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Lesson 3

Psychoactive Drugs

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Psychoactive Drugs• Chemicals that affect the central nervous

system and alter activity in the brain– Psychoactive drugs change the functioning of the

central nervous system– Some have medical value– Lead to addiction, health problems

• Four main groups1. Stimulants

2. Depressants

3. Opiates

4. Hallucinogens

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Club Drugs• Drugs found at concerts, dance clubs,

drug parties known as raves• Designer drugs

– Synthetic drugs that are made to imitate the effects of other drugs

• Several times stronger than the drug they are meant to imitate

• Disguised in foods or slipped into drinks• Club Drugs include:

– Ecstasy, Rohypnol, GHB, Ketamine, Methamphetamine, LSD

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Ecstasy

• MDMA

• Both stimulant and hallucinogenic effects

• Hallucinogens – Drugs that alter moods, thoughts, and sense

perceptions, including vision, hearing, smell, and touch

• Gives a short-term euphoria– A feeling of intense well-being or elation

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Rohypnol

• Roofies – Sedatives that are colorless, odorless, and

tasteless

• Depressants– Drugs that tend to slow the central nervous

system

• “date-rape” drug– Criminal offense

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GHB

• Gamma hydroxybutyric acid

• CNS depressent

• Clear liquid, white powder

• Tablets or capsules

• Also a date-rape drug

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Ketamine

• Anesthetic used to treat animals

• Causes hallucinations and may result in respiratory failure

• Date-rape drug

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Methamphetamine

• “Meth”• Stimulant

– Drugs that speed up the central nervous system

• White, odorless powder that easily dissolves in alcohol or water

• Readily available because it can be made in makeshift labs

• Short term feeling of euphoria• Causes depression, paranoia, delusions

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LSD

• Acid, or lysergic acid diethylamide• Causes hallucinations severely distorted

perceptions of sound and color• Flashbacks

– States in which the drug user experiences the emotional effects of a drug long after its actual use

• Emotional experience– Ranges from extreme euphoria, to panic, to terror or

deep depression

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Stimulants• Speed up the CNS• Nicotine in tobacco• Caffeine in coffee, tea, cola, and power

drinks• “energy” or “power” drinks contain 4 to 10

times the amount of caffeine as a regular sized cola

• Other dangerous stimulants:– Cocaine, crack, amphetamines,

methamphetamines

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Cocaine

• Rapidly acting, powerful, highly addictive• Stimulant• White powder extracted from the leaves of

a coca plant• High gives s sense of confidence and

euphoria• Let down can lead to depression, fatigue,

paranoia, physiological dependence• Malnutrition and cardiac problems

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Crack

• Even more dangerous form of cocaine• Also called rock or freebase rock• Reaches the brain seconds after being smoked

or injected• Causes blood pressure and heart rate to soar• Death may be the result from cardiac or

respiratory failure• Mixing with alcohol can be deadly because both

substances together can cause liver failure

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Amphetamines

• Highly addictive

• Stimulant

• People will use them to stay alert, improve athletic performance, or to lose weight

• Easy to gain a tolerance for them

• Regular use can result in an irregular heartbeat, paranoia, aggressive behavior, and heart failure

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Depressants• Slow the CNS

• Slow heart rate

• Lower blood pressure

• Most commonly used = alcohol

• Combination of depressants can cause shallow breathing, weak or rapid pulse, coma, and death

• Barbiturates, Tranquilizers, GHB, Rohypnol

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Barbiturates

• Sedatives • Rarely used for medical purposes• Using them causes:

– Mood changes, excessive sleepiness, and coma• Similar to intoxication

• Stronger than a tranquilizer and combing them with alcohol can be fatal

• People who use them will become dependent on what they do the body

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Tranquilizers

• Relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, sleeplessness, and nervousness

• When they are overused they can cause physiological and psychological dependence, coma, and death – Illegal tranquilizer is Rohypnol

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Hallucinogens • Overload the brain’s sensory controls• Cause serious mental/emotional and physical

consequences• Alter mood, impair judgment, thoughts, and sense

perception – Example: the person may believe they are invincible

• Increase heart rate and respiratory rates, which can lead to heart and respiratory failure

• The altered mental state can last for several hours or several days

• Experience flashbacks• Examples are:

– Ecstasy, ketamine, acid (LSD), phencyclidine (PCP or angel dust), Dextromethorphan (DXM), psilocybin (mushrooms), & mescaline (peyote)

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PCP

• Angel dust

• Effects vary from user to user

• Creates a distorted sense of time, increased muscle strength, increased feelings of violence, and the inability to feel pain

• Many deaths have occurred from the use of PCP not necessarily the overuse

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DXM

• Tussin– Cough suppressant sold as an over-the-

counter medicine– The recommended dosage is not dangerous

• Overuse or misuse can cause hallucinations, paranoia, panic attacks, nausea, increased heart rate and blood pressure, seizures, and addiction

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Mushrooms and Peyote

• Psilocybin (mushrooms

• Mescaline (peyote cactus)– Hallucinogens found in nature as a fungus

and a plant– Can also cause nausea and flashbacks– Possible death do to dealers harvesting toxic

species

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Opiates• Highly addictive• Cause confusion and dull senses• Drugs such as those derived from the opium

plant that obtainable only by prescription and are used to relieve pain

• Pain reliever provided by a physician and pharmacists record all sales

• Abusing them can cause drowsiness, constipation, slow and shallow breathing, convulsions, coma and death

• Examples are:– Morphine, oxycodone, & codeine

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Codeine

• Highly addictive ingredient in some cough medicines

• Can cause:– Dizziness, labored breathing, low blood

pressure, seizures, and respiratory arrest

• CDC has issued a warning against giving medications with codeine to infants and small children because it has been linked to death

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Morphine

• Much stronger than codeine

• Prescribed for severe pain and is generally only used for a short period of time

• Side effects include:– Fast or slow heartbeat, seizures,

hallucinations, blurred vision, rashes, and difficulty swallowing

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Heroin• Processed form of morphine• It can be injected, snorted, or smoked• Comes in many forms:

– A white or brownish powder, and a black sticky tar

• Dealers might mix heroin with other medicines or household substances to create “cheese” or “cheese heroin”

• Slows breathing and pulse rate• Can cause infection of the heart lining and

valves, as well as liver disease• Large doses can cause coma and adeath

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Oxycodone

• A prescription drug that helps to relieve moderate to severe chronic pain

• Contains a strong opiate and is often referred to as the brand name OxyContin

• Side effect is:– Suppression of the respiratory system

• Cause death from respiratory failure