Drugs Of Abuse

Question 0

What are the most common legal drugs or abuse?

Answer 0

Caffeine, nicotine and ethanol

Question 1

Define a drug of abuse?

Answer 1

A drug taken out of choice not for medical need

Question 2

How many types of drugs of abuse are there?

Answer 2

5

Question 3

What is often the deciding factor on to whether drugs of a use should be legal or not?

Answer 3

Revenue of tax vs. cost of harm

Question 4

What % of the UKs population smoke?

Answer 4

27%

Question 5

What % of the worlds population smoke?

Answer 5

18%

Question 6

What are the effects nicotine cause to the CNS?

Answer 6

Acts on alpha2beta4 subtype of nicotine acetylcholine esterase- effects cortex and hippocampus and the ventral regimental area (reward pathway- dopamine) Increase in transmitter realise and neuronal excitation,
Desensitisation to the drug,
Receptor increase in chronic administration.

Question 7

What does nicotine do to the spinal level?

Answer 7

Inhibits spinal reflexes and skeletal muscle relaxation,

Increases lever of brain function can have wake up or calm down effects

Question 8

What effects does nicotine have in the periphery?

Answer 8

Stimulation of autonomic ganglia and sensory receptors. Tachycardia, sweating, increased blood pressure and reduce GI motility. Suppresses appetite.

Question 9

Where is the nicotine absorbed and what % from the cigarette is absorbed?

Answer 9

Mainly in the lungs and around 10%

Question 10

What can be taken to reduce nicotine cravings?

Answer 10

Patches of nicotine depot, gum and nasal sprays

Question 11

What type of dependance is gained from nicotine?

Answer 11

Both physical and physcological

Question 12

What are the physical withdrawal symptoms of nicotine?

Answer 12

Irritability, impaired psychomotor performance, aggression, sleep disturbances

Question 13

What are the harmful effects of nicotine?

Answer 13

Shortened life expectancy, 10% of the worlds deaths (from CVD, cancer, chronic bronchitis)

Question 14

How is nicotine dependance alleviated?

Answer 14

By nicotine or amphetamine

Question 15

What are the two drug treatments for nicotine dependance?

Answer 15

Nicotine replacement therapy ( successful if given with psychotherapy) and bupropion ( can relate to eating disorders and lower seizure threshold)

Question 16

What is ethanols effect on the CNS?

Answer 16

Increase neuronal activity by decreasing disinhibition in reward pathways. Enhances GABAa inhibition, inhibits Ca2+ entry! inhibits adenosine transport

Question 17

What are the acute effects of ethanol?

Answer 17

Slurred speech, decrease in motor-coordination, increased confidence, euphoria, large mood swings, judgement fails, coma, death

Question 18

What are the less acute effects of ethanol?

Answer 18

Vasodilation, salivary and gastric excretion (reflex from irritant), endocrine, diuresis (inhibition of secretion of anti diuretic hormone)

Question 19

What are the chronic effects of ethanol?

Answer 19

Hypertension, irreversible neurological effects (cerebral and demential cortex thinning), males=feminisation, effects in the liver (death from haemorrhage), foetal development effects, cardiac abnormalities.

Question 20

What does ethanol do to the liver?

Answer 20

Increased fat accumulation- fatty liver
Hepatitis- inflamed
Irreversible hepatic necrosis

Question 21

What are the two disorders/syndromes from ethanol in foetal development?

Answer 21

Foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)- abnormal features, retarded growth/mental, cardiac abnormalities.
Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND)- behavioural problems, more common

Question 22

Where is ethanol absorbed?

Answer 22

In the stomach

Question 23

Where is ethanol metabolised and what % absorbed is metabolised?

Answer 23

In the liver and 90%

Question 24

What is the equation of ethanol metabolism and what intermediate causes a ‘hangover’?

Answer 24

Ethanol to ethanal (aka acetylaldehyde) to acetic acid.

Ethanol is what causes the unpleasant side effects