Effects of Drugs

After reading chapter 2, respond to the following questions.

1. Does drug use cause crime? Compare the evidence offered in the text with your own experience or opinions of drugs vs. crime.

There is no evidence in the book that illicit drug use causes criminal activity. However, there have been many studies that indicate that alcohol is clearly linked with violent crimes (p.42). It is my opinion that drug users engage in crime not to be more criminal, but engage in crimes to obtain money for their drugs.

2. Are the early medical models of addictions still present in contemporary society? In what ways have we moved away from the medical model of addictions, and in what ways is it still present in the modern experience of addictions?

After reading Chapter 3, please respond to the following questions:

1. Trace the important changes in drug policy from the Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906 to present. The goal here is NOT to list out the laws and what they covered, but to think critically about how policies have changed in the past 100 years and how they reflect attitudes in society. (Yes, I know this is a tough question!)

2. Look back at the text box on page 53 entitled "Drugs in the Media". Can you think of any examples of drug advertisements that you've seen lately? Reflect on them, and decide for yourself---Is media coverage of new prescription drugs too rosy? Why or why not?

I keep seeing commercials for a migraine prevention medication called Topamax on television. Some of side effects include numbness, burning or tingling in hands or feet, speech problems, especially thinking of specific words, slowed reactions, lack of coordination. Additionally, women who are pregnant on Topamax are at risk for giving birth to babies with birth defect(s). It is a tough call for me to say if I believe that the side effects are worse than the disorder being treated. For someone who suffers from chronic migraines, I can understand why they would insist on taking the medication.

After reading Chapter 4 (yes, I know this was not a fun one!), please respond to the following questions:

1. Describe the "life cycle of a neurotransmitter". This is best done by summarizing that section of the reading (pages 91-94). Please don't, however, simply repeat sections of the text, but summarize it in your own words.

When describing the life cycle of a typical neurotransmitter picture each part of the cycle moving in a clockwise direction. The chemical starts with uptake (selected molecules are taken into cells), synthesis (change through a chemical reaction) of the transmitter, storage in the vesicles (holding place), release into the synapse (the small space between the axon terminal and the dendrite) interaction with the receptor, reuptake (reused/ goes back through the cycle) into the releasing neuron and metabolism (goes away never to be used again; metabolized) by enzyme.

2. Describe "action potential".

Action potential is an electrical signal transmitted from the axon.

3. Compare and contrast the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. What do they have in common, and how are they different?

The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are branches of the autonomic nervous system that influence various systems. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for increasing heart rate and blood pressure while the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for slowing heart rate and activates the intestines.

Read Chapter 5 and describe the following concepts in your own words:

1. antidepressant 2. antipsychotic 3. LD50 4. Cumulative Effects 5. blood-brain barrier 6. active metabolites 7. behavioral tolerance 8. pharmacodynamic tolerance 9. drug deactivation 10. safety margin.

Antidepressant: is usually a drug to alleviate depression.

Antipsychotic: a drug used to treat psychotic disorders.

LD50: is a toxicity measurement and is considered a lethal dose.

Cumulative Effects: the effects of giving multiple doses of the same drug.

Blood-brain barrier: A barrier in the brain where drugs and other substances circulate freely in the blood but do not readily enter the brain tissue.

Active metabolites: Are pharmacologically active chemicals that are formed when enzymes in the body act on a drug.

Behavioral tolerance: Repeated use of a drug can lead to tolerance, which occurs because a person has learned to compensate for the effect of the drug.

Pharmacodynamic tolerance: Is reduced effectiveness of a drug resulting from altered nervous system sensitivity.

Drug deactivation: In order for drug deactivation to occur, one of two things need to happen. Either it needs to be excreted unchanged from the body, or it may be chemically changed so in no longer has the same effect on the body.

Safety margin: Is a dose range between an acceptable level of effectiveness and the lowest toxic dose.

After reading Chapter 6, respond to the following questions:

1. Why does Ritalin work to treat hyperactive children? What are some of the problems in the use of Ritalin to treat ADHD?

2. Compare and contrast the toxic effects of cocaine and other amphetamines. How are they similar and different?

Toxic effects of cocaine and other amphetamines can cause dependence and cause cardiac effects. Amphetamines are synthetic sympathomimetic similar to ephedrine.

3. What are the differences in use, tolerance, and effects between cocaine and crack cocaine?

After reading Chapter 7, respond to the following questions:

1. Describe and provide examples of the different types of inhalants discussed in the text. Why are these substances particularly dangerous?

Examples of different inhalants provided in the text are gasoline, glue, paint, lighter fluid, spray cans, and nail polish. Gaseous anesthetics, most commonly recognized as nitrous oxide or "laughing gas" is still used by dentists for light anesthesia, and it is also found in whipping-cream containers. Nitrites, commonly known as "poppers", have chemicals that cause a rapid dilation of the arteries and reduce blood pressure to the brain, resulting in a brief period of faintness or even unconsciousness. Volatile solvents like glues, and paints are inhaled or "huffed" and can cause kidney, brain, and peripheral nerve damage.

2. What are some of the medical uses of benzodiazepines? How do they work? What is unique about benzodiazepine withdrawal?

Benzodiazepines are prescribed as a sleeping pill and for "anti-anxiety". Benzodiazepines bind to their receptor site they enhance the normally inhibitory effects of the neurotransmitter GABA. To reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms is to reduce the dose of a drug slowly over time. Drugs with a shorter duration of action leave the system quickly and are much more likely to produce withdrawal symptoms than are longer-acting drugs.

Read Chapter 9 in the text, and complete the following:

1. Summarize alcohol regulation in the US between the temperance movement of the early 1800s and today. How do you think these laws and regulatory efforts might have been reflected in society?

2. Describe what happens to alcohol from the time that it is ingested until it is metabolized.

When taken into the body, alcohol is distributed throughout the body fluids, including the blood. Once absorbed, alcohol remains in the blood stream and other body fluids until it is metabolized, which mostly occurs in the liver.

3. Summarize the impact of alcohol on sexual behavior.

Alcohol has the ability to enhance sexual interest and pleasure. It is also linked to risky sexual behavior as well as with increased likelihood of sexual assault.

4. What causes hangovers? How 'curable' is a hangover?

Rapid consumption of alcohol can lead to acute toxicity. Some hangover symptoms are probably reactions to congeners (products of the fermentation/preparation process which can be quite toxic). Other factors could be dehydration from the body excreting more fluid than was taken in with the alcohol, or nausea. Consuming even a moderate amount of alcohol can irritate the lining of the stomach. The only cures for a hangover are an analgesic for the headache, rest, and time.

5. Summarize the biological implications of chronic alcohol use, including (especially) Wernecke-Korsokoff syndrome.

It has been reported that the brains of deceased heavy drinkers demonstrate an obvious loss of brain tissue. This is probably a result of direct alcohol toxicity. Wernecke-Korskoff syndrome is associated with a deficiency of B1 and can sometimes be corrected nutritionally. The symptoms include confusion, impaired coordination while