Drugs & Their EffectsDrugs & Their Effects

Ms MarkowskiMs Markowski

Drug Effects & Delivery Methods

FYI: Scheduling of Drugs

Remember your Liver• our “detox” organ• Processes all drugs &

alcohol consumed – (alcohol: half – 1 oz. per hour)

• It does get damaged over time

Key Point: Key Point: Remember How Remember How Drugs Work

1. Drugs overwhelm (flood) the brain with neurotransmitters (NTs), usually by increasing how much and how long NTs can stimulate receptors.

– Overtime, body will reduce amount of NTs produced in the future (homeostasis)

– This reduces normal feelings of pleasure

2. Drug overstimulation/flooding of NTs also reduces (kills) # of receptors

– similar to hearing loss with loud music– Now you will need more drug to have the same

pleasure effect = Tolerance

•These 2 brain changes are known as

BRAIN DAMAGE BRAIN DAMAGE and addiction typically starts

6 Classes of Drugs: know basic effects and examples of each class

1. Stimulants

2. Depressants

3. Hallucinogens

4. Narcotics/Opiates/Prescription Pain drugs

5. “Club Drugs”

6. Inhalants

1. Stimulants “speed/uppers”

• INCREASE Central Nervous INCREASE Central Nervous system (4 “B”s):system (4 “B”s):– Heart rate &Breathing– Blood pressure & body temp

• Increase anxiety & movementIncrease anxiety & movement– feel energetic and awake

Examples:Examples:• Methamphetamines “meth”• “Bath Salts”/MDPV• Cocaine/crack• Rx AD/HD Amphetamines -

Adderal/Ritalin• Nicotine • Caffeine (coffee, soda, tea)

More about CocaineSchedule II: used medically as a numbing agent & blood vessel

restrictor for surgeries but highly addictive

Effects: Short high(15-30 minutes then crash)• increased heart rate/blood pressure - constricts blood

vessels• increased energy/very alert high - decreased appetite

Concerns:• Stimulating effect: dangerous to heart• Changes experience of “pleasure”• Expensive and VERY physically addictiveLacing Issues

History: 1885 US pharmacies sold it as a stimulant and as an anesthetic. Coca leaves were included in Coca-Cola until the early 1900s. 1970 it became illegal to use cocaine except as anesthesia for specific surgeries

More about Methamphetamines

• Produced in labs, often in homes• Made of household chemicals and poisons

Effects/Problems: Strongest intense high up to 200xs dopamine• Invincible feelings - Dental problems - weight loss - violent behavior -

psychosis - intense paranoia & delusions - meth “bugs”• Extremely addictive, very toxic to body due to ingredients• Serious withdrawals up to 7 days after last use

• History: created in 1919 in Japan to be stronger than amphetamines to keep soldiers awake. 1950s it was used as diet and antidepressant drugs. Became illegal in 1970 because of addiction and no medical benefits

• faces of meth users

More about Amphetamines or AD/HD drugs More about Amphetamines or AD/HD drugs or or ““SpeedSpeed””

-Adderall - Vyvanse - RitalinAdderall - Vyvanse - Ritalin - Focalin- Focalin - Methylphenadate- Methylphenadate

•Medical Uses: AD/HD and Narcolepsy to help stimulate prefrontal cortex to keep people focuses and alert

•Recreational Uses: stay awake longer, “concentrate”

•Concerns/Effects:•Sudden Heart attack, weight loss, sleeplessness, •depression, suicidal thoughts, addiction•Cause a “down/depressed” feeling after use: WANT MORE & Tolerance•76% more likely to have Parkinson’s disorder later in life (dopamine disorder)

•AMPHETAMINE PSYCHOSIS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?index=18&feature=PlayList&v=1XIdSvv6eEA&list=PLED44D7A51F65D394

•History: medical use for alertness for truck drivers and military personnel but tolerance and addiction made it schedule II (Rx only)

