Drug Use and Abuse – Final Exam (Comprehensive Test) Study Guide & Practice
Questions
What are the key indicators of harm posed by drugs? - correct answer ✔✔1. Behavioral Toxicity
(aka psychoactive "power")
2. Physical Toxicity
Acute Toxicity
* Therapeutic Ratio
Chronic Toxicity
3. Physical Dependence Potential
4. Tolerance Potential
5. Reinforcement Potential and Craving
Why must the key indicators of harm be considered simultaneously to assess the risk posed by
drug use? - correct answer ✔✔All drugs, regardless of their legal status, have potentially
beneficial as well as potentially harmful effects. The illegal status of certain drugs is often based
on rhetoric claiming that illegal substances are distinct in terms of the harms they pose to
society and the user. "Harm" resulting from drug use is tied much more to the pattern of use
(i.e. heavy, chronic use) that to any particular drug. Some drugs may be high in physical
dependence but low in psychological dependence. To understand the risks one has to see where
in stands in all categories if not it could appear to not be damaging such as LSD which has
severe psychological effects but almost NO physical effects.
Harm Reduction/Minimization - correct answer ✔✔a philosophy that shifts the goal of drug
policy from eliminating drug use, or even lowering drug use to reducing the harm associated
with both drug use and drug policies. Advocates of harm minimization advocate the importance
,of weighing the damage done by the response to drug use against the damage done by drug use
itself.
Behavioral Toxicity - correct answer ✔✔regards the psychoactive "power" or effects of the drug.
This is hard to measure, and dose specific, but usually considers "how intoxicated" people
can/typically get while using the drug, and also the nature of the effects (e.g. aggressive vs.
sedating).
Physical Toxicity (aka 'Toxicity')- - correct answer ✔✔refers to the negative health consequences
associated with ingesting a drug. and can be both acute, meaning that the problem comes on
immediately or very quickly, as in the case of an overdose, or it can be chronic, referring to
effects that result from the long-term exposure to the drug, such as emphysema, lung cancer or
cirrhosis of the liver. The acute toxicity of a drug is highly related to the therapeutic ratio (TR),
which is the ratio of LD50 (lethal dose) to ED50 (effective dose).
What is LD50(lethal dose) in a street sense? - correct answer ✔✔Dose that would cause an
overdose.
What is ED50 (effective dose) in a street sense? - correct answer ✔✔Dose necessary to get
desired high.
What kind of toxicity is the Therapeutic ratio closely related too? - correct answer ✔✔Acute
toxicity.
Examples of Acute Toxcity: - correct answer ✔✔Alcohol poisoning.
Alcohol- asphyxia on vomit.
Examples of Chronic Toxicity: - correct answer ✔✔Nicotine- lung cancer or mouth cancer.
Alcohol- Cirrhosis of liver.
,Therapeutic Ratio: - correct answer ✔✔LD50 is the dose that is lethal for ½ of animals tested,
ED50 is the amount of a drug required to generate an effective dose for ½ the animals tested. In
a street sense the effective dose is the dose necessary to get a desired "high." Drugs with
narrow TRs are much more dangerous to use because the window between desired high and
lethal overdose is small, making it easier to accidentally overdose.
Drugs with narrow TRs: Barbiturates , Heroin, Alcohol Oxycontin
Drugs with wide TRs: Marijuana and Hallucinogens
Physical Dependence Potential - correct answer ✔✔is defined with the presence of a
withdrawal syndrome—a set of physical symptoms (e.g. nausea, chills, diarrhea for some drugs;
depression lethargy for others) that manifest themselves when a person stops taking a certain
drug.
Tolerance Potential - correct answer ✔✔Tolerance can be developed for many drugs. It involves
a process in which repeated exposure to the same dose of particular drugs will result in a lesser
effect. There are multiple forms including at least drug disposition tolerance, behavioral
tolerance and pharmacodynamic tolerance.
Drug disposition tolerance involves an increase in the rate of metabolism or excretion as a
consequence of drug use.
Behavioral tolerance - correct answer ✔✔involves a process by which individuals learn to adapt
to the altered state of their nervous system and thus compensate somewhat for the
impairment.
Pharmacodynamic tolerance - correct answer ✔✔involves a process by which the sensitivity of
the neurons to the drug's effect changes as the brain attempts to maintain "normal"
functioning.
Reinforcement Potential and Craving- - correct answer ✔✔a psychological process by which an
act (such as drug use) is followed by a consequence (e.g. good feelings) affecting the tendency
to repeat the act. Some drugs have greater reinforcement potential than others (e.g.
stimulants).
, Craving is a desire to re-experience the effects of a drug and can be very intense. Craving is the
cause of relapse—or a resumption of substance use—after a long period of abstinence
According to the federal drug schedules, how do we distinguish schedule I? Do all the drugs
scheduled at I, II and III "fit" according to the federal standards for each schedule? - correct
answer ✔✔SCHEDULE I: Substance has a high potential for abuse, has no medical use in the
U.S., and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.
Not all fit according to federal standards for each schedule.
How do we distinguish between Schedule II? - correct answer ✔✔SCHEDULE II: Substance has a
high potential for abuse, has a currently accepted medical use in the U.S. with severe
restrictions, and abuse may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
How do we distinguish Schedule III? - correct answer ✔✔SCHEDULE III: Substance has a
potential for abuse (less than Schedule I or II), has currently accepted medical use in the U.S.,
and may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.
