Download Introduction To Drugs

DRUGS
Nov. 2015
Volume 1. Issue 1.
In This Issue

Intro to drugs

Marijuana/Coke

Coke/Meth/Heroin

Consequences

Recovery
Introduction To Drugs
A drug is, in the broadest of terms, a chemical substance that has
known biological effects on humans or other animals. Foods are generally excluded from this definition, in spite of their physiological effects on animal species.
In pharmacology, a drug is "a chemical substance used in the
treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well-being.” Pharmaceutical drugs
may be used for a limited duration, or on a regular basis for chronic
disorders.
Pharmaceutical drugs are often classified into groups of related drugs known as a drug class,
which have similar chemical structures, the same mechanism of action (i.e., bind to the same biological target), a related mode of action, and/or are used to treat the same disease. The Anatomical
Therapeutic Chemical Classification System (ATC), the most widely used drug classification system,
assigns drugs a unique ATC code, which is an alphanumeric code that assigns it to specific drug
classes within the ATC system.
Psychoactive drugs are chemical substances that affect the function of the nervous system, altering perception, mood or consciousness. Alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine are the most widely consumed psychoactive drugs worldwide. Recreational drugs are drugs that are not used for medicinal
purposes, but are instead used for pleasure. Common recreational drugs include alcohol, nicotine
and caffeine, as well as other substances such as opiates and amphetamines. Some drugs can
cause addiction and habituation and all drugs can cause side effects. Many drugs are illegal for recreational purposes and international treaties such as the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs exist
for the purpose of legally prohibiting certain substances.
Schedule I drugs are considered the most dangerous class of drugs with a high potential for
abuse and potentially severe psychological and/or physical dependence. As the drug schedule
changes-- Schedule II, Schedule III, etc., so does the abuse potential-- Schedule V drugs represents
the least potential for abuse. A Listing of drugs and their schedule are located at Controlled Substance Act (CSA) Scheduling.
1
Marijuana
Marijuana is a mind-altering (psychoactive) drug, produced by the Cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana contains over 480 constituents. THC (delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol) is believed to be the main ingredient that produces the
psychoactive effect. Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (called a joint)
or in a pipe or bong. It is also smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been
emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, sometimes in combination with
another drug. Marijuana is also mixed with foods or brewed as a tea.
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States (SAMHSA, 2014). Its use is
widespread among young people. According to a yearly survey of middle and high school students,
rates of marijuana use have steadied in the past few years after several years of increase. However, the number of young people who believe marijuana use is risky is decreasing as the graph below shows.
Prescription Drugs
The classes of prescription drugs
most commonly abused are: opioid pain
relievers, such as Vicodin® or OxyContin®; stimulants for treating Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),
such as Adderall®, Concerta®, or Ritalin®; and central nervous system
(CNS) depressants for relieving anxiety,
such as Valium® or Xanax®.1 The most commonly abused OTC drugs are cough and cold remedies containing dextromethorphan.
Cocaine/Meth/Heroin
Cocaine, also known as benzoylmethylecgonine or coke, is a strong stimulant mostly used as a
recreational drug. It is commonly snorted, inhaled, or injected into the veins. Mental effects may include loss of contact with reality, an intense feeling of happiness, or agitation. Physical symptoms
may include a fast heart rate, sweating, and large pupils. High doses can result in very high blood
pressure or body temperature. Effects begin within seconds to minutes of use and last between five
and ninety minutes. Cocaine has a small number of accepted medical uses such as numbing and
decreasing bleeding during nasal surgery.
Cocaine is addictive due to its effect on the reward pathway in the brain. After a short period of
use, there is a high risk that dependence will occur. Its use also increases the risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, lung problems in those who smoke it, blood infections, and sudden cardiac death.[9]
Cocaine sold on the street is commonly mixed with local anesthetics, cornstarch, quinine, or sugar
which can result in additional toxicity. Following repeated doses a person may have decreased ability
