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Essay on history of drugs
Effects of drugs on the human body
Psychological effects of drug abuse
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Psychoactive drugs have been around long before most people imagine. Although the least harmful type of psychoactive drug is caffeine, this title includes such a vast amount of drugs, ranging from something so small like caffeine all the way to cocaine. Psychoactive drugs are chemicals that change conscious awareness, mood, or perception. Not everyone reacts the same way to drugs due to the fact that the chemicals alter each person differently in both psychological and physical senses. Psychoactive drugs alter your state of mind drastically due to the chemicals incorporated into such drugs.
In the world we live in today, a multitude of people use drugs for recreational use. Such petty, recreational use can lead to severe abuse and addiction problems due to the sensation they receive from the intake of drugs. Addiction, nowadays, has become a word used very loosely and applied to virtually any subject; nevertheless, abuse, which is compulsive drug taking that causes emotional or physical harm to oneself, can lead to addiction and can be extremely harmful. The feeling that you receive from the use of drugs depends on what type you are taking. The four main drug categories are: depressants (downers), stimulants (uppers), opiates, and hallucinogens. Depressants act on the central nervous system to slow bodily processes and overall responsiveness. Some popular depressants include alcohol, Xanax, and roofies. There is a strong possibility of abusing downers because one quickly acquires tolerance and dependence. One may be shocked when reading that alcohol is a depressant; however, that is because when only consumed in small amounts, it has stimulating effects.
Very popular among hardworking adults, as well as college campuses, are sti...
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...er. The use of drugs has become so popular at these events that a great deal of people from the ages of 18-21 have died from overdosing. Back in the day, drugs were a lot more natural whereas, our generation mixes together several types of drugs and even uses synthetic versions. The overuse and simple use of such intense drugs starting from a young age leaves a person extremely vulnerable to abuse.
Psychoactive drugs have become exceedingly popular in the United States in recent years. Such drugs alter your state of mind due to the chemicals in them interacting with the neurons in your brain. Due to the sensations that psychoactive drugs cause one to have, users tend to use them more frequently. Many of the repercussions of the use and abuse of drugs are negative and can even lead to death; however, they are still utilized and favored by a large majority of people.
Psychoactive drugs can be defined as 'chemicals that influence consciousness or behaviour by altering the brains chemical message system' (Schacter et al, 2012). Different drugs can affect the brain in different ways either by intensifying or dulling transmissions. They will alter neural connections by preventing neurotransmitters bonding to the post synaptic neurons in the brain, inhibiting the re-uptake of neurotransmitters or enhancing the bonding and transmission of neurotransmitters.
Credibility material: Its intake results in adverse medical conditions that are further exalted by its addiction properties that ensure a continued intake of the substance. The drug can be abused through multiple means and is medically recorded to produce short-term joy, energy , and other effects such as increased heart rate and blood pressure. This ultimately results in numerous psychiatric and social problems; factors that played a major role in its illegalization after multiple and widespread cases of its effects were reported in the country during the 1900s. In addition to this, the drug results in immediate euphoric effect, a property which the National Institute of Drug Abuse (2010) attributes to be the root cause for its increased po...
Amphetamines produce feelings of euphoria, relieve fatigue, improve performance, increase activity, and suppress appetite. Euphoric effects associated with the use of amphetamines, increase potential for abuse. Consequently, prolonged use of amphetamines may lead to drug dependence and tolerance. Desired effects are only achieved by increasing to higher doses of amphetamine, which can result in an acute overdose. Seizures, hypertension, tachycardia, hyperthermia, psychosis, hallucinations, stroke, or death can be experienced. Additional reports revealed that those who abuse amphetamines were significantly more likely to report using a greater number of illicit substances including nicotine, marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, and opiates.
The most commonly abused substances are Nicotine, Inhalants, Alcohol, Cocaine, Amphetamines, Prescription medications, Heroin, Ecstasy and Marijuana. 1a(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2011) Initially, a person may find themselves using substances voluntarily and with confidence that they will be able to dictate their personal use. However, over the period of time that drug use is repeated, changes are taking place throughout the brain, whether it is functionally or structurally. Drugs contain chemicals that enter the communication system of the brain and disturb the way in which nerve cells would typically send, receive, and process information. The chemicals within these drugs will cause a disruption to the communication system by either imitating the brain’s natural chemical messengers or by over-stimulating the brains “reward system” by sending mass amounts of dopamine. As an individual prolongs his or her use of these substances, they may develop an addiction.
Drug abuse has changed over the years due to the trends that Americans face from the encouragement of different cultures. The abuse of substances creates many health problems. The following will discuss the past and current trends of drug use and the effects these drugs have on the health of the individuals who abuse the drugs.
