Drugs & Human Behavior History of Drugs

Thinking Critically About Drugs -- What Are Drugs -- History of Drug Classification

Drug

A chemical substance that alters the functions of the body or mind

Psychoactive Drug

Any chemical that alters behavior, cognition, or emotion

• the most addictive drugs

Illicit Drug

Drugs that are currently illegal or heavily regulated including heroin, cocaine, marijuana; the illegal use of a legal drug.

Licit Drug

Drugs that can be purchased legally w/o many restrictions

• Alcohol (over 21)

• Caffeine

• Nicotine (over 18)

Pharmacology

The study of the effects of drugs on living systems

Psychopharamcology

The study of effects of drugs on behavior

Shamanism

• Trance (often helped along by hallucinogenic drugs) is a key component

• Shaman — exalted within society —> religious leader in the tribes of some religions

• Found all over the world

Placebo Effect

When receive effects of a treatment because we believe it is doing something good

Narcotic

Drugs that are opium derivatives and bind to opiate receptors; relieve pain.

Analgesic

Substances that relieves pain

• Tylnole

• Ibuprofen

Dissociative

Drugs that produce feelings of dissociation

• PCP

• Ketamine

• Salvia

Psychedlic

Drugs that alter cognition and perception

• LSD

• Psilocybin

Deliriant

Drugs that cause confusion and disorientation

• High doses of diphenhydramine

• Mandark

Drugs Schedules

The Controlled Substances Act classifies drugs into 5 categories based on:

• potential for abuse

• medical benefits (if any)

• likelihood for producing physical or psychological dependence

Schedule 1

• No accepted medical use in the US

• Lack of safety with medical supervision

• High risk for abuse; the most dangerous

• There is lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision

• Drugs: LSD,, heroin, marijuana, MDMD, peyote, GHB

Schedule 2

Can treat medical conditions in the correct circumstances, but have a high risk of abuse that may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.

• Drugs: cocaine, methamphetamine, morphine, oxycodone, Adderall

Schedule 3

• Potential risk for abuse

• Can lead to low or moderate physical dependence or high psychological dependence

• Some opioids

• Drugs: Anabolic steroids, narcotic solutions, vicodin, ketamine, long-acting barbituates

Schedule 4

• Low risk for abuse of substances in Schedule 3

• The drug or other substance has currently accepted medical use in the US

• Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs or other substances in schedule 3

• Drugs: most benzodiazephines (Valium, Xanax, Ativan) and prescription sleep aids, rohyphnol

Schedule 5

• Low risk of abuse in substances in schedule 4

• Limited amount of certain narcotics

• May lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs or other substances in schedule 4

Ebers Papyrus

• Egyptian scroll detailing pharmacological treatments

• Castor Oil & Opium were common ingredients

Cannabinoids

• Marijuana

  • Complex behavioral effects

  • Main effect is on cannabinoid neurotransmitter system

Depressants

Depresses CNS activity leading to decreased physiological activity and sedation

• Alcohol

• Barbiturates — amobarbital, batabarbial

• Benzodiazepines

• Sleep aids

Stimulants

Stimulate CNS leading to increases in physiological processes and motor behavior

• Cocaine

• Amphetamine

• Caffeine

• Nicotine

Hallucinogenes

Substance that alter perception and consciousness

• tends to not be addictive

Endogenous Substance

Produced and secreted within the bod

• Endorphins

• Anadomide

Chemical Name for Drugs

Describes the molecular structure of the drug

Generic Name for Drugs

official, nonproprietary, designations

• not captitalized

Brand/Trade Name for Drugs

Proprietary. Chosen by the company that manufactures the drug.

