B1.3 The use and abuse of drugs

Question 1

Why are drugs tested on tissues and animals?

Answer 1

To PREDICT how the drugs may behave in humans.

Question 2

What are new drugs are extensively tested for?

Answer 2

• Toxicity
• Efficacy (If they work as expected)
• Dose

Question 3

What are drugs tested on in laboratories?

Answer 3

Cells, tissues and live animals

Question 4

What happens in a clinical trial? (3)

Answer 4

• Volunteers and patients
• V. LOW DOSES of drug given at start of trial
• If drug= safe, further trials

Question 5

What happens in a double blind trial? (2)

Answer 5

• Some patients given placebo (doesn’t contain drug)

- Doctors/Patients don’t know who =placebo/drug until trial complete

Question 6

When a drug is found to be safe why are further clinical trials carried out?

Answer 6

To find the optimum dose for the drug

Question 7

What are statins used for?

Answer 7

In lowering the risk of heart and circulatory diseases

Question 8

What was thalidomide originally developed as, and what is it now used for?

Answer 8

Sleeping pill

Now used to treat leprosy

Question 9

What does cannabis smoke contain and what can this cause?

Answer 9

Chemicals that may cause MENTAL ILLNESSES in some people

Question 10

Why is the overall impact of legal drugs on health much greater than the impact of illegal drugs?

Answer 10

Because more people use legal drugs

Question 11

How do drugs make someone addicted or suffer from withdrawal symptoms?

Answer 11

Change the CHEMICAL PROCESSES in the body

Question 12

Give two examples of addictive drugs aside from cannabis

Answer 12

• Cocaine

- Heroin

Question 13

What different things do (sports) stimulants do for the athlete (4) and what do anabolic steroids do?

Answer 13

• Heart rate, make more RBCs, inc. reactions, painkillers

- Stimulate muscle growth