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Drugs In Teenage


Enviado por   •  10 de Marzo de 2015  •  1.829 Palabras (8 Páginas)  •  171 Visitas

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Drugs in teenage

What is a drug?

A drug is any chemical you take that affects the way your body works. Alcohol, caffeine, aspirin and nicotine are all drugs. A drug must be able to pass from your body into your brain. Once inside your brain, drugs can change the messages your brain cells are sending to each other, and to the rest of your body.

Some drugs can cause addiction and habituation and all drugs have side effects. Many drugs are illegal for recreational purposes and international treaties such as the single convention on narcotic drugs exist for the purpose of legally prohibiting certain substances.

How do drugs affect in a person?

• How the drug is taken. Generally, drugs that are injected or inhaled act very quickly and the effects are more intense. Snorting through the nose is the next fastest-acting method, while the effects of drugs eaten or swallowed take longer to occur.

• A person's physical characteristics, such as height, weight and gender also influence how a drug affects them.

• The proportion of body fat, rate of metabolism and, for women, stage of the menstrual cycle can all influence the intensity and duration of drug effects.

• The person's mood and environment also plays a role. How a person is feeling and the social setting can have a significant impact on drug effects. A person is more likely to enjoy the experience in a comfortable social atmosphere than in a threatening environment.

• Tolerance to the drug. The first time a person uses a drug, they have a very low tolerance and are likely to feel the effects very strongly. The more often the drug is taken, generally the less intense the effects will be. This means that larger amounts are needed to obtain the desired effect.

• How much of the drug is taken and how often. Generally, the greater the quantity taken, the greater the effect. Overdose occurs when the amount taken exceeds the body's ability to cope with the drug.

What problems do drugs cause?

Drugs and pregnancy: Most psychoactive drugs can cross the placenta and affect the unborn child. Heavy and sustained use of some drugs during pregnancy may cause miscarriage, fetal distress or a range of other complications.

Drugs and driving: Driving safety requires mental alertness, clear vision, physical coordination and the ability to react appropriately. Drug use can affect these driving abilities and increase the risk of having a crash. The risk of having an accident is nine times greater when alcohol and drugs are used together than when a driver is drug-free.

Drug induced mood disorder: You may have times when you feel depressed – sad, restless, irritable, tired, loss of pleasure, or manic – elevated mood, delusions, impulsive behavior, racing thoughts. This is called mood disorder and may be caused by drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, heroin and methadone, to name a few.

Drug induced anxiety disorder: You may have panic attacks – periods of very severe anxiety when your heart rate increases, with trembling, sweats, shortness of breath, and a fear of losing control. You may also feel like your surroundings are strange and unreal, or that you are losing your personal identity and sense of reality.

Ecstasy and depression: Ecstasy is an amphetamine that causes hallucinations. It works by making serotonin more available and gives you a sense of euphoria when you take it. Serotonin is a chemical naturally found in your brain which regulates your mood. It is sometimes called the ‘happy hormone’. Ecstasy causes your brain to release a much higher amount of serotonin than usual. Over time your natural stores of serotonin may drop so much that you may never have the same levels as you had before you started using drugs. If lots of serotonin means euphoria than lack of serotonin means depression. You may experience short-term depression in the days after you use ecstasy but we need more research about the long term effects.

Drugs on mental health: Psychoactive drugs may cause you ongoing mental health problems. It is not clear why this happens to some people and not others. It may be that using a drug has triggered a mental illness you didn’t know you had, or the drug changes the way a certain chemical affects your brain functions. The short-term effects may well be something you enjoy – but probably only if they happen like you expect them to. You may also have unwanted short-term drug-induced side effects, such as acting or feeling strange.

What are some types of drugs?

Stimulants: These drugs elevate mood; heighten alertness, increase energy and feelings of well being. The drugs give the user a rush of adrenalin which is closely followed by a crash. When used for an extended period of time they cause irritability, paranoia, apathy, restlessness depression and fidgeting which is characterized by constant body movement. Coffee and caffeine are some of the most widely used stimulants. For example: cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamines and methylphenidate.

Depressants: These form a major group among the various types of illegal drugs. Depressants simply depress the nervous system. They reduce pain, anxiety, stress and fear which puts the person at ease. The downside of these drugs is that they are highly addictive and often result in reduced ability to fear, anxiety or stress. Alcohol is the most popularly known and abused depressant. Although it can cause symptoms that are similar to hallucinogens and stimulants but it is still considered

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