Odalys Martinez

January 7, 2015
Period 5
Module 9: A Chart of Psychoactive Drugs
a. Alcohol
Research: Historically, alcoholic beverages have served as sources of
needed nutrients and have been widely used for their medicinal, antiseptic
and painkilling properties. There are 13 minerals that are essential for
human life and all of them can be found in alcohol. Many believe that
farming started to produce ingredients for alcohol rather than food
production. Western culture also has some of the strictest laws for alcohol
in the world.
Effects: Alcohol affects every organ in the drinker's body and can damage
a developing fetus. Intoxication can impair brain function and motor skills;
heavy use can increase risk of certain cancers, stroke, and liver disease.
Other effects include reduced inhibitions, slurred speech, motor
impairment, confusion, memory problems, concentration problems, coma,
and breathing problems.
b. Valium
Research: A very popular prescription drug. Its prescribed to treat
sleeplessness, anxiety and muscle spasms. It comes in liquid and pill
forms. It is occasionally used for operations as it helps reduce tension and
anxiety.
Effects: Effects of valium include stomach pain, agitation, anxiety,
blistering or peeling of skin, blurred vision, confusion, chills, cough, dark
urine, lightheadedness, fast heartbeats, irregular breathing, fever,
headache, increased muscle spasms, irritability, lack of appetite, loss of
bladder control, nausea, pale skin, rashes, seizures, and yellow eyes.
c. Xanax
Research: Xanax is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders as well as
tremors. It belongs to a class of medications called benzodiazepines. It
can be found in forms such as tablets, liquid, disintegrating tablets, and
extended release tablets. It acts on the brain and central nervous system,
targeting a natural body chemical that lessens abnormal brain excitement.
Effects: Xanax can cause a person to become forgetful, clumsy, drowsy,
discouraged, irritable, relaxed, and have trouble speaking or
concentrating.
d. Opium

Research: Opium was commonly used a painkiller before morphine was

developed. You can smoke opium or ingest it through tea with alkaline.
However, both forms are dangerous as there can be too much of it used
and the effects can vary depending on how its taken.
Effects: Most opium effects do not need medical attention since the body
can get accustomed to it. Effects include relaxation, reduced anxiety,
emotional detachment, reduced pain and stress, sleepiness, altered mood,
reduced appetite, weight loss, reduced energy, sweating, difficulty
concentrating, and impaired vision.
e. Heroin
Research: Heroin is synthesized from morphine and appears in a white or
brown powder or as a black, sticky substance. In 2011, 4.2 million
American aged 12 or older had used heroin at least once in their lives.
About 23% of users become dependent on it. It can be injected, snorted,
or smoked. The drug reaches then reaches the brain rapidly.
Effects: Many users of heroin reach a high and usually have a dry mouth,
flushing of the skin, or clouded mentality. Long term effects include bad
teeth, inflammation of the gums, constipation, cold sweat, itching, weak
immune system, respiratory illness, muscular weakness or partial
paralysis, menstrual disturbance in women and spontaneous abortion,
loss of memory, depression, loss of appetite, insomnia. Street heroin
especially can cause blood clots and damage vital organs.
f. Codeine
Research: Codeine is a narcotic pain-reliever and cough suppressant
similar to morphine. A small amount of it is converted to morphine in the
body. The precise mechanism of action of codeine is not known but it
binds to receptors in the brain that are important for transmitting the
sensation of pain throughout the body.
Effects: Codeine causes increased tolerance of pain, slow heart rate,
shallow breath, confusion, agitation, feelings of extreme happiness or
sadness, seizures r bladder problems.
g. Caffeine
Research: Caffeine is mostly added to foods, drinks, and medicines. 90%
of people in the world use caffeine and in the U.S., 80% of adults consume
caffeine every. The average adult intakes 200 mg per day, the same
amount found in four cans of soda. It is mostly used to improve mental
alertness or with painkillers. It is also used to treat asthma, gallbladder
disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, shortness of breath in
newborns and low blood pressure.

