Drugs
9th grade Health
What are drugs?
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Drugs are substances that are used to treat
or prevent diseases. They are also used to
relieve pains, to help control mental or
physical ailments, and even to help
diagnose illnesses.
Drug Vocab
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Tolerance
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Body becomes accustomed to drug and causes
the user to experience a need for more and more
drug to achieve the desired effect or high.
Psychological Dependence
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A condition that occurs overtime and causes user
to believe that drug is needed in order to feel
good or function normally.
Drug Vocab
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Physiological dependence
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A user develops a chemical need for a drug.
Symptoms of withdrawal occure when the effects
of the drug wear off.
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Symptoms can include nervousness, insomnia,
headaches, vomiting, chills, and cramps.
Addiction
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A physiological or psychological dependence on
a drug.
Classification of Drugs
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Prescription
Marijuana and THC
Inhalants
Steroids
Psychoactive
“Club Drugs”
Stimulants
Depressants
Marijuana and THC
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Marijuana is produced from the dried
leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant.
The active ingredient is THC
(tetrahydrocannabinol)
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A fat-soluble drug
Produces psychoactive effects of Marijuana
Fat-soluble means that the drug will be
distributed to those areas of the body with high
fat content.
Marijuana and THC
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THC stays in the body for several weeks
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Why?
Fat soluble areas of the body are:
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Brain
Lungs
Reproductive System
A person who uses marijuana may be under its
effects several days later, even though the
"high” has worn off.
Marijuana and THC
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How it’s used
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Smoked, Ingested or Taken as a Pill
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It’s used to achieve a state of calmness or euphoria.
Almost all users report a change in how they perceive
time.
Larger doses may produce anxiety and feelings of
paranoia.
Short term effects
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When smoked much more THC enters the bloodstream
Increase heart rate, reddening of eyes, talkativeness and
giddiness
Some users may become quiet or reflective
Marijuana and THC
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Medical uses of THC
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when made synthetically;
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Lessen nausea associated with Chemotherapy
Help people with AIDS regain appetite
Used to treat glaucoma
 Glaucoma is the build up of pressure on the eyeball.
Marijuana and THC
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Effects on the Brain
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Increases level of dopamine
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Dopamine produces a pleasurable feeling.
THC works by binding to specific receptors in the brain
called "cannabinoid receptors," which are located
throughout the following brain structures:
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Cerebellum
Hippocampus
Cerebral Cortex
Limbic System
Marijuana and THC
Effects on the Brain
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Cerebellum
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By binding with the cannabinoid receptors
THC interferes with the normal function of the
cerebellum, which controls balance, posture, and
coordination.
Hippocampus
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THC activates cannibinoid receptors in the
hippocampus.
effects memory
by decreasing nerve cell activity in this area. Short-term
memory is the first to be affected.
Marijuana and THC
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Effects on the Brain
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Cerebral Cortex
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THC affects areas in the cerebral cortex that are responsible
for sensory perception.
Sense of taste, sight, smell, hearing, and touch may be
altered.
Limbic System
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THC produces changes in the limbic system ( governs) our
emotions.
 These changes, which are most evident during withdrawal
from THC, are similar to those observed after long-term
use of cocaine, heroin, and alcohol.
Inhalants
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Are substances whose fumes are sniffed or
inhaled to give effect.

Types of inhalants
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Prescribed Inhalants
 Used to treat allergies, asthma, and other medical
conditions.
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Solvents, Aerosols, Glues, Paints, Gasolines
 These if used can cause brain damage.
Inhalants
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Effects on the body
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Depress the central nervous system
Immediate effects
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Glassy stare, Slurred Speech, Impaired Judgment, Nausea,
Coughing, nosebleeds, fatigue, and lack of coordination.
Can lead to permanent loss of Brain Damage
Long Term effects
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Liver and Kidney damage, Blindness, Brain damage,
Paralysis, Cardiac Arrest and Death.
