...AMPHETAMINE USE AND ITS EFFECTS Name: Institution: Course: AMPHETAMINE USE AND ITS EFFECTS Stimulant use by humans has a very long history. The Ma-huang drug has been used by the Chinese natives for more than 5000 years (Ebadi, 2002). The active agent of Mu-huang was found to be ephedrine in 1887. First synthesis of Amphetamine proper was in 1887 as part of a program for manufacturing aliphatic amines. At first, investigations on amphetamine properties concentrated on peripheral effects and it was found that it was a sympathomimetic agent having bronchodilator properties. However, the effect on the central nervous system was not reported until 1933 which was followed closely by the first amphetamine abuse reports. Amphetamines give people a feeling of relief from fatigue and euphoria, it produces anorexia, improves performance of doing simple tasks and increases the activity levels (Ebadi, 2002). Amphetamine abuse is considered to be related primarily to the euphorigenic effects that lead to its use in high doses before the onset of the final stage which is compulsive abuse. The abuse of Amphetamines at present has been at low epidemic levels since the drug as introduced in the 1930s. During the beginning of the 1950s and 60s however, the epidemic appeared in the United States, Sweden and japan. A study of the epidemic reveals that there were several factors which contributed to its spread and these include; large population segments being introduced to the drug for recreational...
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...American universities are the best in the world, with new innovations and breakthrough technologies being created on a daily basis, and an expendable amount of information to be learned, American students are often found in a time crunch. Subsequently, more and more students are looking for ways to increase their productivity and work potential. When time management reaches its optimum benefit, students are often found looking for new, less conservative and unfortunately riskier ways of maintaining their ambitions. Pharmaceutical Stimulants, particularly amphetamines have become the new trend among those trying to achieve their goals of higher education. Some have hailed it as, “the only drug with a positive purpose” (K. Graff, 3). Unfortunately, as with all drugs, from pharmacies or the street, come with risks....
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...drug taking leads to other mental disorders and even death. Certain drugs such as psychomotor stimulant drugs include amphetamines (namely, amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, and methamphetamine) and methylpenidate hydrochloride (Ritalin). The most common name for these drugs is “speed”. Other used names include bennies, dexies, greenies, and pep pills. Amphetamines can be taken orally, but chronic users often inject the drug as it produces a more immediate and stronger effect. The effect of this drugs increase heart rate, respiration and blood pressure. It increases the activity of the central nervous system. These drugs affect the brain making the athlete feel more alert, confident and strong. There are certain drugs which aid in the treatment of various problems in the treatment of hyperactive children. The use of amphetamines is illegal and their use in sports is prohibited. They cause many adverse physical and psychological reactions in sports such as dizziness, insomnia, heart palpitations, sexual impotence, irregular heartbeat and tremors. Uses and problems of anabolic steroids, narcotics and stimulants: Name Uses Problems Anabolic steroids It is used in bodybuilding, Weightlifting and male and female athletics. It is used in treating delayed puberty, impotence, HIV, anemia, osteoporosis and bilary obstruction. In case of controlled use of this drug, it can help boost the body’s performance for a...
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...Report: Amphetamine The chemical compound known as amphetamine belongs to a class of drugs called psychostimulants. These drugs induce temporary changes in an individual’s mental state. Typically, psychostimulants drugs help to increase one’s alertness or act as antidepressants to bring about a positive mood swing. In regards to amphetamine, its primary function is to improve focus and attentiveness. Amphetamine based drugs, such as Adderall and Dexedrine, are often prescribed to treat individuals suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. Another drug, Benzedrine, uses a racemic mixture of amphetamines to stimulate the dilation of nasal and bronchial tubes to help treat people with asthma. However, Benzedrine can also induce a strong euphoric effect and was one of the first amphetamine based drugs to be misused for recreational purposes. Methamphetamine (or N- methylamphetamine) is another, more dangerous, example of an amphetamine that is misused for recreation. In large doses, this drug induces a powerful euphoric effect triggered by a massive release of dopamine in the brain. Methamphetamine is a very powerful amphetamine stimulant because it readily dissolves in nonpolar solvents and can easily pass through the blood brain barrier; a fluid structure that restricts the flow of large hydrophilic molecules but allows small hydrophobic molecules to enter. In general, most amphetamine drugs use their ...
