Drug And Alcohol Flashcards

Front 1

Any substance natural or artificial, other than food, that by its chemical nature alters the structure of or function in the living organism is call a _____________.

Back 1

drug. A drug is any substance, which can impair a person’s ability to safely function in society such as:

Illegal controlled substances such as cocaine, heroin and marijuana
Prescription medicines such as valium, and codeine
Alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, ale and distilled liquors
Chemical solvents such as spray paint, glue and gasoline
Natural Plant Intoxicants such as mescaline, psilocybin and peyote.

Front 2

An __________ drug is one that is illegal to posses or use.

Back 2

illicit. Some of these drugs are available by prescription but when they are manufactured or sold without legal authority then they are considered illicit. Alcohol and tobacco are not traditionally considered illicit. Common chemicals like paint thinner and glue can be considered illicit when they are used in ways others than intended i.e. sniffing them to get “high.” Drug misuse generally refers to the use of prescription drugs in an amount or manner other than prescribed. Acquiring prescription drugs illegally and using nonprescription drugs (glues, solvents...) is also considered drug misuse and a form of illicit drugs.

Front 3

Drug ________ is the use of a substance in a manner, amount, or situation that causes social, occupational, psychological or physical problems or greatly increases the chances that these problems exist.

Back 3

abuse. Drug abuse: the use "of any drug in a manner that deviates from the approved medical or social patterns within a given culture. The term conveys the notion of social disapproval, and it is not necessarily descriptive of any particular pattern of drug use of its potential adverse consequences" (Jaffe, 1975) The term abuse is problematic as some people would consider any use of an illicit drug an abuse whereas others will say that they have used marijuana but never had a problem therefore they did not abuse it.

Front 4

Drug _____________ as defined by a dictionary is “giving oneself up to a habit.”

Back 4

addiction. Drug addiction is characterized by daily use of a substance where most of an individual’s behavior is directed toward using, obtaining, or talking about the drug. Addiction does begin with drug abuse when an individual makes a conscious choice to use drugs, but addiction is not just “a lot of drug use." Addiction is viewed as an extreme on a continuum of involvement with drug use and refers in a quantitative rather than a qualitative sense to the degree to which drug use pervades the total life activity of the user.

Recent scientific research provides overwhelming evidence that not only do drugs interfere with normal brain functioning creating powerful feelings of pleasure, but they also have long-term effects on brain metabolism and activity. At some point, changes occur in the brain that can turn drug abuse into addiction, a chronic, relapsing illness. Those addicted to drugs suffer from a compulsive drug craving and usage and cannot quit by themselves. Treatment is necessary to end this compulsive behavior.

Front 5

The highest rates of drug use are in the _________ age group.

Back 5

18 - 25.

Front 6

In 1999, 50% of High School Seniors reported using ________ in the past 30 day s and 22% reported having used marijuana in the past 30 days.

Back 6

alcohol.

Front 7

Socioeconomic status [does or does not] correlate with alcohol or drug use.

Back 7

does not. Some people believe rich people use drugs because they have access to money, others believe poor people use drugs to escape their disadvantaged lives. Studies have found that socioeconomic status has very little to do with drug abuse rates and neither does the existence of a personality problem. What is found consistently among drug abusers is a pattern of nonconformist behavior. Drug using youngsters are often part of a deviant subculture and the ties they have with their peers are much stronger than with their parents.

Front 8

An ____________ is a variable that occurs before some event such as the initiation of drug use.

Back 8

antecedent. When researching drug abuse, studies look for antecedents to the behavior such as use of alcohol as a precursor to the use of marijuana. By identifying and understanding behavior that is likely to lead to illicit drug use, researchers hope to develop effective ways to manage drug use.

Front 9

A ____________ study is one that is done over a period time – usually months or years.

Back 9

longitudinal. Longitudinal studies have been very helpful in the research of drug use. By following the same group of individuals researchers have found that other forms of deviant behavior (stealing, smoking, fighting, etc…) usually appear before drug use. While these studies don’t show us what causes youth to start using drugs it does identify behaviors that indicate future drug use is likely.

Front 10

Drug and Alcohol research has focused on determining the _______ factors associated with substance abuse.

Back 10

risk. Risk factors for youngsters include parents’ acceptance of drug use, poor academic achievement, peer approval of drug use, intoxication before age 13, emotional distress, and dissatisfaction with life. These studies are consistent with the notion that students who have good relationships with their parents, who are interested in school, and who generally conform to social norms are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.

Front 11

Illicit drug use usually starts with the use of a ____________ substance.

Back 11

gateway. In a very important study done in the 1970’s researchers found a typical sequence of drug use in illicit drug users. A gateway is one of the first drugs (i.e. alcohol or tobacco) used by a typical drug user. For example, students who used the gateway substance of cigarettes at the beginning of the study were much more likely to use marijuana by the end of the study. The use of a gateway substance is not a cause of later drug abuse but an important indicator of a pattern of deviant behavior resulting from a variety of risk factors.

Front 12

A drug that alters consciousness and affects mood is called ___________.

Back 12

psychoactive. A psychoactive drug has an effect on thoughts, emotions, or behavior. The study of a drug’s effect is called psychopharmacology. As psychopharmacology became more advanced in the 1950’s people realized the powerful and selective effects that drugs could have on our minds. This helped set the stage for the psychedelic experimentation that blossomed in the 1960’s and continues today.

Front 13

Drugs in and of themselves [are or are not] bad.

Back 13

are not. The behavior associated with illicit drug use is often bad but the chemical component itself does not present any evil intent. Heroin is a painkiller; Cocaine can be used as an anesthetic. Society can not blame the substance for drug-related problems and for that reason it is ineffective to focus solely on eliminating the substance without adequately addressing the factors that lead to substance abuse in the first place.

