MEDICINES and
DRUGS
Depressants
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What are depressants?
• Substances that calm and relax (depress) the
central nervous system by interfering with
nerve impulse transmission.
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They slow down brain activity
They slow down heart activity
They reduce breathing rate
They dull emotional responses
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How do depressants work?
• Depressants change the communication
between brain cells by altering the
concentration or the activity of chemicals
called neurotransmitters
• Depressants causes a depression, or a
decrease in brain activity.
• Depressants can be categorized by dosage
effect – this categorization includes
tranquilizers, sedatives and hypnotics.
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What are anti-depressants?
• Antidepressants are drugs used to
treat the clinical condition known
as depression (mood changes,
insomnia, fatigue, despair,
inability to concentrate)
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It’s the dose…..not the drug…
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Low doses
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Moderate doses
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Sedation
Soothing
Reduction of anxiety
High doses
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Little or no effect
Sleep
Slurred speech
Extremely high doses
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Coma
Death
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Tranquilizers
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Mild action
Relieve anxiety and tension
Ethanol & Valium
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Sedatives
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Soothing of distress
Not producing sleep at normal
doses
Barbiturates
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Use and abuse of ethanol
Doses
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30-50mg /100ml of blood
Euphoria
100mg / 100ml of blood
Slurred speech, staggering,
aggressive behavior
200mg / 100ml of blood
Difficult movement and vision
400mg / 100ml of blood
Coma, death
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Use and abuse of ethanol
Social effects
Sickness, death
- Cost of treatment
- Lost productivity
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Violent crimes
Car accidents
Alcoholism, family problems
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Use and abuse of ethanol
Physiological effects
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Short-term effects
euphoria
sociability
relaxation
decreased inhibitions
loss of judgement
impairment of perception/memory
increased reaction time
violent behavior
dizziness
loss of balance
nausea, vomitting
death
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Use and abuse of ethanol
Physiological effects
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Long-term effects:
cirrhosis of liver
liver cancer
coronary heart disease
high blood pressure
strokes
gastritis
peptic ulcers
anxiety/depression
fetal abnormalities
physical dependence/tolerance
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Use and abuse of ethanol
Synergistic effects
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Alcohol + aspirin
risk of stomach bleeding
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Alcohol + sedatives
heavy sedation
comma, death
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Alcohol + cocaine
high blood pressure
irregular heart beat
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Detection of ethanol
Breathalyzer
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Road-side test
Ethanol in breath
Oxidation of ethanol to ethanoic
acid
Use of acidified K2Cr2O7
Orange to green color
Transfer of electrons > current >
voltage measured
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Detection of ethanol
Chromatography (GLC)
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Ethanol in breath, blood and urine
Inert gas through liquid or solid
Compounds separated by b.p.
Different retention times recorded
Amount = area under peak
Other drugs can be detected, too
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Detection of ethanol
Intoximeter
(infra-red spectroscopy)
Ethanol in breath
 Transmittance versus wavenumber
=IR spectrum
 Characteristic peak of -OH @
3340cm-1
 Comparison of sample and
reference
 Amount = size of peak
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Other depressants
Diazepan (Valium)
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Sedative
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Other depressants
Nitrazepan (Mogadon)
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Sleeping pill
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Other depressants
Fluoxetin hydrochloride (Prozac)
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Anti-depressant
Amine+HCl=hydrochloride:
water soluble
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