DRUG USEBy

Mohammad OmerFA12-BS(BA)-026

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology

Drug Use There are two main use of drug.

1. Psychoactive Drugs2. Addictive Drugs

Psychoactive Drugs &Addictive drugs

Psychoactive Drugs A psychoactive drug or psychotropic

substance is a chemical substance that acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, mood, consciousness and behavior.

Consciousness and Unconsciousness

What are some of the most common psychoactive drugs?

Sedative hypnotics and anxiolytics (anti-anxiety drugs) Stimulants

Sedative hypnotics and anxiolytic This is also known as mild tranquilizers. Sedative drugs which produce sedation,

calm and quietness in the patient. Hypnotics drugs which produce sleep

that resembles normal sleep. Anxiolytic drugs which reduce anxiety

and cause calm and quietness in the patient.

Stages from anxiety to deathAnxiety→ Drowsiness→ Hypnosis→ Anaesthesia→ Coma→ Death

The most common drugs of sedative hypotics and anxiolytic are:AlcoholBarbituratesBenzodiazepines

Alcohol The drug alcohol, to be specific ethanol,

is a central nervous system depressant with a range of adverse effect.

Alcohol starts to affect the brain within five minutes of being consumed.

The BAC peaks about 30-45 minutes after one standard drink is consumed.

The effects of alcohol vary depending on a number of factors including:

type and quantity of alcohol consumed age, weight and gender body chemistry food in the stomach drinking experience situation in which drinking occurs mental health status other health conditions made worse by

alcohol.

Effect on BehaviorStages BAC Likely Effects

Feeling of well-being Up to .05 g% •Talkative•Relaxed•More confident

Some raised risk .05-.08 g% •Talkative•Acts and feels self-•Confident•Judgment andmovement impaired•Inhibitions reduced 

Moderately raised state .08-.15 g% •Speech slurred•Balance and coordination impaired•Reflexes slowed•Visual attention impaired•Unstable emotions•Nausea, vomiting 

Stages BAC Likely EffectsVery elevated risk 15-.30 g% •Unable to walk

without help•Apathetic, sleepy•Laboured breathing•Unable to remember events•Loss of bladder control•Possible loss of consciousness 

Death Over .30 g% •Coma•Death

Barbiturate Barbiturates are a class of drugs derived from

barbituric acid that act as depressants to the  central nervous system. These drugs are frequently used for medical reasons as sedatives or anesthetics.

These drugs also affect the CNS in several different ways and can produce effects ranging from mild sedation to a coma depending upon the dosage.

Low doses of barbiturates can lower anxiety levels and relieve tension, while higher doses can decrease the heart rate and blood pressure.

Examples of Barbiturates Allobarbital Amobarbital Barbital Pentobarbital Phenobarbital Secobarbita

Benzodiazepines This medication is used to relieve

nervousness and tension or improve sleep disturbances. It is also used to relieve symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

Take with food or milk if stomach upset occurs. Take exactly as prescribed. Do not increase your dose or take more often than prescribed.

Stimulants Stimulants are  psychoactive drug which induce temporary improvements

in either mental or physical functions or both.

Examples of these kinds of effects may include enhanced alertness, wakefulness, and locomotion, among others.

Stimulants are used both individually and clinically for therapeutic purpose.

Examples include cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, nicotine, and MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), better known as “Ecstasy.”

Cocaine Cocaine comes in two forms. Powder

cocaine is a hydrochloride salt, made from the leaf of the coca plant.

“Crack” is a smoke able form of cocaine that is processed with ammonia or baking soda and water, and heated to remove the hydrochloride.

In 1800s, psychoanalyst  Sigmund Freud advocated the use of

cocaine as a therapeutic treatment for psychological disorders, but after realized the addictive properties of the drug.

During the early 1900s, cocaine was legal in the U.S. and could be found in many over-the-counter medications.

Caffeine Caffeine is the most widely used

psychoactive drug in the world, found in coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate candy, and soft drinks.

Caffeine has several positive effects such as increasing energy and mental alertness, heavy use can cause symptoms such as anxiety and insomnia.

Caffeine is physically addictive, and withdrawal symptoms can include headaches, fatigue, and irritability.

Amphetamines The name amphetamine comes from the

chemical name alpha-methylphenethylamine. Amphetamines are drugs which stimulate the

CNS (central nervous system) - they are psychostimulant drugs.

when overused they can be psychologically and physically addictive. As well as giving the user an enhanced feeling of wakefulness and focus, they also reduce appetite.

Immediate effects Depending on how amphetamines are

taken, the effects may be felt immediately (through injecting or smoking) or within 30 minutes (if snorted or swallowed).

Amphetamines can also be abused—that is, used in a way or for a purpose other than as prescribed (e.g., crushed and snorted, "to get high") or used by someone without a prescription.

Nicotine Nicotine is considered one of the three most widely

used psychoactive drugs in the world. During the early to mid-twentieth century, smoking

was considered fashionable. Reports of the adverse health consequences have

led to cigarette use being increasingly shunned. However, the Substance Abuse And Mental Health

Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that approximately 66.5 million Americans over the age of 12 (or 29 percent of the population) used a nicotine containing product in 2001.

Addictive Drugs Drug addiction is a dependence on an illegal

drug or a medication. When you're addicted, you may not be able to control your drug use and you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes.

Drug addiction can cause an intense craving for the drug. You may want to quit, but most people find they can't do it on their own.

Affected user

By addictive drugs user may dependent.

Physiological dependence Psychological dependence

Physiological dependency Physical dependence refers to a state

resulting from chronic use of a drug that has produced tolerance and where negative physical symptoms of withdrawal result from abrupt discontinuation or dosage reduction.

Physical dependence can develop from low-dose therapeutic use of certain medications such as benzodiazepines, opioids, antiepileptics and antidepressants, as well as misuse of recreational drugs such as alcohol, opioids and benzodiazepines.

Psychological dependency

Psychological dependence is a "need" for a particular substance because of the mental and psychological affects it produces.

There is the relief of anxiety, the seeking of elation, the avoidance of depression, and the relief of pain.