DRUGS : Their causes, effects, and Legal Consequence

DRUG - A chemical substance that brings about physical, physiological, behavioral and/or
psychological change in a person taking it.
A chemical substance other than food which is intended to affect the structure or function
of the body of man or animal.
MEDICINES VS. DRUGS - All medicines are drugs but not all drugs are medicine Drug.

DRUG ABUSE - Any non-medical use of drugs that cause physical, psychological, legal;
economic, or social damage to the user or to people affected by the users behavior.
Abuse usually refers to illegal drugs but may also be applicable to drugs that are available
legally, such as prescribed medications and certain over- the counter medications.
CLASSIFICATION OF DRUGS - 1. ACCORDING TO ORIGIN:
A. Natural Drugs
Raw opium
Marijuana
Coca bush
B. Synthetic Drugs
Methamphetamine
Barbiturates
2. ACCORDING TO LEGAL CLASSIFICATION:
A. RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002)
B. PD 1619 (Volatile Substances)
3. ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION:
A. Narcotics substances
B. Psychotropic substances
C. Designer drugs
NARCOTICS
Any drug that produces sleep or stupor and also relieves pain (medical);
Depress the central nervous system to produce a marked reduction in sensitivity to pain, create
drowsiness and reduce physical activity
A drug which therapeutic doses diminishes awareness of sensory impulses, especially pain, by the
brain, in large doses, it causes stupor, coma or convulsions
PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCE
> Any substance, natural or synthetic or any natural material that have a high potential
for dependence and abuse.
> These drugs are highly addictive but, despite the risk, they remain in medical use
because no satisfactory non-addictive alternative medication is available
Examples: Heroin, Marijuana, Cocaine, amphetamines, morphine, some barbiturates
> Pertaining to any drug or agent having a particular affinity for or effect on the psyche
PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCE
> Any substance, natural or synthetic or any natural material that have a high potential
for dependence and abuse.
> These drugs are highly addictive but, despite the risk, they remain in medical use
because no satisfactory non-addictive alternative medication is available
 Examples: Heroin, Marijuana, Cocaine, amphetamines, morphine, some barbiturates
> Pertaining to any drug or agent having a particular affinity for or effect on the psyche
DESIGNER
> Substance chemically related to but slightly different from controlled substances
> Designed by clandestine chemists with the aim to manufacture compounds that produce the
high or euphoria of parent drugs and avoid the penalties that would be levied against those
illegally trafficking the controlled substance.
ACCORDING TO PHARMACOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION (EFFECTS) A.
Stimulants
B. Hallucinogens
C. Narcotics
D. Sedatives
STIMULANTS
Are drugs which increase alertness of physical disposition
Examples :
AMPHETAMINE
Street Name : Eye opener, lid poppers, pep pills, uppers, hearts
What it is? Reduces appetite
Relieves mental depression
Comfort fatigue and sleepiness
How Taken
Orally as tablet or capsule
Effects :
General: wakefulness, increased alertness/initiative
Toxic : from restlessness to coma and death
Dangers: Dependence, overdose, violent, bizaare behavior
COCAINE - Street Name : Coke, crack, gold dust, heavens dust, stardust, white girl,
speedballs
What it is: extraction from coca bush leaves
White (in pure form)
Odorless and bitter
How it is being taken : Orally, by application, injection, sniffing
Effects :
General : euphoria, hyper activeness, tend to commit criminal and bizarre sexual acts, feeling
of paranoia, hallucinations, psychological dependence, etc.

Physical : increased HR, BP, respiration rate, loss of appetite, insomnia, buzzing noise in the
ear; intense feeling of thirst; etc

Immediate Effects: dilated pupils, increased BP, HR, breathing rate, body temperature, etc.
Delayed Effects: psychosis, restlessness, irritability, etc.