• Capitalized

Naturally-occurring Drugs

Drugs that come from plants, bacteria, fungi, or animals

• Ex. Marijauna, pencilliin

• Often, after the active substance in a plant has been identified, it is purified & synthesized in a lab

  • Ex. cocaine and morephine

Synthetic Drugs

Drugs made in a lab

• Ex. Heroin, MDMA (Ectasy)

Natural Opioids

Derived from the poppy papaver

• Heroin, morephine, codeine

Semi-Synthetic Opioids

Synthesized from naturally occurring opium products

• Oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone

Synthetic Opioids

Made entirely in a lab

• Methodone, trad, fent

Drug Abuse Control Acts of the 1980s

• Strengthened federal anti-drug policies

• Foreiture laws

• Established Office of National Drug Control Policy

• Lowered BAC to 0.08 from 0.1

• Racial inequalities

The Marijuana Tax Act 1937

• Essentially banned the use of marijuana

• The impetus for this law was largely political

• Targeted at Mexican immigrants

• Opposed by the AMA

• 1st person arrested under the act was a Mexican-American

• Overturned in 1969 following a case w/Timothy Leary (5th ammendent violation)

Narcotics Control Act 1956

• Increased mandatory minimum sentence & permitted the death penalty in some cases.

• Forbade judges from suspending or imposing probation in cases where they felt a prison sentence was inappropriate.

• Denied the right to parloe consideration for those imprisoned for drug offenses (even though rapists & murders still could get parole).

Food, Drug, and Cosmetics 1938

• Gave FDA more authority and responsibility

• Increased the accountability of drug companies regarding the safety of drugs.

The Controlled Substances Act of 1970

• Repealed, replaced, and consolidated previous federal drug laws

• Created 5 schedules of drugs

Beneficial Drug Use

• Positive health, social or spiritual effects

• Ex: med-psychpharamaceuticals, coffee/tea to increase alertness; moderate consumption of red wine; sacramental use of ayahuasca or peyote.

Casual/Non-problematic Use

• Recreational, casual, other use that has negligable health or social effects.

Problematic Use

• Begins to have negative consequences for the individual family/friends or society.

• Ex: DUI, binge consumption, harmful routes of administration

Chronic Dependence

Use that becomes habitual and compulsive despite negative health and social effects

Misdemeanor

Minor; 1 year or less in prison

Felony

More serious; over 1 year in prison

2 Categories of Illicit Drug Crime

• Drug-defined offenses

• Drug-related offenses

Drug-defined Offenses

Laws prohibiting the possession, use, distribution, or manufacture of illegal drugs

Drug-related Offenses

Offenses in which a drug contribute to the commission of a crime

Types of drug-related crime

• Pharmacological violence

• Economically compulsive violence

• Systemic violence

Pharmacological Violence

Ingestion of drug causing individuals to become excitable, irrational, or inclined to exhibit violent behavior

Economically Compulsive Violence

Need for money to buy drugs as the primary motivation for violence

Systemic Violence (Type of Drug-related Crime)

• Disputes overt territory between rival drug dealers

• Violent acts committed to enforce discipline

• Elimination of police informants

• Punishment for selling adulterated drugs

• Punishment for defrauding the drug dealer

Schedule 1 Drugs

• Heroin

• LDS

• Marijuana

• MDMA

• peyoe

• GHB

Schedule 2 Drugs

• cocaine

• methamphetamine

• morphine

• oxycodone

• opium

• fentanyl

Schedule 3 Drugs

• anabolic steroids

• narcotic solutions

• vicodin

• ketamine

• long-acting barbituates

Schedule 4 Drugs

• most benzodiazephines (Valium, Xanax, Ativan)

• prescription sleep aids

• rohypnol

• Libirium

Schedule 5 Drugs

• codeine-containing cough medicines

• Lomotil

• Lyrica

• Some antidiarrheals

Smoking Opium Exclusion Act of 1909

• Targeted Chinese immigrants

• Banned the importation and use of opium for smoking

Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914

• Limited the amount of ppl who could legally dispense narcotics/opiates

• Gave doctors the authority to prescribe narcotics in the course of normal treatment

• First major regulation of opiates

The Volstead Act

• Prohibition

Porter Narcotic Farm Act 1929

• Established two narcotics hospitals for addicts in Federal prisons in response to addicts crowding local prisons

• First time the US started considering addiction as a mental disorder

5 Ways a Drug Charge becomes Federal

1. Federal informant named you

2. Arrested by a federal officer

3. Crime took place on federal property

4. Crime involved crossing state lines or out of the country

5. ‘Catch-all’ category

Harm Reduction Policies

• Reduce the health risks associated w/drug use

• Reduce prison overcrowding

• Focus on treatment rather than on punishment