Lasix is known as the “water pill” it’s a diuretic administrated orally.(1) The active ingredient of Lasix is furosemide, but also includes a number of inactive ingredients including lactose monohydrate NF, magnesium stearate NF, starch NF, talc USP, and colloidal silicon dioxide NF. (1) The peak effects of furosemide are typically seen within the first hour of two after a dose of the medication. (1). Lasix is prescribed for individuals to treat edema that may arise from congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis or renal disease. (1) In adults, furosemide may also be taken to treat hypertension itself.(1) Furosemide comes in 20, 40, and 80mg tablets as well as oral suspensions.(2) Furosemide is absorbed rapidly from oral suspension at 50 minutes, and from tablets at 87 minutes.(2) Food may slow down the absorption of the drug and alter the bioavalibitly.(1) Furosemide binds to plasma proteins, albumin being the main plasma protein that furosemide binds to, at 91-99%, and peak plasma concentrations increase with the increase of a single dose.(2) Furosemide is excreted through the urine and the remainder is excreted in the feces. (2) The half-life for furosemide is approximately 2 hours but the diuretic effects last 6-8 hours. (2)
In many countries, drugs are becoming more common. In the history of the US, drug abuse and drugs have a long history. Nowadays, people are so much into drugs. Most drugs affect the brain and drug use is harmful. Every society and every family has been touched by the devastating effects of drug addiction.
Drug in the American Society is a book written by Eric Goode. This book, as the title indicates, is about drugs in the American Society. It is especially about the misuse of most drugs, licit or illicit, such us alcohol, marijuana and more. The author wrote this book to give an explanation of the use of different drugs. He wrote a first edition and decided to write this second edition due to critic and also as he mentioned in the preface “there are several reason for these changes. First, the reality of the drug scene has changed substantially in the past dozen or so years. Second much more information has been accumulated about drug use. And third, I’m not the same person I was in 1972.”(vii). The main idea of this book is to inform readers about drugs and their reality. In the book, Goode argued that the effect of a drug is dependent on the societal context in which it is taken. Thus, in one society a particular drug may be a depressant, and in another it may be a stimulant.
Drugs affect your brain and in turn can alter your moods and behavior. Drugs are chemicals that tap into our brain’s communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells receive, send and process information. Drugs interfere with the exchange of information in the brain producing changes that promote repeated drug use. Drugs can imitate the brain’s natural chemical messengers, or they over stimulate the reward circuit of our brain.
For nearly 85 years, the government has prohibited pscychoactive drugs. American leaders attempted to do the same to alcohol with Prohibition in the 1920?s. In any society, drug use plays a part in the people?s culture. Whether it be a native taking hallucinogens for a religious ceremony, a destitute alcoholic drinking on a city street, or a group of teenagers smoking marijuana, drugs and alcohol have the same effects in any culture. The question of ?why do people use drugs? has been a dilemma which American medical experts and government leaders have fought to answer for years. Recently, many institutions and organizations have formed in order to fight the war on drugs and help diminish the percent of Americans who use dangerous drugs and excessive amounts of alcohol.
Each day drugs make a huge impact on our generation. Throughout this topic I would like to know what causes teenagers to try illegal drugs and how impacts their lives. Drugs can affect a person in different parts of their lives. For example their education, work, personal life, and can affect the relationship with their family and friends.
From cocaine to marijuana, drugs come with different names and different symptoms. Cocaine for instance has symptoms of increased body temperature, increased heart rate, and increased blood pressure. Methamphetamine (meth) on the other hand includes symptoms of a wired feeling, extreme weight loss, shaking, anxiety, and hallucination. Another drug is marijuana which includes side effects such as compulsive eating, bloodshot eyes, occasional paranoia, and hallucinations. Lastly and one of the most addictive is heroin which includes symptoms of euphoria, entering into a dreamlike state, or heroin could even act as a stimulant. All these drugs are different in their own way but some are connected because of their classification. Classifications of drugs include stimulants, cannabis, hallucinogens, antidepressants, depressants, narcotics, and inhalants.
The use of drugs is a controversial topic in society today. In general, addicts show a direct link between taking drugs and suffering from their effects. People abuse drugs for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, the use of drugs will serve a type of purpose or will give some kind of reward. These reasons for use will differ with different kinds of drugs. Various reasons for using the substance can be pain relief, depression, anxiety and weariness, acceptance into a peer group, religion, and much more. Although reasons for using may vary for each individual, it is known by all that consequences of the abuse do exist. It is only further down the line when the effects of using can be seen.
Drugs are chemicals that change the way a person's body or mind works. Drugs are not good for health as they have many side effects and damage our brain, heart and other important organs. Drug is a depressant that slows down the functions of the central nervous system and makes us less aware of the events around us. I...