DANGERS:
Low dose : psychological problems;
 Overdose : delirium, convulsions, respiratory failure/death;
SHABU (METHAMPHETMAINE HYDROCHLORIDE)
Street Name : Poor mans cocaine, S, shabs, ubas, siopao, sha, ice
What it is: White odorless crystal/crystalline powder with a bitter numbing taste
How it is being taken: Ingestion, inhalation (chasing the dragon), sniffing, injection, smoke
Methamphetamine HCl (Shabu)
Effects :
General : anxiety, irritability, irrational bahavior
Long Term: psychosis similar to schizophrenia, difficulty in concentrating, loss of interest in
sex
Dangers : Injection from contaminated needles may lead to risk of infections, phlebitis,
septicemia, AIDS, etc.
HALLUCINOGENS
Are drugs which affect sensation, thinking, self-awareness and emotion.
Changes in time and space perception, delusions (false beliefs) and hallucinations may be mild or
overwhelming, depending on dose and quality of drugs.
EXAMPLES OF HALLUCINOGENS
1. ECSTACY:
Street Name: XTC, Adam, essence, E, herbals
How it is being taken : Swallowing or inhalation
Effects: Exaggerated emotions, makes HR and BP hike up, dries the mouth, stiffens
arms, legs, jaw; dilates pupils of the eyes, causes faintness, chills sweating and nausea
Dangers: It can really kill!

ECSTASY
2. LSD (LYSERGIC ACID DIETHYLAMIDE)
Street Name : Lucy in the sky with diamonds, wedding bells, acid, white sugar, lightning, cubes,
brain eaters
What it is: A semi-synthetic alkaloid substance extracted from a fungus which grows on rye,
wheat, and other grains;
Odorless, tasteless, colorless
Effects :
Psychological: vivid hallucinations, confusion, blurring of distinction between conscious and
unconscious thought, etc
Physical : dilated pupils, flushed face, increased BP, etc
Dangers:

May cause abnormal amount of breakage of chromosomes of WBCs that carry genes, which
may result to miscarriages and birth defects
MARIJUANA
Street Name: Mary Jane, Flower, pampapogi, brownines, damo, pot, tea, joint, Dope
What it is: Comes from Cannabis Sativa L.(Indian Hemp); looks like fine, green tobacco
How taken: Smoked in pipes/cigarettes; can be taken in food; made into candy; sniffed in
powder form, mixed with honey or butter
 Effects: Immediate: faster heartbeat, bloodshot eyes, dry mouth
Long term: chest pain, temporary loss of fertility, cancer, marijuana burn-out
Dangers: Slows down users mental and psychomotor activities; long-term use may lead to
psychological dependence; may lead to cancer.
Marijuana
MESCALINE
Street Name: Cactus, buttons, beans
What it is: A chemical taken from peyote cactus; peyote buttons are brown in color and resemble
the underside of a dried mushroom
How it is being taken: Swallowing
Effects : Dilated pupils; increased pulse rate, BP; tremors; feelings of terror, anxiety, impaired
space and color perception; produces hallucinations which are occasionally sexual in nature and
intensified sensual experiences.
Dangers: Produces depressions which can lead to serious mental changes, psychotic
manifestations, suicidal or homicidal tendencies; psychological dependence
NARCOTICS
> are drugs that relieve pain and often induce sleep
Narcotics
Examples of Narcotics:
1. CODEINE
Street Name: Schoolboy
What it is: A component of opium and derivative of morphine; ideal analgesic; found in some
cough syrups
How it is being taken: Orally (tablet or liquid), by injection
Effects: Analgesic and cough suppressant with very little sedation or exhilarant (euphoric) action;
dependence can be produced in large doses
Codeine
Dangers:
Occasionally taken for kicks; dependence may occur; occasionally resorted to by opiate-
dependent persons to tide them over if heroin is difficult to obtain with inadequate result.
2. HEROIN
Street Name: Blanco, brown, sugar, kabayo, kengkoy, gamot, matsakao, pulbos, sapsap, tinik
What it is: Alkaloid derived from morphine, white, off-white or brown crystalline powder
How it is being taken: Orally, through inhalation, injection or by smoking
Effects: slurring of speech; cyanosis; dry skin and mouth; anoxia; urticaria; pulmonary
ventilation; pulmonary edema; hyperglycemia
Dangers: Dependence liability is high; dependence usually develops more rapidly, sensitivity to
respiratory depressant effects.
3.MORPHINE
Street Name: M, dreamer, emma, emsel, pulbos
What it is: Principal active component in opium; white crystalline powder, light porous cubes,
small white tablets
How it is being taken: Any route, but mostly by intravenous injection
 Effects: Initial reaction is unpleasant to most people but calming supersedes and, depending on
dose, may progress to coma and death from respiratory failure
Dangers: sensitivity to respiratory depressant effect until tolerance develops; Psychic and
Physical dependence and tolerance develop readily.
4. ALCOHOL
Street Name: Beer, whisky, Gin, brandy, wine
Effects: Sedation; impairs mental and physical functions; increases the risk of heart attack and
stroke.
Dangers: Addiction; cirrhosis; brain damage; obesity; may lead to cancer of the esophagus,
intestines, pancreas, thyroid, and breast.
SEDATIVES

