Drugs

1
Drugs

• Chapter 5

2
Objectives

• Identify the following
• The adverse effects of tobacco use
• Types of tobacco use
• The effects of environmental tobacco smoke
• Types of psychoactive drugs and their
  physiological effects
• Types and risks of inhalant use
• The adverse effects of Rohypnol GHB

3
Tobacco

• Toxic Components
• Tar
• Nicotine
• Carbon Monoxide

4
Tar

• Byproduct of burning tobacco
• Contains potent carcinogens
• Causes the smokers cough
• Promotes chronic bronchitis and emphysema

5
Nicotine

• Colorless, oily compound
• Addictive substance found in tobacco
• Extremely poisonous in concentrated amounts
• Major contributor to heart and respiratory
  diseases
• It may first act as a stimulant and then have a
  calming effect

6
Side Effects

• Inhibition of urine formation
• Discoloration of fingers
• Dull taste buds
• Irritates membranes in mouth and throat
• Causes skin to be clammy
• Reduces body temperature

7
Withdrawal Symptoms

• Irritability
• Anxiousness
• Hostility
• Food cravings
• Headaches
• Inability to concentrate

8
Carbon Monoxide

• Odorless, tasteless and highly toxic gas
• Reduces bloods ability to carry oxygen, causing
  shortness of breath
• Damages inner surface of coronary arteries
• Increases rate of atherosclerosis
• Impairs normal function of the nervous system
• Plays a role in the increased risk of heart
  attacks and strokes

9
Types of Tobacco

• Smokeless Tobacco
• Cigarette Smoking
• Cigars/Other

10
Smokeless Tobacco

• Is it a safe alternative to cigarettes???
• There is approximately 2 3 times more nicotine
  in smokeless tobacco
• 3,000 chemical compounds 28 cancer-causing
  agents
• Two types
• Snuff a fine grain of tobacco
• Chewing tobacco its shredded or bricked
• Nicotine is absorbed into the bloodstream

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Smokeless Tobacco cont

• Immediate effects
• Bad breath and stains on the teeth
• Mouth sores
• Decreased smelling and tasting abilities
• Complications of long-term use
• Gum and teeth problems
• Increased heart rate, irregular heartbeats,
  heart attacks
• A variety of oral cancers (lip, pharynx, larynx,
  esophagus, and tongue)

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Problems cont

• Leukoplakia
• a pre-cancerous condition that produces thick,
  rough, white patches on the gums, tongue, and
  inner-cheeks

13
Cigarette Smoking

• Smoking is a major cause of COPD
• Smokers are 20 times more likely to have heart
  attacks
• Smokers are 10 times more likely to develop lung
  cancer
• Estimated that each cigarette shortens your life
  by 2 minutes

14
Additional Problems

• Mouth, throat, and other types of cancer
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Ulcers
• Gum dental disease
• Decreased HDL
• Increased fatty acids
• Diabetes

• Heart disease
• Atherosclerosis
• Blood clots
• Decreased clotting time
• Increase in blood thickness
• Allergies
• Sexual impotence

15
Cigars/Other

• Pipe and cigar smokers are at higher risk than
  smokers for certain types of cancer (lip, mouth,
  and larynx)
• Pipe smoke (2 carbon monoxide) and Cigar smoke
  (6 carbon monoxide) is more irritating to the
  respiratory system
• Are clove cigarettes safer???
• They contain 2 X the amount of tar, nicotine,
  carbon monoxide as most moderate brands of
  cigarettes
• Contains eugenol, which deadens sensations in the
  throat allowing smokers to inhale more deeply

16
Environmental Tobacco Smoke

• Also known as second hand smoke or passive smoke
• The Environmental Protection Agency officially
  declared ETS to be a human carcinogen in 1993
• Harms cardiovascular system of non-smokers and
  may increase the risk of non-fatal cardiac
  problems
• Causes 60,000 deaths each year
• ETS triggers 23 asthma attacks every hour in
  children

17
Cigarette Smoking Statistical Information

• Cigarette smoking is the largest preventable
  cause of illness and premature death in the US
• More people die from smoking then from alcohol ,
  cocaine, heroin, suicide, homicide, car accidents
  and AIDS combined
• In the 30 years since the first Surgeon Generals
  Report on smoking, approximately 10 million
  Americans have died from a smoking related cause
• The annual costs of smoking related problems are
  more than 50 billion dollars in direct medical
  costs

18
Women and Smoking

• Women who smoke and take oral contraceptives are
  10 times more likely to have a heart attack
• Mothers who smoke during pregnancy
• low birth weight babies
• put their babies at an increased risk of SIDS
• Babies and children exposed to tobacco smoke have
  more ear infections and asthma

19
Young People and Smoking

• Economist estimate that the tobacco industry
  would need to recruit 5,000 new young smokers
  every day just to keep the constant total numbers
  of smokers due to those who quit smoking or die
• 90 of smokers begin tobacco use before age 20
• Children and adolescents consume more than one
  billion packs of cigarettes each year

