Substance Abuse 8th Grade Health

What are Drugs? Drug – Is any chemical substance that causes a change in a person’s physical or psychological state Medicine – is any drug that is used to cure, or prevent, or treat illness or discomfort. Prescription Medicine – medicine that can be bought only with a written order from a doctor. Over-the-counter medicine – is any medicine that can be bought without a prescription. Side effect – is any effect that is caused by a drug that is different from the drug’s intended effect.

Ways Drugs enter the body Ingestion – swallowed Inhaled – breathing in fumes Injected – through needle Absorbed – through the skin

Drug Abuse and Addiction Drug Addiction – is the uncontrollable use of a drug. Dependence – means needing the drug in order to function properly. Physical dependence – is the body’s chemical need for a drug. Psychological dependence – is a person’s emotional or mental need for a drug. Tolerance – is the body’s ability to resist the effects of a drug. Withdrawal – is the process that occurs when a addicted person stops taking a drug. Overdose - is taking more of a drug than a person’s body can safely process.

Public service Announcement group activity: Create a public service announcement that warns young people of the dangers of drug abuse and addiction. Your announcement should include descriptions of physical dependence, psychological dependence, and withdrawal. Be sure your announcement is attention-grabbing and informative You can create a poster, radio advertisement, or an item with your message printed on it.(ex. T-shirt, Billboard, bumper sticker etc..) Your final product will be presented to the class by your group

Stimulants Stimulants – are drugs that increase the body’s activity. Stimulants cause your heart rate and breathing to speed up Example of a legal Stimulant: Caffeine – can be found in tea, coffee, some soft drinks, and chocolate. Examples of illegal Stimulants: Cocaine and Crack Cocaine – are a powerful stimulants that are produced from the coca plant, a plant that is native to South America. Methamphetamine – is synthetic which means that it is made in a laboratory. Cocaine and Methamphetamine are extremely addictive and have effects of euphoria and cause extreme damage to the body!!! Some of their effects are heart attacks ,stroke, brain damage, liver damage, kidney damage, and even death.

Depressants Depressants – cause your heart rate and breathing to slow down and your blood pressure to drop. Types of depressants: Tranquilizers – mild depressants used to treat anxiety Barbiturates – strong depressants used to treat sleep disorders and seizures. Hypnotics – extremely powerful depressants that can cause sleep, loss of muscle control, and loss of memory. Abusing depressant can be very dangerous. Depressants can be very addictive, and a overdose can cause coma, brain damage, or death.

Common Depressants Drug Type of Depressant Effects Valium (diazepam) tranquilizer Relaxes muscles; reduces anxiety, causes drowsiness Seconal (secobarbital) barbiturate causes drowsiness and sleep; affects mood and coordination; can be very addictive Rohypnol (flunitrazepam) hypnotic Severely impairs judgment and muscle control; causes slurred speech, drowsiness and memory loss

Marijuana Marijuana – is the dried leaves and flowers of the cannabis (KAN uh BIS) plant Marijuana produces a wide range of effects, which can differ from person to person. Some users experience depressant like effects while others experience stimulant like effects. Examples of some of marijuana’s effects. Mild euphoria Distortion of time and distance Reduced energy and coordination Increased sensitivity to sights and sounds Increased appetite Decreased memory Reaction time slower Can cause user to do poorly in school or work Can cause lung cancer, emphysema and circulatory problems THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the active chemical substance in marijuana

Opiates Opiate - any drug produced from the milk of the opium poppy. Prescription Opiates: Prescription opiates are used to treat pain, coughs, and intestinal problems. Even though these drugs are sold legally, they can still cause addiction. Heroin – may be the most powerful and addictive opiate that exist. Heroin is a drug made from morphine. The most popular and most dangerous way to take heroin is by injection. Effects: Euphoria, sleepiness, warm feeling in the skin, shallow breathing, and nausea. Dangers: Opiates are very addictive and may be one of the hardest addictions to break. Opiate users often develop a tolerance. This tolerance increases the risk of an overdose.

Hallucinogens Hallucinogens – is any drug that causes a person to hallucinate. To Hallucinate is to see or hear thing that are not really there. Flash back – is an event in which a hallucination’s effects happen again long after the drug was originally taken. Common Hallucinogens : LSD Magic Mushrooms (shrooms) PCP (angel dust) Mescaline Some of the effects of hallucinogens are euphoria, inability to judge time or distance, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, nausea, and feeling of super human power. Dangers : dependence, flashbacks, increased blood pressure and heart rate, violent thinking, psychosis, memory loss, brain damage, coma, and death

Inhalants An Inhalant is any drug that is inhaled and absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs. Common Inhalants are household cleaners, spray paint, some glues, and gasses such as freon and nitrous oxide. Effects of Inhalants: Hallucinations, lack of coordination, distortion of time and distance and difficulty speaking and thinking. Inhalants can replace the oxygen flowing to your brain, cause the brain cells to die, and can cause immediate death.

Designer Drugs Designer Drug – is a drug that is produced by making a small chemical change to a drug that already exist. Examples of Designer Drugs: Ecstacy – (MDMA) is a mind altering drug that was created from the stimulant methamphetamine. GHB – is a drug made from the anesthetic GBL, a common ingredient in pesticides. Ketamine – is a powerful drug that is closely related to the hallucinogen PCP( angel dust). Ketamine is used most often during surgery on people or animals.