PS 268 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2026
Drug: - Answers any chemical, that when taken into the body, causes a change in physiology - changes
in mood, cognition, levels of consciousness, and behaviour etc.
Psychoactive drugs: - Answers drugs that directly affect the brain and thus behaviour, cognition,
mood, perception, etc
Psychostimulants: - Answers (uppers); increases brain activity, energy levels, and wakefulness,
increases in heart rate and blood pressure; "euphoria"
Depressants: - Answers (downers); decreases in brain activity, energy levels, and wakefulness;
sedation and possibly unconsciousness; decreases in heart rate and blood pressure; "euphoria"
Hallucinogens: - Answers Marked changes in sensation or perception; marked changes in emotions /
spirituality; euphoria
Opiates: - Answers pain reduction (analgesia); at higher doses depressant-like effects; euphoria
Marijuana: - Answers Very complicated effects with similarities to stimulants, depressants and
hallucinogens, changes in appetite, euphoria, pain suppression
Examples of Psychostimlants: - Answers cocaine, methamphetamine, ritualize, adderall, caffeine,
nicotine, MDMA
Examples of Depressants: - Answers alcohol, barbituates, benzodiazepines
Examples of Hallucinogens: - Answers magic mushrooms (psilocybin), peyote (mescaline), LSD,
ayahuasca (DMT), salvia, MDMA
Examples of Opiates: - Answers morphine, heroin, codeine, oxycontin, vicodin
Licit drugs: - Answers legal drugs
Illicit drugs: - Answers illegal drugs
What factors can determine legality of drugs? - Answers age, authorization to sell, medical
authorization, amount of drug under consideration, (all of these factors can change dependent on
provincial or country laws)
What are the questions that must be asked in surveys to take drug use into consideration? - Answers -
who is using the drug?
- what drug are they using?
- Where are they using the drug?
- When are they using the drug?
- Why are they using the drug?
- How are they using the drug?
- How much of the drug are they using?
Which drugs are the top 4 in regards to addiction levels? - Answers - 1. Tobacco
- 2. Heroin
- 3. Cocaine
- 4. Alcohol
What is the impact of beginning regular alcohol consumption as an early teen? (summarized) -
Answers - those who initiate regular alcohol use as young adolescents (12-13) are 3x more likely o be
dependent on alcohol as adults compared to those who initiate regular use at 19
- significantly higher even for regular marijuana use
When considering Whites, African Americans, and Hispanics, which group has the highest percentage
of high school students that binge drink alcohol? - Answers For majority of drugs (marijuana,
cigarettes, hallucinogens, ecstasy, cocaine and alcohol) it is white students
Risk factors for drug use: (biological, circumstances, or experiences) - Answers - community, parental,
and peer/friends attitudes that support, model, or do not discourage drug use
- antisocial/problem behaviours
- poor school performance
- early-life stressors
- acute (current) stressors
- mental illnesses
- boredom
- curiosity
- desire to have fun
Protective factors for drug use: - Answers - intact home environment with parental involvement (e.g.,
high rates of reading to children)
, - educated parents; parents expecting children to earn education
- positive school experience; good attachment to teachers, high scores in school
- perceive that drug use is high risk
- involvement in religious activities
Antecedent: - Answers A variable that precedes drug use (ex: aggressiveness, conduct problems, poor
academic performance, attachment to a drug-using peer group, parental and community norms that
support drug use)
Gateway drug: - Answers defined as a drug that when used, increases the likelihood the individual will
go on to use other drugs
Instrumental drug use: - Answers the use of a drug with a specific, social approved (including medical)
goal, in mind - taking a drug to reduce anxiety is one example
Recreational drug use: - Answers used to have "fun"
Drug misuse: - Answers when a prescription drug is used at a higher dose than recommended, or
when it is used for a purpose other than what it was prescribed for
Deviant drug use: - Answers can occur when a drug is used in a way or in an amount that is not
approved of by others who use the drug (ex: taking cocaine intravenously)
Why is drug use maintained? - Answers - Mental health issues (stress, anxiety, depression, mental
illness)
- with continued use there are adaptations in the brain and body that require that drug to continue to
be administered (see psychological and physical withdrawal)
Toxicity: - Answers refers to the potential harms associated with a drug
physiological toxicity: - Answers the effects of the drug on the user's body
behavioural toxicity: - Answers what the user does while intoxicated, or after long-time use
acute: - Answers immediate, harmful effects
chronic: - Answers harmful effects that occur after repeated use
acute physiological toxicity: - Answers referring to overdoses that cause the user to stop breathing, or
to cause the user's heart to stop beating.
