NAME: Marielle V.

Fallaria
Claster 8: Group 1

What is drug?
A drug is any chemical you take that affects the way your body works. Alcohol, caffeine,
aspirin and nicotine are all drugs. A drug must be able to pass from your body into your brain.
Once inside your brain, drugs can change the messages your brain cells are sending to each other,
and to the rest of your body. They do this by interfering with your brain's own chemical signals:
neurotransmitters that transfer signals across synapses.

What is the medicine?

Medicine is the science and practice of the diagnosis, treatment,
and prevention of disease. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to
maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness. Contemporary medicine
applies biomedical sciences, biomedical research, genetics, and medical technology to diagnose,
treat, and prevent injury and disease, typically through pharmaceuticals or surgery, but also
through therapies as diverse as psychotherapy, external splints and traction, medical
devices, biologics, and ionizing radiation, amongst others.

Kinds of drugs?

There are seven different drug types, and each has its own set of effects and risks:

 Stimulants
 Depressants
 Hallucinogens
 Dissociative
 Opioids
 Inhalants
 Cannabis

Stimulants

Stimulants (or “uppers”) impact the body’s central nervous system (CNS), causing the user
to feel as if they are “speeding up.” These drugs increase the user’s level of alertness, pumping
up heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and blood glucose levels.
Examples of stimulants include:

 Adderall
 Ritalin
 Synthetic Marijuana
 Cocaine
 Methamphetamine
 Ecstasy
 Caffeine

Depressants

Like stimulants, depressants also impact the body’s CNS, but with the opposite effect, making
users feel as if things are “slowing down.” Thus, they are often called “downers” on the street.

Doctors prescribe some depressants for anxiety, insomnia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and
other medical issues that prevent the sufferer from fully relaxing. These drugs often offer a
sedative experience to users, making them a tempting choice for teens who wish to escape
everyday stresses.

Examples of stimulants include:

 Rohypnol
 Barbituates
 Xanax
 Valium
 Benziodiazepines

Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens work by disrupting communication within the brain. Users report intense, rapidly
shifting emotions and perceptions of things that aren’t really there. For example, a hallucinogen
user might believe that they see a person speaking to the

Dissociatives
Dissociatives distort the user’s perception of reality, and cause users to “dissociate,” or
feel as if they are watching themselves from outside their own bodies. They may gain a false
sense of invincibility, then engage in risky behavior such as driving under the influence or unsafe
sex.

Opioids are powerful painkillers that produce a sense of euphoria in users. Derived from the
poppy plant, opioids are often prescribed by doctors to patients who are suffering from intense
pain. They are extremely habit-forming, sometimes even causing addiction in as little as three
days.

Opioids can be smoked, eaten, drank, injected or taken as pills.

Examples of opioids include:

 Heroin
 Morphine
 Hydrocodone
 Opium
 Vicodin
 Oxycontin
 Percocet
 Codeine

What Are Inhalants?

Mostly made up of everyday household items, these drugs cause brief feelings of euphoria. As
the name suggests, inhalants are always inhaled as gases or fumes. The “highs” slightly differ
from inhalant to inhalant, but most abusers are willing to huff whatever inhalant they can
acquire.
Examples of inhalants include:

 Fumes of markers, paint, paint thinner, gasoline and glue

 Nitrous oxide
 Aerosol sprays
 Room deodorizers

Risks of Inhalant Abuse

Inhalant abuse can have devastating effects, both immediate and in the long run:

 Loss of smell
 Brain damage
 Nosebleeds
 Weakness
 Euphoria
 Increased heart rate
 Loss of consciousness
 Hallucinations
 Slurred speech

What Is Cannabis?

Most commonly recognized as marijuana, cannabis acts like a hallucinogen, but also produces
depressant-like effects. It is a Schedule I drug (i.e. it has a high potential for addiction) but has
increasing medicinal uses in the United States. Still, marijuana is often abused by those who do
not medically require it.

Cannabis can be smoked, vaporized, and even eaten, if the THC is first rendered from the plant
matter. Examples of cannabis include:

 Marijuana leaves
 Hashish
 Hash oil
 Cannabis-based medicines, such as Sativex

Risks of Cannabis Abuse

Cannabis abuse can destroy lives and can have both short- and long-term impacts on users:

 Lowered immunity to illness

 Depression
 Chronic anxiety
 Reduced sperm count in men
 Sedation
 Slowed reaction times
 Enhanced senses, such as seeing brighter colors
 Impaired sense of time

The reason that people engage in activity that can become addictive in the first place is
either to achieve a feeling of euphoria or to relieve an emotional state of dysphoria—
discomfort, dissatisfaction, anxiety, or restlessness. When they drink, take drugs, or
participate in other reward-seeking behavior (such as gambling, eating, or having sex) they
experience a "high" that gives them the reward or relief they are seeking.

This high is the result of increased dopamine and opioid peptide activity in the brain's
reward circuits. But after the high they experience, there is a neurochemical rebound which
causes the reward function of the brain to drop below the original normal level. When the
activity is repeated, the same level of euphoria or relief is not achieved. Simply put, the
person never really gets as high as they did that first time.

Many of us regularly indulge in drugs of abuse, such as alcohol or nicotine. We may even
occasionally overindulge. But, in most cases, this doesn’t qualify as addiction. This is, in part,
because we manage to regain balance and choose alternative rewards like spending time with
family or enjoyable drug-free hobbies.

However, for those susceptible to excessive “wanting,” it may be difficult to maintain that
balance. Once researchers figure out what makes an individual susceptible to developing a
hyperreactive “wanting” system, we can help doctors better manage the risk of exposing a
patient to drugs with such potent addictive potential.

In the meantime, many of us should reframe how we think about addiction. Our lack of
understanding of what predicts the risk of addiction means that it could just as easily have
affected you or me. In many cases, the individual suffering from addiction doesn’t lack the
willpower to quit drugs. They know and see the pain and suffering that it creates around them.
Addiction simply creates a craving that’s often stronger than any one person could overcome
alone.

That’s why people battling addiction deserve our support and compassion, rather than the
distrust and exclusion that our society too often provides.