Chapter 1: Intro to Drugs & Society

Insiders

people on the inside; those who approve of or use drugs or both

Outsiders

people on the outside; those who do not approve of or do not use drugs

Psychoactive Drugs (substances)

drug compounds (substances) that affect the CNS and alter consciousness or perceptions

CNS

part of the nervous system composed of the spinal cord and brain that is responsible for integrating snesory info and responding accordingly

Addiction

generally refers to the psychological attachment to a drug; addiction to “harder” drugs such as heroin results in both psychological and physical attachment to the chemical properties of the drug, with the resulting satisfaction (reward) derived from using the drug in question

Withdrawal Symptoms

psychological and physical symptoms that result when a drug is absent from the body; physical symptoms are generally present in cases of drug dependence to more addictive drugs such as heroin; physical and psychological symptoms of withdrawal include perspiration, nausea, boredom, anxiety, and muscle spasms

Drug(s)

any substance that modifies (either by enhancing, inhibiting, or distorting mind or body functioning

Licit Drugs

legalized drugs such as coffee, alcohol, and tobacco

Illicit Drugs

illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and LSD

Over-the-Counter (OTC)

legalized drugs sold without a prescription

Psychotherapeutic Drugs

drugs that are used to treat mental disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and manic-depressive disorders

Opioids

drugs derived from opium

Gateway Drugs

alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana—types of drugs that when used excessively may lead to using other and more addictive drugs such as cocaine, heroin, or crack

MDMA

a type of illicit drug known as Ecstasy or Adam that has stimulant and hallucinogenic properties

Ethanol

the chemical and pharmacological term for drinking alcohol; the psychoactive ingredient in alcoholic beverages; often called grain alcohol

Marijuana Wax

extremely potent cannabis spin-off made by using butane to extract the THC content, producing a “waxy” residue that is smoked or vaporized; has THC levels of approximately 90% and is highly hallucinogenic, often resulting in high levels of physical and mental impairment

Designer Drugs

new drugs that are developed by people intending to circumvent the illegality of a drug by modifying a drug into a new compound; e.g., Ecstasy

aka synthetic drugs or synthetic opioids

Structural Analogs

new molecular species created by modifying the basic molecular skeleton of a compound; structural analogs are structurally related to their parent compounds

Fentanyl

a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50x more portent than heroin and 100x more potent than morphine

Equal-Opportunity Affliction

refers to the use of drugs, stressing that drug use cuts across all members of society regardless of income, education, occupation, social class, or age

Drug Enforcement Administration

the principal federal agency responsible for enforcing U.S. drug laws

Relief Phase

satisfaction derived from escaping negative feelings by using a drug

Increased Use Phase

taking increasing quantities of a drug

Preoccupation Phase

constant concern with the supply of the drug

Dependence phase

synonym for addiction

Withdrawal Phase

physical or psychological effects derived from not using a drug

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

principal federal agency responsible for directing research related to drug use and abuse

Drug Cartels

large, highly sophisticated organizations composed of multiple drug-trafficking organizations and cells with specific assignments, such as drug transportation, security/enforcement, or money laundering

Drug Cells

cells similar to terrorist cells and consisting of only 3-5 members to ensure operational security; members of adjacent drug cells usually do not know each other or the identity of their leadership

Drug Testing

urine, blood screening, or hair analysis used to identify those who may be using drugs

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

drug-assistance programs for drug-dependent employees

Oral Fluids

oral fluid testing analyzes saliva samples for the presence of drugs of abuse and their metabolites

Sweat (Perspiration)

used for drug testing; a skin patch absorbs sweat for analysis for the presence of cocaine, marijuana, opiates, amphetamine, methamphetamine, or PCP

6 Types of Major Drugs

• Prescription (Rx)

  • antidepressants, anti-anxiety, diuretics

• OTC (over the counter)

  • ibuprofen, cold medicine, allergy medicine

• Recreational

  • coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco, chocolate

• Illicit

  • marijuana, heroin, cocaine

• Herbal preparations

  • teas, essential oils, powders/capsules, ointments

• Commercial

  • Paints, glues, pesticides, cleaning products