Week 4

Question 1

How prevalent is drug and alcohol use in Canada?

Answer 1

• 78% of Canadians 15 yrs and older drink, but most in moderation
• 9.1% of Canadians reported cannabis use in the last year
• 1 in 6 Canadians has used an illicit drug other than cannabis in their lifetime

Question 2

What are some of the issues with survey methods and what are the implications on findings?

Answer 2

Telephone interviews exclude certain populations, like homeless people, people in prisons, and people in hospitals.
-also response bias (including social desirability bias)

Question 3

What are the 11 chemical drug classes?

Answer 3

1) alcohol
2) cocaine
3) amphetamines/other stimulants
4) cannabis
5) benzodiazepines
6) barbituates
7) opiates
8) hallucinogens
9) inhalants
10) nicotine
11) other psychoactive substances

Question 4

Describe characteristics of alcohol

Answer 4

• depressant

- oral

Question 5

What are the short term effects of alcohol?

Answer 5

1) heightened activity
2) disinhibition
3) mood changes
4) impairment of perception and motor skills
5) exaggerated emotional responses
6) impairment in thinking, memory, and judgement
7) blackouts, drowsiness, stupor, coma, death

Question 6

What are some of the long term effects of alcohol?

Answer 6

1) increased blood pressure (stroke/heart problems)
2) gastritis
3) ulcers
4) diarrhea
5) alcoholic liver disease
6) peripheral neuropathy
7) cerebellar degeneration
8) increased cancer risk
9) psychiatric issues
10) poor sleep
11) hallucinations
12) impotence/infertility
13) dementia
(Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome)

Question 7

What is cocaine and how is it used?

Answer 7

• stimulant

- snorting, rubbing, injecting, smoking

Question 8

What are some of the short term effects of cocaine?

Answer 8

1) euphoria, energy, talkative, mental alertness
2) decreased need for food/sleep
3) anxiety, panic
4) erratic behaviour
5) accelerated heart rate
6) higher blood pressure and body temp
7) tremors, twitchiness
8) vertigo

Question 9

What are some of the long term effects of cocaine?

Answer 9

1) restlessness
2) extreme excitability
3) loss of interest in sex
4) stuffy/runny nose
5) perforated nasal septum
6) respiratory infections
7) heart and brain damage

Question 10

What kind of a substance are benzos and how are they taken?

Answer 10

• depressant
• diazepam, lorazepam, Xanax, clonazepam
• oral

Question 11

What are some of the short term effects of benzos?

Answer 11

• reduced anxiety
• drowsiness, lethargy
• dizziness
• sedation
• impaired coordination, mental function, ability to learn
• agitation
• “hung over”

Question 12

What are some of the long term effects of benzos?

Answer 12

-accumulation of short term effects