Drug Use

Learning Outcome: Major Classifications of Drugs and Their Effects

Introduction

  • Exploration of drug use, focusing on psychoactive drugs that alter consciousness and behavior.

Britney's Story

  • Background: Britney's dangerous turn to addiction after health issue.

  • Initial legal drug use from prescription (Percocet) leading to dependence.

  • Transformation from an honor student to a desperate addict.

Types of Drugs

  • Psychoactive Drugs: Influence emotions, perceptions, and behavior.

    • Common substances include coffee and alcohol.

    • Statistics: 36.8% of high school seniors have used an illegal drug in the past year; 36.9% reported being drunk within the same time frame.

Effects of Drugs

  • Drugs affect the nervous system in various ways

    • Some alter the limbic system, while others influence neurotransmitter operations.

    • Mechanisms include:

      • Blocking or enhancing neurotransmitter release.

      • Blocking reception or removal of neurotransmitters.

      • Mimicking neurotransmitter effects.

  • Addiction

    • Biological dependence: Body requires the drug to function normally.

    • Psychological dependence: Belief that one needs the drug for coping.

  • Everyday substances (e.g., caffeine, nicotine) also have addictive qualities.

Understanding Addiction

  • Complexity of Causes:

    • Varying effects and timelines for different drugs to lead to addiction.

    • Difficulties in understanding cause due to diverse brain responses.

  • Motivations for Drug Use:

    • Pleasure seeking and escape from stress are primary reasons for use.

    • Some people may seek a spiritual experience.

    • Influences include role models, accessibility, peer pressure, and novelty.

    • Genetic predispositions may increase susceptibility to addiction.

Challenges in Treatment

  • Drug addiction is deemed one of the hardest behaviors to change.

    • Extensive treatment options exist, but success rates are low.

  • Preventative Measures:

    • Emphasis on prevention as the best strategy to combat substance abuse.

    • Programs like DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) have shown questionable effectiveness.

    • Past DARE evaluations indicated graduates might even have higher usage rates of marijuana.

    • Updated DARE curriculum shows potential for increased effectiveness, but results are still inconclusive.

Conclusion

  • Society faces ongoing challenges in addressing drug addiction and dependence.

  • Future strategies need focus on effective prevention and adaptation of educational initiatives.