David Neiva
Drugs
Human Biology BSC1020
Mrs.Derousie
03/27/14
My mother always said, “Everyone acknowledges the dangers of drugs, but people still do them, and I can not grasp why”. Well in this research paper I will discuss the dangers of three different drugs, stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens. More specifically, Cocaine, Alcohol, and LSD(Acid). 25% of American adults ages 26-34 have tried cocaine at least once in their life (Cocaineaddiction.ws). In 2006, there were more than 1.2 million emergency room visits and 2.7 million physician office visits due to excessive drinking(Bouchery EE, Harwood HJ, Sacks JJ, Simon CJ, Brewer RD.). And 5.90 adults from the age of 18-25 have used LSD in their lifetime(Office of National Drug Control Policy).It is important to know about these drugs because not only can it affect you, it can affect your neighbor, therefore the more educated you are on these subjects and risk factors the better off you are.
Popular amongst celebrities, models and the wealthy, Cocaine is an expensive high, that some think is harmless but in reality cocaine affects the heart, the brain, your emotional being as well as your physique. But users would deem these negative effects a small price to pay, due to the fact that the feeling produced by the use of cocaine is an increased sense of energy, alertness, an extremely elevated mood and or a feeling of supremacy. Cocaine affects your synapses by blocking the reabsorption of norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters creating a sensation of euphoria.
Cocaine enters the body, commonly through the nose, having about instantaneous effect, but whether its snorting it, injecting it, or smoking it, cocai...
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...rld of an alcoholic, its one hell of a climb to get out. Just one alcoholic beverage per day is medically acceptable, but once you climb over that limit, you are already damaging your body. After long periods of alcoholism you can develop Liver disease, dementia, and even cancer in the mouth, liver, esophagus, colon.(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There are many support groups one can become apart of if they find themselves in the abyss of alcoholism. the classic 12 step process. Also seeking medical attention because withdrawal from alcohol can lead to deep depression, which can end in suicide, so having a doctor take the appropriate measure is critical when trying to quit consuming alcohol. There are also many rehab centers that one may check themselves into. Just remaining far away as possible from alcohol is the best way to prevent it.
According to Sheila L. Videbeck a nursing professor at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa “alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that is absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream.” Many patients that attend alcohol anonymous meetings are those that have been drinking alcohol for a long period of time, and cannot seem to quit on their own without any help. Some common side effects of drinking alcohol long term include cardiac myopathy, Wernicke’s encephalopathy, korsakoff’s psychosis, pancreatitis, esophagitis, hepatitis, cirrhosis, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and ascites. Signs and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal usually being 4-12 hours after the last drink, or after a major reduction in alcohol intake. Many patients have to be put on drugs to help them cope with the withdrawal symptoms. Most patients are prescribed benzodiazepines to suppress the withdrawal symptoms. Treatment of alcohol i...
Cocaine is a classified ‘Schedule II’ drug, also known as “crack”, and “coke” it is a powerful drug, and addictive stimulant well known as a psychoactive substance. That comes from a plant called coca leaf that has been around since the mid-1800s and throughout the 20th century. “In the mid-1980s, addiction to the drug was seen as exaggerated or dismissed as psychological and not addiction” (Miller, Gold, Smith, 1997, p.62). In the past, cocaine’s original use was for medical purposes as local anesthetic for surgeries. Now its usage is illegal and this drug is immersed into the body through various ways. However,...
Cocaine is a Schedule II drug, known for its addictive properties and permissive medicinal administration. Cocaine exists in two forms: water soluble and insoluble; these forms can enter the bloodstream by mechanism of oral ingestion, intravenous injection, inhalation, and intranasal inhalation (Volkow, 2010). Cocaine is a stimulus, therefore the use of cocaine stimulates the para-sympathetic nervous system, exciting physiological reactions, but also creating a sense of euphoria resulting from an increase in dopamine activity (Barlow & Durand, 2012). Cocaine is effective in stimulating euphoria because of the dopamine agonists properties it possesses (Carlson, 2013).
