Biology - Different drugs and everything about them

Sedatives –

Sedatives are drugs that slow down the nervous system. They also slow down physical reactions, and cause sleepiness or unconsciousness. A mixture of sedatives is dangerous because vital processes like the heartbeat get slower too.

• Examples – alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilisers, cannabis and solvents
• Effects- Dizziness, loss of balance, falls, and disorientation
• Effects on synapses - The drug works in the by increasing the amount of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). When the amount of GABA increases, the speed of nerve transmissions decreases reducing pain, causing sleepiness, reduced anxiety, and muscle relaxation.
• Why do people take sedatives – to treat pain, anxiety, panic attacks, , and in some cases, convulsions.
• When you try to stop, what happens? - People taking sedatives rapidly develop tolerance for the drugs and because sedatives are physically addicting, people with sedative dependence experience physical withdrawal symptoms when these drugs are discontinued, such as - Increased heart rate, faster breathing, elevated blood pressure, increased body temperature, sweating, shaky hands, inability to sleep, anxiety, nausea, and restlessness.
• Symptoms of an overdose - Slurred speech, Unsteadiness, Trouble breathing, Dizziness or fainting spells, Vomiting, Being unable to think or respond normally, Shock and Coma

Solvents-

Solvents are depressants and are readily absorbed into the brain and central nervous system.

• Examples - Adhesives and thinners, Dry cleaning Products, Aerosols and Fuels
• Effects – Solvents are stored in fat deposits, particularly in the brain, causing long-lasting effects. Health effects include hallucinations, intoxication, lack of inhibitions, drowsiness, disorientation, lack of co-ordination, nausea, diarrhoea and agitation. After effects include depression, hangover-type symptoms, memory loss and uncharacteristic behaviour.
  
  Long-term effects include: weight loss, anaemia, sores around the mouth and nose tinnitus (ringing in the ears), unconsciousness, seizures and angina.
• When you try to stop, what happens? - Although some withdrawal symptoms may persist for several days, solvents are not thought to cause physical dependence.

Alcohol -

Alcohol acts as a depressant and causes much more harm than illegal drugs like heroin and cannabis. It is a tranquilliser, it is addictive, and is the cause of many hospital admissions for physical illnesses and accidents.

• Examples - ethyl alcohol, or ethanol
• Effects - Many people enjoy a drink without any problems. But binge drinking or drinking heavily over longer periods of time can have very serious consequences such as brain damage, cancers, heart and liver damage, mental health problems and fertility problems.
• Warning signs that you may be addicted - you do not feel right without a drink or need a drink to start the day, you get very shaky sweaty and anxious a few hours after your last drink, you can drink a lot without becoming drunk, you need to drink more and more to get the same effect, you try to stop but find you can't, you carry on drinking even though you can see it is interfering with your work family and relationships and you get "memory blanks" where you can't remember what happened for a period of hours or days.
• Effects On behaviour – Alcohol slows down reactions, reduces ability to perform two or more tasks at the same time, blurred or doubled vision can happen and alcohol may make overconfident, causing people to tak risks and causing accidents.
• Why people take it? - People with high blood pressure are adviced to drink one glass of wine a day to thin blood. Other main reasons of drinking it are when socializing, relieving stress, they enjoy the flavour, to get drunk or to forget problems. Ect.

Paracetamol -

Paracetamol is a simple painkiller medicine that is wildly available by many different brands.

• Examples - Panadol, anadin … ect
• Why people take it - To relieve pain such as headaches, toothache, sore throat, period pains, fever, flu and any other aches and pains.
• How do they work in your body? - The Paracetamol reduces the production of prostaglandins in the brain and spinal cord. Prostaglandins are produced in the body in response to an injury, sensitising the nerve endings in that specific area.This is what increases our pain threshold, so that although the injury is still there, we can feel it less.
• Effects - Prolonged or habitual use of Paracetamol may lead to liver damage or failure.

Opiates-

• Example - An opiate is any substance that comes from opium, and the opium poppy. Heroin, morphine, codeine and Vicodin are all examples of opiates.
• Effects in body and why people take it - Opiates act on many places in the brain and nervous system, including: the limbic system, which controls emotions. Acting here, opiates can produce feelings of pleasure, relaxation, and contentment. Next the brainstem, which controls things your body does automatically. Opiates can act on the brainstem to slow breathing, stop coughing, and lessen feelings of pain. Then lastly the spinal cord, which transmits sensations from the body. Opiates also act here to decrease feelings of pain, even following serious injuries.
• Effects – Nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, constipation.

• When you try to stop, what happens? - Because opiates can be very addictive when you try and stop their can be very severe withdrawal symptoms of aching, fever, sweating, shaking, or chills.  

Cannabis - 

• Examples - Marijuana
• Effects - Some people may feel chilled out, relaxed and happy, while others have one puff and feel sick. Others get the giggles and may become talkative. Hunger pangs are common and users may also become more aware of their senses or get a feeling of slowing of time, which are due to its hallucinogenic effects. Regular, heavy use makes it difficult to learn and concentrate. Some people begin to feel tired all the time and can't seem to get motivated.

• When you try to stop, what happens? - Cravings, irritability, mood changes, appetite disturbance, weight loss, difficulty sleeping, sweating, shaking and diarrhoea in some people.
• Risks -  Cannabis affects your coordination, which is one of the reasons why drug driving is just as illegal as drink driving. It can cause lung disease and possibly cancer with long-term or heavy use. It can make asthma worse, and cause wheezing in non-asthma sufferer. It can increase the heart rate and can affect blood pressure. If you use cannabis and have a family background of mental illness, such as schizophrenia, you may be at increased risk of developing a psychotic illness. It can cut a man's sperm count, reduce sperm motility, and can suppress ovulation in women and so may affect fertility. If you’re pregnant, smoking cannabis frequently may have some association with the risk of the baby being born smaller than expected.
• Why people take it – Relaxation, inspiration and for medical use it relieves pain and stress from terminal illness's.