Phsycoactive Drugs

Psychoactive Drugs are chemical substances that alter behavior, mood, perception, or mental functioning. Through the consumption of substances many cultures have found ways to alter consciousness. Psychoactive substances apply their effects by transforming biochemical or physiological processes in the brain. Psychoactive drugs act by altering neurotransmitter function, they bind to the site of the firing neuron and inhibits this process so the neurotransmitters remain in the synapse, where they extend and increase the normal effect. The drugs can be separated into three key classes based on their desired behavioral or psychological effect: depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. First we will discuss the depressants.

The most used psychoactive substance is alcohol, which is also the only psychoactive drug legally available without a prescription in most countries. Enjoyable relaxation is often the ideal effect from alcohol consumption, but intoxication weakens judgment and motor performance, as well as brings on a feeling of exhilaration, and exaltation followed by sleep. Alcohol is a stimulant at first but after more is consumed it becomes a depressant. Continual use of alcohol can lead to disease known as alcoholism. Alcoholism can be classified as a chronic illness. When consumed continually, alcohol consumption can be extremely harmful to the liver and brain cells, as well as physiologically addicting, generating hazardous withdrawal symptoms. It is possible to overdose from alcohol.

Barbiturates are extremely dangerous if injected and highly addictive. If they are taken to help a person sleep for a few nights in a row then after the person stops taking them it will have become impossible to sleep without them. The withdraw symptoms can be very painful to the user. A person who is going through withdraws from barbiturates craves for them, they feel discomfort, and cannot sleep. In some situations withdrawal can cause major epileptic seizures, which makes it possible to die from barbiturate withdrawal. They aren't pleasant or enjoyable since they lack euphoric content and the social lubrication that is produced by alcohol consumption. They create a dark, blank oblivion, because of this they are usually taken by people who hate him or herself or life.

Narcotic Analgesics are also called opiates. Some examples of opiates are opium, morphine, codeine, and heroin. These drugs have become one of the most valuable and important types of drugs in the medical world, and can be prescribed to produce analgesia. They can also be used illegally, this mostly involves heroin. People achieve euphoria from these drugs by injecting substances into the veins. This type of drugs can be divided into 2 principal groups: opium, which causes sleep, and belladonna, which produces delirium and illusions. The most important narcotics are all habit forming, and are used in the medical world to relieve pain and induce sleep. When taken in large doses they can cause a coma and even death.

Heroin is the most dangerous and expensive narcotic analgesic. The greatest risk from injection of heroin is death from overdose. In one year in the US 1% of all heroin addicts will die despite having a high tolerance for heroin in their system. Heroin gives the user a much more euphoric experience than any other opiate, but has fewer side effects. There are several different forms of heroin. Pharmaceutical heroin was illegally available in the 1960's as a white powder this form was obtained from pharmacy and hospital thefts, or in 'Jacks' a 10mg tablet made specifically for injection. Today the most seen form of pharmaceutical heroin is dry amp, which is injectable and can be bought in 10mg, 60mg, and 100mg. It became very hard for addicts to get heroin so they turned to the black market where the Chinese met the demand for heroin. This type of heroin came in two different brands: Pink Elephant and Tiger & Rice Brand. Stimulants are our next topic.

To suppress appetite and treat children diagnosed as hyperactive doctors prescribe stimulant euphoriants such as amphetamines, and methamphetamines. For some reason these drugs stimulate adults and have the opposite effect on kids, and calm children who have been diagnosed as hyperactive or have short attention spans. Cocaine, which is also a stimulant euphoriant, is used medically as a local anesthetic. These drugs are used illegally to produce alertness and euphoria, as well as to prevent drowsiness and improve performance in physical and mental tasks. Cocaine is a naturally derived central nervous system stimulant that is extracted and refined from the coca plant. It is a whitish powder, which is bitter and numbing to taste. It is often snorted but can also be injected or swallowed. Since it burns instead of vaporizing it cannot be smoked but a derivative was produced called crack, which is used for smoking. Removing a hydrochloride from cocaine makes crack. Both cocaine and crack are highly addictive and creates tolerance.

Amphetamine is structurally related to ephedrine and adrenaline. Edeleano first synthesized it in Germany in 1887, however it wasn't until the late 1920's that it was introduced into the medical world. Amphetamine is a cheap and synthetic alternate to ephedra. It is commonly used to dilate the small bronchial sacs in lungs, because of this in 1932 Smith, Kline and French introduced the 'Benzedrine Inhaler' to the world. It is also available in pill form, which are generally referred to as 'pep pills'. When used amphetamines release excitatory neurotransmitters, dopamine, and noradrenaline, from where it is stored in the central nervous system. Amphetamines can be sniffed, swallowed, snorted or injected.

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