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...HIGHLIGHTS OF PRESCRIBING INFORMATION These highlights do not include all the information needed to use ADDERALL XR safely and effectively. See full prescribing information for ADDERALL XR. ADDERALL XR® (mixed salts of a single-entity amphetamine product) dextroamphetamine sulfate, dextroamphetamine saccharate, amphetamine aspartate monohydrate, amphetamine sulfate capsules, CII Initial U.S. Approval: 2001 WARNING: POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning • Amphetamines have a high potential for abuse; prolonged administration may lead to dependence. (9) • Misuse of amphetamines may cause sudden death and serious cardiovascular adverse reactions. -----RECENT MAJOR CHANGES----Warnings and Precautions (5.5) 6/2013 -----INDICATIONS AND USAGE----ADDERALL XR, a CNS stimulant, is indicated for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). (1) • Children (ages 6-12): Efficacy was established in one 3-week outpatient, controlled trial and one analogue classroom, controlled trial in children with ADHD. (14) • Adolescents (ages 13-17): Efficacy was established in one 4-week controlled trial in adolescents with ADHD. (14) • Adults: Efficacy was established in one 4-week controlled trial in adults with ADHD. (14) -----DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION----• Pediatric patients (ages 6-17): 10 mg once daily in the morning. The maximum dose for children 6-12 is 30 mg once daily. (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) • Adults: 20 mg once daily...
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...How do Drugs and Alcohol Affect You Sarah Tate Kaplan University-Omaha CJ411 Drugs and Alcohol May 15, 2012 Kerry Neumann Drugs and alcohol can cause short and long term damage to the human body. People that abuse drugs and alcohol may not be aware of the damage they are doing to their bodies. There are also psychological effects that drugs and alcohol can do to the human mind. These psychological effects can and may be permanent depending on the drug used and prolonged use of drugs and alcohol. Here we will concentrate on alcohol, amphetamines, and ecstasy. These vary in type of drug, addiction potential, and damage they can cause to the body and mind. Alcohol is a depressant and considered to mildly addictive. If abused for a prolonged period of time alcohol can become more addictive and the user may actually need the alcohol to function in life. Alcohol abuse may cause damage to the human body with prolonged use and abuse. Some of the damage alcohol may cause includes “slurred speech, lack of coordination, unsteady gait, memory impairment, and stupor, as well as behavioral changes shortly after alcohol ingestion, including aggressive behavior, mood volatility, impaired functioning”,(Roberts, P.,p.4-5.,n.d.). Alcohol consumption over a prolonged period of time may also cause psychological addiction, this happens over a period of time, not overnight, with continued drinking. Alcohol consumption over a prolonged period of time can cause liver damage, known as cirrhosis...
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...practice used to detect common drugs of abuse. On-site drug screening is performed for a variety of medical, professional, and legal reasons. A few scenarios in which screening may be done are listed below:1 Reasons for urine drug screening1 • Preemployment • Suspicion of drug abuse (e.g., unexplained negligence/impairment/behavior) • Random testing outlined in employment contract • Military service • Sports participation • Legal/criminal (e.g., postaccident, parole) • Drug-therapy compliance monitoring • Drug abuse rehabilitation monitoring • Postmortem investigation Screening Methods Urine drug screens are generally performed using either immunoassays or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).2 Immunoassay UDS contain specific antibodies against common drugs of abuse and their metabolites. The immunoassay is the most commonly used UDS because it is inexpensive and rapid. Five different immunoassays are available: cloned enzyme donor immunoassay, enzyme-multiplied immunoassay (EMIT), fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA), and immunoturbidimetic assay radioimmunoassay (RIA). The substances most commonly tested by a typical immunoassay include amphetamines, cannabinoid metabolites, cocaine metabolites, opiate metabolites, and phencyclidine (PCP). Expanded immunoassays are available to test for tricyclic antidepressants, barbiturates, methadone, alcohol, and benzodiazepines and may be beneficial when use of these substances is suspected. One major...
