Drugs and teens

Escola EB 2,3 da Maia

Teacher Marli Antunes

Carina Gonçalves nº6

Eduardo Pereira nº7

Henrique Domingos nº 9

9º ano Turma C

February of 2011

Drugs and teens

Teenagers are the people that are in the adolescence. Adolescence is a period of the life of changes and discovery.

Adolescence

A drug is any substance, solid, liquid or gas, that brings about physical and/or psychological changes. The drugs of most concern in the community are those that affect the central nervous system. They act on the brain and can change the way a person thinks, feels or behaves.

Drugs

Laws and regulations decide if some drug is:

• Legal drugs

• Illegal drugs

And control the availability, quality and price of the "legal" drugs.

Types of Drugs

• Beneficial drugs

• Tobacco

• Alcohol

• Caffeine

Legal drugs

Beneficial drugs are drugs that in small quantities can cure diseases.

Beneficial drugs

Because they are illegal, there are no price or quality controls on the illicit drugs such as heroin and ecstasy. Various batches of an illegally manufactured drug may have different mixtures of the drug and additives such as poisons, caffeine or even talcum powder.

Illegal drugs

• Swallowed

• Inhaled

• Injected

How is the drug taken?

There is other way to classificate drugs. There are three main types of drug affecting the central nervous system:

• Depressants

• Stimulants

• Hallucinogens

Effects on the central nervous system 

Depressants are drugs that slow down the functions of the central nervous system. Depressant drugs do not necessarily make a person feel depressed. They include:

• Alcohol

• Cannabis

• Barbiturates

• Benzodiazepines

• GHB (Gamma-hydroxybutrate)

• Opiates and opioids

• Some solvents and inhalants

Depressants 

Alcohol

Cannabis

Including Seconal, Tuinal and Amytal.

Barbiturates

Such as Rohypnol, Valium, Serepax, Mogadon, Normison and Eupynos.

Benzodiazepines

GHB (Gamma-hydroxybutyrate)

Including heroin, morphine, codeine, methadone and pethidine.

Opiates and opioids

Some solvents and inhalants

Stimulants act on the central nervous system to speed up the messages to and from the brain. They can make the user feel more awake, alert or confident. Some stimulants are:

• Ephedrine used in medicines for bronchitis, hay fever and asthma

• Caffeine in coffee, tea and cola drinks

• Nicotine in tobacco

• Amphetamines

• Cocaine

• Ecstasy

• Alcohol in small doses

• Slimming tablets.

Stimulants

Used in medicines for bronchitis, hay fever and asthma.

Ephedrine

In coffee, tea and cola drinks.

Caffeine

In tobacco.

Nicotine

Amphetamines

Cocaine

Ecstasy

In small doses.

Alcohol

Slimming tablets

Hallucinogens Hallucinogens affect perception. People who have taken them may believe they see or hear things that aren't really there, or what they see may be distorted in some way.  Hallucinogens include:

• Datura

• Ketamine

• LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

• Magic mushrooms

• Mescaline

• PCP

• Cannabis is an hallucinogen as well as a depressant

• Ecstasy can also have hallucinogenic qualities.

Datura

Ketamine

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

Magic mushrooms

Mescaline

PCP

Is an hallucinogen as well as a depressant:

Cannabis

Can also have hallucinogenic qualities.

Ecstasy

• Biology. The genes that people are born with in combination with environmental influences account for about half of their addiction vulnerability.

• Environment. A person's environment includes many different influences from family and friends to socioeconomic status and quality of life in general.

• Development. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, the earlier that drug use begins, the more likely it is to progress to more serious abuse. And because adolescents' brains are still developing in the areas that govern decision making, judgment, and self-control, they are especially prone to risk-taking behaviors, including trying drugs of abuse.

Causes of drug addiction in adolescense

• Frustration Tolerance

• Low Self-Esteem

• Assertiveness Poor

• Need for Social Approval

• Systematic denial of Standards

• Latent predisposition for Mental Diseases

• Genetic Predisposition to Addiction

Characteristics of a drug addicted

A person's physical characteristics, such as height, weight and gender also influence how a drug affects them.

A person that became a drug addicted difficultly can leave drugs.

Depressantes affect concentration and coordination and can cause unconsciousness, vomiting and even death.

Stimulants can cause anxiety, panic, seizures, headaches, stomach cramps, aggression and paranoia.

Some effects of hallucinogens include dilation of pupils, loss of appetite, increased activity, talking or laughing, emotional and psychological euphoria and wellbeing, jaw clenching, sweating, panic, paranoia, loss of contact with reality, irrational or bizarre behavior, stomach cramps and nausea.

Of course a teen that is a drug addicted will have problems in school, with the family, with the friends, with the development of the body and will possibly die.

Drugs Effects

Prevention Is the Key

Join us in this war

Prevention Is the Key

Before and after the drugs abuse

Prevention Is the Key

Don’t give yourself as loser when we are talking about drug addiction

Prevention Is the Key

Prevention Is the Key

Get drug, if you want to ruin your life

Prevention is the key

Do you want to get drug right now?

Yes?

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2qPmaSrS50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJIjWlLa8MU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mDYPbIG-78

Vídeos