Medicines and Drugs

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Chapter 23
Medicines and Drugs
By Savannah Heavrin Sarah Matthews
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Indiana State Standards
10.1 The Role of Medicine 10.2 Drug use-A High
Risk Behavior 10.3 Marijuana, Inhalants, and
Steroids 10.4 Psychoactive Drugs 10.5 Living
Drug Free
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The Role of Medicines
Lesson 1

• Drugs are substances other than food that change
  the structure or function of the body or mind.

• Medicines are drugs that are used to treat or
  prevent disease or other conditions.

• Vaccine is a preparation introduced into the body
  to stimulate an immune response.

• Medicines
• Help prevent disease
• Fight pathogens, or infectious agents that cause
  disease
• Relieve pain
• Help maintain or restore health and regulate the
  bodys systems

• Antitoxins is blood that contains
  antibodies.

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Medicines that Promote Health

• Allergy medicines-Many people rely on
  antihistamines and other medications to reduce
  the sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, and runny
  nose that often accompany allergies.
• Body-regulating medicines-Some medicines maintain
  health by regulating body chemistry. Insulin is
  used to treat to regulate diabetes. Asthma
  suffers use inhalers to relieve the swelling of
  bronchial tubes. Cardiovascular medicines are
  taken to regulate blood pressure, normalize
  irregular heartbeats.
• Antidepressant and antipsychotic medicines-These
  medicines help normalize brain chemistry.
  Examples, mood stabilizers are often used in the
  treatment of mood disorders, depression, and
  schizophrenia. Proper medication can help people
  with these problems live a healthy, productive
  lives.
• Cancer Treatment medicines-These medicines help
  reduce rapid cell growth and help stop the spread
  of cancer cells. Example, chemotherapy is used to
  kill fast-growing cancer cells.

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Medicines and the body

• Most medicines have side effects-reactions to
  medicine other than the one intended.
• Additive interaction-occurs when medicine work
  together in positive way.
• Synergistic effect-is alone interaction of two or
  more medicines that result in a greater effect
  than when the medicines are taken alone-one
  medicine increases the strength of the other. One
  medicine may boost the rate of digestion.
• Antagonistic interaction- occurs when the effect
  of one medicines is canceled or reduced when
  taken with another medicine. Example, someone who
  receives an organ transplant must take
  antirerejection medicines.
• Other problems
• Tolerance-is a condition in which the body
  becomes used to the effect of a medicine. The
  body then requires increasingly larger doses of
  the medicine to produce the same effect.
  Sometimes a person will experiencereverse
  tolerance. In this condition, the body requires
  less of the substance to produce the desired
  effect.
• Withdrawal-occurs when a person stops using a
  medicine on which he/she has a chemical
  dependence. Example, medicines containing codeine
  lead to dependence. Symptoms include,
  nervousness, insomnia, serve headaches, vomiting,
  chills, and cramps, gradually ease over time.

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Medicine Safety

• To minimize risks to the public, the federal
  government has established laws and policies for
  testing and approving new medicines.
• Prescription medicines-the FDA has ruled that
  certain medicines cannot be used without the
  written approval of a licensed physician.
• Over-the-counter medicines-This group includes a
  wide verity of medicines that you can buy without
  a prescription. Although the FDA considers it
  safe to use these medications without medical
  supervision, any drugs can be harmful if not used
  properly.

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Lesson 2 Drug use

• Substance abuse-any unnecessary or improper use
  of chemical substances for nonmedical purposes.
• Not all abused substances are medicines. Many are
  illegal drugs, or street drugs. People who use
  drugs are guilty of a crime called illicit drug
  use, the use or sale of any substance that is
  illegal or otherwise not permitted. This includes
  selling of prescription drugs on the street.

