Effective, Lethal Dose & Drug Types

• Effective Dose, also known as "active dose", refers to the dosage of a drug needed to produce a desired effect
• Lethal Dose refers to the quantity of a drug required to cause death in a specified population, describing the drug's toxicity

Drug Types

• Stimulants expedite communication between the brain and body, examples include Nicotine, cocaine, and amphetamines

• Sedative/Hypnotics depress the central nervous system, examples include Valium, xanax, and halcion

• Opiates/Narcotics diminish the sense of pain, examples include Morphine, Heroin, and fentanyl

• Hallucinogens/Psychedelics alter a person's perception of reality, examples include Mushrooms, LSD, and PCP

• Marijuana/Cannabis is a mind-altering substance that produces a high, making the user feel happy or relaxed, also known as Weed

• Ecstasy/MDMA, a synthetic drug, that acts as a hallucinogen, known as the "Love drug", "E", or caps

• Dissociative Anesthetics/ PCP and Ketamine produce a dissociative, dreamlike state with hallucinations, including Ketamine, PCP, and DXM

• Drug actions occur at the molecular level and are specific

• Drug effects are variable and non-specific, depending on the dose of the drug

• Loyalty Rates indicate how likely people are to continue using or return to a drug

• Alcohol has the highest loyalty rate while LSD has the lowest

• Nicotine is the most consumed psychoactive drug

Acts Passed Historically

• The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 aimed to safeguard consumer health by prohibiting the sale of harmful or misrepresented food and drugs, mandating ingredient disclosure
• The Harrison Act of 1914 was a federal law under President Woodrow Wilson that taxed and regulated the production, distribution, and importation of coca products and opiates
• The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was a U.S. law taxing cannabis sales, serving as the first national cannabis regulation but was overturned in 1969
• The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 is a federal law regulating the possession, importation, or manufacturing of substances, classifying them into one of five schedules
• The Volstead Act, or National Prohibition Act banned the production, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the U.S., effective from 1920, named after Representative Andrew Volstead
• The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 introduced mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses

Drug Schedules

• Schedule 1 drugs have a high abuse potential with no accepted medical use, and are illegal in all circumstances, for example Heroin, LSD, Marijuana, and Ecstasy
• Schedule 2 drugs have a high abuse potential but some medical utility, examples include Morphine, Oxycodone, Methamphetamine, and Vicodin
• Schedule 3 drugs have medical utility and a low potential for abuse, for example Anabolic Steroids, Hydrocodone, and Ketamine
• Schedule 4 drugs have medical utility and a low potential for abuse, for example Valium, Xanax, and Darvon
• Schedule 5 drugs have medical utility and a low potential for abuse, for example Cough medicines with codeine, Robitussin

Structural Differences in Drug Theories

• Psychological theories focus on expectancies towards abusive behavior, poor self-esteem, peer influences, and sensitivity to environmental cues

• Sociological theories emphasize community-based expectations and dysfunctional family systems

• Biological theories explore genetic predisposition and abnormal neurotransmitter functioning

• Ruling elite theory of media bias, or "top-down" theory, claims media serves the interests of the ruling elite

• Synergistic effect involves a greater impact when two or more drugs are combined than when taken separately

Paper Issues Examples

• Paper 1 asks for one answer to the opioid crisis

• Paper 2 suggests discussing an approach to a college peer with substance issues

• Paper 3 ponders what to do with information if it's possible to predict someone’s likelihood of alcohol or drug abuse

• Heroin metabolizes into morphine after crossing the blood-brain barrier

• Inhalation is the quickest and most effective way to get drugs to the brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier

• The 1980s press focused on crack addiction and its alleged addictive properties while claiming crack use was pervasive, universal, and most common amongst the youth

• The Balloon Theory states that efforts to reduce illegal drug production may move drugs to another area, but do not eliminate them

• Narcan nasal spray was approved by the FDA in November 2015 for emergency treatment of suspected opioid overdose

Other Potential Topics

• Potency is the measure of strength of effects, with smaller quantities resulting in more potent substances
• Purity is the amount or quantity of a substance in a product, where more pure can = death

Self Control

• Self control means a person has control over their own actions
• Social control notes society and neighborhood influences can control a person's actions

Positive and Negative Reinforcement

• Positive occurs when a user feel good, builds up tolerance, and is motivated to use again

• Negative occurs when a user feels bad if one doesn't take and is seeking relief to avoid pain and withdrawals

• The Broken Windows Theory states visible signs of disorder lead to more disorder and crime

• Media may glorify drug use through music, shows, movies, news

Withdrawals

• Psychological withdrawals include anxiety, depression, loss of motivation, disparity
• Physical withdrawals include fatigue, headaches, pains, dizziness

3 Different Drug Eras

• Natural Era examples include alcohol, marijuana, psychedelic plants, coca leaves, and tobacco
• Plant-based drugs are found commonly in nature, or are created through natural means
• Transformative Era
• In the 19th century, scientists began extracting drugs from natural plant products, such as morphine from opium, through chemical extraction
• Synthetic Era
• In the 20th century, drugs began being created from chemicals, for example amphetamines in the 1920s and LSD in the 1930s

Theories

• Biological includes genetic and metabolic explanations

Genetic Factor Theory

• States individuals could have similar behavior to their addicted parents based on their genes

Metabolic Imbalance Theory

• States that heroin addicts may suffer from a disorder that is similar to a diabetic who need insulin, resulting in their bodies craving narcotics

Reinforcement Theory

• Positive reinforcement occurs when an individual receives pleasure from doing drugs
• Negative reinforcement is when an individual has to consume drugs to combat pain

Inadequate Personality Theory

• States that individuals take drugs to retreat from responsibilities and escape life's reality

Problem Behavior Theory

• States that an individual's behavior is what gets them to do drugs based on taking high risks for rewards

Social Disorganization Theory

• Without social organization, an individual is influenced negatively and will most likely use drugs

Anomie Theory

• Individuals who believe that they are set back and can't achieve a life like others resort to crime to catch up

Routine Activity Theory

• Deviance will occur when specific conditions are absent, such as a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a guardian

Social Learning Theory

• People learn to take drugs from others, for instance, friends and from their social environment

Selective Interaction Theory

• Those who share the same interests will interact with those who share the same interests automatically.
• For instance, if new students do drugs at their old school, they will be friends and hang with people who do drugs at their new school

Conflict Theory

• Those who are located in poor communities are more likely to abuse hard drugs

• Communities that are run-down have more crime and drug activity

• Two issues needed for drug abuse are availability and propensity(desire) to do drugs

• Different ways of Drug Administration include Smoking/Inhalation, Intravenous, Intermuscular, Oral, and Dermal Patch

Theories of Media Bias

• Ruling Elite Theory (Top-Down Theory) argues that the media serves the interests of the ruling elite by distorting news to maintain the status quo
• Money Machine Theory prioritizes sensational stories to attract a large audience to generate profits
• Grassroots Theory reports stories in ways that appeal to the biases of the general public
• Professional Subculture Theory states that media professionals adhere to specific journalistic norms and ethics