Cocaine
- usually snored, can be injected, or turned to Crack & smoked. max drug effect - 5min in females, 8min in
males. sex arousal common after taking, in urine 8 hours after, high lasts 15-20 min, blocks dopamine
transporters
-Atter dopamine levels quickly deplete leading to severe depression, aggression, anxiety, craving
- Damage to heart is májor consequence, common COD: heart attack, stroke, & respiratory failure
- mixture of cocaine & alcohol is most lethal combo of any 2-dong
Amphetamines and Methamphetamines
- Nonhyperactive people increase adrenaline, suppressing appetite. Can be powder/sorted, injected,
smoked 2-4 hour high meth: “poor persons cocaine" made with OTC medicine
- linked to heart damage, stroke, & psychosis. Long-term neurological damage
- anhedonia: major problem, inability to experience pleasure in normal joys of life
- 5% users have permanent delusional disorders w/ paranoia
Nicotine
- toxic CNS stimulant, Can be smoke or chewed causes leading # of lung Cancer deaths 900% & 80-90%
of emphysema & bronchitis deaths
- Smoke contains tar, nicotine, & Carbon monoxide making it leading cause of preventable death. It takes
7 seconds for nicotine to reach the brain.
- alcoholics & smokers are linked both are more likely to be the other & increases risk of cardiovascular &
lung disease with other Cancers
-When chewed, nicotine is absorbed in blood stream and travels to brain
- 30 minutes of chewing = 3 cigs, still causes Cancer just mouth & throat
With other health risks
Hallucinogens
- alters sense of reality, common in spiritual / religious uses
-Occurs naturally and synthetically
- Overwhelms CNS & produces desired outcomes of out of Body Experiences, Sensory illusions, strange
tactile sensations, alter sense of time, & hallucinations
- LSD, PLP, Peyote, Mescaline
- Stimulant & Psychedelic
- long term damage to serotonin neurons in brain caused by chronic misuse
- Damage causes depression, sleep abnormalities, memory disturbances
Rohypnol
- date rape drug / roofies, sedative, moderates effects of cocaine binge or enhances effects of alcohol &
heroin, Causes amnesia and blackouts lasting up to 24 hrs
GHB
-alternative to ecstasy or speed, circulating in dance music scene
-misused for body building effects & associated with sexual assault
Cannabis
- Some properties of hallucinogens @ high doses, but at low doses has some of depressants
-no scientific evidence demonstrating risk of health problems
Drug Metabolism
- liver is major organ that metabolizes large amounts of drugs & alcohol activity is fixed rate so only parts
are pumped through and the rest circulates
- breakdown of alcohol in tummy very different in men than women, alcohol more Slowly metabolized than
it is absorbed, but can be swallowed & metabolized more readily
- Cannabis is fat soluble so is stored in fat cells & distributed from body slower
The Brain