DRUG ADDICTION Part2

Drug addiction and drug abuse is a chronic or
habitual use of any chemical substance to alter
states of body or mind not provided or
approved by a doctor.
Drugs that are habitually abuse include:
Narcotics i.e. morphine, opium, heroin,
methadone, Alcohol, Barbiturates, sedatives,
Cocaine (see also CRACK), Amphetamines,
hallucinogenic and Marijuana.
Other habitually drugs include Nicotine, Caffeine,
Anabolic steroids and Human Growth Hormones
used illegally by athletes.
Addiction is a physical dependence on a given
drug that is developed. The withdrawal
symptoms are experienced when the drug is
stopped or dosage decreased.
In most countries, however, the use of many
of these drugs is illegal and associated with
criminal behavior.

Narcotic - associated with alteration of mood
and behavior.
The chief narcotic drugs are OPIUM, CODEINE,
MORPHINE and HEROIN.
Narcotics are valuable in numbing the senses,
alleviating pain, inducing sleep, and relieving diarrhea.
Common side effects include nausea, vomiting,
and allergic reactions.
In large doses, narcotics can cause respiratory
depression, COMA, and death. All narcotics are
addictive.

METHADONES tend to be less addicting and
possess fewer side effects, but they are also less potent.
Barbiturate -any depressant drug derived from
barbituric acid. In low doses, barbiturates have
a tranquilizing effect. Increased doses are hypnotic
or sleep inducing, and still larger doses act as
anticonvulsants and anesthetics.

Barbiturates were widely used as
SLEEPING PILLS; such use may lead to
psychological dependency, physiological tolerance,
and even death by overdose.
Barbiturates do not relieve pain.

Cocaine- ALKALOID drug derived from COCA
leaves, producing euphoria, hallucinations, and
temporary increases in physical energy. Prolonged
use can cause nervous-system aberrations
(including delusions), general physical deterioration,
weight loss, and addiction.
Withdrawal from the drug can produce severe depression.

Crack- A form of COCAINE. A less expensive,
more potent, smokable form of the drug, it is the most
addictive of abused substances.
The drug's availability has greatly increased the number
of addicts, resulting in major law enforcement
problems in Western countries.

Amphetamine- any of a class of powerful drugs that
act as stimulants on the central nervous system.
Popularly known as "bennies," "speed," or "uppers,"
amphetamines enhance mental alertness and the
ability to concentrate; cause wakefulness,
talkativeness, and euphoria; and temporarily
reverse the effects of fatigue. They have been
used to treat obesity, narcolepsy and minimal
brain dysfunction. Amphetamines can produce
insomnia, hyperactivity, and irritability, as well as
such severe systemic disorders as cardiac
irregularities, elevated blood pressure, and gastric
disturbances. The drugs are addictive and easily
abused; addiction can result in psychosis or
death from over exhaustion or cardiac arrest

Hallucinogenic drug- substance that alters
consciousness; also called psychotomimetic, or,
popularly, psychedelic or mind-expanding drug.
Hallucinogens include mescaline, or PEYOTE;
psilocin and psilocybin, from the mushrooms
Psilocybe mexicana and Stropharia cubensis;
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide); BELLADONNA;
and MANDRAKE. MARIJUANA has
hallucinogenic properties but is pharmacologically
distinct. They produce a wide range of effects,
from pleasant to very disturbing, depending on
dosage, potency, and the personality and
environment of the drug taker. Effects include
altered perception of time and space and of the
color, detail, and size of objects; also the
experience of imaginary conversations, music,
odors, tastes, and other sensations. Hallucinogens
are not physically habit-forming, but tolerance,
i.e., the need to take increased quantities to induce
the original effect, may develop.

MARIJUANA - relatively mild but, addictive drug
with hallucinogenic properties, obtained from the
flowering tops, stems, and leaves of the HEMP
plant. Resins found on the surface of the female
plant are used to prepare the most potent form
of marijuana, hashish. Marijuana produces a dreamy,
euphoric state of altered consciousness, with feelings
of detachment and gaiety. The appetite is usually
enhanced, while the sex drive may increase or
decrease. Adverse reactions are relatively rare,
and most can be attributed to adulterants
frequently found in marijuana preparations.

Caffeine - odorless, slightly bitter ALKALOID
found in coffee, tea, COLA nuts, MATÉ, and
cocoa (see CACAO). In moderation, caffeine is a
mild stimulant that increases urination and the heart
rate and rhythm. Excessive intake can cause
restlessness, insomnia, heart irregularities,
and delirium.

Anabolic steroid - or androgenic steroid, any of a
group of synthetic derivatives of TESTOSTERONE
that promote muscle and bone growth. Used
therapeutically to treat chronic debilitating diseases,
anabolic steroids have also been used by bodybuilders
and athletes seeking increased muscle mass and
enhanced strength and stamina. Abuse of anabolic
steroids may lead to increased aggressiveness,
irritability, and other disruptive behavioral effects,
including symptoms characteristic of drug addiction;
long-term effects are not known.

Tranquilizers- drug whose action on the central
nervous system relieves emotional agitation.
Antipsychotic drugs, or major tranquilizers, ease the
symptoms of psychotic states, including agitation,
delusions, and anxiety. ANTIANXIETY DRUGS,
or minor tranquilizers, are prescribed to relieve
anxiety and tension.

Methadone, synthetic NARCOTIC, similar in effect
to MORPHINE, used primarily in the treatment
of narcotic drug addiction. Given to addicts, it blocks
the euphoric action of HEROIN without itself
causing euphoria and causes less severe and
hazardous withdrawal symptoms than other narcotic
drugs (although critics of methadone therapy point
out that methadone patients are still addicts).
Methadone is also used as an ANALGESIC,
especially in patients who are terminally ill.

I have only listed some of the drugs on the
Illegal market. There are others out there.
This topic is massive and I am
only touching parts of it AT THE MOMENT.
Drugs destroy lives and families and should not
be used as an escape for problems.
MORE INFO TO COME