“Bath Salts” (MDVP) methylenedioxypyrovalerone

•man made powerful Stimulants with hallucinogenic effects, cheaper & stronger than cocaine and amphetamines or “speed”•“Bath salts” just a nickname like “weed” for marijuana or “acid” for LSD

Concerns: 10x more powerful than cocaine or speed and can last for days 10x more powerful than cocaine or speed and can last for days sometimes hospitalization neededsometimes hospitalization needed

– Panic Attacks / Fits / DelusionsPanic Attacks / Fits / Delusions -suicidal and homicidal -suicidal and homicidal – Sweating / FeverSweating / Fever - Seizures - Nosebleeds- Seizures - Nosebleeds– Severe Paranoia / Psychosis Severe Paranoia / Psychosis

2. Depressants “downers”

• SLOW DOWN 4 “Bs” / CNS:SLOW DOWN 4 “Bs” / CNS:– Heart rate & Breathing– Blood pressure & body temp

• Feel relaxed & sleepyFeel relaxed & sleepy

• Examples:– Alcohol– GHB/Rohypnol “Date rape drugs”

– Rx Anxiety drugs/ Benzodiazpenes • Valium, Xanax, Klonipin, Ativan

– Sedatives/Barbiturates • Haldol and sleeping pills• Anesthesia and “lethal injections”

Alcohol & 3 reasons why it is so harmful to growing teen brains

1. Brain is still growing in general

So alcohol will stunt that brain growth

2.Amygdala (pleasure center) is swollen

Alcohol feels better and is more addictive to teens

3.Prefrontal cortex (PFC) is still developing

Alcohol interferes directly with the PFC, leading to poorer decision making & risky behaviors

Rohypnol & GHB “Date Rape Drugs”

Medical Uses: Sleeping Medicine in Europe , NOT U.S.

ON TEST: Why is it used as a Date Rape Drug?: - Causes extreme Drowsiness & amnesia and sometimes an unconscious state

- Colorless, odorless, tasteless....just like water!

Prevention Tactics -----------------------– Watch your drink / never leave it on a table– Don’t drink something another person gives you!– New nail polish !!!

History: created to treat withdrawal symptoms in recovering alcoholics and people addicted to narcotics in 1990s but quickly taken off market because of amnesia and blackouts and overdose/death. Illegal in 2000.

Video What Would You Do

3. Hallucinogens• Make you SEE, HEAR, FEEL things

that are not real• “Flashbacks” years later• paranoia / anxiety possible

• Examples:– Marijuana– Hashish / salvia– Mushrooms (‘Psilocybin)– LSD &PCP– Mescaline (peyote cactus)

All About Marijuana• Cannabis sativa plant• THC (tetra-hydracannabinol) makes you “high” and

concentrations of it vary Within 15-30 minutes of smoking marijuana… - rapid heart rate & increased breathing rate- low blood pressure- red eyes & dry mouth (blood expansion due to low b.p.)- increased appetite, "munchies“- slowed reaction time/decrease in coordination- distorted sense of time, vision, taste (the hallucination!!)- Euphoria or Paranoia- short-term memory loss- Some people experience panic attacks and loss of control

• Stays in body for ~30 -40 days as it is stored in fatty tissues

Overtime, smoking marijuana can lead to…

- Increasing short-term Memory loss- Learning disabilities/Poor academic achievement- Distraction and loss of attention span- Anxiety and panic attacks- Lowered immune function- Respiratory problems/Lung infections/Cancers

- Damage to testes and ovaries (cancer)- Decreased sperm count and quality- Lower sex drive- Impotence- Menstrual cycle changes

- AND NOW....it CAN LEAD TO ADDICTION, too thanks genetic engineering increasing the content of THC (see next slides) and earlier age of use (before 16 years old)

Why is marjiuana today stronger than in was 20-30 years ago?