to feel pleasure and be very physically tired.
After cannabis, cocaine is the most frequently used illegal drug globally. Between 14 and 21 million
people use the drug each year. Use is highest in North America followed by Europe and South
America. Between one and three percent of people in the developed world use cocaine at some
point in their life. In 2013 cocaine use directly resulted in 4,300 deaths, up from 2,400 in 1990.The
leaves of the coca plant have been used by Peruvians since ancient times. Cocaine was first isolated from the leaves in 1860. Since 1961 the international Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs has
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine (also called meth, crystal, chalk, and ice, among other terms) is an extremely
addictive stimulant drug that is chemically similar to amphetamine. Methamphetamine is taken
orally, smoked, snorted, or dissolved in water or alcohol and injected. Smoking or injecting the drug
delivers it very quickly to the brain, where it produces an immediate, intense euphoria. Because the
pleasure also fades quickly, users often take repeated doses, in a “binge and crash” pattern.
Chronic methamphetamine use is accompanied by chemical and molecular changes in the brain.
Imaging studies have shown changes in the activity of the dopamine system that are associated
with reduced motor skills and impaired verbal learning. In studies of chronic methamphetamine users, severe structural and functional changes have been found in areas of the brain associated with
emotion and memory, which may account for many of the emotional and cognitive problems observed in these individuals.
Heroin
Heroin (diacetylmorphine) is derived from the morphine alkaloid found in opium and is roughly 2-3
times more potent. A highly addictive drug, heroin exhibits euphoric ("rush"), anxiolytic and analgesic central nervous system properties. Heroin is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled
Substances Act of 1970 and as such has no acceptable medical use in the United States. Pure heroin is a white powder with a bitter taste. Most illicit heroin is sold as a white or brownish powder and
is usually "cut" with other drugs or with substances such as sugar, starch, powdered milk, or quinine. It can also be cut with strychnine or other poisons. Because heroin abusers do not know the
actual strength of the drug or its true contents, they are at risk of overdose or death. Another form of
heroin known as "black tar" may be sticky, like roofing tar, or hard, like coal. Its color may vary from
dark brown to black.
Regular heroin use, tolerance develops where the abuser must use more heroin to achieve the
same intensity or effect. As higher doses are used over time, physical dependence and addiction
develop. With physical dependence, the body has adapted to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms may occur if use is reduced or stopped. Withdrawal, which in regular abusers may
occur as early as a few hours after the last administration, produces drug craving, restlessness,
muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps ("cold turkey"), kicking movements and other symptoms. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and
72 hours after the last dose and subside after about a week. Sudden withdrawal by heavily dependent users who are in poor health is occasionally fatal, although heroin withdrawal is considered
much less dangerous than alcohol or barbiturate withdrawal.
3
Consequences
Drug addiction is a brain disease. Although
initial drug use might be voluntary, drugs of
abuse have been shown to alter gene expression and brain circuitry, which in turn affect human behavior. Once addiction develops, these
brain changes interfere with an individual’s
ability to make voluntary decisions, leading to
compulsive drug craving, seeking and use.
The impact of addiction can be far reaching. Cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, HIV/AIDS,
hepatitis, and lung disease can all be affected by drug abuse. Some of these effects occur when
drugs are used at high doses or after prolonged use, however, some may occur after just one use.
More deaths, illnesses and disabilities stem from substance abuse than from any other preventable
health condition. Today, one in four deaths is attributable to illicit drug use. People who live with
substance dependence have a higher risk of all bad outcomes including unintentional injuries, accidents, risk of domestic violence, medical problems, and death.
Drug use and intoxication can impair judgment, resulting in criminal
behavior, poor anger management, and violent behavior. Sometimes
drug users steal money or property to be able to buy drugs. Often
they will commit crimes while “high” on drugs, and many drug users
are sent to jail or prison. In 2012, nearly 7 million adults were involved
with the criminal justice system (State or Federal prisons, local jails),
