This document discusses different types of drugs, their effects, dangers of abuse, and treatment options. It defines drugs as substances that alter physical or mental state. It categorizes major drug types as stimulants, hallucinogens, depressants, narcotics, and inhalants. For each drug type, specific examples are provided along with how they work in the body and associated health risks like overdose, organ damage, and addiction. The final sections discuss how addiction develops through tolerance, dependence and withdrawal symptoms. Treating addiction involves talking to others, medical help, and rehabilitation programs.

1. Unit 3
Drugs

2. What are drugs?
 Any substance that causes a change in a
person’s physical or psychological state

3. What is medicine?
 Any drug used to cure, prevent or treat
illness or discomfort

4. What is the path to addiction?
Drug use Tolerance Dependence Addiction

5. What is drug abuse?
 The intentional improper or unsafe use
of a drug.

6. What are Psychoactive drugs?
 Drugs that affect a person’s mood or
behavior.

7. What are some dangers of
drug abuse?
 Danger to yourself, your family, to society due to crime.
 Increased chance of child abuse and family abuse.
 Driving under the influence (DUI) causes death to the
driver and others.

8. When is a person addicted
to a drug?
 When his/her body
has grown so used to
having the drug that it
cannot function
without it.
 Addiction is a
physical process.
When a person is
addicted they become
physically dependent
on the drug. Their
body must have it.

9. What is physical dependence?
 Addiction
 The body expects that
drug. If it does not get
the drug it expects the
body will go through a
physical withdrawal.

10. What are withdrawal symptoms?
 Nausea, chills,
depression,
sleeplessness,
headaches.

11. What are withdrawal symptoms?
(continued)
 Some people who have developed a
very high tolerance for a drug may
suffer more serious and dangerous
withdrawal symptoms, such as
seizures.
 In general the more addictive and
powerful a drug is, the more serious its
withdrawal will be.

12. What is psychological dependence?
 When a person is controlled by a
constant craving for a drug.
 They need it to feel happy.

13. What is the first step in the
addiction process?
Tolerance

14. What is Tolerance?
 Needing more and more of the drug to get
the same effect.
 Example:
Regular Tylenol works, then you need
2, then you need 1 extra strength,
then 2 extra strength, then you call a
doctor for something stronger.

15. How do drugs enter the body?
 Implanted pumps
 Dr. surgically implants
 Inhalation
 Through blood vessels in the lungs
 Injection
 Needles
 Transdermal patches
 Patch placed on skin (nicotine patch)
 Ingestion
 Swallowing
 Topical application
 Ointment, cream

16. What is drug dependence?
 Drug user experiences uncomfortable
withdrawal symptoms if he or she tries to
stop using the drug

17. What is addiction?
 Drug user has lost control of his or her
drug taking habit

18. What is a Stimulant?
A drug that causes alertness
and speeds up the activity of
the body.

19. What are some Stimulants?
 Caffeine
Naturally occurring
Interferes with chemical called
adenosine in the brain

20. What are some Stimulants? (continued)
 Cocaine and crack
 Derived from leaves of cocoa plant
 Sniffed, injected, smoked
 Interferes with reabsorption of
dopamine (associated with
pleasure in the brain)
 Extremely addictive

21. What are some Stimulants? (continued)
 Amphetamines
Synthetic drug (made in
laboratories)
One dangerous form is “ice”

22. What is a Hallucinogen?
A drug that distorts a person’s
senses.

23. What are some Hallucinogens?
 LSD
 Made from fungus
 Sometimes acts as a depressant
 Flashbacks may occur: return to an
unpleasant experience after using
LSD (can be months later)

24. What are some Hallucinogens?
(continued)
 PCP
 Also known as “angel dust”
 Can cause severe mental disturbances
 Can last a few hours to a few weeks
 People using PCP can be very violent

25. What are some Hallucinogens?
(Continued)
 Peyote and Mushrooms
 Derived from peyote cactus
 Contains drug mescaline
 Can cause vomiting and cramping followed by
hallucinations
 People claim they can hear colors

26. What are Designer Drugs?
 Synthetic drugs that are similar in
chemistry to certain illegal drugs.

27. What is an example of a Designer
Drug?
 MDMA
 Ecstasy (a.k.a: “X”, )
 Can cause blurred vision, nausea, faintness, sleep
problems, anxiety, chills and sweating
 Shown to cause brain damage in laboratory
animals

28. What are Marijuana and
Hashish?
 Drugs derived from the cannabis plant

29. What kinds of problems are
associated with Marijuana and
Hashish?
 Loss of coordination and difficulty
concentrating
 Can cause anxious feelings or paranoia
 Toxins can damage lungs, reproductive
system and immune system
 Marijuana today contains more THC than in
the 1960’s

30. What are Inhalants?
 Chemicals that produce strong
psychoactive effects when they are
inhaled.

31. What are Inhalants? (continued)
 Inhalants can be anything you inhale:
 Paint thinner
 Correction fluid
 Degreasers
 Glue
 Gasoline
 Aerosol propellants

32. What are the dangers of
Inhalants?
 Enter the bloodstream and travel to the
brain immediately
 Initial feeling of lightheadedness followed
by nausea and headache
 Repeated use can cause hearing loss,
brain and nerve damage, liver damage,
kidney damage, etc.
 Can cause suffocation and heart failure

33.  If you begin to feel these symptoms go
outside immediately and get fresh air!

34. What are Heroin and Other
Narcotics?
 Narcotic: a drug with pain relieving and
psychoactive properties that is made from
the opium poppy plant
 Heroin: a narcotic, but is illegal to buy, sell
or use.

35. What are some Narcotics?
 Morphine and Codeine
 Used in hospitals for patients with severe pain
 Most physically addictive drug of abuse
 Overdose (a serious, sometimes fatal,
reaction to a large dose of a drug) very
common
 Large doses of heroin can severely depress
respiratory system which leads to loss of
consciousness, coma and even death

36. What are Sedative-Hypnotics?
 Drugs that depress the body systems and
cause sleepiness
 Two major types:
 Barbiturates
 Prescribed for prevention of seizures
 Benzodiazepines
 Prescribed to relieve minor anxiety and insomnia

37. How can you treat addiction and
abuse?
 Talk to an adult
 See the school nurse
 Tarzana treatment center

38. The End