Drugs and Society Test #1 Review Chapters 1-5

Chapter 1: Introduction to Drugs & Society

• Psychoactive Drugs: Substances that alter consciousness and affect the central nervous system, influencing perception and reality.
• Effects on the Body: These drugs disrupt homeostasis, potentially speeding up or slowing down bodily functions.
• Gateway Drugs: Common substances like alcohol and marijuana leading to the use of more addictive drugs.
• Equal Opportunity Affliction: Drug dependency can affect individuals across all demographics without bias.
• Age Group with Highest Drug Use: Individuals aged 18-25 exhibit the highest rates of illicit drug use.
• Definitions of Dependency: Includes physical dependency (withdrawal symptoms) and psychological dependency (mental craving).
• Drug Use and Crime: A significant correlation exists, with many offenders under the influence when committing crimes.
• Social-Psychological Theory of Abuse: Drug use can escalate due to motives, denial of excessive usage, and constant supply.
• Drug Addiction Defined: A state of complete dependence on a substance despite negative consequences and withdrawal symptoms.
• Structural Analogs: Altered chemical forms of existing drugs, differing in structure from established illicit drugs.
• Gender Disparity in Drug Use: Males tend to have higher rates of illegal drug use compared to females.
• Licit vs. Illicit Drugs: Legal substances (like alcohol and tobacco) are contrasted with illegal drugs (like cocaine and marijuana).
• Ethnic Disparities in Drug Use: Drug use is generally higher in African American communities compared to Asian communities.

Chapter 2: Explaining Drug Use and Abuse

• Current Severity of Drug Use: Increased potency and accessibility, particularly among youth, have heightened drug use concerns.
• Reasons for Drug Use: Often used for pleasure, to alleviate stress, or enhance social interactions.
• Role of Neurotransmitters: Chemicals like dopamine act as messengers, influencing behavior and emotions linked to drug use.
• Dopamine and Reward System: This neurotransmitter mediates pleasure and reward, reinforcing the cycle of addiction.
• Drug Tolerance: Leads to reduced sensitivity to drug effects, necessitating higher doses for the same experience.
• Locus of Control: Influences drug behavior; a weak external control necessitates stronger internal controls to avoid addiction.
• Vulnerability Factors: Include genetic predisposition, personal insecurities, and individual sensitivity to drugs.
• Adolescent Risk Factors: Experiences such as sexual abuse, peer pressures, and risk-taking behaviors increase drug use likelihood.
• Amotivational Syndrome: Individuals may show increased signs of apathy and lack of ambition when using certain drugs.
• Mental Health and Drug Use: Pre-existing mental health disorders can predispose individuals to substance use disorders.
• Introversion vs. Extroversion: Introverts focus inward; extroverts seek social interactions and external activities.
• Social Learning Theories: Drug abuse behaviors can be modeled through peer influences and familial patterns.
• Labeling Theory: Perceptions from valued social circles can impact an individual's self-image and substance use behaviors.
• Phases of Addiction: Progresses through experimentation, escalation, maintenance, dysfunction, recovery, and potential relapse.
• Social Learning Theory Implications: Peer influences in social contexts can lead to increased drug dependency.
• Social Influence Theory: Peer groups significantly shape individual attitudes towards drug use.
• Social Disorganization Theory: Individuals alienated from social groups may more frequently engage in drug abuse and crime.
• Addiction Risk Factors: Include age, peer influences, emotional distress, depression, and loss.
• Prevalent Addiction Model: The Disease Model is currently the most recognized in the U.S., suggesting lack of control over substance use.
• Moral Model of Addiction: Views addiction as a choice, often leading to negative societal perceptions.
• Disease Model of Addiction: Proposes that addiction is a disease where individuals lose control over drug use.

