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... n one looks at the carcinogens produced when tobacco leaves are smoked. The chemicals found in a cigarette are by far more detrimental to one's health than the nicotine itself. Long term use of nicotine by smoking can lead to coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (emphysema), and cancers of the mouth, throat, and lung (Perrine, 1996). Nicotine can be ingested by other means that are not as bad as smoking tobacco; some of these methods are the nicotine patch, chewing tobacco, and betel. Another stimulate, caffeine, is one of the most commonly overlooked drugs on the market.
As it completely legal all over the world, there is no societal argument for the intake of caffeine, even though it can be addictive and have withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, nervousness, restlessness, and headache. Caffeine comes in a variety of ways to take it, from common beverages such as soft drinks, tea, and coffee to more deliberate forms like No-Doz and Vitamin. Caffeine has been reported to produce almost awkward results when studied. Rats have been shown to bite themselves and chew off their own feet, sometimes not stopping until they die (Peters, 1967), while women who drank coffee regularly have a f better chance to not be at risk of suicide than those women who did not have a regular intake of caffeine (Kawachi, 1996). Caffeine, even with some of its unusual study results, is accepted as a part of society and is a must have for many people.
Cocaine, however, another stimulate, is not welcomed with open arms. Cocaine was first used as a stimulate to fight fatigue hundreds of years ago by Indians of Bolivia, Columbia, Chile, and Peru by chewing on the leaves of the coca plant (Perrine, 1996). The first pure cocaine was created by Albert Niemann in 1860 (Perrine, 1996). The popular soft drink Coca-Cola originally consisted of a formula which contained cocaine, which was removed around 1903 (Allen, 1994). The social aspects of cocaine use have been wide ranging. From the fictitious Sherlock Holmes to Sigmund Freud, many of the world's most influential and well-known people have used cocaine.
Cocaine is presumed to work by blocking the dopamine receptors at the dopamine reuptake shuttles in the pre synapse, which concentrates the dopamine in the synapses (Perrine, 1996). Cocaine is metabolized by the body very quickly and only about % 1 is left unchanged when excreted through the urinary track (Perrine, 1996). Cocaine does have practical medical purposes as an anesthesia, but is also a very dangerous and addictive drug. An estimated 99, 141 people have tried cocaine in 1998, 12, 985 this month, and 1, 303 today (3 / 8 / 1998) (NCADI, 1998). Cocaine is even more addictive in its freebased form known as crack. Crack is cheaper than cocaine, and is delivered to the brain in a more concentrated manner by smoking it.
Crack is one of the most dangerous and sociably unacceptable drugs in the United States. Amphetamines are similar to cocaine in that there are few withdrawal symptoms, yet an intense psychological craving the user may feel (Perrine, 1996). The main difference between cocaine and amphetamines is that the dosage level necessary is increased greatly in amphetamines, an attribute not found with cocaine. The tolerance level may be increased from a lethal 120 mg for a first time user to 15, 000 mg for a long-term abuser with no fatal results. Antidepressants are drugs that are often overlooked socially as being addictive or having negative consequences when not taken properly. The newer antidepressants work at the serotonin receptor sites (Perrine, 1996).
Some examples of antidepressants are Amitriptyline, Clomipramine, Maprotilene, Doxepin, Imipramine, Amoxapine, Desipramine, Nortriptyline, Bupropion, and Alprazolam. These drugs may be used to treat mental disorders such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Trichotillomania, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and Bulimia (Perrine, 1996). Prozac is one of the more common antidepressants found in society, and like other drugs in this class must be taken by the user with caution and the side-effects monitored in order to be a safe drug. Abusers of antidepressants usually do not become addicted to the drugs beyond the psychological aspect in that the drug is commonly taken to lift one's mood, and some of the drugs must be taken in quantity over time before any effect takes place. Psychedelics are possibly the most damaging drugs to the brain, not to mention the severe and dangerous state of a false reality induced by these drugs. LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline are all members of this group.
