Drugs and Alcohol Flashcards
Pharmacological Properties
Overall effects of a drug on a persons behaviour, psychology, and chemistry (eg. composition)
Dose-Response Function
Relationship between the amount of drug taken and intensity and type of resulting effect (eg intensity)
Time-Action Function
Relationship between the time elapsed since the drug was taken and the intensity of its effects (eg lag time)
Drug History
Past or habitual usage may impact the tolerance, peaks, and longevity of the drugs (eg first time or not)
Route of Administration
Method of intaking drug
Physical Factors
weight (greater in skinny over fat people), personal metabolic rates, pregnancy, M vs F, genetics
psychological factors
Social settings influencing experience and effect of drug
Effects of Cocaine: Central Nervous System
Suppressed desire for food, sex, sleep
Can cause strokes, seizures, and neurological damage
Effects of Cocaine: Cardiovascular System
Increased blood pressure from constricted blood vessels
Irregular heartbeat and damaged tissues
Effects of Cocaine: Respiratory System
Freebasing (smoking crack) can cause lung damage
Overdose can lead to respiratory arrest (stopped breathing for prolonged period)
Effects of Cocaine: Reproductive System
M: Erectile, ejaculatory, and sperm dysfunction
F: miscarriage
Effects of Cocaine: Nose
Damage mucous membrane
Effects of Cannabis: Brain & CNS
Dulled sensory and cognitive skills (changed brain chemistry)
Alters motor coordination
Difficulty concentrating, attention to detail, and learning new info
Effects of Cannabis: CVS
Increases heart rate and blood pressure
Decreased blood flow to limbs (amputation in extreme cases)
Effects of Cannabis: Respiratory System
Damages lungs (50% more than tobacco)
Cause lung cancer
May damage throat from inhalation
Effects of Cannabis: Reproductive System
Women = impaired ovulation and pregnancy irregularities
Men = Sexual dysfunction and irregular sperm
Positives of Cannabis: Brain & CNS
Increased sense of euphoria
Minimizes headaches and cancer spread
Positives of Cannabis: Vision
Reduces intraocular pressure, helps with glaucoma
Positives of Cannabis: Digestive System
Combats nausea from chemotherapy and helps minimize vomitting
Helps restore appetite in people who have lost weight due to cancer or AIDS
Positives of Cannabis: Muscular System
Helps calm spasms from spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and possibly epilepsy
Acute Effects of Alcohol: CNS
Impaired reaction time, motor coordination, judgement and sedation
High dose can cause coma and death
Acute Effects of Alcohol: Senses
Less acute vision, smell, taste, and hearing
Acute Effects of Alcohol: Stomach
Nausea, inflammation, and bleeding
Acute Effects of Alcohol: Skin
Flushing, sweating, heat loss and hypothermia
Formation of broken capillaries
Acute Effects of Alcohol: Sexual Functioning
Erectile dysfunctions
Effects of Chronic Use of Alcohol: Brain
Damaged/ destroyed brain cells; impaired memory; loss of sensation in limbs, brain atrophy
Effects of Chronic Use of Alcohol: CVS
Weakened cardiac muscle; elevated blood pressure; irregular heartbeat; increased risk of stroke
Effects of Chronic Use of Alcohol: Breast
Increased risk of breast cancer
Effects of Chronic Use of Alcohol: Immune System
Lowered resistance to disease
Effects of Chronic Use of Alcohol: Digestive System
Cirrhosis of the liver; hepatitis; inflammation of stomach and pancreas; increased risk of cancers
Effects of Chronic Use of Alcohol: Kidney
Kidney failure associated with end-stage of liver disease
Effects of Chronic Use of Alcohol: Nutrition
nutrient deficiencies; obesity
Effects of Chronic Use of Alcohol: Reproductive System
Women = menstrual irregularities and increased risk of having children with FAS
men = impotence and impaired sperm production
Effects of Chronic Use of Alcohol: Bone
high risk of osteoporosis; increased risk of fractures from frequent fails
Drugs
any chemicals other than food to affect structure or function of the body
Psychoactive Drugs
alter experiences or consciousness
Intoxication
state of being mentally affected by a chemical (eg state of being poisoned)
Addictive Behaviours
habits that become out-of-control leading to negative health impacts
Addiction
chronic disease impacting brain motivation, reward and memory, characterized by compulsive desire and increasing need for substance, and by harm to individual and/or society