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...times as frequently as girls” (Berman, Kuczenski, McCracken and London, 2009, p. 4). Adults affected by ADHD are often misdiagnosed and of those who are correctly diagnosed, approximately only 10% receive any treatment (Mattingly, 2010, p. 316). Depending on the severity “untreated ADHD…[can help create] a pervasive pattern of repeated difficulties or impairment. Continuing impairment from ADHD may cause individuals to struggle with academic, career, and personal goals, or may cause significant difficulty within interpersonal relationships” (Mattingly, 2010, p. 316.) In addition, ADHD has a high level of comorbidity with depression, various anxiety disorders, as well as a greater likelihood of engagement in criminality, substance abuse or other risk taking behavior. (Mattingly, 2010). “Pharmacotherapy continues to be the mainstay of treatment for ADHD” (Mattingly, 2010, p. 316). Although the diagnosis of ADHD “is not [clearly] defined by a biological marker”(Duncan, Miller, & Sparks, 2004, p. 156) there is preliminary evidence that the condition of ADHD has significant...
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...individual. The results are pathological relationships to a mood altering experience that brings negative, life destructive consequences. People become addicted to drugs due to a combination of factors. For example, genetic factors: some people may inherit a vulnerability to the addictive properties of drugs, meaning that the risk of substance use disorders is higher for individuals who have close relatives with substance abuse disorders (www.drugpolicy.org). The environment is another factor, for example, the home; neighborhood or community where people live has an influence on whether or not an individual develops a substance abuse problem. Additionally, research shows that more than half of people with substance problems also have mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. We can become addicted to anything that alters the consciousness and alters the mood. Psychological characteristics of an addict are more impulsive and more lacking in impulse control, they are inclined to act in accordance with their mood of the moment and tend not to plan for the future. The most common illegal stimulant is cocaine and amphetamines; these are chemical substances that speed up the central nervous system function, resulting in alertness and excitability. Cocaine is an extremely potent and dependence producing stimulant drug, derived from the coca leaf. According to the text “the acute effects of cocaine vary in degree with the route of administration, the purity of the dose...
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...Drug abuse in Africa Sections ABSTRACT Introduction Historical background Current drug abuse situation in Africa Effects of drug abuse in Africa Control mechanisms Future trends Details Author: T. ASUNI , A. O PELA Pages: 55 to 64 Creation Date: 1986/01/01 Drug abuse in Africa T. ASUNI Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria A. O PELA Clinical Pharmacy Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin, Nigeria ABSTRACT Apart from cannabis abuse in northern and southern Africa and khat chewing in north-eastern Africa, the history of drug abuse in Africa is relatively short. The abuse of drugs in Africa is nevertheless escalating rapidly from cannabis abuse to the more dangerous drugs and from limited groups of drug users to a wider range of people abusing drugs. The most common and available drug of abuse is still cannabis, which is known to be a contributing factor to the occurrence of a schizophrenic-like psychosis. The trafficking in and abuse of cocaine and heroin are the most recent developments in some African countries that had had no previous experience with these drugs. Efforts should be made to design and implement drug abuse assessment programmes to determine the real magnitude and characteristics of the problem and to monitor its trends. A lack of funds and a shortage of adequately trained personnel have made it difficult to implement drug abuse control programmes...
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...Report ………………………………………………………………………...…...5 What are Stimulants?.......................................................................................................................5 Stimulants and ADHD…………………………………………………………………………….5 The Problem and Causes……………………………………………………………………..….6 Chart 1…………………………………………………………………………………..…………6 Table 1…………………………………………………………………………………………….7 Chart 2……………………………………………………………………………………………..7 Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants……………………………………………………8 Contrary Findings……………………………………………………………..…………………8 Table 2…………………………………………………………………………………………….9 The Danger of Prescription Stimulants……...…………………………………………………9 Short Term Side Effects……………………………………………………………………….…10 Continual Use Side Effects………………………………………………………………………10 Conclusion……….……………………………………………………………..………….........10 Works Cited……………………………………………………………………………………..11 Memorandum Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide insight to the problem of the rise in use of prescription stimulants in college students. The nonmedical use of these stimulants is dangerous. What seems to make it the most dangerous is the fact that the severity is underestimated. Reasons why students take stimulants: * Stay awake. * Concentrate. * Get high. * Party. * Focus. Students believe that these benefits outweigh the risk. The fact is, they don’t even come close....
