Chapter 12: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

Question 1

what is the scope of the current drug problem

Answer 1

• Nations #1 community health problem
• More deaths, illnesses, and disabilities can be attributed to substance abuse than any other preventable health condition
• Indirect (crime and law enforcement, courts, jails, and social work) and direct costs (health care, premature death, impaired productivity)
• Those abusing are threats to themselves, their families and communities

Question 2

drugs

Answer 2

substance other than food that when taken in small quantities, alters one’s physical, mental, or emotional state

Question 3

psychoactive drugs

Answer 3

drugs that alter sensory perceptions, moods, thought processes, or behaviour

Question 4

drug use

Answer 4

a non-evaluative term referring to drug taking behaviour in general

Question 5

drug misuse

Answer 5

inappropriate use of prescription and non-prescription drugs

Question 6

drug abuse

Answer 6

use of a drug when its detrimental to a person’s health or wellbeing

Question 7

Drug (chemical) dependence

Answer 7

psychological and sometimes physical state characterized by a craving for a drug

Question 8

Psychological dependence

Answer 8

psychological state wherein a person has an overwhelming desire to continue using a drug

Question 9

Risk/protective factors

Answer 9

• factors that increase/decrease the probability of drug use

- Can be genetic or environmental

Question 10

2 types of inherited alcoholism:

Answer 10

Type 1 and 2

Question 11

Type 1 alcoholism

Answer 11

develops during adulthood, characterized by binge drinking and long periods of abstinence, rapid progression from mild to severe alcohol use, accompanied by development of alcoholic liver disease, loss of control over drinking, feeling guilty about drinking (aka milieu-limited)

Question 12

Type 2 alcoholism

Answer 12

commences during adolescence or early adulthood, alcohol consumption frequently accompanied by fighting or arrests, alcohol abuse moderately severe and frequently there’s treatment, severity doesn’t change over time

Question 13

Environmental risk factors for drug use

Answer 13

1. Personal factors
2. Home and family life
   - If kids in the household are taught how to get alone w/ family members and other people, it lessens the chance of them turning to alcohol and drug use
3. School and peer groups
   - Peer pressure
4. Sociocultural environment
   - If there’s a lot of available drugs in a person’s immediate neighbourhood

Question 14

Legal drugs

Answer 14

Alcohol, nicotine, nonprescription (over-the-counter) drugs, prescription drugs, marijuana

Question 15

Controlled substances and illegal/illicit drugs

Answer 15

hallucinogens, stimulants, depressants, club drugs and designer drugs, anabolic drugs, inhalants

Question 16

Binge drinking gender diffs

Answer 16

For males, consuming 5 or more drinks in a row

For females, 4 or more drinks in a row

Question 17

Problem drinkers

Answer 17

when a person’s alcohol consumption results in a medical, social, or other type of problem

Question 18

Alcoholism

Answer 18

a disease; characterized by having impaired control over drinking, can’t stop thinking about drinking, use alcohol despite adverse consequences

Question 19

Blood alcohol concentration (BAC)

Answer 19

%age of blood alcohol in a persons blood

Injuries also a risk

Question 20

Nicotine

Answer 20

• Psychoactive and addictive drug present in tobacco products
• Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or secondhand smoke
• Canada’s 1997 tobacco act
• Changed to tobacco and vaping products act
• Tobacco use is single most preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in canada
• Community efforts: tax increases on cigarettes

Question 21

Synar amendment

Answer 21

federal law that requires states to set the minimum legal age for buying tobacco products @ 18 y/o

Question 22

OTC (over the counter drugs)

Answer 22

• Legal drugs other than alcohol and tobacco that can be purchased w/o dr prescription
• Carefully regulated by therapeutic products directorate of health canada
• Most only provide symptomatic relief not a cure
• Subject to misuse and abuse

Question 23

Prescription drugs

Answer 23

• Can be purchased only w/ dr’s prescription bc they have serious side effects for some
• Regulated by health canada
• Can be misused and abused
• Risk of dependence and unintentional overdose
• Development of drug resistant strains of pathogens

Question 24

Controlled substances and illicit drugs

Answer 24

• Those regulated by the controlled drug and substances act
• Can’t be cultivated, manufactured, bought, sold or used within the confines of the law
• Police responsible for enforcing the controlled drugs and substances act

Question 25

Marijuana

Answer 25

- Products derived from hemp plant (cannabis sativa) - Used to be Most abused illicit drug in north america - Often used in conjunction with other drugs - polydrug use - Acute effects - reduced concentration, slowed reaction time, impaired judgment - Chronic effects - damage to respiratory system (if smoked), amotivational syndrome (pattern of behaviour characterized by apathy, loss of effectiveness, and more passive introverted type personality)

Question 26

Synthetic marijuana

Answer 26

- Emerging cause for concern - Chemically produced w/ properties similar to THC - Pose serious threat to communities - potential for abuse and other adverse health effects, long term effects unknown - Canada has banned synthetic marijuana

