Lecture 1: Defining drugs and Addiction Flashcards
How does the risk of death from smoking compare to that from drug use?
Key Word - DEATH BY RISK
Smoking significantly increases the risk of death, resulting in much higher mortality rates compared to drug use.
(Smoking is worse than drug use)
What has been the trend in smoking-related deaths in the UK from 1990 to 2017?
From 1990 to 2017, smoking-related deaths in the UK have consistently DECREASED, showing a significant downward trend over the period.
What is a reason to why smoking has decreased?
Price, nowadays a lot more expensive
What is a drug?
A drug is a chemical that influences biological functions.
What is a psychoactive drug?
A psychoactive drug (or substance) is a drug capable of influencing mental functions such as mood, behavior, cognition, and perception.
What is drug use?
consumption of psychoactive substances
What is drug misuse
(or problematic drug use): when psychoactive substances cause problem for the user or society
Is penicillin a psychoactive drug or a non-psychoactive drug?
Penicillin is a drug and not a psychoactive drug
What are 3 key characteristics of drug addiction/dependence?
Impairedcontrol of drug use (the inability to control the amount)
substanceuse becoming an overriding priority in the user’s life (person prioritises)
toleranceto (needs to consume more) or withdrawal symptoms from the drug (has developed a dependence)
How does the medical/scientific community classify addiction?
views addiction as similar to a brain disease
What is the typical duration for developing an addiction to heroin?
Addiction to heroin typically develops between 6 months and 1 year.
Can addiction occur without substance use? Give examples.
Yes, addiction can also occur with non-substance-based activities like gambling and sexual activity.
A different point to understand addiction is through …..
behavioural process influenced by context and circumstances, not solely a disease or the result of substance use alone.
Natural v synthetic
What does natural mean
These are derived from natural sources such as plants, fungi, or animals. They are extracted directly from these sources and may be used in their natural form or processed minimally.
Natural v synthetic
what does synthetic mean
These drugs are manufactured through chemical synthesis in a laboratory setting. Synthetic drugs are created using man-made chemicals rather than natural ingredients.
