DRUGS DEFINED

A DRUG IS:

• “… ANY CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE WHICH, WHEN TAKEN INTO THE BODY ALTERS ITS FUNCTION PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY”

• WHO (1989)

WHY DO PEOPLE USE DRUGS?

• THIS CAN BE PUT DOWN TO MANY REASONS INCLUDING

• ACCESSIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY

• GROWING ACCEPTANCE OF THEIR USE

• GREATER AFFORDABILITY

• BOREDOM AND CURIOSITY

• CELEBRATIONS

• PEER PRESSURE

WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN PEOPLE TAKE DRUGS

CATEGORIES OF DRUGS

• DRUGS CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO 3 DIFFERENT CATEGORIES:

1.DEPRESSANTS

2.STIMULANTS

3.HALLUCINOGENS

1.DEPRESSANTS• DEPRESSANTS SLOW DOWN THE BRAIN AND CENTRAL

NERVOUS SYSTEM CAUSING THE BODY’S FUNCTIONS TO BE SLOWER.

• E.G. ALCOHOL, MORPHINE, HEROIN, CANNABIS, GHB.

2.STIMULANTS

•HEIGHTEN SENSES AND SPEED UP THE BRAIN BY INCREASING THE ACTIVITY OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.

•E.G. AMPHETAMINES, CAFFEINE, AMPHETAMINES, SPEED, COCAINE AND ECSTASY.

3.HALLUCINOGENS.

• THESE ARE MIND ALTERING DRUGS THAT CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF WHAT IS REAL AND WHAT IS NOT. THEY CAN STIMULATE OR DEPRESS THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.

• E.G. CANNABIS, ECSTASY, LSD, MAGIC MUSHROOMS,

ALCOHOL

• ALCOHOL GOES DIRECTLY FROM YOUR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

INTO YOUR BLOOD AND WITHIN MINUTES SPREADS TO

ENTIRE BODY, INCLUDING YOUR BRAIN

• IT SPREADS EVENLY THROUGHOUT BODY EXCEPT FOR THE

BRAIN WHICH GETS THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION BECAUSE

IT GETS MORE BLOOD THAN ANY OTHER PART OF BODY

• MORE BLOOD EQUALS MORE ALCOHOL

• INTOXICATION (DRUNKENNESS) STARTS IN THE BRAIN

HOW ALCOHOL TRAVELS AROUND THE BODY

1. MOUTH

2. STOMACH

3. SMALL INTESTINE

4. BLOODSTREAM

5. LIVER

6. BRAIN

NICOTINE

• IS ADDICTIVE- MORE THAN HEROIN OR COCAINE

• MAKES YOUR CLOTHES, HAIR AND BREATH SMELL

• TURNS YOUR TEETH AND FINGERS YELLOW

• INCREASES THE RISK OF STROKE AND HEART ATTACK

• INCREASES THE RISK OF DEVELOPING DIABETES

• IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF LUNG, THROAT AND MOUTH CANCER

CIGARETTES