• Genetic engineering has increased the concentration of THC in different marijuana seeds

• 175% stronger than pot in 80s

Marijuana’s Potency 200-800% Higher than in 1970s Marijuana’s Potency 200-800% Higher than in 1970s

Marijuana, THC & the Teen Brain (From Journal of Neuroscience & Brain in Hand by Daniel Siegel)

• THC slaughters young neurons in the teen brain• Epigenetic studies show THC exposure to a teen brain

can “pop the lid off” dormant genetic predispositions for the following mental illnesses:– Anxiety – Schizophrenia / Drug induced Psychosis– Addiction

• Essentially, THC has been shown to “awaken” genes that otherwise may never have been expressed if not for the exposure of THC

• LATEST NEWS: – BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is depleted in teen brain when exposed to

THC. – However, BDNF increases in exposure when THC is given

to Alzheimer patients over the age of 70! • http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18807247

Teen Brain, THC & Your Life Facts1. Short term memory loss (can’t have new long term memories without the

short term)2. Not able to shift attention effectively while high (driving & school issues)

1. Fixation while high does not = focus2. It can look & feel like pot is helping you focus but it’s fixation & overcompensation 3. Colorado has had fatal car crashes due to pot double since legalization

3. Lower verbal IQ with pot use (aphasia-like speech)4. State-dependent learning:

1. when you learn something while high, you remember it when high, when you learn something sober, you remember it sober

2. Aerosmith band member & Eric Clapton both had to relearn guitar after getting sober!

5. Marijuana stores in fat cells so it has a longer impact even if you don’t feel high

6. Many career applications ask, “Have you ever had any alcohol or drug related incidents?1. Then they search your online profiles for evidence & privacy settings do not matter

when employees want to hire you

7. Increases in Theta waves (just like early sleep) so it feels good!

Medical Marijuana3 general benefits- Decrease nausea/vomiting- Increase appetite- Reduces blood pressure in eyes- Can lessen perception of pain- All states laws are different

Diseases:- Cancer- AIDS-Glaucoma-Multiple Sclerosis-Severe anorexia

Marijuana 101Schizophrenia vs. Drug Induced Psychosis StudyIQ declines

•Is it addictive? Read about it here: Notre Dame

~17% of teens who try it become addicted• ~40% of daily users become addicted• - 17% of all rehab admissions

•Withdrawal Symptoms:1-3 weeks after last use• Irritability - sleeplessness - aggression-Anxiety - depression - cravings

Cough Syrup Abuse (with DXM)Hallucinogenic Drug when ABUSED

Laws: Some states limit access to age 18+, and/or limit quantities a person can purchase

Effects: Dizzy/Light Headed/Hallucinations

Other Common Effects/Concerns/Issues:

- Nauseous/Vomiting- Fatigue- Flashbacks- Insomnia- Permanent Damage to Thinking Skills - Permanent Liver & Brain Damage- Seizures- Death

K2/Spice: Synthetic Marijuana

Marketed as Herbal Incense: Hallucinogen•More dangerous than marijuana

• “couch lock” one effect – an inability to move despite being conscious. 

• loss of consciousness, paranoia, and occasionally, psychotic episodes,”

• Synthetic cannabis is a psychoactive designer drug derived of natural herbs sprayed with synthetic chemicals

• 5 of the common chemicals used to make synthetic marijuana became schedule I in march of 2011 but they come up with new drugs (like bath salts) to use

Maine has banned many of the chemicals, but not all of them

4. Narcotics/Opiates/Rx Pain Drugs

• Highly addictive• Relief from SEVERE pain

– Nausea & drowsiness common side effects

• Examples:– Heroin– Opium

• Example Rx drugs:– Morphine– Oxycontin– Percocet– Vicodin (hydrocodone)– Methadone/suboxone– Lortabs

More about Rx Pain DrugsOxycontin, Percocet, Vicodin, Dilaudid, etc

ALL Rx Pain Drugs are Habit Forming!!Rx Pain Drugs are Habit Forming!!