Front 14

Every drug has [one or multiple] effect(s).

Back 14

multiple. All psychoactive drugs act on more than one part of the brain thus they produce complex psychological and physiological effects. By altering brain chemistry the drug will also influence other parts of the body like the heart, intestines, etc.

Front 15

The size and quality of drug’s effect depend on the _________ an individual has taken.

Back 15

dose. The amount of drug taken is called the dose. The relationship between the dose taken and effect works in two ways. First, the more of a drug that is taken usually the more effect is felt. Second, at different dosages the effects of a drug are different; a mild effect of marijuana taken at low dose may include a relaxed, easy high, taking a lot of marijuana (or a particularly potent strain) may produce anxiety and paranoia.

Front 16

The effect of a ____________ drug depends on the individual’s history and expectation.

Back 16

psychoactive. Psychoactive drugs alter consciousness and thus they affect individuals in different ways. An individual’s attitude and expectations about what the drug will do alters the actual experience. The setting also effects the reaction – taking a drug at a party has a different effect than taking it when a person is alone.

Front 17

Humans by nature are ________-seeking animals and do not live by logic alone.

Back 17

pleasure. This helps explain drug use; we are told not to use drugs and logically we understand the negative effects but we are programmed to seek out pleasure and for some that includes drug use. The groups that tend to use drugs often identify with a deviant culture and within their group the use of a drug is not considered deviant at all. Rebellion is also a power motive in drug use and it is no surprise that illegal drug use is most common in youth, and more men than women use drugs.

Front 18

Excessive drug use can be explained by the theory of __________________.

Back 18

reinforcement. Reinforcement is the process in which a behavior is followed by a action such that the behavior is then more likely to be repeated. The act of taking a drug is reinforced by the positive effect the drug has on the individual. The drug itself is capable of reinforcing the behavior as each time you take the drug you are increasing the probability that you will take it again.

Front 19

_________ effects of drug use are those that are interfere with normal functioning such that they produce dangerous consequences.

Back 19

Toxic. The word toxic means poisonous, deadly, or dangerous and drugs can have toxic effects if misused or taken in large dosages. Alcohol can suppress respiration potentially inducing brain damage or death. Behavioral toxicity results when the behavior of a person under the influence of drugs or alcohol is potentially dangerous or deadly. A prime example of toxic behavior is drinking and driving.

Front 20

____________ effects of drug use those that are short-term and result from a single dose.

Back 20

Acute. Examples of acute effects are euphoria, drunkenness, and overdose. These are specific results of a single administration of the drug in varying degrees.

Front 21

___________ effects of drug use of those that seen in the long-term as a result of repeated use.

Back 21

Chronic. Chronic effects occur after repeated exposure and are often seen when the substance is not actually in a person’s system. A chronic effect of cigarette smoking is emphysema; the individual’s ability to breath is affected all the time regardless if they have any tobacco in their system.

Front 22

The ____________ Government created the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) to collect data on drug-related deaths and emergency room visits.

Back 22

Federal. The system collects data on drug crises from hospitals all over the US. For DAWN’s purposes drug abuse includes improper use of prescription or OTC drugs and the use of any substance for a psychic effect, dependence, or suicide. Alcohol itself is not counted if it is the only drug used but Alcohol-in-Combination with another drug is the most prevalent source of emergency room incidents (35%), with Cocaine use a close second at 30%, and Marijuana and Heroine third and fourth at 16% and 15% respectively.

For drug related deaths Cocaine is the highest with 45% of the episodes, Heroine is second with 43% of the episodes, and Alcohol- in-Combination accounts for 37% of the episodes.

Front 23

In the 1800’s the US Government had virtually no laws governing the sale or use of drugs. This approach is to government is called _________-faire.

Back 23

laissez. Laissez-faire is a French term meaning hands-off approach to government. Some current thinkers advocate a return to this approach claiming that drug use is a victimless crime like prostitution. State and Federal laws were passed because the public believes drug use does involve victims.

Front 24

Three main concerns the public has regarding drug abuse are toxicity, addiction, and _________.

Back 24

crime. Toxicity and addiction have the effect of victimizing the individual but crime is a threat to public safety. The belief that drug use causes crime is at the root of most drug legislation.

Front 25

True or False: Drug use changes a person’s personality thus making the person more likely to be criminal.

Back 25

false. This relationship has been found to developmental rather than causal in that criminal activity usually precedes drug use.

Front 26

The acute effects of __________ make a person more likely to engage in criminal behavior.

Back 26

alcohol. A large number of studies have shown that alcohol is clearly linked to violent crime. Alcohol is present in over 3/5 of murders, 40% of assaults, and 1/3 of rape and child molestation. Needless to say, the relationship between drinking and violence is complex and not easy to quantify but there is an association. There is little evidence of this association with other substances including marijuana as it tends to make people lethargic, and heroine makes users passive and potentially impotent. Cocaine has been linked to violence because it makes users jumpy and paranoid.

Front 27

True or False: Crimes are often carried out to obtain money to purchase illicit drugs.

Back 27

true. Heroine addicts make up a larger proportion of individuals arrested for robbery than the normal population and a survey of inmates indicated that 1/3 of all robberies and 1/4 of fraud cases were committed in order to obtain money for illicit drugs.

Front 28

A large social concern is the spread of ________ among drug users and the public.

Back 28

AIDS. The HIV virus is capable of being spread among drug users who share needles. AIDS is a terrible disease that and the HIV virus can live in a person for 1 to 2 years with no overt symptoms. This means that the virus can be spread to countless people before anyone is aware. Because HIV is spread through sexual contact, the public is at risk for contracting the virus through prostitution where a large number of prostitutes are Heroine addicts and HIV positive.