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Psychoactive Drugs
Chapter 26, lesson 2
Health Terms
• Psychoactive drugs
• Stimulants
• Paranoia
• Euphoria
• Depressants
• Narcotics
• Hallucinogens
Health Concepts
• Psychoactive drugs affect the CNS and interfere with the normal
functioning of the brain.
• Some psychoactive drugs have medicinal value whereas others do
not, though all can b misused and abused.
• Misused or abused psychoactive drugs can have dangerous effects on
the health of lives of their users.
WHAT IS A PSYCHOACTIVE DRUG?
• Chemicals that affect the central nervous system and interfere with
the normal function of the brain.
FOUR MAIN TYPES OF PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS:
• Have medicinal use when properly used:
• Stimulants
• Depressants
• Narcotics
• Has no medicinal uses:
• Hallucinogens
• When abused, any of these drugs can lead to serious health problems
and even death.
STIMULANTS
• Drugs that speed up the central nervous system.
• Commonly abused: amphetamines, methamphetamine, cocaine, nicotine
and caffeine.
• Stimulants cause increased heart and respiratory rates, high blood
pressure, dilated pupils, and decreased appetite.
• Users may also experience sweating, headaches, blurred vision, dizziness
and sleeplessness.
• Psychological effects include: moodiness, restlessness, and anxiety.
• Chronic users can experience hallucinations, delusion, and paranoia
(irrational suspiciousness or distrust of others). These symptoms disappear
when drug use ceases.
Amphetamines
• Act as stimulants (speeds up) to that of the sympathetic nervous system.
• During WWII, both US and German troops were given to keep them awake
and alert.
• Used illegally to stay awake, alert, improve athletic performance, lose
weight, and offset effects of depressant drugs.
• Used for a temporary high and euphoria (feeling of intense well-being or
elation that may be followed by a complete crash or letdown). Effects last
8-24 hours.
• These temporary highs come at a cost physically and mentally. Once the
craving begins, it may not go away.
• Tolerance to amphetamines can easily develop.
• Two commonly prescribed: Ritalin and Adderall.
Methamphetamine
• Amphetamines that has been medically used to treat certain diseases:
Parkinson’s and obesity.
• Also referred to as: crank, speed, or ice (crystal meth).
• May cause a person to turn paranoid, delusional, hallucinogenic, or even
violent. Heavy abusers may go 3-5 days without sleep increasing side
effects.
• Crank is a synthetic drug. Can be smoked, snorted, injected or swallowed.
Given the name crank by motorcycle gangs who would hide the drug in the
crankshaft of their bikes.
• Long lasting effects however typically taken throughout the day at 2-4 hour
intervals.
Cocaine
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White powder made from South American coca bush.
Rapid acting and powerful.
Effects can last 20 min – several hours.
High (confidence) followed by letdown.
Common side effects: depression, edginess, weight loss, physiological
dependence.
• Commonly snorted. Repeated use can cause tissue damage in the nose.
• Can also be injected.
• Abusers typically use the drug in the evening rather than daytime taking it
in a continuous fashion until all the cocaine has been used.
Crack
• Form of cocaine that can be smoked.
• Preparing or processing crack (lump or rock form) can be extremely
dangerous. Explosion and fire are possible.
• Extremely addictive.
• Effects felt within seconds.
• Users may experience a sore throat, hoarseness, and lung damage.
• Use can cause death by cardiac or respiratory failure.
• Extremely addictive and extremely dangerous.
DEPRESSANTS aka Sedatives
• Sedative drugs that tend to slow down the central nervous system.
• Alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers, anti-anxiety medications
• Relax muscles, relieve feelings of tension and worry, and bring on
sleep.
• They slow down the heart and respiration while also reducing blood
pressure.
Barbiturates
• Sedative-hypnotic drug: drug that induces sleepiness.
• Can result in mood changes, more sleep that normal, or even a coma.
• Rarely used for medical purposes (seizures)
• Used illegally to produce similar effects of intoxication
• Combined with alcohol, barbiturates can prove deadly.
• Street names for some barbiturates: barbs, downers, goofballs. More
specifically: yellow jackets, blue angels, red birds.
Tranquilizers
• Reduce muscular activity, coordination, and attention span.
• Anti-anxiety drugs: valium, Ativan, xanax
• Used medically to relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, sleeplessness, and
nervousness.
NARCOTICS
• Drugs derived from the opium plant that have a sedative effect.
• Morphine, heroin, opium itself, and codeine.
• Include medicines used to relive pain.
• Cause drossiness and can result in physiological dependence (VERY
addictive!)
Morphine
• Found in opium.
