DRUGS: Why being abused???

Drugs drugs drugs…Whoo! I have already mentioned on my previous blog regarding drug testing that I am really opposing the usage of abused drugs that are therefore being prohibited (a must!!). Though several common foods qualify and considered as drugs like tea and coffee. However, this blog mainly focuses and very much concern with the drugs abused by many especially by the teenagers.

Drug abuse is usually defined as the frequent use of the person with the drug that may physically, emotionally and mentally damage him. Social activities are also affected. Drugs are being used with various reasons. Most often, these are consumed and used as temporary escape from life’s certainties, avoiding oneself from physical and emotional hurt.

Another is that youths involve in drugs because of peer influence and family problems such as a shattered family (in which I strongly agree and personally seen these instances from my friend’s friend), as well as other significant variables such as lack with God’s true and personal relationship and just a way of dealing with stress, anger or frustration. Others use drugs because of curiosity that they recognize taking drugs as a different, interesting or thrilling experience.

Studies revealed that most of the abused drugs are alcohol, marijuana and cocaine. And there are still many of drugs in the list. Now, let’s try to examine the drug actions and their effect on why there are growing numbers of being addictive to such.

Amphetamines and Methamphetamines

Based on my one only reference, (Bishop’s Clinical Chemistry book) amphetamine and methamphetamine are stimulants that mainly used for narcolepsy and attention deficit disorder. Amphetamine-like compounds such as ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and phenylpropanolamine are for allergy and cold medications.

*Favored action: Its favorite action of many users is that it increases a person’s mental and

physical capacity.

*Effect: restlessness, irritability, possible psychosis,

*Chronic use: tolerance and psychological dependence

*Overdose: hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, convulsions

*Tests to Identify: Immunoassay systems (screening and considered presumptive)

Liquid or Gas Chromatography (confirmation)

Are you one of them??? Is this the face that you want??

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

Anabolic Steroids

These are chemically related with the male sex hormone testosterone. Before, these are used as therapy for male hypogonadism but soon discovered that upon intake of these drugs may increase muscle mass and develop athletic performance.

Recent studies showed that these can be bought even without the prescription of a doctor that’s why it is freely abused by the teens.

*Favored action: Increase muscle mass and improve athletic performance

*Acute toxic effects: Physical and psychological effects

*Chronic use effects: Toxic hepatitis, accelerated atherosclerosis and abnormal aggregation of platelets (influence to stroke and myocardial infarction), enlargement of heart, ischemia of heart muscle cells which leads to death

*Males: testicular atrophy, sterility and impotence

*Females: Masculine traits, breast reduction, sterility

*Test to identify: Gas chromatography with mass spectrophotometry