Unit 15: Addiction and Substance Abuse

Practice vocabulary flashcards covering concepts, drug types, risks, causes, prevention, and help resources from Unit 15 notes on Addiction.

Gateaway Drugs

Drugs that "open the door to usage" of other drugs, which most young people try at an early age; examples include tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants.

Addict

Someone who has an uncontrollable usage of drugs and puts drug usage above anything else.

Physical Dependence

A state that occurs when the body builds tolerance to a drug due to constant use, eventually requiring larger amounts of the drug to feel its effects and needing the drug to stop withdrawal symptoms.

Psychological Dependence

A condition resulting from taking drugs in order to feel positive, causing the mind to depend on the drug and leading to psychological withdrawal symptoms; non-substance examples include gambling, exercise, and eating.

Withdrawl Symptoms

Adverse symptoms that occur upon stopping drug intake, identified specifically as cravings, irritability, insomnia, and depression.

Substance Abuse

Improper usage of drugs, purely consumed for pleasure.

Tobacco

One of the only legal drugs, consumed via cigars, vapes, and cigarettes, which is physically addictive, suppresses appetite, and causes chronic lung and heart disease as well as mouth and throat cancer.

Nicotine

The addictive substance found in tobacco that takes $8\,\text{seconds}$ to hit the brain, releasing blood sugar, providing a rush after inhaling, and increasing a smoker's energy and happiness.

Alchohaal

A substance (found in beer, wine, and vodka) that limits central nervous system function, slows brain reaction time, can lead to depression and loss of self-control, causes issues with schoolwork and friendships, and makes users likely to try other drugs and commit borrorism.

Marijuana

A highly addictive drug (also referred to as blunts, weed, or dagga) that reaches the brain in seconds and lasts up to $6\,\text{hours}$, slowing communication between brain cells, damaging memory, causing lung diseases ranging from coughs to emphysema, and remaining detectable in the bloodstream for days.

Initial Effects of Marijuana

Immediate feelings experienced upon using marijuana, consisting of paranoia, calm relaxation, drowsiness, forgetfulness, and serious cravings for food.

Solvents

Legal substances comprising gases or liquids that turn into vapour at room temperature, whose inhaled fumes travel from lungs to bloodstream and brain, producing effects lasting about $10-30\,\text{minutes}$ such as dizziness, slurred speech, a euphoric rush, and lung damage.

Inhalant Suffocation Hazards

Life-threatening risks of inhaling specific solvents: sniffing glue out of a plastic bag can lead to vomiting, choking, and suffocation; sniffing lighter fuel causes the throat to swell, leading to suffocation.

Solvent-Related Deaths

Fatalities associated with solvents, most of which are caused by dangerous situations the user gets caught in due to drug usage, such as crossing a busy road or walking carelessly along narrow openings.

Crystal Methamphetamine

An addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system, appears as fine powder or large crystals (typically sold in straws), causes violent behaviors and hallucinations, provides an immediate rush followed by constant euphoria for hours, suppresses appetite, and prevents sleep for extensive periods.

Smoking Crystal Methamphetamine (SA Method)

The most common method of using crystal methamphetamine in South Africa, where the drug powder is placed in part of a light bulb, heated through the glass with a lighter, and inhaled.

Crystal Methamphetamine Diluents

Substances used to dilute crystal methamphetamine, including talcum powder, baking soda, starch, glucose, and amphetamines (man-made stimulants), which can make the mixture poisonous.

Intrapersonal Factors

Personality characteristics that could lead an individual to substance abuse, including curiosity/boredom, depression, pleasure seeking, rebelliousness, and low self-esteem with weak values.

Interpersonal Factors

Outside and social circumstances contributing to substance abuse, including peer pressure, media romanticisation, poverty, family influence, and living in economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Protective Factors

Qualities that reduce the likelihood of substance abuse, including personal and social competence, resilience, believing the future will brighten, good problem-solving skills (adaptability and emotion control), and involvement in social activities.

Early Detection Signs of Drug Use

Observable indicators of drug use, including irregular eating patterns, dilated pupils or red eyes, the reek of used substances, and irregular emotional reactions such as being withdrawn, agitated, defensive, and confused.

Recovery Tips for Substance Abuse

Guidance for recovering from addiction, including talking to a close circle about ending drug usage, creating a good support system, and avoiding situations where substances could be present.

Help Resources for Substance Abuse

External support services available for addiction help, specifically Alchoholics Anonymous South Africa National Helpline, Narconon South Africa, and Www.drug centre, org.za.