• Peer pressure-is the influence that people your
  age may have on you. Teens whose friends are
  acquaintances avoid drug use can say no to drugs
  more easily than teens whose friends accept and
  even encourage drug use.
• Family members- can help teens resist drugs.
  Parents and other adults who avoid drug use and
  discourage drug experimentation influences their
  teen to avoid drugs.
• Role models-are people you admire and want to
  imitate. Teens who look up to coaches, athletes,
  actors, and professionals who avoid and
  discourage drug use have an advantage in
  resisting drugs.
• Media message-can influence your impression of
  drug use, TV, Music, and digital media can all
  mislead about the harmful use of drugs.

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Health Consequences of drug use

• Physical consequences-once a drug enters the
  bloodstream, it can harm a users brain, heart,
  lungs, and other vital organs.
• Overdose, is a strong sometimes fatal reaction to
  taking a large amount of a drug.
• Mental/emotional consequences. Drugs could
  reasoning and thinking, and users lose control of
  their behavior.
• Social consequences. Even people who are just
  experimenting with drugs do say things they
  later regret. Substance abuse can have a negative
  effect on relationships with friends and family
  members. It can ruin your whole life cause you to
  end up homeless and alone.

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Understanding the Addiction Cycle

• Tolerance. The body of the substance abuser needs
  more and more of the drug to get the same effect.
• Psychological dependence. A condition in which a
  person believes that a drug is needed in order to
  feel good or to function normally, It develops
  over time. The user has a continuing desire to
  take the drug for its effect.
• Addiction. Anyone who takes drugs risks one of
  the most frightening side effects addiction, a
  physiological or psychological dependence on a
  drug. Addiction causes persistent, compulsive use
  of a substance known by the user to be harmful.
  People in this condition cannot stop without an
  intervention.

• Legal consequences- teens manufacturing, or
  selling drugs are committing the crime of illicit
  drug use. Being arrested leads to court fines and
  legal fees.
• For Babies and children-Substance abuse can cause
  considerable harm to developing fetuses, infants,
  and children or drug users.
• Cost of Society- Drug abuse has consequences
  beyond the individual and family. One of the
  biggest burdens placed on society is a rise in
  drug-related crime and violence because the use
  of drugs decrease inhibitions, increase
  aggressiveness, and clouds judgment

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Lesson 3 Marijuana and it's Addiction

• When used it can raise levels of a brain chemical
  called dopamine which causes the feeling of
  pleasure. When it wears off the feeling drops
  which is called a crash and the user wants
  more. This drug contains more cancer causing
  chemicals than tobacco smoke, but causes the same
  health damage.

• Marijuana is a plant whose leaves, buds, and
  flowers are usually smoked for their intoxicating
  effects.

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Lesson 3 Mental, Emotional, and Physical
Consequences

• People who use may feel dizzy, have trouble
  walking, have difficulty remembering events that
  happened earlier, experience distorted
  perception, and loss of coordination. Short term
  memory lose also affects users so that will
  affect school. They may also have trouble with
  thinking or solving problems.

• Marijuana users experience slow mental reflexes
  and may suffer sudden feelings of anxiety and
  paranoia-an irrational suspiciousness or distrust
  of others. That means they start to get
  suspicious of nothing and feel that everyone is
  after them.

• For teens the use of marijuana might risk
  damaging the reproductive organs. In males it
  affects the sperm production and lowers levels of
  testosterone, the hormone responsible for the
  development of adult male characteristics.

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Lesson 3 Inhalants

• Inhalants are substances whose fumes are sniffed
  and inhaled to achieve a mind-altering effect.

• Most inhalants go immediately to the brain,
  causing damage and actually killing brain cells
  that will never be replaced. Some inhalants the
  first time you inhale them will kill you.