Inhalants
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All inhalants are extremely dangerous
Many labeled as poisons
Can be harmful even if you are not trying to abuse
them
Can be accidentally inhaled when doing
household chores.
When using inhalants work in well-ventilated room
and wear a mask when project requires long
exposure to fumes.
Steroids
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Can be prescribed for medical purposes
Anabolic- androgenic steroids
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Synthetic substance similar to male sex
hormones.
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Anabolic refers to muscle building
Androgenic refers to increased male
characteristics.
Steroids
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Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids
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Synthetic derivatives of the naturally occurring
male anabolic hormone (testosterone).
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Anabolic means “to build”
Androgenic means “masculinizing”
Steroids
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Testosterone is the primary male hormone
responsible for the development of
masculine traits
Androgenic effect triggers the maturing of the
male reproductive system.
 Anabolic effect helps body retain protein which
aids in development of muscles
ANABOLIC PROPERTY LURES ATHLETES!
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Steroids
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How it’s used
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Can be taken orally or injected.
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Injected steroids are broken down into additional
categories
 Long-Lasting
 Short-Lasting
 Water-soluble injections
Steroids
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Who takes steroids?
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Athletes, Men are stereotypically associated with
steroids
Anyone who uses desires to look, perform or feel
better regardless of danger
Steroids
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Health Hazards
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Transmitting or contracting HIV and Hepatitis B
through needles.
Side effects can occur long after you stop using
Megadosing – using more than one type of
steroid at a time
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Effects can be irreversible body damage.
Steroids
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Physical Side effects
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Male
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Feminization effect
Decrease in normal sexual function
Reduced sperm count
Impotence
Development of Breasts
Shrinking of Testicles
Difficulty or pain while urinating
Steroids
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Women
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Experience Masculinization effect
Facial Hair Growth
Deepened Voice
Breast Reduction
Menstrual Cycle Change
Steroids
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Both Genders
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Acne
Bloated Appearance
Rapid Weight Gain
Clotting Disorders
Liver Damage
Premature Heart Attacks and Strokes
Elevated Cholesterol levels
Weakened Tendons
Steroids
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Special Dangers to adolescents
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Steroids close growth centers in a kid’s bones
Once growth plates are closed they cannot
reopen
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So adolescents may end up shorter than they
should have been
Steroids
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Addictive
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Long-time steroid users may experience
addiction through:
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Cravings
Difficulty in stopping
Withdrawal Symptoms
STEROIDS DO NOT HELP IMPROVE SKILL,
AGILITY OR CARDIOVASCULAR CAPACITY!
Psychoactive Drugs
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Chemicals that affect the function of the
central nervous system and alter brain
activity.
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Four main groups
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Hallucinogens
Opiates
Stimulants
Depressants
Psychoactive Drugs
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Some have medicinal value
When misused and abused an individual’s
health is seriously affected.
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Effects on TEEN’s developing brain and body
especially damaging
Psychoactive Drugs
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Consequences of psychoactive drugs
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Poor judgement and behaviors
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Unintentional injuries
Violence
STDs
Unintended pregnancy
Suicide
Psychoactive Drugs
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Hallucinogens
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category of drugs that affect the brain in such a
way that a person’s perceptions -- meaning their
sights, sounds, feelings, and how they judge time
-- become very different and unreal.
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Can cause changes with emotions, memory and
judgement.
Psychoactive Drugs
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LSD (Hallucinogen)
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Also known as acid, doses, trips, tabs, hits,
sunshine, window pane, sugar cubes, microdot
is a very powerful drug made with a chemical
found in a fungus -- that grows on grains.
Psychoactive Drugs
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LSD (Hallucinogen)
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It was originally developed as a treatment for
mental patients, but doctors soon learned that it
was too unpredictable to be useful. In the 1960’s,
many people took LSD because they believed
the drug “expanded the mind.” LSD is usually
found as pieces of thin paper sprayed with the
drug, which are eaten, or in liquid or gelatin form.