Question 27

narcotics

Answer 27

- Opium and its derivatives, morphine and heroin, come from oriental poppy plant - Narcotics numb senses and reduce pain - High potential for abuse - Opium poppies not legal in canada; drug trafficking probs - Heroin addiction leads to significant community health problems - You can develop a tolerance to narcotics

Question 28

tolerance

Answer 28

physiological and enzymatic adjustments that occur in response to chronic presence of drugs, reflected in the need of ever increasing doses

Question 29

Cocaine and crack cocaine

Answer 29

- Cocaine is psychoactive ingredient in leaves of coca plant - Powerful and addictive euphoriant/stimulant - Purified forms - salt (white powder), dried paste (crack) - If someone’s never had it before, it could kill them

Question 30

hallucinogens

Answer 30

- Produce profound distortion of the senses, illusions, hallucinations, changes in perceptions - Synesthesia - mixing of senses - Both naturally derived and synthetic - Lsd, mescaline, peyote, mushrooms

Question 31

Stimulants

Answer 31

- Drugs that increase activity of the central nervous system - Amphetamines - Prescription drugs; widely abused - Methamphetamines often made in clandestine labs

Question 32

Depressants

Answer 32

- Slow down CNS - May lower anxiety and inhibitions - Tolerance develops - Strong physical dependence - Alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines

Question 33

Club drugs and designer drugs

Answer 33

- Illicit drugs, primarily synthetic, most commonly encountered @ nightclubs and raves - MDMA (ecstasy) most popular club drug - Rohypnol - date rape drug - Designer drugs - synthesized by amateur chemists in secret labs - Constantly change design to stay ahead of law enforcement

Question 34

Anabolic drugs

Answer 34

- Protein building drugs anabolic/androgenic steroids, testosterone, humane growth hormone - Increase protein synthesis - Some have legitimate medical uses - Sometimes abused by athletes and body builders - Acute and chronic side effects

Question 35

Inhalants

Answer 35

- Collection of psychoactive breathable chemicals - Paint solvents, motor fuels, cleaners, glues, aerosol sprays - Easy availability - Low cost - Often drug choice of young - Acute and chronic effects

Question 36

Prevention and control of drug abuse requires knowledge of:

Answer 36

- Causes of drug taking behaviour - Are people relying on drugs bc they’re stressed out bc of money? - Sources of illicit drugs - We can try to cut off sources of drugs to stop spread - Drug laws - Treatment programs - Community organizing skills

Question 37

levels of prevention in terms of drug abuse?

Answer 37

1. Primary prevention aimed @ those who have never used drugs - Trying to prevent/put off people from using drugs 2. Secondary prevention aimed at those who have used, but aren’t chronic abusers - Appropriate for young people 3. Tertiary prevention aimed @ drug abuse treatment and aftercare, including relapse prevention

Question 38

elements of drug prevention

Answer 38

1. Education 2. Treatment - Care that removes the physical, emotional, and environmental conditions that have contributed to their drug abuse/dependence - Environmental conditions that contribute to drug use - Aftercare: continuing care provided for former drug abuser who’s recovering 3. Public policy - Guiding principles and courses of action that gov’ts take to solve practical problems affecting society 4. Law enforcement - Applying federal, provincial, and local laws in order to arrest, jail, bring to trial and sentence those people who break drug laws or break laws because of drug use 5. Education and treatment goals same: reduce demand for drugs 6. Public policy and law enforcement goals same: reduce supply and availability of drugs

Question 39

what are some governmental drug prevention and control agencies and programs

Answer 39

- Include a multitude of federal, provincial and local agencies - Aim to reduce either supply or demand for drugs - Health products and food branch of health canada: responsible for drug prevention and control in canada, assess the safety, quality, and efficacy of drugs in canada

Question 40

ex of Nongovernmental drug prevention and control agencies and programs

Answer 40

- Community based drug education programs - School based drug education programs - Aimed to educate kids about drugs and assist students w/ alcohol or other drug problems - Workplace based drug education programs - Employee assistance programs - Voluntary health agencies

Question 41

Community based drug education programs most likely to be successful when they include:

Answer 41

- Comprehensive strategy - Indirect approach to drug abuse prevention - Goal of empowering youth - Participatory approach - Culturally sensitive orientation - Highly structured activities

Question 42

What are some community consequences resulting from the abuse of alcohol and other drugs?

Answer 42

- loss of economic opportunity - loss of productivity and revenue - incerase in # of broken homes - epidemics of STDs

Question 43

What are the two sources of risk factors that contribute to substance abuse?

Answer 43

inherited and environmental risk factors

Question 44

What is the most commonly abused illicit drug? Why is this drug a concern?

Answer 44

marijuana - illegal in us, brings user into contact w/ those involved in illegal activities - act of smoking detrimental to health - smoking occurs in conjunction w/ drinking of alcohol or use of other drugs