Drugs are bad, man!

5 Historical themes of drug use

• 1. A basic need for human beings to cope with their environment

• 2. A susceptible brain chemistry that can be affected by psychoactive drugs.

• 3. Business and government involvement in growing, manufacturing distributing, taxing and prohibiting drugs.

Part deux

• 4. Technological advances in refining and synthesizing drugs.

• 5. Development of more efficient and faster methods of putting drugs in the body.

Classification by Effects

• A practical way of classifying substances is to distinguish them by their effects. Thus the terms “uppers” for stimulants, “downers” for depressants, and “all arounders” for psychedelics have been chosen to describe most commonly abused psychoactive drugs.

What is a psychoactive drug?

• Any substance that directly alters the normal functioning of the central nervous system.

Major Drugs- Uppers

• Uppers, central nervous system stimulants, include cocaine, speed, diet pills, ritalin, MDMA nicotine and caffeine.

Physical effects

• Stimulation of the nervous system, creating energized muscles, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, insomniaand decreased appetite.

Mental/Emotional effects

• Small doses make some feel more confident, outgoing and excited. Larger doses can cause anxiety, paranoia, anhedonia and mental confusion.

Downers (depressants) are divided into 4 categories

• 1. Opiates-opium, morphine, codeine, heroin and others.

• 2. Sedatives-Xanax, Valium etc.

Part deux

• 3. Alcohol-Beer, lite beer, wine, wine coolers, the hard stuff and mixed drinks.

• 4. Others. Antihistamines, muscle relaxants

Physical Effects

• Small doses of downers slow heart rate and respiration, relax muscles, decrease coordination, induce sleep and dull the senses.

• Excessive drinking or sedative use can slur speech and cause digestive problems.

• Large doses or prolonged use can cause sexual dysfunction.

Mental/Emotional Effects

• Initially small doses act like stimulants because they lower inhibitions but the depressant effect begins to dominate, relaxing and dulling the mind.

Just say no!

• Strong stimulants can also cause jitteriness,anger, aggressiveness. Frequent use over a period of a few days will deplete the body’s energy chemicals and exhaust the user.

Hallucinogens

• Drugs which cause an altered perception and feeling-changing how the brain perceives time, reality and the user’s environment.

• Regions of the brain that are responsible for coordination, hearing and sight are impacted

• User may hear/see/feel things that do NOT exist.

Brief history of drugs

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIWwHjm-F_o

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieeYM8ydrRs