DRUG UNIT VOCABULARY AND DEFINITIONS

DRUG - ANY SUBSTANCE OTHER THAN FOOD OR WATER THAT IS PURPOSEFULLY INTRODUCED TO THE BODY TO PRODUCE A DESIRED EFFECT.Or to change normal body functioning.

METHODS OF USE:    medical use                  illegal/abused use

1.Inject vein  -        chemo, anesthesia                          heroin, cocaine

2.Inject muscle -        insulin, meds, vaccines                   steroids

3.Inhale - mist, vapor, powder,smoke - asthma,vicks, pot                nitrous, coke,glue,pot

4.Ingest pills,liquid     most medicines                            uppers and downers, shrooms

5.Absorption            creams,ointments, nicoderm patch          acid

RECEPTOR SITE: part of the cell where the drug molecule fits in order to get desired effect. A chemical hook up.  Unintended hookups produce side effects which most of the time are bad.

DOSE:  amount needed to get desired effect.  Can increase or decrease due to tolerance, body chemistry on that day, etc.  delicate balance between potency and toxicity - Too much = overdose.

SOLUBILITY:  How drugs are processed and eliminated from your system.  Water and Fat molecules do the job.  Water soluble drugs leave your system through urine rather quickly. (stimulants are water soluble)  Fat solubility takes longer - depressants and opiates and Marijuana are fat soluble - processed in your liver.  Can stay in your system a long time.

SIDE EFFECTS: Based on receptor sites - drugs can latch onto  cells that will produce undesired effects - like drowsiness, nausea, insomnia, psychosis etc.  Most drugs have side effects.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS:  All  licensed by the FDA (food and drug administration).  Must go through clinical trials first, then get a license to market the product after safety and effectiveness has been proved.  Perhaps the most abused substances we have.

OVER THE COUNTER DRUGS: - all lower dose versions of the prescription drug and are available without a note from your doctor.  All were once prescription - Tylenol, Aspirin, Advil, Robitussin, Nyquil, etc.  Mostly used for pain and cold remedies.  10 billion dollars spent on this stuff every year.  Problems with literacy and label reading.

DRUG DEPENDENCE : - also known as addiction.

PHYSICAL - You change cells to require the drug to feel normal. A “gotta have it or I’ll die” attitude that your cells tell your brain.

EMOTIONAL- A habit - your emotionally need it to cope or whatever.  For example, the physical dependence on  nicotine is gone from your cells in 3 days - the psychological dependence takes longer.

TOLERANCE -  The amount you can withstand and that changes with potency and dosing and the number of cells that you have physically changed.  Your  tolerance can go up or down with dependence.

WITHDRAWAL - Detox.  The time and symptoms necessary to go through to get your body and mind back to its pre-drug state.  Can be a dangerous experience - Lots of people die from detox.