Upper, Downers & All Arounders

Chapter 1

Today & Tomorrow

Five Themes of Drug Use

1. Humans have a basic need to cope with their environment

• Found that certain plants would ease:• Anxiety• Reduce pain• Treat illnesses• Give pleasure• Allow them to communicate with Gods

Five Themes of Drug Use

2. Human brain is affected by drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness– Affects the primitive or old part of brain that controls

emotions– Natural physiological functions such as breathing &

heart rate– Emotional Memories– Sensory perceptions– Physical and emotional pain– Instincts– Reasoning and memory of new brain “neocortex”

Five Themes of Drug Use

3. Governments and Businesses involvement in cultivating, manufacturing, distribution, taxing and prohibition

– Struggle to control supply of drugs– Use of opium by medicine men in ancient

Sumeria for secret medicines– Pharaohs in ancient Egypt gave beer to

slaves as an incentive to build pyramids– Monopolization of Coca leaf production by

Conquistadors in Peru to increase tax revenues for spain

Five Themes of Drug Use

Governments and Businesses (continued)– Exportation and excise taxes on whiskey,

hemp and tobacco to finance the American Revolution

– Sale of opium to China by Britain, France & Japan to support their colonies

– Growing and smuggling opium in Afghanistan to support insurgent activities

– Prohibition or restriction of alcohol, tobacco, opium and other drugs by many countries to control excessive drug use.

Five Themes of Drug Use

4. Technological Advances in refining and synthesizing drugs to increase their potency.

– Distilling alcohol (Arabia, 10th century)– Refining morphine from opium (Germany

1803)– Refine cocaine from coca leaves (Germany

(1859)– Creation of alcohol sedation pill form from

synthesizing barbiturates (Germany, 1868/1908)

Five Themes of Drug Use

4. Technological Advances (continued)• Synthesize amphetamines to replace

cocaine (Germany, 1887 & 1932)– Extracting LSD from ergot fungus

(Switzerland, 1938)– Simsemilla-growing to increase potency

(THC) content in marijuana– Modify amphetamine molecules to produce

designer drugs MDA & MDMA (ecstasy) US 1910 to present)

Five Themes of Drug Use

5. Development of more efficient & faster ways of putting drugs into the body has intensified effects.

– Mixing alcohol and opium (Sumeria 4000 BC)– Absorb more juice from coca leaves by mixing with

charred oyster shells (Peru 1450)– Inhaling nitrous oxide (England 1800)– Injecting morphine (England 1855)– Snorting Cocaine to absorb drug more quickly

(Europe 1900)

Five Themes of Drug Use

5. Development of more efficient & faster ways of putting drugs into the body has intensified effects.

– Dissolve LSD to blotter paper to be absorbed by tongue (US 1960’s)

– Smoke freebase & crack cocaine to intensify high (US 1975 – 1985)

– Crush & inject time-released medications such as Oxycontin for big rush (US 2003)

– Altering amphetamine-products to produce smokable form of methamphetamine (ICE)

TYPES OF DRUGS

• Heroin– Afghanistan largest producer/grower of opium– Mexican Black Tar & Brown Heroin and Columbian

White

• Cocaine– Grown in South America: Columbia, Peru & Bolivia– 1.2 American use on a regular basis

• Marijuana– Widely available– Supreme Court ruled in 2001 that federal law prohibits

dispensing drug to seriously ill even if the state allows it.

– Legalization in states vary

• Club Drugs– Reemerged due to raves that are parties held

in clubs, warehouses or remote areas where a wide variety of drugs available, especially psychedelics

– MDMA: Estacy and GHB are common at raves

• Methamphetamines:– Manufactured in makeshift home labs– Sold as crank, crystal, meth & speed– Spreading to number of countries– Thailand produce small methamphetamine

pills called “ya ba”