David, A.G (2013). Cocaine use disorder in adults: Epidemiology, pharmacology, clinical manifestations, medical consequences, and diagnosis. ©2014 UpToDate, Inc.
Drugs are substances that disturb this delicate balance, because they have “passkeys” that let them open certain “locks” located between the neurons. The brain automatically adjusts to these substances from outside the body by producing fewer of its own natural “keys”. Cocaine is type of drug that affects the dopamine is a neurotransmitter which is connected with emotions and noradrenalin is connected with alertness. Cocaine is considered as an illegal drug in most countries but some considered it as an legal drug. Although cocaine is an illegal drug earlier ancient people used to coonsider it as a medicine to treat many illness. Cocaine is absorbed in the dopamine and the...
Cocaine (C17H21NO4) comes from the leaf of an Erythroxylon coca bush. It is a drug that effects the central nervous system. It causes feelings of euphoria, pleasure, increased energy and alertness. People under the influence of cocaine often do not feel the need for food or sleep. They also feel energetic and may talk a lot. However, depending on factors such as environment, dosage, and the manner in which the drug is taken, cocaine can have adverse effects such as violent, erratic behavior, dizziness, paranoia, insomnia, convulsions, and heart failure to name a few. Long- term effects of cocaine include, but are not limited to strokes, heart attacks, seizures, loss of memory, and decrease in learning capability (1).
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, alcoholism is defined as "the compulsive consumption of and psychophysiological dependence on alcoholic beverages." It is a problem that can tear apart marriages and families, cause someone to lose his job, and many more negative results. In order to recover from this dependency a person must lose his desire for and dependence upon alcohol, continue to remain sober, and resolve all conflicts caused by the alcohol abuse. There are several alternatives an alcoholic has to rehabilitate himself. The best solution is a combination of individual therapy and a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous.
The use of cocaine in the United States has declined over the last twenty years while the use of crack has increased. Many people avoided the use of crack because of the harmful chemicals used in creating the drug. One of the reasons why crack became popular is because of not needing to inject the drug hence less risks of being infected by the AIDS virus. Carroll (2000) states cocaine is the most powerful stimulant of natural origin. Most users snort or inject the drug to enable a quicker “high.” Cocaine use brings on many health problems. Fatal complications occur from regular use, for example, liver damage, seizures, elevated blood pressure causing stroke, heart failure, or heart attack.
Cocaine is made from leaves of the coca plant. It's highly addictive and dangerous to the user's health. In 2014, approximately 1.5 million people ages 12 or older were current users of the drug. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/cocaine/what-scope-cocaine-use-in-united-states
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.
Drug use and abuse is as old as mankind itself. Human beings have always had a desire to eat or drink substances that make them feel relaxed, stimulated, or euphoric. Humans have used drugs of one sort or another for thousands of years. Wine was used at least from the time of the early Egyptians; narcotics from 4000 B.C.; and medicinal use of marijuana has been dated to 2737 BC in China.
Alcoholism is a disease that affects many people in the United States today. It not only affects the alcoholic, but also their family, friends, co-workers, and eventually total strangers. The symptoms are many, as are the causes and the effects.
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.
The best way to avoid alcohol abuse, dependence, and addiction is to drink only moderate amounts, or not drink at all. Moderate drinking is no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. To avoid alcohol dependence:
Drug abuse has been a hot topic for our society due to how stimulants interfere with health, prosperity, and the lives of others in all nations. All drugs have the potential to be misapplied, whether obtained by prescription, over the counter, or illegally. Drug abuse is a despicable disease that affects many helpless people. Majority of those who are beset with this disease go untreated due to health insurance companies who neglect and discriminate this issue. As an outcome of missed opportunities of treatments, abusers become homeless, very ill, or even worst, death.