Effects: Euphoric, relaxed, drowsy, nausea, vomiting, itching-easily addictive---withdrawals same as heroin, blocks CNS ability to sense

current pain signals

• Controlled Release: Drugs are coated to provide pain relief over time (12 hrs.) so you can’t crush and snort it

• Recreational Use: - Concern for respiratory depression - Decreased brain function- Mood changes - Confusion - Numbness in arms/legs- Vomiting/Nausea - Slurred Speech - Coma/Death

- Will cause withdrawals and Tolerance• Issue in Maine? Pharm Parties

Methadone/Suboxone• Treatment for Heroin &

Opiate addiction

• Given Orally(by pill or liquid) in methadone clinics– Binds to same NT receptors as

opiates but you can function and start to work at recovery and rehab

– Heroin and Rx Pain drugs will NOT make you high while on Methadone/Suboxone

• Downside: this medicine is addictive too

More about Heroin

• Schedule I: no medical use, very addictive, CHEAPER than and easier to buy than Rx pain drugs with similar effect

• Initial Effects: “Euphoric Rush”---feel warm, heavy, cloudy, drowsy

• Chronic Use: Tolerance develops quickly, significant withdrawal symptoms when not high; “keep the sick off”

• Withdrawals = severe pain, vomiting, diarrhea, cold flashes, muscle spasms, insomnia usually persist

for one week after last use

History: created in 1874 in England to help wean people off morphine. Since it was so addictive and withdrawal to heroin was worse than morphine, it became illegal in early 1905 (opium) 1924 (heroin)

Narcan

• Rx drug to prevent death from Heroin overdose

5. Club Drugs • Combinations of hallucinogens & Combinations of hallucinogens &

stimulantsstimulants• Effects:

– Sweating, increases in hb, bp– Increased energy & seizures– Delusions & psychosis– Teeth grinding & nosebleeds– Heart attack and death

• Examples:– Ecstasy/Molly: Ecstasy/Molly: hallucinogen & stimulant– KetamineKetamine (cat tranquilizer) hallucinogen

& stimulant

• History: created in Germany in 1900s to help make other drugs. 1985 banned for addiction potential and no useful medical benefit

6. Inhalants

• Not drugs, they are POISON!Not drugs, they are POISON!• Household products that produce a high by breathing them in• Trick brain into thinking it is Oxygen when it is really poison but ANY Trick brain into thinking it is Oxygen when it is really poison but ANY

perceived “high” is really the brain shutting down (hypoxia) perceived “high” is really the brain shutting down (hypoxia) – Hypoxia: Decrease in the oxygen supply in the bloodstream

• Effects: death, dizziness, blackout, trouble with vision and hearing, death, dizziness, blackout, trouble with vision and hearing, nausea, headache, memory problemsnausea, headache, memory problems– 39% of inhalant deaths are 1st time users

Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome

In The News VIDEOVideo 2

Anabolic STEROIDS• Examples:

– Testosterone & androgens– HGH

Effects:• Increase muscle mass or fat if

you don’t workout • Develop secondary sex

characteristics (puberty) of the oppositeopposite gender

• acne, infertility, liver cancer, sexual dysfunction

• “Roid rage”

Drug Exam Review1. 3 parts of the brain impacted by drugs & functions limbic system, prefrontal

cortex & brain stem

2. Define Tolerance & Addiction

3. ALL about alcohol & 3 reasons it’s so bad for teens

4. Effects of the 6 categories of drugs

5. Why marijuana today is stronger than it was 20 years ago

6. Brief description & effects of all the specific drugs we talked about (see back of Drug Practice Quiz 1)

7. Explain how drugs change the brain in 2 ways (neurotransmitters and receptors, leading to tolerance)

8. Drug delivery methods (fastest to slowest)

9. 2 reasons why GHB/Rohypnol is used as date rape drug

10. ½ ounce/hour rule for alcohol and .02 BAC/hour rule (know the math)

11. Healthy decision making process

FYI: A “Drug Lab”