Are drugs which may reduce anxiety and excitement

Sedatives
Examples of Sedatives:
1. BARBITURATES
Street Name: Lily, bala, downers, yellow jackets, blue heavens
What they are: Made from barbituric acid (Barb); prescribed to induce sleep or provide
calming effect
How it is being taken: Orally (tablet/capsule); sometimes intravenously
Effects: Small amounts make user relaxed, sociable, good-humored; heavy doses make him
sluggish, gloomy, sometimes quarrelsome; thick speech; staggering gait
Dangers: Sedation, coma, death from respiratory failure; deaths from intentional and
unintentional overdose; more than 400 mg per day may lead to barbiturate poisoning, drug
automatism, physical dependence and death.
VOLATILE SUBSTANCES
Inhalants, Solvents, Aerosols, Bases
What they are: Liquid, solid or mixed substances having the property of releasing toxic vapors
or fumes or any chemical substance which when sniffed, smelled, inhaled, or introduced into the
physiological system of the body produce/induce a condition of intoxication, inebriation,
excitement, stupefaction, etc.
Inhalants
How it is being taken: Sniffing or inhaled directly through the container or from a bag or by
holding a rag with the substance in the mouth
Dangers: Causes permanent damage to brain or may result in Sudden Sniffing Death; users
become accident prone; death due to road accidents, drowning, falling from tall building, etc.
after sniffing glue; violence; psychological dependence.
DRUG METABOLISM
] HOW DRUG IS BEING ADMINISTERED/TAKEN
Oral drinking
Intravenous
Inhalation (smoking, snorting, sniffing)
DRUG DETECTION DEPENDS ON:
 ABSORPTION : (Structure and composition, Diffusion and Transport, Physicochemical factors
in penetration)
DISPOSITION (Distribution, pH partition principle, electro chemical and Donnan distribution,
bio transformation)
ELIMINATION
WHAT DRUGS ARE TESTED?
MOST COMMON:
Marijuana
Cocaine
Amphetamine
Opiates
PCP
OTHER POPULAR TESTS
Methamphetamine
Benzodiazepines
Barbiturates
Oxycodon
Ecstacy
SAMPLE SPECIMENS
Blood
Fingernails
Hair
Saliva
Sweat
Tissue
Urine (almost 99%)
INDICATORS FOR DRUG TESTING: REASONABLE SUSPICION
Performance indicators
Behavioral indicators
Physical indicators
Paraphernalia indicators
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Excessive absenteeism, tardiness
Lower productivity, poor morale
Missed deadlines
Deteriorating work quality
Increase accidents, mistakes, equipment breakdowns
Multiple reports of theft
BEHAVIORAL INDICATORS
Explosive arguments, disagreements over small matters
Changes in attitudes, work behavior
Frequent hang-over symptoms
Using drug culture jargon
Secretive, forgetfulness, indecision
 Avoiding straight co-workers
BEHAVIORAL INDICATORS
Hyper-reactivity, constant toe or heel tapping, finger drumming
Easy excitability
Restlessness, anxiety
Wearing long sleeves
New financial problems and frequent borrowing of money
PHYSICAL INDICATORS
Skin bruises, needle puncture marks
Blood shot watery eyes
Running, irritated nose, irritating cough, sore throat
Slurred speech, tremors, jitters
Poor coordination
Dilated or pin point pupils
PARAPHERNALIA INDICATORS
Possession of:
Hypodermic needles
Balloons
Aluminum foil wrappers
Flat metals, short strws
Glass/smoking pipes
Cigarette lighters who are non-smokers
RANDOM DRUG TESTING FOR STUDENTS