• Inhalants can include
• -glues
  -markers
• -spray paints -whip
  cream
• -gasoline -air
  fresheners
• -varnishes
  -paint
• -fingernail polish remover

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Lesson 3 Steroids and there Consequences
Anabolic-androgenic steroids are synthetic
substances that are simular to the male sex
hormone testosterone.
Steroids are only good when used under a doctors
guidance. Medicine with steroids in them are
mixed with other drugs to dilute the harmful
ingenious.
Use of steroids isnt only bad for your body, it
have mental and social consequences also. The use
of steroids can effect friendships and school
work. And if you get caught you will be going to
jail.
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Lesson 4 Classification of
Psychoactive Drugs
The four main psychoactive drugs
are -Stimulants -Depressants -Narcotics
-Hallucinogens
Psychoactive drugs are chemicals that affect the
central nervous system and alter activity in the
brain.
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Lesson 4 Stimulants
Examples of stimulants Cocaine-a rapid acting,
powerful, highly addictive drug that interrupts
normal functioning of the central nervous system.
It gives you euphoria, which is a feeling of
intense well being or elation. Crack-a more
dangerous form of crack. It is one of the most
deadly drugs. Other names would be crack cocaine,
rock, or freebase rock. Amphetamines-a drug used
in prescription med.s to reduce fatigue,
drowsiness and to suppress the appetite. People
use it illegally to stay awake, improve their
performance, and lose weight.
Health Risks of Depressants Depressants, or
sedatives, are drugs that tend to slow down the
central nervous system. Depressants drugs relax
muscles, relieve feelings of tension and worry,
and cause drowsiness. They can be dangerous
because they slow the heart rate, lower blood
pressure to dangerous levels, and interrupt the
normal rate of breathing.
Rohypnol this depressant which is ten times as
strong as tranquilizers, is better known as the
date rape drug, used in crimes of violence. GHB
is like Rohypnal, but is available as a clear
liquid, a white powder, and in variety of tablets.
Barbiturates belong to a family of
sedative-hypnotic drugs, or drugs that induce
sleepiness. Barbiturate use can result in mood
changes, sleeping more than normal, and
coma. Tranquilizers are depressants that reduce
muscular activity. They are prescribed to relieve
anxiety, muscle spasms, sleepiness, and
nervousness.
Methamphetamine-(meth) a drug used in treating
certain diseases. It is used at parties or night
clubs to get high and have fun. When use it may
provide a short term feeling of euphoria, but the
after results are depression, paranoia, damage to
the central nervous system, increased heart rate
and blood pressure, and damage to the brain. It
may also cause death.
Stimulants are drugs that speed up the central
nervous system
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Lesson 4 Narcotics
Hallucinogens are drugs that alter moods,
thoughts, and sense perceptions including vision,
hearing smell, and touch. These drugs have no
medical use. PCP is considered one of the most
dangerous of all drugs, and its effects vary
greatly from user to user. Users report distorted
sense of time and space. LSD is an extremely
strong hallucinogen. Even a tiny amount can cause
hallucinogens and severe distorted perceptions of
sound and color.
Consequences of drug use Illegal drugs and other
substances play a role in unsafe situations and
negative consequences, including health,
addictions, and difficulties in school.
Ketamine is anesthetic used for medical purposes,
mostly in treating animals. Misused as a club
drug, ketamine is often sold as a white powder to
be snorted, like cocaine, or injected.
Ecstasy and other Dangerous Drugs Designer drugs
are synthetic substances meant to imitate the
effects of hallucingens and other dangerous
drugs. Designer drugs vary greatly in potency and
strength and can be several hundred times more
stronger than the drugs they are meant to imitate.
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Lesson 5 Drug Free
Treatment Centers For the most serious
addictions, drug users attend treatment centers,
that provide medical supervission while a person
goes through withdrawl. Many of these centers
provide medications to help with the physical and
psychological effects of withdrawal.
Resisting Pressure use Drugs Peer pressure can
be intense during the teen years.

• Commitment to be drug free- the first step is to
  make a firm decision.
• Practice refusal skills
• Get involved in your school
• Community efforts.

• Outpatient Drug Free Treatment- does not include
  medications and is individual or group
  councelling.
• Short-Term Treatment- These centers can include
  medications and outpatient therapy.
• Maintenance Therapy- Intended for herion addicts,
  treament includes medication therapy.
• Therapeutic Communities- These are residences for
  people with a long history of drug abuse. The
  centers include highly stucturded programs
  lasting from 6 to 12 months.

Getting Help Drug abuse is a treatable condition.
Support groups, counseling services, and
treatment centers are available in most
communities.