- drugs capable of this include alcohol and barbiturates, and opiates
- cause death at high doses by directly inhibiting parts of the brain stem
what drugs cause cardiac arrest and how? - Answers - any of the psychostimulants
- by increasing heart rate to the point where the heart is physically not capable of beating any longer
Acute behavioural toxicity: - Answers (intoxication), person is rendered incapable of responding to
surroundings, or making poor decisions, potentially resulting in injury or death
- hallucinogens
Chronic physiological toxicity: - Answers long-term organ damage that can result from repeated use of
many drugs. (cirrhotic liver, OPD, lung cancer, heart disease, strokes etc)
Chronic behavioural toxicity: - Answers long-term changes in interpersonal, family, social, and work
relationship
- related to the long-term use of a drug
- broken homes, lost jobs, etc
blood-borne toxicity: - Answers - major risk for those who inject drugs intravenously
- ex: AIDS, Hepatitis A, B, or C (leading to liver failure and other diseases)
- if there are air bubbles in syringe will result in strokes
- dirty needles can inject noxious material into the blood stream, resulting in sepsis and possibly death
drugs-in-combination toxicity - Answers if two different drugs produce their effects by acting on the
same receptors in the brain (e.g., barbiturates and alcohol both act on GABA receptors) the combining
these drugs can result in potentially dangerous outcomes
Substance abuse: - Answers - a maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant
impairment or distress, as manifested by 1 or more at the same time in any 12 month period:
- recurrent substance use resulting gin failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home
- recurrent substance use in situations in which is is physically hazardous
- continued substance use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems
caused or exacerbated by the effects of the substance
tolerance: - Answers - if you repeatedly present the user with the same dose of a drug, the user will
experience a smaller effect from the drug
- or, to achieve the desired effect of the drug the user must consume greater amounts of the drug
than they needed previously to get the desired effect
Drug: - Answers any chemical, that when taken into the body, causes a change in physiology - changes
in mood, cognition, levels of consciousness, and behaviour etc.
Psychoactive drugs: - Answers drugs that directly affect the brain and thus behaviour, cognition,
mood, perception, etc
Psychostimulants: - Answers (uppers); increases brain activity, energy levels, and wakefulness,
increases in heart rate and blood pressure; "euphoria"
Depressants: - Answers (downers); decreases in brain activity, energy levels, and wakefulness;
sedation and possibly unconsciousness; decreases in heart rate and blood pressure; "euphoria"
Hallucinogens: - Answers Marked changes in sensation or perception; marked changes in emotions /
spirituality; euphoria
Opiates: - Answers pain reduction (analgesia); at higher doses depressant-like effects; euphoria
Marijuana: - Answers Very complicated effects with similarities to stimulants, depressants and
hallucinogens, changes in appetite, euphoria, pain suppression
Examples of Psychostimlants: - Answers cocaine, methamphetamine, ritualize, adderall, caffeine,
nicotine, MDMA
Examples of Depressants: - Answers alcohol, barbituates, benzodiazepines
Examples of Hallucinogens: - Answers magic mushrooms (psilocybin), peyote (mescaline), LSD,
ayahuasca (DMT), salvia, MDMA
Examples of Opiates: - Answers morphine, heroin, codeine, oxycontin, vicodin
Licit drugs: - Answers legal drugs
Illicit drugs: - Answers illegal drugs
What factors can determine legality of drugs? - Answers age, authorization to sell, medical
authorization, amount of drug under consideration, (all of these factors can change dependent on
provincial or country laws)
What are the questions that must be asked in surveys to take drug use into consideration? - Answers -
who is using the drug?
- what drug are they using?
- Where are they using the drug?
- When are they using the drug?
- Why are they using the drug?
- How are they using the drug?
- How much of the drug are they using?
