A psychoactive drug is defined as “a chemical that changes mental processes and conscious awareness, mood, and perception” (Huffman & Dowdell, 2015). There are two categories of psychoactive drugs; agonist and antagonist drugs. An agonist drug is “a drug that binds to a receptor and triggers a response in the cell, it mimics or enhances a neurotransmitters effect” (Huffman & Dowdell, 2015). On the other hand, an antagonist drug is “a drug that binds to the receptor and triggers a response in the cell that blocks a neurotransmitters effect” (Huffman & Dowdell, 2015). There are four different classes of agonist drugs; stimulants, depressants, opiates, and hallucinogens. Each individual drug has certain desired effects, undesired effects, and
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Cocaine is a very common street drug and it is also called blow, coke, crack, rock, and snow since it is a very white crystal powder. Cocaine can be snorted through the nose, rubbed into the gums of the mouth, or injected into the bloodstream by needle. When cocaine enters the bloodstream, it heads toward the brain where it increases the release of dopamine between the nerve cells responsible for potential rewards. Normally, the dopamine would be recycled throughout the brain but with all of the excess amounts being flooded, it begins a blockage of the cells which causes cocaine’s “high”. The effects of cocaine begin immediately after use and last from a few minutes to an hour. When snorting cocaine, the high will last from about fifteen to thirty minutes; however, when smoking cocaine, the high only lasts five to ten minutes. The short term effects of cocaine are extreme happiness, hypersensitivity to light and sound, irritability, and paranoia. The more lasting, long-term, effects for snorting cocaine are generally problems with the nose and throat. Such problems are loss of smell, frequent nosebleeds and runny nose, and difficulty swallowing. When taken by the mouth, the bowel begins to decay from the lack of blood flow. When injected by a needle, people are more exposed to blood borne diseases such HIV and Hepatitis C. The general long term effects …show more content…
Heroin is three times stronger than morphine and quicker to become addicted to. Heroin is also really dangerous due to the fact that it is very toxic and has several side effects (Heroin : Pharmacology, Effects and Abuse Prevention, 2012) Heroin is usually a brown or white powdery substance but can also be seen as a dark colored tar. Heroin can be injected via needle, snorted through the nose, or smoked. Once inside of the body, the drug quickly travels to the brain where the effects begin almost immediately. After heroin enters the brain, it begins to convert itself back into morphine by binding to opioid receptors in the stem and other parts of the brain involved with pain perception and rewards. Once the drug has reached its destination in the brain, the user may begin to feel a rush of euphoria and a clouded mind. (DrugFacts-Heroin, 2016). Some of the other immediate effects of heroin are dry mouth, flushed skin, constricted pupils, unclear thinking, itching, nausea, vomiting, slowed breathing, and more pain tolerance. Some women have also experienced “spontaneous abortion” due to the use of heroin. The more serious health risks are damage to the lung, heart danger, thinking problems, and kidney failure. (Drug Abuse Info: Signs and Symptoms of Heroin Use,
Cocaine is a very common street drug and it is also called blow, coke, crack, rock, and snow since it is a very white crystal powder. Cocaine can be snorted through the nose, rubbed into the gums of the mouth, or injected into the bloodstream by needle. When cocaine enters the bloodstream, it heads toward the brain where it increases the release of dopamine between the nerve cells responsible for potential rewards. Normally, the dopamine would be recycled throughout the brain but with all of the excess amounts being flooded, it begins a blockage of the cells which causes cocaine’s “high”. The effects of cocaine begin immediately after use and last from a few minutes to an hour. When snorting cocaine, the high will last from about fifteen to thirty minutes; however, when smoking cocaine, the high only lasts five to ten minutes. The short term effects of cocaine are extreme happiness, hypersensitivity to light and sound, irritability, and paranoia. The more lasting, long-term, effects for snorting cocaine are generally problems with the nose and throat. Such problems are loss of smell, frequent nosebleeds and runny nose, and difficulty swallowing. When taken by the mouth, the bowel begins to decay from the lack of blood flow. When injected by a needle, people are more exposed to blood borne diseases such HIV and Hepatitis C. The general long term effects …show more content…
Heroin is three times stronger than morphine and quicker to become addicted to. Heroin is also really dangerous due to the fact that it is very toxic and has several side effects (Heroin : Pharmacology, Effects and Abuse Prevention, 2012) Heroin is usually a brown or white powdery substance but can also be seen as a dark colored tar. Heroin can be injected via needle, snorted through the nose, or smoked. Once inside of the body, the drug quickly travels to the brain where the effects begin almost immediately. After heroin enters the brain, it begins to convert itself back into morphine by binding to opioid receptors in the stem and other parts of the brain involved with pain perception and rewards. Once the drug has reached its destination in the brain, the user may begin to feel a rush of euphoria and a clouded mind. (DrugFacts-Heroin, 2016). Some of the other immediate effects of heroin are dry mouth, flushed skin, constricted pupils, unclear thinking, itching, nausea, vomiting, slowed breathing, and more pain tolerance. Some women have also experienced “spontaneous abortion” due to the use of heroin. The more serious health risks are damage to the lung, heart danger, thinking problems, and kidney failure. (Drug Abuse Info: Signs and Symptoms of Heroin Use,