LSD, or lysergic acid diethyl amide, was accidentally discovered by Hofmann in 1943. LSD has been used in the past for the treatment of alcoholism, psychotherapy, psychotomimetic, and for exploring mysticism (Perrine, 1996). There are no significant physiological effects from LSD, but users who experience bad ""trips"" run the risk of suicide (Perrine, 1996). One phenomenon known as flashbacks is still a topic up for debate. It is not known whether or not a flashback is an actual re-experiencing of the drug state or just a vivid memory (Perrine, 1996). Psilocybin is a chemical similar to LSD, except that it is found in "magic" mushrooms.
Mescaline is another well-known psychedelic that is found in the cactus flower, peyote. Peyote is still legal in some areas of the United States as a religious tool used by Native Americans. Marijuana is a drug that illegal in the United States, but it has come under much controversy recently because the benefits and risks involved when using the drug. Marijuana has been used throughout the world for centuries by almost every culture. The active ingredient in marijuana is called THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol. Marijuana is legal in many countries around the world as it is part of various cultures and religious groups, and is slowly being proven to not be as bad as it has been made out to be.
A study done in 1969 by Alfred Cancer, chief of research at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Washington State, showed that drivers under the influence of marijuana performed as well as the drug free drivers did, but the alcohol intoxicated drivers failed miserably (Perrine, 1996). Marijuana also has many legitimate medical uses such as in the treatment of glaucoma and as a pain reliever for people suffering from neurological disorders (Perrine, 1996). Many groups that hold national recognition who support the legalization of marijuana include NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of the Marijuana Laws and DRCNet Online, the Drug reform Coordination Network which is an online internet group. One argument of these groups and those like them is that marijuana is the only illegal drug that has never caused a single death and is far less dangerous than many over the counter medications. The lethal to effective dose of marijuana is 40, 000 to 1, a margin far less than any other illegal and most legal drugs. Many of the drugs explored in this paper are obviously a threat to, as well as being a part of, American culture.
While new ways of drug prevention and education and rehabilitation are conceived, new, more potent drugs are being invented. While the "underground economy" is one of the most profitable "organizations" in the U. S. , it is not taxable income and therefore deemed wrong in the hearts of many. In other countries where drugs such as heroin and marijuana are legal, the drug problem is less severe and the societies are able to help the addicts cope with their problem.
However, it is still vitally important to remember that drugs, when taken in large doses or bought off the street and abused for non-medical purposes, can have incredible negative repercussions on both the user and the society. Bibliography Allen, F. 1994 Secret Formula: How Brilliant Marketing and Relentless salesmanship Made Coca-Cola the Best-Known Product in the World, Harper: New York. Angell, M. , Kassirer, J. P. 1994 "Alcohol and other drugs-toward a more rational and consistent policy. " NEJM 331: 537 - 539 Apostolides, M. 1996 "How to Quit the Holistic Way. " Psychology Today 29: 35 - 42 Blum, K. , Noble, E.
P. 1990 "Allelic association of human dopamine D- 2 receptor gene in alcoholism. " JAMA 263: 2055 - 2060 CESAR 1998 web Cohen, S. , Tyrell, D. A. 1993 "Smoking, alcohol consumption, and susceptibility to the common cold. " American Journal of Public Health 83: 1277 - 1283 Franklin, D. 1990 "Hooked: Not everyone becomes addicted. How come?" Health 4: 38 Goods, E. 1996 "Alcohol research: At the cutting edge. " Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 53: 199 - 201 Kawachi, I. 1996 "A prospective study of coffee drinking and suicide in women. " Arch. Inter.
Medicine 521 - 525 NCADI 1998 web Perrine, Daniel M. 1996 The Chemistry of Mind-Altering Drugs; History, Pharmacology, and Cultural Context American Chemical Society: Washington DC. Peters, J. M. 1967 "Caffeine-induced hemorrhagic auto mutilation. " Arch. Int. Pharmacodynamics 169: 141 RECER 1998 web Cesar / drugs / RECER Rimm, E. B. 1996 "Review of moderate alcohol consumption and reduced risk of coronary heart disease: Is the effect due to beer, wine, or spirits?" Brit.
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