Intro to Substance Abuse
Webquest Activity
• Use the website to fill in the blanks for the
following sections:
-What are drugs?
-Why can drugs be harmful to your health?
-What are gateway drugs?
• Find the same number laptop you had before
to log on!!
Warm Up
• Read “The Brain-Body Connection” article in
your packet
• Answer the 3 questions at the bottom and be
prepared to discuss in class!
Types of Drugs
• Prescription Drugs: need to be prescribed by a
doctor
• Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs: can be
purchased at any time, at any store (with few
exceptions, such as some cold medicines)
• Recreational Drugs: used to “feel good” or
“have fun”; alcohol, tobacco, caffeine
• Illicit Drugs: illegal, most are psychoactive
(change chemistry of brain)
Categories of Drugs
• Stimulants: accelerate the heart rate and elevate the blood
pressure and "speed-up" or over-stimulate the body
• Depressants: slow down the brain and the body
• Opiates: cause drowsiness, confusion, nausea, feelings of
euphoria, respiratory complications and relieve pain
• Designer Drugs: created by changing properties of existing
drugs; alters their effects
• Inhalants: breathable substances that produce mind-altering
results and effects
• Steroids: taken to improve physical performance; lots of
negative side effects
• Hallucinogens: perceive things differently than they actually are
Methods of Administration
• Depending on how a drug is taken will
determine the brain chemistry changes that
occur when using the drug(s)
Methods of Administration
• Methods of taking drugs include:
-Oral Ingestion: taken by mouth
-Injection: (intramuscular or intravenous) syringe
used to shoot drug directly into muscle or
bloodstream
-Smoke: like tobacco or marijuana
-Inhalation: sniffing or breathing in the
chemicals/drug
-Absorption: drug is absorbed into bloodstream
Affect of Drugs on the Brain
• The quicker the drug reaches the brain, the
more likely the user is to become addicted.
• Drugs work in the brain by tapping into its
communication system and interfering with
the way nerve cells normally send, receive,
and process information.
The Brain and Drugs
• Once a drug reaches the brain, it acts on one
or more neurotransmitters, either increasing
or decreasing their concentration and actions.
The Brain and Drugs
• Neurotransmitters include substances such as
serotonin and dopamine that are released to
make you feel good.
The Brain and Drugs
Warm Up
• Complete the “How Much Do You Know About
Drug Addiction?” questions in your unit
packet
Downward Spiral of Addiction
• Experimentation: Use of a substance just to see what it is like; may be
influenced by friends, family, or media
• Recreation or Social Use: Use of a substance that makes user feel good;
think they are having fun, fitting in with social norms; use becomes more
frequent
• Tolerance: The body needs more of the substance/drug because it requires
more to get the same effect
• Compulsive Craving: Beginning to have an uncontrollable need for the
substance/drug
• Addiction: Habitual (regular) and out of control use of drug or substance;
user is dependent on substance/drug
• Withdrawal: Changes that occur when substance/drug use stops
Rate of Addiction
• Genetics: connection to addiction via a family
member or relative
• Anxiety/Depression: causes someone to look
for “relief”; stress, worry, tension
• Drug/Substance: type being used; some can
cause addiction even after just one use!
• Addiction can affect someone physically,
mentally, and socially.
Lyric CornerThird Eye Blind-Semi Charmed
Life
• What do you think this song was about?
• What were some lyrics that you saw that
made this song relatable to addiction or
substance abuse?
Withdrawal
• When someone tries to give up tobacco, alcohol, or
other drugs/substances, they may suffer through a
combination of symptoms:
Common Withdrawal Symptoms
Restlessness
Depression
Difficulty concentrating
Eating more than usual
Loss of Energy
Tremors
Impatience
Stomach/Bowel Problems
Heart Palpitations
Frustration/Anger
Headaches
Sweating
Drug Vocabulary
• Dependence: when a user needs the drug/substance to function
normally
• Tolerance: when the person needs more and more of the
drug/substance to get the same effect
• Relapse: the tendency to return to addictive behavior after a period
of abstinence
• Euphoria: “high”; “feel good” sensation
• Synesthesia: an effect where sensory messages are incorrectly
assigned (hear a taste, smell a sound)
• Flashbacks: perceptual distortions and bizarre thoughts that occur
after the drug has been eliminated from the body
Drug User Symptoms
Personality
•disrespectful
•verbal/physical abuse
•angry
•confused
•extreme mood swings
•depressed
•less out-going
•secretive
•lies about where they are
going/who they are with
steals
•“loses” possessions
(especially ones they used
to value)
•seems to have a lot of
money or is always asking
for money
Physical Appearance
•poor hygiene
•not sleeping or sleeping
too much
•loss of appetite
•weight loss or gain
•too hyperactive or too
little energy
Social Activities/School
Performance
•drops old friends/activities
•loss of interest in school
work/poor grades
•sleeps in class
•loss of concentration
•trouble remembering
things