Drug misuse Flashcards
1
Q
Which drugs are classed as stimulants?
A
- Cocaine [charlie]
- Amphetamines [speed/whizz/billy]
2
Q
Notable info about cocaine:
A
- Most potent natural stimulant
- Extracted from leaves of coca plant
- First isolated in 1880s
- Formerly used in eye nose and throat surgery
3
Q
How is cocaine used?
A
- Snorted
- Coca leaves chewed or brewed
- Cocaine hydrochloride is snorted or injected
- Cocaine freebase or crack cocaine is smoked
4
Q
What are the rates of taking effect for cocaine?
A
- depends on dose and rate of entry to the brain
- smoking - almost immediate
- injecting - 15 to 30 secs
- snorting - 3 to 5 mins
- the effects of crack smoking are very intense but quickly over ( 15 mins)
5
Q
What are the effects of cocaine?
A
- stimulant and euphoriant
- increased alertness and energy
- increased confidence and impaired judgement
- lessens appetite and desire for sleep
- damage to nose and airways
- convulsions with respiratory failure
- cardiac arrhythmia’s and MI
- hypertension and CVA
- toxic confusion
- paranoid psychosis
6
Q
What are the withdrawal effects of cocaine?
A
- Depression
- Irritability
- Agitation
- Craving
- Hyperphagia
- Hypersomnia
7
Q
What is the general chemical for speed? How is it taken? How much does it generally cost? What are the effects?
A
- Generally amphetamine sulphate
- Sniffed, swallowed or injected
- Powder costs £10/g: ‘ice’ costs about £25/g
- Effects similar to cocaine but longer lasting
- Toxic confusion occasionally with convulsions and death
- Amphetamine psychosis in heavy chronic use
8
Q
Give some examples of opiates?
A
- Opium
- Morphine
- Heroin (diamorphine)
- Methadone
- Codeine and dihydrocodeine
9
Q
Is opium still smoked today?
A
- Opium is still smoked today
- The trade in opium was only regulated from the Hague Convention in 1911
- Previously regulation was resisted by UK
10
Q
Notable info about heroin?
A
- First synthesised from morphine in 1874
- Addictive potential unrecognised for years
- Available as diamorphine or as diamorphine hydrochloride
- May be presented as powder or as an almost tar like substance
- Purity varies from 1%- 98% with average of 35% in US
11
Q
Nicknames for heroin?
How is it taken?
Which is safest way to use heroin?
A
- Also known as H ,gear, smack or brown
- Taken by
- Snorting
- Smoking(chasing the dragon)
- Injection
- Smoking is safest, injecting the most dangerous method of use
12
Q
What are some of the physiological effects of heroin?
A
- Analgesia
- Drowsiness and sleep
- Mood change
- Resp. depression
- Cough reflex depression
- Decreased sympathetic outflow
- Pupillary constriction
- Sensitization of labrynth
- Lowered body temp
- Constipation
- Resp arrest with pulse
- Pinpoint pupils unreactive to light
- Bradycardia and hypotension
13
Q
What is the high from opiates?
A
Intense but transient feeling of pleasure
- “A rush”
- Almost orgasmic
- Physical and emotional anaesthetic
14
Q
What are the side effects of opiates?
A
- First time - nausea/vomiting and headache
- Medium term
- phlebitis
- Anorexia
- Constipation
- Longer term
- tolerance
- Withdrawal
- Social and health problems
15
Q
What are the symptoms of opiate withdrawal syndrome?
A
- craving
- insomnia
- yawning
- muscle pain and cramps
- increased salivary, nasal and lacrimal secretions
- dilated pupils
- piloerection (hence ‘cold turkey’)
16
Q
What are the benefits of methadone maintenance?
A
- decriminalises drug use
- allows normalisation of lifestyle
- reduces iv misuse
- leakage on to the illicit market
17
Q
What is the chemical name for MDMA?
A
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
18
Q
How is MDMA taken and what does it cost?
A
almost always used orally ; £10-£15 /tab.
19
Q
What is the effect of MDMA?
A
- relaxed euphoric state without hallucinations
- half of all ‘ecstasy tabs.’ contain no MDMA
- instead nil active , LSD, amphetamine , ketamine
- likened to mixture of LSD and amphetamine
- euphoria followed by feeling of calm
- increased sociability
- inability to distinguish between what is and isn’t desirable
- effects after 20 mins lasting 2-4 hours
20
Q
What are side effects of MDMA?
A
- Nausea and dry mouth
- increased blood pressure and temperature
- in clubs users risk dehydration
- large doses can cause anxiety and panic
- drug induced psychosis
- ? liver and brain cell damage
21
Q
What are the effects to serotonin cells that has been proven in monkeys but not humans?
A
22
Q
Notable info about cannabis?
A
- most commonly used illicit drug
- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the psychoactive agent
- presented as marijuana , hashish (cannabis resin) or as hash oil (produced by extracting cannabinoids from plant material with a solvent)
- skunk (sensimilla) has high THC content
23
Q
What is the cost of cannabis and how is it usually taken?
A
- Usually sold by the ounce
- £12-15 per eighth/oz for resin to £25 per eighth for marijuana
- can be eaten but usually smoked ( joints spliffs or blunts)
- Production becoming more professional - THC content from 1% in’74 to 5% in ‘94 ; THC content of sensimilla 17%
24
Q
What are the psychological effects of cannabis?
A
- relaxing or stimulating, euphoriant , increases sociability and hilarity, increases appetite, changes in time perception, synaesthesia
- in higher dose - anxiety , panic , persecutory ideation, hallucinatory activity
25
What are ill effects of cannabis?
* respiratory problems as with tobacco
* toxic confusion
* exacerbation of major mental illness
* ? cannabis psychosis
26
What are NPS drugs?
Novel psychoactive substances (legal highs)
27
Give some examples of NPS drugs:
Spice
White china
Black mamba
28
What consist of the family of drugs under anabolic steroids?
* Family of drugs comprising testosterone and many synthetic analogues
29
In which cases are anabolic steroids prescibed legitimately?
* hypogonadism, muscular dystrophy, various anaemias, wasting in AIDS
30
When are anabolic steroids used illicitaly?
* Use rapidly expanded in sports requiring muscle mass and strength
* Also used to enhance appearance -increase muscle mass and reduce body fat
* Muscle hypertrophy from steroid use is particularly marked in the upper body in the pectoralis, deltoid, trapezius, and biceps
31
What are side effects of anabolic steroids?
* Skin – acne, stretch marks, baldness
* Feminisation in males with hypogonadism and gynaecomastia (occasioning use of anti-oestrogens)
* Virilisation in women including hirsutism, deep voice, clitoral enlargement, menstrual irregularities, hair thinning\
* Cardiovascular – increased cholesterol and hypertension
* Growth deficits due to premature closure of epiphyses
* Liver Disease – cholestatic jaundice, liver tumours
32
What are psychological effects of steroids?
* Irritability and anger – ‘roid rage’
* Hypomania and mania
* Depression and suicidality on withdrawal
