Effects of Drugs

After reading chapter 2, respond to the following questions.

1. Does drug use cause crime? Compare the evidence offered in the text with your own experience or opinions of drugs vs. crime.

There is no evidence in the book that illicit drug use causes criminal activity. However, there have been many studies that indicate that alcohol is clearly linked with violent crimes (p.42). It is my opinion that drug users engage in crime not to be more criminal, but engage in crimes to obtain money for their drugs.

2. Are the early medical models of addictions still present in contemporary society? In what ways have we moved away from the medical model of addictions, and in what ways is it still present in the modern experience of addictions?

After reading Chapter 3, please respond to the following questions:

1. Trace the important changes in drug policy from the Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906 to present. The goal here is NOT to list out the laws and what they covered, but to think critically about how policies have changed in the past 100 years and how they reflect attitudes in society. (Yes, I know this is a tough question!)

2. Look back at the text box on page 53 entitled "Drugs in the Media". Can you think of any examples of drug advertisements that you've seen lately? Reflect on them, and decide for yourself---Is media coverage of new prescription drugs too rosy? Why or why not?

I keep seeing commercials for a migraine prevention medication called Topamax on television. Some of side effects include numbness, burning or tingling in hands or feet, speech problems, especially thinking of specific words, slowed reactions, lack of coordination. Additionally, women who are pregnant on Topamax are at risk for giving birth to babies with birth defect(s). It is a tough call for me to say if I believe that the side effects are worse than the disorder being treated. For someone who suffers from chronic migraines, I can understand why they would insist on taking the medication.

After reading Chapter 4 (yes, I know this was not a fun one!), please respond to the following questions:

1. Describe the "life cycle of a neurotransmitter". This is best done by summarizing that section of the reading (pages 91-94). Please don't, however, simply repeat sections of the text, but summarize it in your own words.

When describing the life cycle of a typical neurotransmitter picture each part of the cycle moving in a clockwise direction. The chemical starts with uptake (selected molecules are taken into cells), synthesis (change through a chemical reaction) of the transmitter, storage in the vesicles (holding place), release into the synapse (the small space between the axon terminal and the dendrite) interaction with the receptor, reuptake (reused/ goes back through the cycle) into the releasing neuron and metabolism (goes away never to be used again; metabolized) by enzyme.

2. Describe "action potential".

Action potential is an electrical signal transmitted from the axon.

3. Compare and contrast the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. What do they have in common, and how are they different?

The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are branches of the autonomic nervous system that influence various systems. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for increasing heart rate and blood pressure while the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for slowing heart rate and activates the intestines.

Read Chapter 5 and describe the following concepts in your own words:

1. antidepressant 2. antipsychotic 3. LD50 4. Cumulative Effects 5. blood-brain barrier 6. active metabolites 7. behavioral tolerance 8. pharmacodynamic tolerance 9. drug deactivation 10. safety margin.

Antidepressant: is usually a drug to alleviate depression.

Antipsychotic: a drug used to treat psychotic disorders.

LD50: is a toxicity measurement and is considered a lethal dose.

Cumulative Effects: the effects of giving multiple doses of the same drug.

Blood-brain barrier: A barrier in the brain where drugs and other substances circulate freely in the blood but do not readily enter the brain tissue.

Active metabolites: Are pharmacologically active chemicals that are formed when enzymes in the body act on a drug.

Behavioral tolerance: Repeated use of a drug can lead to tolerance,