Effects: Caffeine may cause diarrhea, dizziness, fast heartbeat, blurred

vision, dry mouth, flushed dry skin, bad breath, increased urination,
unusual thirst, irritation, and tremors.
h. Nicotine
Research: Nicotine is the primary ingredient in tobacco products. Most
smokers can identify it as harmful and nearly 35 million attempt to quit
each year. Unfortunately, more than 85% of those attempting to quit
relapse within a week. Nicotine increases levels of dopamine and allows
the user to feel more pleasure. The short-term effects last shortly causing
the user to use the drug more frequently.
Effects: Nicotine causes lung disease, asthma symptoms, cancer of
mouth, kidney, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, cervix, and bladder,
increased risk of heart disease, and early menopause in women.
i. Cocaine
Research: Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that directly affects
the brain. Cocaine was labeled the drug of the 1980s and 1990s because
of its extensive popularity and use during that period. However, cocaine is
not a new drug. In fact, it is one of the oldest known psychoactive
substances. Coca leaves, the source of cocaine, have been chewed and
ingested for thousands of years, and the purified chemical, cocaine
hydrochloride, has been an abused substance for more than 100 years.
Effects: Dilated pupils; increased body temperature, heart rate, and blood
pressure; nausea; increased energy, alertness; euphoria; decreased
appetite and sleep, panic attacks and violent behavior. Long-term effects
include anxiety, paranoia, insomnia, and nasal damage.
j. Crack
Research: Crack cocaine is a freebase form of cocaine that can be
smoked. Crack cocaine effects do not last as long as powder cocaine.
This usually results in the user smoking it again in less than 20 minutes. A
crack user is therefore always in need of the drug and may resort to crime.
Effects: Short-term effects include dilated pupils, dry mouth, disturbed
sleep patterns, nausea, erratic behavior, increased heart rate, blood
pressure, or body temperature, hallucinations, intense euphoria,
depression, intense drug craving, panic attacks, and seizures. Long-term
effects include permanent damage of blood vessels, liver, kidney, or lung
damage, respiratory failure, malnutrition, sever tooth decay, chest pains,
infertility, mood disturbance, and depression.
k. Amphetamine
Research: Amphetamine stimulates the central nervous system by
increasing the amount of certain chemicals in the body. It is used to treat

narcolepsy and attention deficit disorders with hyperactivity. Adderall is a

popular form of prescribed amphetamine.
Effects: Short-term effects include increased heart rate, raised blood
pressure, loss of appetite, euphoria, feeling of control and alertness,
increased concentration, reduce sensation of fatigue, increased
confidence, and more social. Long-term effects include extreme anxiety,
feeling of superiority, insomnia, restlessness, hallucinations, tremors,
weight loss, and aggressive behavior.
l. Methamphetamine
Research: Methamphetamine is a stimulant drug that is chemically similar
to amphetamine. It takes the form of a white, odorless, bitter-tasting
crystalline powder. Methamphetamine is taken orally, smoked, snorted, or
dissolved in water or alcohol and injected. Smoking or injecting the drug
delivers it very quickly to the brain, however the high fades quickly.
Methamphetamine increases the amount of the neurotransmitter
dopamine, leading to high levels of that chemical in the brain. It is rarely
prescribed but can be used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Effects: Short-term effects include loss of appetite, increased heart rate,
dilated pupils, disturbed sleep patterns, nausea, violent behavior,
hallucinations, panic attacks, and seizures. Long-term effects include
permanent damage to blood vessels, destruction of tissues in nose if
sniffed, damage to lung, liver, and kidney, severe tooth decay,
disorientation, depression, and damage to the brain similar to alzheimers
disease, epilepsy, and strokes.
m. LSD
Research: LSD (d-lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the most potent
mood-changing chemicals. It was discovered in 1938 and is manufactured
from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and
other grains. LSD is sold in tablets, capsules, and, occasionally, liquid
form; thus, it is usually taken orally. LSD is often added to absorbent
paper, which is then divided into decorated pieces, each equivalent to one
dose. The experiences, often referred to as trips, are long; typically, they
end after about 12 hours. LSD is not considered an addictive drug since it
does not produce compulsive drug-seeking behavior. However, LSD does
produce tolerance.
Effects: Short-term effects include increased heart rate, blood pressure,
heart failure, rapid or abnormal breathing, lung failure, changed in mood,

confusion, disorientation, suspiciousness, loss of muscle control, irrational

actions, distorted reality, aggressiveness, distorted sense of time and
space, sense of relaxation, nausea, tremors, flushed skinned, dilated
pupils, hallucinations, and panic due to unpredictable trips. Long term
effects include flashbacks, decreased motivation, depression, increased
panic, mental disturbance, and delusion.
n. Ecstasy
Research: Most people who use MDMA take it in a pill, tablet, or capsule.
The popular term Molly (slang for molecular) refers to the pure
crystalline powder form of MDMA, usually sold in capsules. It is dangerous
since it is man made and pills may contain other drugs and the amount
differs. Ecstasy usually takes 15 minutes to enter the bloodstream.
Effects: Short-term effects include anxiety, restlessness, irritability,
sadness, impulsiveness, aggression, sleep disturbance, lack of appetite,
and thirst. Long-term effects include nausea, chills, sweating, involuntary
jaw clenching and teeth grinding, muscle cramps, dehydration, high blood
pressure, and kidney failure.
o. Marijuana
Research: Marijuana is the most common illicit drug used in the United
States. It had a period of decline but use increased after 2007. Marijuana
is usually smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes or in water pipes. Marijuana
smoke has a pungent and distinctive, usually sweet-and-sour, odor.
Effects: Include dizziness, shallow breathing, red eyes and dilated pupils,
dry mouth, increased appetite, sleepiness, and slow reaction time. Longterm effects cause a disrupted menstrual cycle, cause men to be sterile
due to deformed sperm, weak immune system, and inability to understand
things clearly or retain information.