Psychoactive Drugs - LSD
Side Effects
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Changes in personality and mood
Mood swings
Hallucinations
Delusions
Intense fear
Confused senses, like “seeing sounds” and “hearing
colors”
Dilated pupils
Increased body temperature
Sweating
Loss of appetite
Sleeplessness
Dry mouth
Tremors
Psychoactive Drugs
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LSD (Hallucinogen)
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Health Risks
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Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Long lasting mental problems, like schizophrenia
or depression
Psychoactive Drugs
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LSD (Hallucinogen)
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Problems with using
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Scary hallucinations can make people panic,
which can lead them into dangerous situations.
LSD “flashbacks” are very common, with the
drug’s effects returning without warning from a
few days to a year later.
Users develop tolerance, meaning that they
eventually need more and more of the drug to get
the same effect.
Psychoactive Drugs
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Opiates
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which means that it comes from a flower called
the opium poppy.
Opiates are used in hospitals as painkillers for
patients in serious pain from injury, surgery, or
illness; morphine is another opiate that you might
see used for medical purposes.
Psychoactive Drugs
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Heroin (Opiate)
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is a brown or white powder that is sometimes
snorted or smoked. Most of the time, users turn it
into a liquid and inject the drug into their veins
with a needle.
Psychoactive Drugs
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Heroin (Opiates)
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Side effects
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Euphoria, a “rush” of well-being
Reduced pain
Dry mouth
Droopy eyelids and smaller pupils
Flushed skin
Heavy arms and legs
Slow thinking and movement
Slow and slurred speech
Periods of sleepiness, sometimes called “the nod”
Vomiting
Constipation
Considered to be the MOST ADDICTIVE DRUG
Psychoactive Drugs
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Heroin (Opiates)
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Health Risks
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Collapsed veins
Heart infections
Pneumonia
Death from overdose
Psychoactive Drugs
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Heroin (opiate)
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Problems with Using
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Heroin is one of the most physically addictive drugs in the
world, and breaking the addiction can be very difficult.
Users develop tolerance, meaning that they eventually need
more and more of the drug to get the same effect.
Because heroin can be expensive, users often turn to crime
to get drug money.
Sharing needles can lead to infectious diseases, including
hepatitis and AIDS.
Psychoactive Drugs
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Heroin (Opiate)
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Problems with using
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Quitting the drug or “kicking the habit” can lead to
bad withdrawal symptoms, including pain, nausea
and vomiting, diarrhea, cold flashes, and an
incredible craving to return to the drug.
Quitting suddenly, called “going cold turkey,” can
lead to death in long-term addicts in bad health.
Psychoactive Drugs
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Stimulants
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are a class of drugs that elevate mood, increase
feelings of well-being, and increase energy and
alertness.
often produce a feeling of euphoria in users.
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Examples are caffeine, amphetamines,
methamphetamines and cocaine.
Psychoactive Drugs
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Cocaine (Stimulants)
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is a powerfully addictive stimulant that directly
affects the brain
The pure chemical, cocaine hydrochloride, has
been an abused substance for more than 100
years, and coca leaves, the source of cocaine,
have been ingested for thousands of years
Effects Dopamine in your brain!
Psychoactive Drugs
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Cocaine (stimulant)
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Pure cocaine was first extracted from the leaf of
the Erythroxylon coca bush, which grows
primarily in Peru and Bolivia, in the mid-19th
century. In the early 1900s, it became the main
stimulant drug used in most of the tonics/elixirs
that were developed to treat a wide variety of
illnesses
Psychoactive Drugs
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Cocaine (stimulants)
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How it’s used
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In powder form it can be snorted or dissolved into water and
injected
Crack is cocaine that has not been neutralized by an acid to
make the hydrochloride salt. This form of cocaine comes in a
rock crystal that can be heated and its vapors smoked. The
term “crack” refers to the crackling sound heard when it is
heated
FASTER ABSORPTION MORE INTENSIFIED HIGH!