• Alcohol– Kills over 130,000 people per year compared

with 8,000 deaths from illegal drugs– Causes include genetic susceptibility,

neurobiology– Treatment of alcoholism, include

pharmacological interventions to reduce gravings

• Oxycontin: formerly known as Percodan– Crushing drug the drug allows the time

released capsules to be absorbed all at once

• Hydrocodone (Vicodin) most widely abused prescription drug

• HIV, AIDS, and Hepatitis C– Spreads rapidly in part due to pathogens by

intravenous drug use– High-risk sexual practices resulting from lower

inhibitions

• Behavioral Addictions:– Eating disorders– Compulsive gambling– Sexual addictions– Compulsive shopping– Tend to have the same signs and symptoms

of drug addictions

Major Drugs• Uppers (cocaine, amphetamines, diet pills,

Ritalin, khat, caffeine, nicotine)– Physical effects: Stimulation of nervous system

• Increased heart rate• Increase blood pressure• Insomia• Decrease in appetite• Large doses can cause cardiovascular problems, seizures,

stroke and sometimes death– Mental/Emotional Effects

• Increase in confidence• Euphoria• Anxiety• Paranoia• Mental confusion• Aggression & Anger

Major Drugs• Downers (Depressants) depress the nervous

system: opiates/opiods, sedative hypnotics, alcohol, antihistamines– Physical Effects:

• Slows heart rate and breathing• Relaxed muscles• Dull senses• Constipation• Nausea• Digestive problems• Large doses can depress the respiratory system

– Mental/Emotional Effects:• Small doses lower inhibitions• Relaxed and diminished anxiety• Long term use causes physical dependence

Major Drugs• All Arounders (psychedelics) distort perceptions

and can cause hallucinations, delusions or illusions– Physical Effects:

• Nausea• Dizziness• Higher blood pressure• LSD causes stimulation

– Mental/emotional effects;• Distortion of physical stimuli• Mental confusion along with delusions, hallucinations and

illusions• Varies among user depending on frequency of use, duration,

amount used

Other Drugs & Addiction• Inhalants (gasses or liquids are inhaled)

glue, gasoline, paints & nitrous oxide– Effects:

• Dizziness • Slurred speech• Lack of coordination• Lower blood pressure• Various toxic effects on major organs

– Mental/emotional effects• Excitability• Irritability• Delirium

Other Drugs & Addiction• Anabolic Steroids and other Sports Drugs,

Steroids, amphetamines and several therapeutic drugs enhance performance– Physical Effects

• Steroids include increased muscle mass• High blood pressure• Acne• Hormonal changes

– Mental/emotional effects• Stimulation• Outbursts of anger

Other Drugs & Addiction• Psychiatric medications (Antidepressants,

anti-psychotics & anti-anxiety drugs are used to rebalance brain chemistry)– Physical effects:

• Act on heart and muscle systems

– Mental/emotional effects• Works to counteract depression• Control mood swings• Counter psychoses• Generally calms a person

Other Drugs & Addiction• Compulsive Behaviors (eating disorders,

gambling, sex addiction, shopping, codependency affects the same areas of the brain as psychoactive drugs– Physical Effects: Neurological Changes in the

brain– Mental/emotional effects:

• Involves tolerance, dependence and withdrawal

Controlled Substances Act of 1970• DEA classified all psychoactive drugs into

five levels or schedules subject to control– Schedule I: heroin, LSD, marijuana, peyote,

psilocybin, mescaline & MDMA• High abuse potential• Supposedly no accepted medical use

– Schedule II: cocaine, methamphetamine, opium, morphine, hydromorphone, codeine, meperdine, oxycodone, and methylphenidate

• Have a high abuse potential with severe psychic or physical dependence

• Have medical uses

Controlled Substances Act of 1970– Schedule III (Tylenol Codeine, Some

barbiturates)• Less Abuse potential• Include schedule II drugs when used in componds

– Schedule IV• Have even less abuse potential the schedule II

drugs– Chloral hydrate, meprobamate, fenfluramine, diazepam

(valium) and other bezodiazepines, Phenobarbital

– Schedule V• Low abuse potential because they contain limited

qualities of narcotic and stimulant drugs– Robitusin AC, Lomotil, OTC Drugs