• 10 x stronger than raw opium.
• Commonly used in hospitals to reduce severe pain.
• It can also act as an appetite suppressant and cause severe
constipation.
• Injected.
Codeine
• Weaker cousin to morphine.
• Also derived from opium.
• Very addictive!
Heroin
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Made from morphine and has no accepted medical use in the US.
Illegal drug. 3x stronger than morphine.
Tolerance develops quickly.
Injected (danger of hepatitis/HIV)
Withdrawal is very painful.
Heroin use in Summit County is also on the rise. From October 2013 to
October 2014, 56 people reportedly died of heroin overdose, compared to
40 from October 2012 to 2013.
• Heroin numbers have steadied in 2015 but fentanyl use, a powerful
prescription painkiller up to 25 times more potent than heroin is on the
rise.
HALLUCINOGENS
• Schizophrenia like
• Drugs that alter moods, thoughts, and sense perceptions, including
vision, hearing, smell, and touch.
• PCP, LSD, and Ecstacy
• LSD commonly associated with hippies/Psychedelic Era
PCP
• Phencyclidine/Angel Dust
• Synthetic
• Considered to be one of the most dangerous of all drugs.
• Makes users feel distant and detached from their surroundings.
• Time seems to pass slow, body movements slow, muscle coordinated
is impaired, and sensations of touch and pain are dulled.
• Users feel strong and powerful often leading to tragic deaths, serious
accidents and violence.
• Drowning/Fire examples
LSD
• Lysergic Acid Diethylamide
• Commonly referred to as acid
• Tablet, capsule and sometimes liquid – colorless, tasteless, odorless.
• Effects are unpredictable
• False sense of security and power (train/fly)
• Panic, anxiety, or accidental suicide.
Steroids & Other Dangerous
Drugs
Chapter 26 Lesson 3
Health Terms
• Marijuana
• Hashish
• Inhalants
• Designer drugs
• Look-alike drugs
Health Concepts
• The damaging effects of anabolic steroids far outweigh their
perceived athletic benefits.
• Marijuana and other psychoactive drugs have the properties and risks
of hallucinogens, stimulants, and depressants.
• Inhalants are not meant for human consumption and can be deadly
the first time they are abused.
Anabolic Steroids
• Synthetic derivatives of male testosterone.
• Used for muscle enhancement.
• Side effects: anger/roid rage, high blood pressure, increased body
hair, liver damage, heart disease, acne, depression, decreased sperm
production, decreased testicle size, and increase in breast size
(females take on male physical traits).
• Risks far outweigh positives.
• Illegal.
Cannabis Derivatives
• Cannabis is scientific name for the hemp plant, which is used as an
illegal drug in two forms
• Marijuana – cannabis that is smoked, eaten, or drunk for intoxicating
effects.
• Hashish or “hash” – dark brown resin collected from the tops of the
cannabis plant. Usually sold in small brown chunks and smoked in a
pipe.
Physical & Psychological Effects of Cannabis
• Cannabis acts as both a depressant and a stimulant.
• Despite widespread misconception that people who use cannabis products still
seem to act normal, it alters senses, coordination, and reaction time.
• Drug lowers body temp but increases heart rate and blood pressure.
• Stimulates appetite.
• Some people may become talkative while others become quiet and withdrawn.
• Regular users generally lack willpower, motivation, lack of energy.
• Drivers under the influence react slower and make more accident causing
mistakes than drivers who are not under the influence.
• Regular use lowers level of testosterone and decreases sperm production.
• Can cause stillbirths if used during pregnancy.
Inhalants
• Substances with breathable fumes that are sniffed and inhaled to give
a hallucinogenic or mind-altering high.
• Glue, spray paints, aerosols, lighter fluid, and gasoline.
• Nitrous oxide
• Depressant
• Effects: nausea, sneezing, coughing, nosebleeds, fatigue, lack of
coordination, and loss of appetite.
• Heavy use can result in liver, kidney, and brain damage.
Designer & Look-Alike Drugs
• Designer drug – synthetic substances meant to imitate the effects of
narcotics and hallucinogens.
• Ecstacy, - chemical composition similar to that of meth.
• Short term euphoria can result in confusion, depression, paranoia, psychosis,
and long term brain damage.
• Can be up to several times stronger than the drugs they are meant to imitate.
• Look a like drugs – drugs made so as to physically resemble specific
illegal drugs.
• Never know what you’re getting.
• Speed might contain high doses of caffeine and cold medicines.
• Sometimes sugar substitutes are used in capsules and sold as an illegal drug –
at a huge profit.
Homework: Read Lesson 4 (591-595)
• Quiz tomorrow