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...Scharlene De Horney Past and Current Drug Trends in America Drugs come in many forms and from many places. Drugs have been around since the beginning of time and people have been using them since they discovered them. Drug use began thousands if not a hundred thousand years ago as humans started exploring their environment. People would see a new plant or observe an animal’s behavior after consuming the plant, and out of curiosity, they would experiment with it or taste it. This is how some of the drugs we know today came about. Cocaine, opium, LSD, peyote, and marijuana all come from plants that primitive people discovered while tasting the environment around them. This paper will identify the past and current trends in the use and abuse of substances (drugs) in the United States. It will also discuss when it is viewed appropriate to use illicit drugs. Moreover, this paper will analyze the health and social problems in the United States that occur due to drug abuse and addiction. Trends American views on drugs have gone from one extreme to the opposite over a period of about 200 years. In the late 1700s through the 1800s, everyday Americans legally used substances like opium, cocaine, and marijuana for medicinal, spiritual, and recreational uses. At the beginning of the 1900s, the American view on drugs began its dramatic change. As of 1971, America is in an outright “war on drugs”. Past The late 1700s and early 1800s brought new drugs into American society. Advancements...
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...substances. Starting with cocaine, Freud used and distributed cocaine but never got to the point where he was dependent on it. As time went on amphetamines started getting popular. Contributing with homemade remedies and over the counter proscriptions that help with narcolepsy. Now into caffeine, which will start out with coffee. Coffee is made from either caffea Arabica or caffea robusta. Arabica bean have a milder flavor as for robusta bean have a stronger and more bitter flavor and higher caffeine content. Tea contains theophylline which is present in very small amounts in the tea. Theobromine is found in chocolate and its physiological actions are close to caffeine, but less potent to the central nervous system. Ending with a study about caffeine consumption and incidence with hip fractures among the elderly found that people who drink 2.5 to 3 cups of caffeinated coffee per day have a 69% greater risk of osteoporosis. Cons of Stimulants/Caffeine “If you are...
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...harmful use/abuse, dependence, withdrawal, and psychoses or amnesia associated with the use of the substance) associated with substance abuse, often involving maladaptive behaviors over a long period of time. In order to be diagnosed with substance dependence an individual must display at least three of the following for a 12 month period: development of tolerance to the substance, withdrawal symptoms, persistent desire/unsuccessful attempts to stop using the substance, ingestion of larger amounts of substance, declined life functioning, and persistent use of substance. Substance intoxication, substance withdrawal, substance abuse and substance dependence are the four substance-related conditions that are present in the DSM-IV-TR. Substance intoxication is a type of substance-induced disorder, consisting of reversible, substance-specific, maladaptive behavioral or psychological changes directly resulting from the physiologic effects on the central nervous system of recent ingestion of or exposure to a drug of abuse, medication, or toxin. Specific cases are named on the basis of etiology, e.g., alcohol intoxication. Substance withdrawal is physiologic and psychological readjustments made during discontinuation of use of a substance previously employed to induce intoxication. Substance abuse is a patterned use of a substance (drug) in which the user consumes the substance in amounts or with methods neither approved nor advised by medical professionals. Substance abuse/drug abuse...
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...Running Head: ADDERALL ABUSE Adderall Abuse Adderall Abuse In today’s society, the use of stimulants or otherwise known as cognitive enhancers is becoming a popular source for students as an alternate study aid. After long-nights of massive reading, deadlines and countless responsibilities, students with feelings of frustration and anxiety are using legitimate drugs for a “quick fix” i.e., Adderall to help enhance concentration. Adderall is becoming a popular study aid for students. Most students are unaware of Adderral’s potential dangers that can lead a student into a mental and physical nightmare. Stimulants, such as Adderall are commonly prescribed medications for people diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Individuals diagnosed with ADD, have symptoms known as an inattention or mind-wandering symptom. Adderall is an effective drug used with a combination of amphetamine compounds that covers a broad range of attention deficit disorder symptoms. Volkow (2009) stated that these stimulants are a single-entity amphetamine product combining the neutral sulfate salts of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine that will help increase energy and release endorphins for feelings of excitement. Students with ADD find stimulants useful in times of stress especially when faced with deadlines during midterms or finals. Some students say Adderall...
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