Chapter 7
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Psychoactive Drugs
A drug which alters a person’s
experiences or consciousness
Can cause intoxication
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A state in which sometimes unpredictable
physical and emotional changes occur
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What Is Addiction?
Addiction traditionally used only when the
habitual use of a drug produced chemical
changes in the user’s body
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Tolerance: body’s adaptation to drug
Concept of addiction as a disease
process, based in brain chemistry rather
than moral failing, led to many advances
Addictive behaviors are habits that have
gotten out of control, resulting in negative
effects on a person’s health
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Characteristics of Addictive
Behavior
Reinforcement
Compulsion or Craving
Loss of Control
Escalation
Negative Consequences
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Addictive Behavior
The development of addiction
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Often starts when person does something to bring
pleasure or to avoid pain
Characteristics of people with addictions
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Difficulty dealing with stress and painful emotions
Risk-takers, impulse control problems
Examples of addictive behaviors:
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Compulsive gambling
Compulsive exercising
Work addiction
Sex and love addiction
Compulsive buying or shopping
Internet addiction
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Drug Use, Abuse, and Dependence
Drugs are chemicals other than food that
are intended to affect the structure or
function of the body
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Prescription medicines
Over-the-counter substances
Caffeine
Tobacco
Alcohol

Illegal substances
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Drug Abuse
The APA’s Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders – authoritative reference
Abuse: APA definition
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Recurrent drug use, resulting in failure to fulfill
major responsibilities
Drug use in situations that are physically
hazardous
Drug-related legal problems
Drug use despite persistent social or
interpersonal problems
Physical dependency may or may not present
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Drug Dependence
Substance dependence
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Developing tolerance to the substance
Experiencing withdrawal
Taking in larger amounts
Expressing a persistent desire to cut down
Spending great deal of time getting, using, or
recovering from the substance
6. Giving up or reducing important activities
7. Continual usage despite the knowledge of a problem
Diagnosis with at least 3 or more symptoms
during a 12-month period
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Who Uses Drugs?
Drug Users
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All income and education levels
All ethnic groups
All ages
People more likely to try drugs
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Young people are at a higher risk
Males (Twice as likely)
Troubled adolescents
Thrill-seekers
Members of dysfunctional families
Members of peer groups that accept drug use
People who live in disadvantaged areas
Teen girls who date older boys
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Why Do People Use Drugs?
Experiment
Escape
Coping
Reliance
Social surroundings
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Risk Factors for Dependence
Psychological risks
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Difficulty in controlling impulses
Strong need for excitement,
stimulation, automatic gratification
Feelings of rejection
Hostility
Aggression
Anxiety
Depression
Mental illness
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Other Risks of Drug Use
Intoxication
Unexpected side effects
Unknown drug constituents
Risks associated with injection drug use
Legal consequences
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How Drugs Affect the Body
 Changes in Brain chemistry
 Drug factors:
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Pharmacological properties
Dose-response function
Time-action function
Drug use history
Method of use
 User Factors
 Social Factors
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13
Representative Psychoactive
Drugs
Opioids (narcotics)
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Natural or synthetic
Opium, morphine, heroin, methadone, codeine,
hydrocodone, oxycodone, meperidine, and
fentanyl
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Effects
Medical Uses
Methods of administration
Injection, snorting, sniffing, or smoking
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Symptoms of overdose
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Representative Psychoactive
Drugs
Central Nervous System Depressants
(Sedative Hypnotics)
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Slow down the overall activity of the CNS
Types
Barbiturates (“downers”)
Sedatives or tranquilizers
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Effects
Medical uses
From use to abuse
Overdosing
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Central Nervous System Stimulants
Speed up the activity of the nervous or
muscular system
 Cocaine
Methods of use
Effects
Abuse and dependence
Use during pregnancy
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Central Nervous System Stimulants
Amphetamines (“uppers”)
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Effects
From use to abuse
State dependence
Dependence
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Methamphetamine
Ritalin
Caffeine
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Marijuana and Other Cannabis
Products
Cannabis Sativa
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)
Short-term effects and uses
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Depersonalization
Long-term effects
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Respiratory damage
Dependence
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Hallucinogens
LSD, mescaline, psilocybin, STP, DMT,
MDMA, ketamine, PCP (angel dust), and
certain mushrooms
Effects
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Altered states of consciousness, perceptions,
feelings and thoughts
LSD effects
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Synesthesia
Altered states of consciousness
Flashbacks
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Inhalants

Types
Volatile solvents
Aerosols
Nitrites
Anesthetics
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Methods of use
Sniffing
Snorting
“Bagging”
“Huffing”
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Effects
Nearly all inhalants produce effects similar to those of
anesthetics, which slow down body functions
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Drug Use: The Decades Ahead
Drug research
Drugs, society, and families
Legalizing drugs
Drug Testing
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Treatment for Drug Dependence
Medication-assisted treatment
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Drug substitution
Treatment centers
Self-help groups and peer counseling
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AA
NA
Harm reduction strategies
Codependency
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Preventing Drug Abuse
Governmental attempts
Anti-drug education programs
Indirect approaches
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Building young people’s self-esteem
Improving their academic skills
Increasing their recreational opportunities
Direct approaches
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Informing them about the adverse effects of
drugs
Peer pressure resistance
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Chapter 7
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