Which drugs are the top 4 in regards to addiction levels? - Answers - 1. Tobacco
- 2. Heroin
- 3. Cocaine
- 4. Alcohol
What is the impact of beginning regular alcohol consumption as an early teen? (summarized) -
Answers - those who initiate regular alcohol use as young adolescents (12-13) are 3x more likely o be
dependent on alcohol as adults compared to those who initiate regular use at 19
- significantly higher even for regular marijuana use
When considering Whites, African Americans, and Hispanics, which group has the highest percentage
of high school students that binge drink alcohol? - Answers For majority of drugs (marijuana,
cigarettes, hallucinogens, ecstasy, cocaine and alcohol) it is white students
Risk factors for drug use: (biological, circumstances, or experiences) - Answers - community, parental,
and peer/friends attitudes that support, model, or do not discourage drug use
- antisocial/problem behaviours
- poor school performance
- early-life stressors
- acute (current) stressors
- mental illnesses
- boredom
- curiosity
- desire to have fun
Protective factors for drug use: - Answers - intact home environment with parental involvement (e.g.,
high rates of reading to children)
, - educated parents; parents expecting children to earn education
- positive school experience; good attachment to teachers, high scores in school
- perceive that drug use is high risk
- involvement in religious activities
Antecedent: - Answers A variable that precedes drug use (ex: aggressiveness, conduct problems, poor
academic performance, attachment to a drug-using peer group, parental and community norms that
support drug use)
Gateway drug: - Answers defined as a drug that when used, increases the likelihood the individual will
go on to use other drugs
Instrumental drug use: - Answers the use of a drug with a specific, social approved (including medical)
goal, in mind - taking a drug to reduce anxiety is one example
Recreational drug use: - Answers used to have "fun"
Drug misuse: - Answers when a prescription drug is used at a higher dose than recommended, or
when it is used for a purpose other than what it was prescribed for
Deviant drug use: - Answers can occur when a drug is used in a way or in an amount that is not
approved of by others who use the drug (ex: taking cocaine intravenously)
Why is drug use maintained? - Answers - Mental health issues (stress, anxiety, depression, mental
illness)
- with continued use there are adaptations in the brain and body that require that drug to continue to
be administered (see psychological and physical withdrawal)
Toxicity: - Answers refers to the potential harms associated with a drug
physiological toxicity: - Answers the effects of the drug on the user's body
behavioural toxicity: - Answers what the user does while intoxicated, or after long-time use
acute: - Answers immediate, harmful effects
chronic: - Answers harmful effects that occur after repeated use
acute physiological toxicity: - Answers referring to overdoses that cause the user to stop breathing, or
to cause the user's heart to stop beating.
- drugs capable of this include alcohol and barbiturates, and opiates
- cause death at high doses by directly inhibiting parts of the brain stem
what drugs cause cardiac arrest and how? - Answers - any of the psychostimulants
- by increasing heart rate to the point where the heart is physically not capable of beating any longer
Acute behavioural toxicity: - Answers (intoxication), person is rendered incapable of responding to
surroundings, or making poor decisions, potentially resulting in injury or death
- hallucinogens
Chronic physiological toxicity: - Answers long-term organ damage that can result from repeated use of
many drugs. (cirrhotic liver, OPD, lung cancer, heart disease, strokes etc)
Chronic behavioural toxicity: - Answers long-term changes in interpersonal, family, social, and work
relationship
- related to the long-term use of a drug
- broken homes, lost jobs, etc
blood-borne toxicity: - Answers - major risk for those who inject drugs intravenously
- ex: AIDS, Hepatitis A, B, or C (leading to liver failure and other diseases)
- if there are air bubbles in syringe will result in strokes
- dirty needles can inject noxious material into the blood stream, resulting in sepsis and possibly death
drugs-in-combination toxicity - Answers if two different drugs produce their effects by acting on the
same receptors in the brain (e.g., barbiturates and alcohol both act on GABA receptors) the combining
these drugs can result in potentially dangerous outcomes
Substance abuse: - Answers - a maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant
impairment or distress, as manifested by 1 or more at the same time in any 12 month period:
- recurrent substance use resulting gin failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home
- recurrent substance use in situations in which is is physically hazardous
- continued substance use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems
caused or exacerbated by the effects of the substance
tolerance: - Answers - if you repeatedly present the user with the same dose of a drug, the user will
experience a smaller effect from the drug
- or, to achieve the desired effect of the drug the user must consume greater amounts of the drug
than they needed previously to get the desired effect
