Flashcards
Drug Abuse
Cards in this deck (22)
- 1Drug AbuseBiology 1a 3.1 - 3.4
- 2Explain the term 'drug'.This is a substance which alters your body's chemical makeup, and hence changes the way that your body works.
- 3What is 'addiction'?You can become dependent on them, and without them, you cannot function properly. Once addicted, you generally need more and more of drug to keep you feeling 'normal'. When these drugs are taken away from them, they often experience withdrawal symptoms.
- 4Why is drug addiction dangerous?Although they may make you feel like all of your problems have disappeared, they may become and even bigger problem. Some 'soft' drugs such as cannabis has been proven to cause serious psychological problems in some people.
- 5Explain the term 'gateway' drug.Soft drugs such as cannabis and nicotine may cause young people to turn to harder drugs such as cocaine and heroine.
- 6Describe some of the health effects of hard drugs.Some come from the drugs themselves, whilst some come from the lifestyle that ensues, they are very expensive therefore the addict cannot afford food or to look after themselves, they lose their home and often end up on the street as a result.
- 7How do drugs affect you?Most drugs used for medical treatment have no effect on your nervous system, however some cause a pleasurable change.
- 8Why do people use drugs?Some people feel that drugs help them cope with everyday life, or to fit in with the crowd.
- 9Where are drugs used in sports?The use of performance-enhancing drugs is illegal in sport, this is because competitions should be based on natural ability and the amount of effort put into training whilst drugs can be used to build muscle mass and speed up reaction times.
- 10Why is alcohol described as a drug?Although many people drink alcohol as part of their social life, it can have a very powerful effect on your body, it is very poisonous and it is very addictive. Alcohol is one of the most widely used drugs in the UK.
- 11How does alcohol affect yourAlcohol is poisonous but your liver can often break it down before it has the chance to cause permanent damage to your health. However, it passes through the wall of your gut into your bloodstream and then into every tissue of your body.
- 12Give one long-term effect of alcohol and one short-term side effect.If you drink large volumes of alcohol, your liver may not be able to cope and hence you would suffer from alcohol poisoning, this can lead to unconsciousness, a coma and death. You lack judgement when under the influence and you can often make poor decisions.
- 13What could happen to the liver as a result of a long-term drinking problem?They may develop cirrhosis of the liver, this destroys the tissue of the liver, they may also get liver cancer which spreads quickly and can be fatal. In some heavy drinkers, the brain is so damaged that it become soft and pulpy, this leads to death.
- 14What effect is alcohol known to have on your reactions?When under the influence of alcohol, your reactions become slower therefore you are more likely to have an accident particularly when driving - this is very dangerous and costs the NHS a lot of money every year.
- 15What problems does alcohol cause within society?1) Domestic violence is often linked with alcohol abuse and heavy drinking.
2) Binge drinking is common within young people, they go out and get drunk several nights a week putting their health at risk.
3) Alcohol related crime costs a lot. - 16What makes cigarettes so addictive?They contain a cocktail of around 4000 chemicals, however nicotine is the drug found in tobacco smoke.
- 17How does smoking affect your lungs?The hairs lining your trachea are anaesthetised, meaning that harmful dirt and mucus builds up in your lungs making you more susceptible to colds. Not forgetting the tar and phlegm.
- 18What builds up in the lungs as a result of smoking?Tar, it makes smokers much more likely to develop bronchitis, the build up of tar can also lead to the breakdown of delicate air sacs - this is called emphysema. It makes the lungs much less efficient aand breathing is often difficult as you cannot get enough oxygen.
- 19Why does a build up of tar cause cancer?It is a major carcinogen, and so a large build up results in untreatable lung cancer. Smoking is also known to cause a high blood pressure and blocks blood vessels.
- 20How can somebody give up smoking if they are addicted?Giving up smoking isn't easy because nicotine is so addictive however there are a number of methods for doing so such as hypnosis, group withdrawal sessions, nicotine gum and acupuncture.
- 21Why should mothers not smoke?Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide, this is very poisonous and affects pregnant mothers especially, as her body requires enough oxygen to provide for the cells of herself and her baby. The carbon monoxide replaces much of the oxygen in her blood.
- 22Complete the sentence: Mums who smoke while pregnant have a higher risk of having...1) a premature birth.
2) a baby with low birth mass.
3) a stillbirth.