20
Smoking Cessation

• 1.3 million smokers quit each year
• One year off cigarettes reduces your risk of a
  heart attack by 50
• After 15 years of abstinence from smoking, your
  risks are similar to that of a person whom never
  smoked

21
Smoking Cessation cont

• Of the 46 million Americans who currently smoke,
  most are either trying to quit or want to quit
• 5 Steps to Quit for Good
• Set a quit date
• Get support and encouragement
• Learn new skills and behaviors
• Get medication and use it correctly
• Be prepared for relapse or difficult situations

22
Medication

• Bupropion SR (antidepressant) prescription
• Nicotine gum over the counter
• Nicotine inhaler prescription
• Nicotine nasal spray prescription
• Nicotine patch prescription and over the counter

23
Psychoactive Drugs

• Drugs that disrupt the normal functioning of the
  CNS, by interrupting neurotransmitter function
• All drugs that people abuse interfere with
  dopamine production, transfer, or receptor
  sensitivity
• The highest rate of illegal drug use is among the
  eighteen to twenty-five year old age group

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Psychoactive Drugs cont

• Divided into 6 categories based on their
  physiological effects on the body
• Stimulants
• Depressants
• Hallucinogens
• Cannabis
• Narcotics
• Inhalants

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Stimulants

• Amphetamines
• Methamphetamines
• Cocaine
• Caffeine
• Ephedrine

26
Amphetamines

• Drugs that speed up the nervous system
• Manufactured in a laboratory
• Behavioral effects elevated moods, increased
  alertness, feelings of well being, suppressed
  appetite
• Users will become fatigued after the effects wear
  off
• With abuse, users will experience rapid tolerance
  and a strong psychological dependence

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Amphetamines cont

• Methamphetamine most commonly abused
• Fastest growing drug in the United States
• 12 million people used meth in 2003
• Crystal meth (smokable form) most dangerous
• Highly addictive
• After the effects wear off, the user is exhausted
• Long term abuse nutritional difficulties, weight
  loss, reduced resistance to infections, and
  damage to the liver, lungs, and kidneys

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Cocaine

• Naturally occurring substance
• It can be inhaled, injected, or smoked
• The effects are short lived (5 30 minutes)
• Dopamine and norepinephrine are released, causing
  feeling of euphoria and confidence
• Electrical impulses to the heart become impaired
• Psychological and physical dependence occur
  rapidly

29
Cocaine cont

• Crack cocaine (smokable form)
• Rock like crystalline form
• Combination of cocaine with baking soda
• Reaches the CNS immediately
• Effects are short lived (5 10 min.)
• Feelings of depression after use
• Abuse can result in convulsions, seizures,
  respiratory distress, and sudden cardiac failure

30
Caffeine

• Found in coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, cocoa, and
  some carbonated beverages medications
• Excessive consumption can cause serious side
  effects, such as tremors, nervousness,
  irritability, headaches, hypertension,
  arrhythmia, dizziness, and insomnia
• Also acts as a diuretic
• May increase fibrocystic breast disease in women
• Withdrawal symptoms headaches, depression,
  drowsiness, nervousness, and fatigue

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Ephedrine

• Also known as Ephedrine, Ephedra, or Ma Huang -
  comes from the plant ephedra
• A stimulant found in over-the-counter asthma
  medication
• The active ingredients in ephedra are ephedrine
  and pseudoephedrine
• Since 1994
• 800 injuries
• 50 deaths

32
Depressants

• Benzodiazepines
• Barbiturates
• Rohypnol
• GHB

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Depressants cont

• Physiological effects drowsiness, impaired
  judgment, poor coordination, slowed breathing,
  confusion, weak and rapid heartbeat, relaxed
  muscles and pain relief
• Benzodiazepines prescribed to relieve tension,
  muscle strain, sleep disturbances, panic attacks
• Barbiturates used to induce relaxation, sleep
  and relieve tension

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Depressants cont

• May produce a physical/psychological dependence
  within 2 to 4 weeks
• Physician must prescribe and monitor
• At risk if there is prior history of abuse
• Lethal combination when mixed with alcohol

35
Narcotics

• Drugs that relieve pain and often induce sleep
• Opium is the base compound for the following
• Morphine
• Codeine
• Heroin

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Heroin

• Abuse is common because of a strong physical and
  psychological dependence
• Produces a dream-like euphoria
• With needle injections, increased risk of HIV
• Withdrawal symptoms are extremely intense, but
  rarely fatal
• Overdose can result in death within minutes

37
Cannabis

• Naturally occurring plant called Cannabis sativa
• Active ingredient - Tetrahydrocannabinal (THC)
• determines potency
• fat soluble substance
• medical uses

38
Cannabis cont

• Behavioral effects relaxed mood, heightened
  sensitivity to music, food cravings, impairment
  of short-term memory, overestimation of time,
  inability to maintain attention to a task
• Chronic abuse may lead to motivational syndrome
• 400 chemicals linked to lung cancer development
• Immune system and reproductive systems are
  damaged

