Chapter 12
Illegal Drugs
• Marijuana – dried flowers and leaves
from the plant cannabis sativa. Active
ingredient is tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC)
• Short term effects- slows thinking ability,
attention, distorts sense of space and
time, giddiness, loss of short term
memory, loss of balance and coordination,
increased appetite, anxiety, panic attack
Are there any long term effects of using
marijuana?
• Long term effects – cancer, chronic
bronchitis, damaged lung tissue
• Brain has difficulty processing information
• Quick Facts about Drunk and Drugged Driving
• In 2005, 16,885 people died in alcohol-related motor
vehicle crashes, accounting for 39% of all traffic-related
deaths in the United States.
• An alcohol-related motor vehicle crash kills someone
every 31 minutes and non-fatally injures someone every
two minutes.
• Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine)
are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths.
These other drugs are generally used in combination
with alcohol.
• Each year, alcohol-related crashes in the United States
cost about $51 billion.
• Inhalants – drugs that are inhaled as
vapors. Usually these are legal to buy
and are common household items.
• Effects – range from mild to severe.
Hyperactivity, loss of inhibition,dizziness.
• Stronger effects – loss of coordination,
difficulty speaking or thinking, fear,
anxiety, depression, nausea, vomiting,
headache, and loss of consciousness.
• 3 dangers of inhalants – damage to
organs, dead brain cells, can cause
sudden death
• SUDDEN SNIFFING DEATH SYNDROME
What are inhalants? & How are they used?
Inhalants are breathable chemical
vapors that users intentionally
inhale because of the chemicals'
mind-altering effects. The
substances inhaled are often
common household products that
contain volatile solvents or
aerosols.
Examples of Inhalants
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rubber cement
household glue
spray paint
hairspray
air freshener
deodorant
fabric protector
nail polish remover
helium
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paint thinner
toxic markers
gasoline
dry cleaning fluid
spot remover
degreaser
vegetable cooking
spray
• propane
Signs of Usage
• paint or stains on body or
clothing
• spots or sores around the
mouth
• red or runny eyes or nose
• chemical breath odor
• drunk, dazed or dizzy
appearance
• nausea, loss of appetite
• anxiety, excitability,
irritability
Short-term Effects
• rapid high – resembles alcohol
intoxication
• slows down the body’s functions
• irregular and rapid heart
rhythms
• heart failure and death within
minutes
• “sudden sniffing death” can
result from a single session of
inhalant use
What are designer drugs?
• Designer drugs – Drugs designed to
closely resemble common illegal drugs
in chemical structure and effect.
What are club drugs?
• Club drugs are those sold and used in
clubs and at raves. Designer drugs are
also most commonly used in clubs and at
raves.
• Club Drugs = Designer Drugs
• Ecstasy – MDMA
(methylenedioxymethamphetamine)
most common club drug. It is both a
hallucinogen and an amphetamine.
• Causes intense thirst, can cause
dehydration
• Users may crave physical
touch/contact
• GHB – (gamma hydroxybutyrate) a
clear liquid or white powder that
causes euphoria, relaxation, dizziness,
and loss of inhibitions.
• Higher doses may cause vomiting,
memory loss, respiratory problems,
loss of consciousness, seizures, coma
and death.
• Even more dangerous with alcohol,
highly addictive, known as a date-rape
drug because it can be added to drinks
undetected and causes memory loss.
• Ketamine – club drug, causes
hallucination, numbness, inability to
move, loss of memory and separation
from reality. This one was developed
as an animal tranquilizer.
• PCP – also called angel dust, can
produce effects ranging from mild
euphoria to distortions of reality, out of
body experiences, psychotic behavior.
Often results in violent behavior and
harm to user or others.
• Look-alike Drugs – Drugs such as PMA
and DXM created to resemble Ecstasy they are not reliable in their content
and can be harmful.
Anabolic Steroids – synthetic versions of
the male hormone testosterone.
Used to promote muscle building. There
are many negative side effects from
long term use of these drugs.
Under a doctor's supervision, anabolic
steroids have some legitimate medical
uses, as do corticosteroids, a different
type of steroid used to reduce swelling.
Here's a list of some of the most common
anabolic steroids taken today: anadrol,
oxandrin, dianabol, winstrol, decadurabolin, and equipoise.
• Effects on males – stunted growth,
aggression, paranoia, liver cancer,
increased cholesterol, heart disease,
severe acne, baldness, shrinking of
testicles, reduced sperm count,
infertility
• Effects on females – severe acne,
increased cholesterol, increased facial
hair, baldness, deeper voice, disrupted
menstrual cycle, infertility, bloating,
rapid weight gain, liver cancer
• Stimulants – drugs that temporarily
increase a person’s energy and
alertness. May cause euphoria, loss of
appetite, restlessness, anxiety.
• Usually snorted, injected, smoked or
swallowed.
• Effects – nervousness, irritability,
panic, aggressive behavior, kidney
damage, liver damage, heart failure,
death
• Examples include cocaine and
methamphetamine
• Depressants – Drugs that cause relaxation
and sleepiness. Most depressants are in pill
form and can produce effects such as
euphoria, reduced anxiety, loss of
inhibitions, drowsiness
• Effects – overdose effects may include
slurred speech, loss of coordination,
confusion, heart rate and breathing slowed,
loss of consciousness, coma and death.
• Examples: sleeping pills, Rohypnol, GHB, DXM
and Zanax (anxiety meds)
• Opiates – a group of highly addictive
drugs derived from the poppy plant –
they are used as pain relievers,
anesthetics and sedatives.
• They include heroin, opium, morphine,
codeine, vicadin, oxycontin
• Effects – negative effects may include
nausea, vomiting, constipation,
confusion, loss of consciousness,
dangerously slowed breathing, coma
and death.
• Hallucinogens – smoked or swallowed drugs
that distort perception and cause the user to
experience things that are not real.
• Effects – can cause extreme anxiety, fear
and paranoia. Can cause flashbacks. Not
addictive if they are only hallucinogens, but
when amphetamines are added they become
addictive, like MDMA.
• Examples – (LSD)Acid, mushrooms
(psilocybin)
• Greatest concern is accidental death caused
by fear/paranoia during hallucination