Biological Key Question Flashcards
What is the biological key question?
How effective is drug therapy for treating addictions?
In 2013/14 how many opioid users were there in the UK?
293,879 opiate users.
What ‘replacement’ drugs are provided to opioid users to help reduce their symptoms of withdrawal?
Methadone or buprenorphine.
Give some symptoms of drug addiction?
Cravings, seeking drugs, withdrawal symptoms, irritability.
How does buprenorphine work?
Buprenorphine is a similar shape to heroin and so binds to the opioid receptors blocking them partially which stops the withdrawal symptoms but doesn’t give feelings of euphoria.
What is an alternative therapy for drug addiction other than drug treatment?
Counselling, support groups e.g. Alcoholics Anonymous, etc.
Why is the biological key question a key issue in society in terms of crime in society?
Drug addiction leads to theft owing to the need to find money to buy drugs as well as poor performance at work causing job loss.
Why do drug users need to take more and more drugs each time in order to achieve the same high?
Repeated exposure to recreational drugs can lead to tolerance and withdrawal symptoms which continues drug use and can lead to social and economic costs so needs to be treated.
Why do drug users need to be weaned off drugs instead of them taken away all at once?
When a user stops talking they experience withdrawal symptoms such as shakes, sweating, sickness and by gradually reducing drug in take a person reduces the effects of these symptoms.
How does heroin affect the brain/body?
Heroin reduces GABA (an inhibitory neurotransmitter) which causes an increase in dopamine. Heroin affects the opioid receptors in the brain. This action suppresses physical pain. This chemical effect of heroin slows the motor functions which is why you feel so relaxed and out of it when you’re talking heroin.
How does methadone work?
Methadone mimics the actions of heroin at the synaptic level through dopamine and endorphins.
How is buprenorphine used to help to wean a person off drugs?
Over time, the dose of buprenorphine is gradually reduced until it can be stopped completely.
When should a person begin to take their buprenorphine and why?
In binding with the receptor it ‘pushes’ heroin out and so a person can have severe withdrawal… so it’s best to wait until you’re already suffering withdrawal to take it.
Give two pieces of evidence that support the argument that drug therapy is effective at treating drug addiction.
Jones (2004) - Buprenorphine prevents withdrawal, allows for a more individual treatment process (it is long lasting and thus more flexible when it can be given) and has less chance of overdose.
Marteau et al - Found it to be 6 times safer than methadone.
What did Rat Park (Alexander) suggest about the effectiveness of drug therapy in treating addiction?
Alexander et al (1978) showed that substitute prescribing may not be needed (or the ideal method). Rat Park took drug addicted animals and put them into a lush and exciting social cage, over time they weaned themselves of their addiction because their environment replaced the euphoria they got from drugs.