Chapter 3: Drug Use, Regulation, and the Law

• Pure Food and Drug Act (1906): Mandated ingredient and dosage disclosure on drug products.
• Orphan Drug Law: Provides tax incentives for companies developing treatments for rare diseases, benefiting patients.
• Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act: Established standards for drug safety and efficacy; mandated FDA approval.
• Durham-Humphrey Amendment (1951): Defined criteria for classifying prescription and non-prescription drugs.
• Interdiction: Involves cutting off drug supplies but often fails as users substitute with other drugs.
• Thalidomide: Not approved for pregnant women in the U.S. due to severe birth defects (phocomelia).
• FDA Fast Track Policy: Accelerates drug reviews for serious conditions, particularly rare diseases.
• Switching Policy: Allows drugs to transition from prescription to over-the-counter status based on safety.
• Drug Schedules: Ranges from Schedule I (high abuse potential, no medical use) to Schedule V (low abuse potential, accepted medical use).
• Regulatory Steps in Drug Development: Involves preclinical research, clinical evaluations, and post-marketing surveillance.
• Demand Reduction Strategy: Aims to decrease drug demand through preventive education.
• Methadone's Role: Utilized as a less-psychoactive substitute for heroin, aiding in addiction treatment.
• Diethylene Glycol's Toxicity: Found to be harmful, leading to regulatory changes in drug formulations.

Chapter 4: Homeostatic Systems and Drugs

• Homeostasis: The body's internal balance of biochemical processes.
• Catecholamines: Includes neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine, crucial for various functions.
• Neurons' Function: Maintain homeostasis by facilitating communication between cells.
• Neurotransmitters: Chemical messengers that trigger specific biological responses by binding to receptors.
• Endorphins: Natural neurotransmitters that produce pain-relieving and euphoric effects.
• Insulin and Diabetes: Hormone from the pancreas critical for regulating blood sugar levels.
• Autonomic Nervous System: Regulates involuntary body functions, including heart rate and digestion.
• Neuron Count in the Brain: Approximately 100 billion neurons are present, forming complex networks.
• Agonists vs. Antagonists: Agonists activate receptors, while antagonists block them, preventing activation.
• LSD Effects: Produces inhibitory effects, including relaxation and sedation.
• Limbic System Functions: Involved in regulating emotions, memory formation, and reproductive behaviors.
• Sympathomimetic Drugs: Mimic norepinephrine and epinephrine's physiological effects, inducing alertness and energy.
• Frontal Cortex Role: Critical for memory processing, decision-making, and complex behaviors.
• Anabolic Steroids Side Effects: Schedule III drugs can cause severe muscular injuries and increased aggression.
• Adrenal Glands Function: Regulates hormones and supports the development of reproductive systems.
• Therapeutic Use of Androgens: Applied in hormone replacement therapies for growth deficiencies.
• Dopamine's Purpose: Vital for motivation, reward processing, learning, and movement coordination.

Chapter 5: How and Why Drugs Work

• Margin of Safety: The dosage threshold between therapeutic and toxic effects of a drug.
• Synergism: When two drugs enhance each other's effects, leading to increased overall impact.
• Additive Interaction: When similar drugs produce compounded effects.
• Antagonistic Interaction: One drug interferes with or negates the effect of another.
• Solubility Differences: Fat-soluble drugs penetrate the blood-brain barrier more easily compared to water-soluble drugs.
• Rebound Effect: Withdrawal phenomenon that arises after drug cessation, leading to intensified symptoms.
• Threshold Dose: Minimum effective dose required for therapeutic action to occur.
• Plateau Effect: Maximum drug effect achievable, regardless of increased dosage.
• Blood-Brain Barrier: A selective permeability shield that prevents many substances from entering the brain.
• Placebo Effect: Psychological responses to a drug that arise from an individual's beliefs rather than the drug's active ingredients.
• Drug Metabolites: The by-products from drug metabolism, excreted via urine or feces.
• Digestive Tract Role in Drug Metabolism: Involves liver enzymes breaking down substances, resulting in metabolites post-absorption.