WHAT IS A DRUG?

DRUGS
Not Socially accepted Drugs
Socially accepted Drugs

DRUG ABUSE
DRUG DEPENDENCE
Physiological Dependence
Psychological Dependence
CLASSIFICATION & CATEGORIZATION OF
DRUGS

ORIGIN AND FUNCTION

GENERAL EFFECT

GENERAL USE
SIX BASIC CATEGORIES OF DRUGS
 Major Classes of Drug Abused
Six basic categories of Drug Abused
 Narcotic Drugs – taken to dull pain (analgesic)
 Stimulants – taken to increase mental and physical
energy
 Hallucinogens – taken to change one’s mental state
 Depressants, Hypnotics, & Tranquilizers – taken to
dull one’s senses, to reduce anxiety, or induce sleep
 Club Drugs – taken to enhance one’s enjoyment of a
party or other social activities
 Performance Enhancing Drugs – taken to build
muscles, endurance, or enhance athletic performance
MOST ADDICTIVE DRUGS
They affect how signals are passed
between brain cells
 Why Do People Start Using it?

• Improve mental and physical performance

• Alert • Energy(extra energ

y)
• Feel really good
• Weight loss
 Short Term Effects I
Pleasure • Irritability

Confidence • Aggression

Sexy • Power

Joy • Fatigue
 Short Term Effects II
Increased wakefulness, breathing,
and heart rate
Decreased appetite
Dry mouth
Overheating
Tremors and Convulsions
Depression as it wears off
 Long-Term Effects
Anxiety, confusion, and sleep problems
Hallucinations and delusions
Methamphetamine Psychosis
Psychotic behavior
Chronic depression
Severe weight loss
Brain damage
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
 Subjective: hilarity, carelessness, euphoria,
confusion
Toxic: general euphoria, phantasmagoria,
etc.
•Dangers
Slows down user’s mental & psychomotor
activities; long-term use may lead to
psychological dependence; may lead to
cancer
•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
Dopamine
Inhibitory
Controls voluntary movement, memory, and emotion
High levels are associated with schizophrenia
Stimulant Drugs (cocaine, amphetamines) activate dopamine
receptors
Serotonin
Regulation of sleep, body temperature, mood, attention, learning
Low levels are associated with depression
Prozac increases levels of serotonin
Endorphins
Neurohormone—17 amino acid peptide
Stimulate firing of neurons
Shield body from pain, elevate pleasure
Morphine, heroin mimic action of endorphins
Epinephrine or adrenalin
Increased blood pressure
Acetylcholine
Controls action of muscles, learning, memory
Low acetylcholine leads to Alzheimer’s
GABA
Keeps neurons from firing (inhibitor)
Low GABA leads to anxiety
Norepinephrine
Inhibits central nervous system
Excites heart muscle, intestines
Low norepinephrine leads to depression
High norepinephrine leads to hyperactivity
Cocaine and amphetamines rapidly increase levels of norepinephrine
 Dopamine

Pleasure

Movement

Coordination
Drug/ Classification Neurotransmitter Action Effect
Affected

Alcohol/ Depressant Dopamine Increased turnover of Reduces inhibitions,

Acetylcholine norepinephrine and impairs judgment (frontal
dopamine cortex)
GABA
Decreased transmission in
Endorphins
acetylcholine systems
Increased transmission in
GABA systems
Increased production of
beta-endorphins in the

hypothalamus

Opiates/ Narcotic Endorphins Antagonist Euphoria, alleviates pain,

(understimulates neurons) increases appetite for
food and sex
Drug/ Classification Neurotransmitter Action Effect
Affected

Amphetamines/ Dopamine Agonist (increases Enhances activity level

Stimulant release) and pleasure

Cocaine/ Stimulant Dopamine Agonist (reuptake Agitation and

Serotonin inhibitor) for all three, depression following
enhances release of rush
Norepinephrine
dopamine, but
depletes after rush

MDMA (Ecstasy)/ Serotonin Agonist—causes Lowers inhibitions,

Stimulant and release of serotonin relaxes people,
Hallucinogen and blocks reuptake increased pleasure
Long term damages
serotonin producing
cells—memory loss
Drug/ Classification Neurotransmitter Action Effect
Affected

Caffeine/ Stimulant Adenosine (an inhibitor Antagonist for Increases reward and
neurotransmitter) adenosine (inhibits motivation (dopamine)
receptors) which and arousal
increases dopamine (acetylcholine)
and acetylcholine
levels

Nicotine/ Stimulant Dopamine Increases levels Improved attention and

alertness, reduced
anger and anxiety,
pain relief

LSD/ Hallucinogen Serotonin Agonist-turns on Rapid mood swings,

Dopamine serotonin receptors impaired attention and
memory
Cocaine concentrates in regions of the brain with
dopamine synapses
Blocks dopamine re-uptake channel in transmitting
neuron
More dopamine remains in the synapse, so more
dopamine receptors on receiving neuron remain activated
Equilibration process just like in chromatography between sticky
sites and solvent
Easier to trigger receiving neuron
Blocks the reuptake of
the
neurotransmitters:
dopamine
norepinephrine
serotonin
Large increases in blood pressure
Bleeding into the brain
Stroke from constriction of blood vessels in
the brain
Breathing problems
Irregular heart beat
Dilated eyes
THE COMPREHENSIVE DANGEROUS DRUGS ACT OF 2002

RA 9165 provides stiffer penalties for illegal drug

possession and pushing but, at the same time,
seeks to protect the country’s most precious
resource, the youth