Examples of Schedule I - correct answer ✔✔Heroin
LSD
Marijuana
Examples of Schedule II - correct answer ✔✔Cocaine
Codeine
Hydrocodone
Morphine
Methadone
Methamphetamine
Questions
What are the key indicators of harm posed by drugs? - correct answer ✔✔1. Behavioral Toxicity
(aka psychoactive "power")
2. Physical Toxicity
Acute Toxicity
* Therapeutic Ratio
Chronic Toxicity
3. Physical Dependence Potential
4. Tolerance Potential
5. Reinforcement Potential and Craving
Why must the key indicators of harm be considered simultaneously to assess the risk posed by
drug use? - correct answer ✔✔All drugs, regardless of their legal status, have potentially
beneficial as well as potentially harmful effects. The illegal status of certain drugs is often based
on rhetoric claiming that illegal substances are distinct in terms of the harms they pose to
society and the user. "Harm" resulting from drug use is tied much more to the pattern of use
(i.e. heavy, chronic use) that to any particular drug. Some drugs may be high in physical
dependence but low in psychological dependence. To understand the risks one has to see where
in stands in all categories if not it could appear to not be damaging such as LSD which has
severe psychological effects but almost NO physical effects.
Harm Reduction/Minimization - correct answer ✔✔a philosophy that shifts the goal of drug
policy from eliminating drug use, or even lowering drug use to reducing the harm associated
with both drug use and drug policies. Advocates of harm minimization advocate the importance
,of weighing the damage done by the response to drug use against the damage done by drug use
itself.
Behavioral Toxicity - correct answer ✔✔regards the psychoactive "power" or effects of the drug.
This is hard to measure, and dose specific, but usually considers "how intoxicated" people
can/typically get while using the drug, and also the nature of the effects (e.g. aggressive vs.
sedating).
Physical Toxicity (aka 'Toxicity')- - correct answer ✔✔refers to the negative health consequences
associated with ingesting a drug. and can be both acute, meaning that the problem comes on
immediately or very quickly, as in the case of an overdose, or it can be chronic, referring to
effects that result from the long-term exposure to the drug, such as emphysema, lung cancer or
cirrhosis of the liver. The acute toxicity of a drug is highly related to the therapeutic ratio (TR),
which is the ratio of LD50 (lethal dose) to ED50 (effective dose).
What is LD50(lethal dose) in a street sense? - correct answer ✔✔Dose that would cause an
overdose.
What is ED50 (effective dose) in a street sense? - correct answer ✔✔Dose necessary to get
desired high.
What kind of toxicity is the Therapeutic ratio closely related too? - correct answer ✔✔Acute
toxicity.
Examples of Acute Toxcity: - correct answer ✔✔Alcohol poisoning.
Alcohol- asphyxia on vomit.
Examples of Chronic Toxicity: - correct answer ✔✔Nicotine- lung cancer or mouth cancer.
Alcohol- Cirrhosis of liver.
,Therapeutic Ratio: - correct answer ✔✔LD50 is the dose that is lethal for ½ of animals tested,
ED50 is the amount of a drug required to generate an effective dose for ½ the animals tested. In
a street sense the effective dose is the dose necessary to get a desired "high." Drugs with
narrow TRs are much more dangerous to use because the window between desired high and
lethal overdose is small, making it easier to accidentally overdose.
Drugs with narrow TRs: Barbiturates , Heroin, Alcohol Oxycontin
Drugs with wide TRs: Marijuana and Hallucinogens
Physical Dependence Potential - correct answer ✔✔is defined with the presence of a
withdrawal syndrome—a set of physical symptoms (e.g. nausea, chills, diarrhea for some drugs;
depression lethargy for others) that manifest themselves when a person stops taking a certain
drug.
Tolerance Potential - correct answer ✔✔Tolerance can be developed for many drugs. It involves
a process in which repeated exposure to the same dose of particular drugs will result in a lesser
effect. There are multiple forms including at least drug disposition tolerance, behavioral
tolerance and pharmacodynamic tolerance.
Drug disposition tolerance involves an increase in the rate of metabolism or excretion as a
consequence of drug use.
Behavioral tolerance - correct answer ✔✔involves a process by which individuals learn to adapt
to the altered state of their nervous system and thus compensate somewhat for the
impairment.
Pharmacodynamic tolerance - correct answer ✔✔involves a process by which the sensitivity of
the neurons to the drug's effect changes as the brain attempts to maintain "normal"
functioning.
Reinforcement Potential and Craving- - correct answer ✔✔a psychological process by which an
act (such as drug use) is followed by a consequence (e.g. good feelings) affecting the tendency
to repeat the act. Some drugs have greater reinforcement potential than others (e.g.
stimulants).
, Craving is a desire to re-experience the effects of a drug and can be very intense. Craving is the
cause of relapse—or a resumption of substance use—after a long period of abstinence
According to the federal drug schedules, how do we distinguish schedule I? Do all the drugs
scheduled at I, II and III "fit" according to the federal standards for each schedule? - correct
answer ✔✔SCHEDULE I: Substance has a high potential for abuse, has no medical use in the
U.S., and has a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.
Not all fit according to federal standards for each schedule.
How do we distinguish between Schedule II? - correct answer ✔✔SCHEDULE II: Substance has a
high potential for abuse, has a currently accepted medical use in the U.S. with severe
restrictions, and abuse may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
How do we distinguish Schedule III? - correct answer ✔✔SCHEDULE III: Substance has a
potential for abuse (less than Schedule I or II), has currently accepted medical use in the U.S.,
and may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence.
Examples of Schedule I - correct answer ✔✔Heroin
LSD
Marijuana
Examples of Schedule II - correct answer ✔✔Cocaine
Codeine
Hydrocodone
Morphine
Methadone
Methamphetamine
