Drugs Exam 2 Study Guide

CNS depressants

A type of drug that slows down brain activity, which causes the muscles to relax and calms and soothes a person

Sedative effect

mild depression and relaxation

hypnotic effect

Induce drowsiness and encourage sleep

Anesthetic effect

medical utility

Synergistic effect

dangerous, combined with alcohol

Bromides

OTC sedatives, headache remedies. Used in veterinary medicine

Barbiturates

Treats anxiety and insomnia, narrow margin of safety.

Benzodiazepines

Treats insomnia and anxiety, wider margin of safety. Causes drowsiness, tolerance, abuse, and withdrawal. preferred prescribed CNS depressants

Fermentation

metabolic process that converts sugar to acids, gases, or alcohol

Four types of alcohol

Methyl, isopropyl, ethylene, ethanol

Alcohol

Gets in your brain, blocks sensitivy to pain, gets to system through blood steam, metabolized through liver. Depressant.

Differences in physical effects of alcohol

Age, Gender, presence of food, size, rate of drinking, amount of carbonaton, muscle to fat ratio, medications, emotional state, metabolism

Alcoholism

Specturum. physical and psychological tolerance

Abstainers

no alcohol consumption

Binge drinkers

4/5+ drinks on the same occassion (2x for college students)

heavy drinkers

binge drinking on 5+ occassions in previous month (2x for college students)

Wet culture

wine beverage of choice, abstinence is low, less heavy drinking, european/mediterranean countries

Dry cultures

US and Canada; not a part of daily life, abstinence is more common, drink to get drunk

Disinhibition hypothesis

Being under the influence —> disinhibition —> risky behavior

Susceptibility hypothesis

common cause —> both alcohol use and risky behavior

Reciprocal hypothesis

Certain types of people seek out risky behavior and intoxication disrupts judgement —> heavy drinking and impulse behavior

Narcotic

Naturally occurring substances derived from the opium poppy plant and their synthetic substitutes

Opiate

Drugs extracted from the exude of the poppy plant (morphine, opium, heroin)

Opioid

Syntehtic drugs that produce opiate like effects (demerol, oxycodone, fentanyl, methadone, percocet)

Agonistic/Antagonistic effects of opiates

Agonists, activate opioid receptor sites and stimulate endorphin and dopamine release

Speedballing

Mixing narcotics or heroin/cocaine —> synergistic effect that cancels out the bad/heightens desired effects

Opoid agonist + Opioid antagonist

can have life-saving rehearsal, negating effects

Heroin

a more potent opiate

Stimulants

Causes excitement, euphoria, decreased fatigue and increased motor activity

Psychotomimetic stimulants (hallucinagens)

Affect thought, perception, and mood (LSD, PCP, THC)

Methylxanthins

Increase alertness, decrease fatigue (Caffeine, tea, coffee)

Nicotine

Causes euphoria, arousal, relaxation, improved attention. Tolerance, dependence, withdrawal

Amphetamines

Potent CNS stimulant. stimulates CNS. Increased heart rate, blood pressure, inability to sleep, decreased fatigue, increased confident, etc

Designer drugs

MDMA, ecstasy, bath salts.

Perfomance enhancers

illegal amphetamines, prescription stimulants

Methamphetamine

more potent form of amphetamine. highly addictive, more potent. causes addiction, anxiety, insomnia, violent behavior

Slang for Meth

Ice/crystal meth, speed, base

Cocaine

Schedule 2 drug that enhances activity of the CNS system. causes fatigue, lack of pleasure, anxiety, insomnia, sleepiness, paranoia