39
Hallucinogens

• Psychedelics
• Affect perception, sensation, awareness and
  emotion
• Examples
• LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)
• Mescaline
• PCP (phencyclidine hydrchloride)

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Inhalants

• Chemicals that produce vapors having
  psychoactive effects when sniffed
• Examples include model glue, acetone, gasoline,
  kerosene, nail polish, aerosol sprays, cooking
  sprays, lighter fluids, cleaning fluids,
  nitrous oxide
• Inhalants reach the lungs, bloodstream, and other
  areas very quickly
• A brief or single exposure can cause asphyxiation
  or cardiac arrhythmia

41
Inhalants cont

• Effects similar to alcohol at first
• Dizziness, blurred vision, involuntary eye
  movement, poor coordination, slurred speech
• Other effects
• involuntary extremity movement, euphoric feeling,
  nose bleeds, and possible coma

42
Inhalants cont

• Health risks
• Hepatitis
• Liver and/or kidney failure
• Destruction of bone marrow
• Respiratory impairment
• Blood abnormalities
• Irregular heart beat, and/or heart failure

43
Inhalants cont

• Sign of inhalant abuse
• A rash around the nose and mouth
• Nosebleeds
• Residue found on the face, hands, or clothing
• Breath odors
• Redness, tearing or swelling of the eyes
• Irritation of the throat, lungs, and nose that
  may lead to gagging and coughing

44
Club Drugs

• Ecstasy (also known as MDMA)
• Chemically similar to methamphetamines and
  mescaline
• Usually taken orally in tablet form
• May cause panic, anxiety, and rapid heart rate
• Possible long-term damage to brain areas that
  are crucial for thought and memory

45
Club Drugs cont

• Rohypnol
• Approved drug in some parts of the world
• Similar to valium but more potent
• Commonly used with other drugs
• Also known as roofies or the Date Rape drug
• anterograde amnesia
• It can be fatal when mixed with other drugs

46
Club Drugs cont

• Gamma Hydroxybutyrate
• Fast acting, powerful, depressant
• Commonly taken with alcohol
• Used in Europe as a general anesthetic and
  treatment for insomnia
• Also manufactured underground by kitchen
  chemists
• Fine line to cross with a lethal dose that can
  lead to seizures, respiratory distress, low blood
  pressure and coma

47
Club Drugs cont

• Ketamine hydrochloride
• Also known as Special K or K
• 90 is legally sold for veterinary use
• Lower doses can increase heart rate and numbness
  in the extremities
• Higher doses can depress consciousness and
  breathing
• Extremely dangerous when mixed with other
  depressants

48
Anabolic Steroids

• Synthetic male hormones or androgens that build
  tissue
• Side effects diminish the normal production of
  testosterone
• Health issues liver problems, kidney disease,
  shrinking testicles, sterility, high blood
  pressure, acne, sleep disorders, heart disease,
  increased aggressive behavior, extreme mood
  swings, and depression

49
Prescription Drugs

• 9 million Americans misuse and abuse prescription
  drugs for non-medical purposes
• Many of these people also abuse alcohol and other
  drugs
• Narcotics are commonly abused (e.g., morphine,
  codeine, Oxy-Contin, Vicodin, and Demerol)
• Ritalin is more powerful than caffeine but not as
  potent as amphetamines.
• Adderall physical and psychological dependance
  may occur with this drug.

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Summary

• Toxic components of tobacco include tar,
  nicotine, and carbon monoxide
• Type of tobacco include cigarette smoking,
  smokeless tobacco, and cigars
• Cigarette smoking is the 1 most preventable
  cause of death
• Psychoactive drugs disrupt the normal functioning
  of the CNS, by interrupting neurotransmitter
  function
• Stimulants include amphetamines, cocaine,
  caffeine

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Summary cont

• Depressants include benzodiazepines,
  barbiturates, and the date rape drugs
• Narcotics include morphine, codeine, and heroin
• Marijuana is a naturally occurring plant called
  cannabis sativa
• Hallucinogens include LSD, mescaline, and PCP
• Inhalants are chemicals that produce vapors
  having a psychoactive effect when sniffed
• Ecstasy is chemically similar to methamphetamines
  and mescaline
• Anabolic steroids build tissue

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Local Contacts

• Texas AM University
• Dial-A-Nurse 845-2822
• Student Counseling Services 845-4427
• Student Counseling Service 24 Hour Helpline
  845-2700
• Student Life Alcohol Drug Education Programs
  845-0280 http//stulife_at_tamu.edu/adep
• Alcohol Abuse Help Line for Texas 800-553-7160
• Scott White Alcohol/Drug Treatment Program
  691-3338
• Alcoholics Anonymous/Al-Anon 361-797

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Local Contacts

• Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol Substance
  Abuse (BVCASA) 776-7070
• BVCASA 24 Hour Hotline [phone]
• Narcotics Anonymous of Brazos Valley 822-9094
• 800-DRUG HELP (800-378-4435)
• www.drughelp.org