including nearly 5 million who were under probation or parole supervision. A 2004 survey by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) estimated that about 70 percent of State and 64 percent of Federal prisoners
regularly used drugs prior to incarceration. The study also showed
that 1 in 4 violent offenders in State prisons committed their offenses
under the influence of drugs.
Most prisoners serving time for drug-related crimes were not arrested for simple possession. Among sentenced prisoners under
State jurisdiction in 2008, 18 percent were sentenced for drug offenses and only 6 percent were incarcerated for drug possession alone.
Just over 4 percent (4.4%) were drug offenders with no prior sentences. In 2009 about half (51 percent) of Federal prisoners, who represent 13 percent of the total prison population, had a drug offense as
the most serious offense. Federal data show that the vast majority
(99.8 percent) of Federal prisoners sentenced for drug offenses were
incarcerated for drug trafficking.
Know The Facts
Illicit drug users make over
527,000 costly emergency
room visits each year for drug
related problems.
One dollar out of every $14 of
the nation's health care bill is
spent to treat those suffering
from smoking-related illnesses.
Drug offenders account for
more than one-third of the
growth in the state prison population and more than 80 percent of the increase in the
number of federal prison inmates since 1985.
More than 75 percent of domestic violence victims report
that their assailant had been
drinking or using illicit drugs at
the time of the incident.
Substance abuse and addiction are fully treatable.
Recovery
Recovery from alcohol and drug problems is a change through which
an individual achieves abstinence and improved health. When an individual is dependent on or abuses alcohol or drugs, its defined as a substance use disorder, according to RecoveryMonth.gov. Addiction is not
a helpless dilemma from which there is no return. Many inpatient and
outpatient programs are available for those individuals who have the
desire to change. Westcare is one of many facilities that are designed to
help people begin the process of recovery. The focus is on establishing
a foundation and fundamentals for a healthy life.
Hotlines
National Drug & Alcohol
treatment:
1-800 -662-HELP
Narcotics Anonymous of
Fresno:
(559) 255-5881
Westcare:
(559) 265-4800
12 step programs are another great avenue for recovery. These programs cost nothing to the individual and have the potential to be extremely helpful. The primary purpose of 12 step programs is
to help addicts develop some much needed structure in their lives. Another good thing about these
programs is the anonymity. People are free to come and go as they please because they are never
under surveillance.
My Personal Road to Recovery —by Miguel
My name is Miguel and I am an addict. My clean date is April 23, 2007. I belong to a 12 step program, have a sponsor, and live a clean life in recovery. My drug of choice was methamphetamine.
I've bee living clean from drugs and alcohol for a little over 8 years and 6 months. Every day matters
because getting clean has been the hardest thing I have had to do in my life.
I never planned to be an addict, I didn't say as a little boy "I want to grow up and use drugs everyday of my life." It progressed for me and one day it was way out of control and I could not stop.
Every moment of my existence in active addiction was all about using drugs. How could I get more
when more never seemed to be enough. Throughout this downward spiral I harmed everybody in
my path. To my friends and family it was apparent I needed help. My denial kept me sick. Jail was a
common place for me and the bitter ends included homelessness. All seemed hopeless for me and I
remember hurting so much physically and emotionally. I was bankrupt and lonely and didn't know
what to do.
Recovery for me began with 12 step meetings. I was on felony probation and meeting attendance
was part of my conditions set by a judge. At the meetings I met a man whom I asked to sponsor me.
A sponsor is a person who helps you work the steps. Through these beginnings I made the honest
admission that I was an addict and I needed help. This admission brought some freedom into my
life. I no longer had to hide. I felt at home with other addicts who were living clean. They shared
they're lives openly and freely. This gave me hope. Recovery has been a constant self exploration
of myself. It is best described as a continuous uphill journey. I love the opportunity to revise old beliefs and grow in faith. Recovery is best when kept simple. I don't pick up drugs or alcohol no matter
what. I use the suggestions of the program. We live clean, one day at a time. Today through recovery my life is much better and the future seems promising. Thank God.
Sources:
Recoverygateway.org
Drugabuse.gov
WebMD.com
National Institute of Drug Abuse
Addictions.com
Drugs.com
6