Drugs. Say _Know_ to

Food Vitamins Minerals Aspirin Chocolate Coffee Alcohol Nicotine

A drug is an exogenous chemical that changes consciousness or behavior. Drug Use - use without abuse Drug Abuse - use that negatively interferes with your or others life Drug Dependence - occurrence of tolerance and withdrawal

What harm (social as well as individual) does the use of drugs cause? Estimated cost in 1988 due to reduced productivity: Alcohol:33 billion dollars Other drugs:7.2 billion dollars The US has the highest prison rate in the world (1 in 180). Half are nonviolent drug offenders. Crime, Organ Damage, HIV transmission

How might drug’s harmful effects be reduced or eliminated?

Present Government Policy (medical model and war on drugs) (abstinence only) versus Harm Reduction (behavioral model and decriminalization) (abstinence and/or controlled use)

alcohol seconal (barbiturate) diazepam (benzodiazapam) GHB (gamma hydroxy buterate) opium morphine heroin Depressants: Some Opiates:

Stimulants: Some caffeine (coffee, coca cola) ephedrine (ma huang, ephedra) methamphetamine cocaine nicotine

Cocaine blocks reuptake It affects: » dopamine »norepinephrine »serotonin Acute tolerance - subsequent ‘hits’ do not feel as euphoric as the first ‘hit’. Complications - seizure, heart attack, stroke –

Cocaine Dependence 1) Crash 1-5 days of intense craving, exhaustion, and depression 2) Withdrawal weeks, consists mainly of craving and anhedonia 3) Intermittent cue dependent craving

Nicotine Nicotine is a stimulant Causes vomiting but tolerance develops quickly Decreases muscle tone Enhances alertness Increases heart rate and blood pressure 1 cigarette contains 6-8 mg. of nicotine as well as tar, and carbon monoxide nicotine is extremely addictive

Health Hazards of Smoking Tobacco Percent Dead AgeNon SmokerSmoker 554%10% 6510%28% 7525%50%

Hallucinogens: Some marijuana (sedative) psiloscybin LSD DMT mescaline

Marijuana Marijuana contains 400 chemicals 60 are cannabinoids Active component is delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC) Delta-9-THC is fat (lipid) soluble (not water soluble) Most of the 59 other cannabinoids are not active by themselves.

Marijuana Sinsemilla contains 13% to 30% THC Hash oil (solvent extracted) can contain 60% THC Fast onset but peak plasma level occurs in 30 to 60 min. Oral ingestion is less efficient because it is processed by the liver - 3 times the smoked dose for the same effect One dose can be detected 30 days later

Effects of Marijuana 1) Decreases turnover of acetylcholine in the hippocampus 2) Facilitates release of serotonin 3) Binds to endogenous anandamide (Sanskrit for bliss) receptor in the brain. Affects memory, movement, hunger, and pain Increases heart rate decreases blood pressure

Marijuana Tolerance can be demonstrated in animals but is harder to demonstrate in humans Physical dependence is unusual Likely hard on the lungs because of tar content Long history of human use (found in mummies) - used for child birth by the Egyptians Presently used in this state for MS, Pain, AIDS (reduces nausea and vomiting) and glaucoma Not advised during pregnancy (possible risk of lower birth weight and premature birth)

Some Substances are more difficult to classify (for example): MDMA 3,4,MethyleneDioxyMethAmphetamine

Other classifications that include many of the hallucinogens are: 1) Psychedelic (mind manifesting): 2) Entheogenic (revealing the God within): For example: ayahuasca ibogaine

For more information about ‘drugs’ take psych 322.