannabis, hallucinogens  How do each of these drug classifications affect our central nervous system?

Drug classifications  Stimulants- increase central nervous system  Depressants- decrease central nervous system  Narcotics - (opiates, analgesics) relieve pain  Hallucinogens- distort senses  Cannabis- qualities of depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens

JOURNAL Entry: Perceptions of use  What percentage of your peers use alcohol at least once a month?  Marijuana?  Tobacco?  Other drugs?  How do perceptions of drug use influence behaviors?