Psychoactive Drugs
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Cocaine (Stimulants)
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Short Term Effects
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Euphoric
Energetic
Talkative
Mentally alert
Senses especially alert
Decrease need for food or sleep
Constricted blood vessels
Dilated pupils
Increased temperature
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Psychoactive Drugs
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Cocaine (stimulants)
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Long Term effects
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Irritability
Restlessness
Paranoia
Lead to paranoid psychosis
 the individual loses touch with reality and experiences
auditory hallucinations
Psychoactive Drugs
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Cocaine (Stimulants)
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Problems with using
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Dependence and addiction
Cardiovascular problems, including irregular heartbeat, heart
attack, and heart failure
Neurological incidents, including strokes, seizures, fungal
brain infections, and hemorrhaging in tissue surrounding the
brain
Pulmonary effects, such as fluid in the lungs, aggravation of
asthma and other lung disorders, and respiratory failure
Psychiatric complications, including psychosis, paranoia,
depression, anxiety disorders, and delusions
Psychoactive Drugs
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Cocaine (Stimulants)
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Problems with using
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Increased risk of traumatic injury from accidents and
aggressive, violent, or criminal behavior
Other effects include: sleeplessness, sexual dysfunction,
diminished sense of smell, perforated nasal septum, nausea,
and headaches.
Crack users often singe eyebrows or eyelashes with the
flame of matches or lighters. They also burn fingertips and
other body parts from contact with superheated vessels
(e.g., glass pipes).
Psychoactive Drugs
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Cocaine (Stimulants)
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Problems with using
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Fetal cocaine effects include premature separation of the
placenta, spontaneous abortion, premature labor, low
birthweight and head circumference at birth, greater chance
of visual impairment, mental retardation, genitourinary
malformations, and greater chance of developmental
problems.
For intravenous (IV) cocaine users, there is increased risk of
hepatitis, HIV infection, and endocarditis.
For addicts, whether they smoke, inject, or snort,
promiscuous sexual activity can increase the risk of HIV
infection
Psychoactive Drugs
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Depressants
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drugs that sedate by acting on the central
nervous system.
relieve anxiety and produce sleep.
reduce mental or physical activity.
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Examples; barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and
alcohol
Psychoactive Drugs
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Depressants
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Medical Uses
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Help treat anxiety, insomnia, tension, muscle
spasms, and irritability.
Psychoactive Drugs
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Alcohol (depressants)
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Is a depressant that slows the central nervous
system.
Ethanol – is the type of alcohol in alcoholic
beverages
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Can be produced synthetically or naturally by
fermenting fruits, veggies, and grains.
Fermentation is the chemical action of yeast on
sugars.
Water and minerals mixed to create beverages.
Psychoactive Drugs
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Alcohol (Depressants)
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If a person consumes to much alcohol a person
will become INTOXICATED!
Intoxication – is a state in which the body is
poisoned by alcohol or another substance, and a
person’s physical and mental control is
significantly reduced.
ALCOHOL stays in a person’s system until body can
metabolize or break it down!
Psychoactive Drugs
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Alcohol (depressants)
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Factors that influence the effects of alcohol are:
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Body Size – smaller person faster that larger
Gender – generally moves faster in blood in
females.
Food – food in the stomach slows down the
passage of alcohol in bloodstream.
Rate of intake – if a person drinks faster than the
liver can break it down
Amount – more intake more in bloodstream.
Medicine – can heighten effect of alcohol
Psychoactive Drugs
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Alcohol (Depressants)
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Short term effects of alcohol
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Memory is disorganized
Judgement and control
Movement, speech, and vision
Risk of stroke
Increase Heart rate and blood pressure
Stomach acid production and can cause nausea
and vomiting.
Psychoactive Drugs
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Alcohol (Depressants)
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Long – Term effects
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Damage to brain cells and reduction in brain size.
Stroke and Heart Attack
Buildup of fat cells in liver that can lead to cell
death.
Damage to digestive lining of the stomach causing
ulcers and cancer of the stomach
Destruction of pancreas
Psychoactive Drugs
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Alcohol (Depressants)
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Long Term effects
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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Addiction