Download Drugs - Primary Resources

Drugs
By
Afshan Hassan
Smoking
Smoking is legal in the UK at the moment.
It is associated with blocked arteries which
result in heart attacks as well as cancer of
the lungs, throat and mouth. At the very
least it leads to problems with breathing.
Smoking
The drug in tobacco is called nicotine.
Nicotine is addictive and makes you
unable to give up smoking easily once you
start.
The government is to ban smoking in
enclosed public places because it is
worried about the effect that second hand
smoke has on people working in them.
Even non-smokers can be at risk from
what is called passive smoking.
Alcohol
The use of alcohol is legal in the U.K.
In small amounts it is not as harmful as
smoking.
Alcohol makes you confident and slows
down your reactions so it makes you more
likely to take a risk and less able to cope
when things go wrong.
Heavy drinking can cause liver failure and
damage to the heart and liver as well as a
rise in blood pressure making drinkers
more likely to suffer from strokes.
Drugs
All drugs are dangerous if they are
misused.
Drugs
Drugs are chemicals which we take into
our bodies by swallowing them, by
injection, absorbing them through the skin
or by inhaling them.
Alcohol and tobacco are drugs. All drugs
effect the way that the human body
functions.
Some drugs are beneficial and help our
bodies to heal or to cope with infection.
These drugs are called medicines and we
either buy them over the counter e.g.
paracetamol or get them on prescription
from the doctor e.g. antibiotics.
Illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine or
heroine are not available to buy in shops.
Some of them can be very addictive and
cause considerable and permanent
damage to the organs of the body.
People sometimes become so addicted to
these drugs that they will turn to crime to
make enough money to buy them.
Solvents
Solvents are liquids that are used to
dissolve other substances.
Solvents
They are most commonly found in strong
glues and paint.
Inhaling solvents can have an intoxicating
effect.
Abuse of solvents is particularly
dangerous and can lead to damage of the
lungs and the brain.