1. Drugs What is a Drug? A substance(s) that influences physical and/or psychological change in the body.

2. Benefits To Drugs OTC= Over The Counter: Colds, Fever, Headache, Body Pain. Cancer: these drugs affect the rapid growth of cancer cells and destroys them. Heart Transplants: Prevents rejection and hemorrhaging during surgery. Pain Relief: headaches, body aches, codeine, morphine, etc.

3. Why Do People Use Drugs Illegally? 1. Biological: Medicines for disease, genetics, levels of neurotransmitters. 2. Social: Peer pressure, role models. 3. Psychological: How needs are being met; cope with life; crisis management, and stress.

4. Addict vs. Normal Individual Addict: The drug is the center of an addicts life. The addict can’t function without the drug in their system. Individual: The “self” is the center of an individuals life. They are more concerned about their life goals then drugs.

5. Who is responsible for the safety of drug use? Individual Person- YOU! Drug Companies FDA Media Pharmacy Federal Government Laws and Police

6. Government Intervention 3 major laws passed concerning drug use. 1. 1906: Food & Drug Act- Regulation of safety for human use. 2. 1914: Harrison Narcotics Act- Improved record keeping for sale & use of depressant drugs. 3. 1986: Drug Free American Act- Banned the sale, manufacturing, possession, and trafficking of controlled substances.

7. How Do Drugs Get Into The Body. Oral Ingestion ( most common method) Injection (Longest duration) Snorting (Quickest High) Inhalation Absorption –Transdermal (through the skin) –Buccal ( between the cheek and gum)

8. What happens in the body with the cycle of the “high”? Rush: The rush is the initial response to the drug. High: The user feels aggressively smarter than others and becomes argumentative, sometimes violent. Pleasure results from an explosive release of dopamine in the brain. Binge: A continuation of the high by using more drugs.

9. Drug cycle continued… Tweaking: This occurs at the end of the binge when nothing the user does will take away the feeling of emptiness and anxiety. Tweaking is very uncomfortable. Crash: The user energy has been completely depleted and he or she sleeps very deeply. (hours- days at a time) Normal: After the crash, the abuser returns to normal, a state that is slightly deteriorated from the normal state before use.