Lesson objectives
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Students should be able to:
(a) define a drug as any externally administered substance that modifies or affects
chemical reactions in the body
(b) describe the medicinal use of antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial infection
(c) describe the effects of the abuse of heroin: a powerful depressant, problems of
addiction, severe withdrawal symptoms and associated problems such as crime and
infection, e.g. AIDS
(d) describe the effects of excessive consumption of alcohol: reduced self-control,
depressant, damage to liver and social implications
(e) describe the effects of tobacco smoke and its major toxic components (nicotine, tar
and carbon monoxide) on health: strong association with bronchitis, emphysema, lung
cancer and heart disease, and the association between smoking during pregnancy and
reduced birth weight of the baby
(f) recognize the fact that many people regard smoking as no longer socially
acceptable.
A DRUG IS ANY SUBSTANCE OTHER
THAN FOOD WHICH CHANGES THE
WAY THE BODY OR MIND FUNCTIONS.
Broadly classified as
Pharmaceutical Drug
• It is also called a
medication or
medicine, is a chemical
substance used to
treat, cure, prevent,
or diagnose a disease
or to promote wellbeing.
Psychoactive Drug
• It is a chemical
substances that affect
the function of the
central nervous system,
altering perception,
mood or consciousness
MEDICINAL DRUGS:
ANTIBIOTICS:
Antibiotics are chemicals that are
widely used to treat many
infectious diseases caused by
microorganisms.
Antibiotics do not harm viruses.
There are 4 main types of antibiotics:
Penicillins: Fungus penicillium, narrow-spectrum
antibiotics.
Cephalosporins: Mould cephalosporium. They are
useful against bacteria which have developed
resistance to penicillin.
Tetracyclines: Bacterium Streptomyces , broadspectrum antibiotics.
Erythromycins: Bacterium actinomycete , often
used for people that have an allergy to penicillins
Anaesthetics and Analgesics
Anaesthetics: Drugs that make the
body unable to feel pain.
Analgesics: Drugs which relieves
pain and reduces fever.
WORKING OF ANTIBIOTICS:
Penicillin, for example, prevents the bacteria
from making essential components of the cell
wall which makes it easier for the body’s
immune system to destroy it. Tetracyclines,
on the other hand, damage the proteinproducing machinery inside the cytoplasm of
the bacterium, thereby preventing it from
dividing. This inhibits the growth of the
bacterium.
Diseases treated with antibiotics:
Pneumonia , Syphilis, Infections etc
TYPES OF PSCHOACTIVE DRUGS
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Stimulants
Depressants
Hallucinogens
Opiates
Types of PSYCHOACTIC
drugs
Stimulants (uppers) – Speed up
the brain and central nervous
system. Examples are caffeine
(coffee, tea) nicotine (cigarettes),
amphetamines, cocaine and diet
pills.
Types of drugs
Depressants (downers) – Slow
down the brain and central nervous
system. Examples are alcohol, beer,
wine, tranquilizers, sleeping pills.
Types of drugs
• OPIATES (PAIN KILLER)
• Used to reduce pain
• Examples: Heroin and morphine.
Types of drugs
Hallucinogens – These drugs
alter the user’s state of
consciousness. (Distort auditory
and visual sensations) Examples are
LSD, ecstasy, magic mushrooms,
marijuana.
ALCOHOL
• Alcohol goes directly from your
digestive system into your blood and
within minutes spreads to entire body,
including brain
• It spreads evenly throughout bodyexcept brain which gets the highest
concentration because it gets more
blood than any other part of body
• More blood equals more alcohol
• Intoxication (drunkenness) starts in the
brain
1. Mouth
2. Stomach
3. Small Intestine
4. Bloodstream
5. Liver
6. Brain
Alcohol
Physical Effects
• Co-ordination is
impaired, clumsiness,
slower reflexes
• High blood pressure,
damage to the heart
• Liver damage
• If drinking when
pregnant, FASD
• Life threatening when
mixed with other
drugs
Mental and
Emotional
• Behave in ways that
you normally wouldn’t
• Increase in aggressive
and violent behaviour
• Problems with school
and learning
ALCOHOL and the LIVER
• The liver removes poisons – include alcohol
from the body
• People who drink regularly can have
serious liver damage and may even get
liver cancer
• If the liver is damaged badly enough, it
can stop working, causing the person to
die.
FACTS ABOUT SMOKING:
Cigarette smoke contains
more than 4000 chemicals;
many of which are harmful
to the body. Following
chemicals in cigarette are
linked to health problems.
NICOTINE
NICOTINE
• Most addictive drug
• Causes more long term health problems
than any other drug
• Adults are smoking less, younger people
under 18 smoke more
• When someone stops smoking they have:
strong cravings
irritability (everything gets on
nerves)
thoughts of it-can’t stop thinking
about it
NICOTINE
What it does to your body,
brain and behavior
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depression
lung cancer
lung diseases
heart disease
skin becomes thinner and wrinkled
CARBON MONOXIDE:
Carbon monoxide reduces the
efficiency of the red blood cells to
transport oxygen
It also increases the rate at which
fatty substances are deposited on the
inner walls of the arteries, causing
their lumen to become narrower. This
increases the risk of atherosclerosis.
It damages the lining of blood
vessels, thus increasing the tendency
of blood to clot and so block the blood
vessels
TAR:
This is a brown, sticky substance that accumulates in
the lungs during smoking.
It contains many cancer causing (carcinogenic)
chemicals. Normally, cell division occurs continuously
in the lungs to replace the membrane of the air sacs.
Tar induces these cells to divide at an abnormal
rate. Such uncontrolled multiplication of cells
results in outgrowths or lumps of tissues (cancers).
These block off the air sacs, reducing the efficiency
for gaseous exchange.
Tar paralyses the cilia lining the air passages. This
prevents the cilia from removing the dust particles
from the lungs and the trachea.
IRRITANTS (e.g hydrogen cyanide,
acrolein, formaldehyde)
Paralyses cilia lining the air
passages. Increases risks of
chronic bronchitis and
emphysema
HEROIN
• Processed from morphine – obtained from
opium poppy
• “downer” affects brain’s pleasure systems
– interferes with brains ability to feel
pain
HEROIN
• white to dark brown powder or tar-like
substance
• is cut with other drugs or substances
(sugar, starch, powdered milk)
• abusers don’t know actual strength of
drug or true contents = high chance of
overdose or death
• sharing needles and equipment cause other
diseases and problems for users
HEROIN
• leads to flushing of skin, dry mouth,
collapsed veins, liver disease
• additives don’t dissolve leading to
clogs in blood vessels that lead to
lungs, liver, kidney or brain
• tolerance develops with regular use –
user needs more heroin to achieve
same intensity
Substance abuse and
society
What are the effects of substance abuse on
society?
• Spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and
Hepatitis C through sharing needles.
Substance abuse and
society
Effects on unborn children or other
complications from drug use
EFFECTS OF DRUG USE
ON CHILD
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Miscarriages
Premature birth
Low birth weight
Birth defects
Developmental problems
A baby’s health problems, if caused by a
drug will continue to grow as the child
grows.
Substance abuse and
society
CRIME
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drug possession
drug use
drug manufacturing
robbery
motor vehicle theft
Conclusion:
All medicines are drugs but not all drugs are
medicines
Drug abuse is habitual use of illegal drugs
which can lead to serious consequences