Substance Abuse

It is estimated that smokers take at least 20 years off their life span. Although, cigarette smoking has decreased, it is still prevalent in our American Society. Very sad is that fact that 4000 children start smoking every day, and 1000 of them will go on to become life time smokers. Cancer is one of a myriad of diseases which smoking causes, and contributes to a higher death rate.

• Cigarette smoking causes 87 percent of lung cancer deaths and is responsible for most cancers of the larynx, oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, and bladder.

No doubt about it; drugs of abuse give us pleasure! Why else would we continue to dangerous drugs into our system which might kill us? That’s how potent the pleasure response is, when it overcomes are very need for survival.

Effects of Drugs of Abuse on the Brain

Pleasure, which scientists call reward, is a very powerful biological force for our survival. If you do something pleasurable, the brain is wired in such a way that you tend to do it again. Life sustaining activities, such as eating, activate a circuit of specialized nerve cells devoted to producing and regulating pleasure. One important set of these nerve cells, which uses a chemical neurotransmitter called dopamine, sits at the very top of the brainstem in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) (Figure 6). These dopamine-containing neurons relay messages about pleasure through their nerve fibers to nerve cells in a limbic system structure called the nucleus accumbens. Still other fibers reach to a related part of the frontal region of the cerebral cortex. So, the pleasure circuit, which is known as the mesolimbic dopamine system, spans the survival- oriented brainstem, the emotional limbic system, and the frontal cerebral cortex.

All night dance parties have been around for generations; witness the marathon dancing of the Depression years. Today, all night dance parties are known as ‘raves’ or ‘trances’. It is not uncommon in some of these dance parties or bars known as clubs, for drugs to be used to allegedly enhance the experience. These drugs, for lack of imagination on the users part, are known as “Club Drugs’. Ecstasy, GHB, benzodiazepines, methamphetamine, or LSD are some of the drugs used at these parties. When used in combination with alcohol, all of them can be deadly. Two drugs, in particular, will be reviewed in this article which are ‘outlawed’ in all 50 States, and are commonly referred to as ‘date-rape’ drugs.

Cigarettes are one of the most heavily used addictive drugs in the U.S.
Nicotine is highly addictive. The tar in cigarettes increases a smoker's risk of lung cancer, emphysema, and bronchial disorders. The carbon monoxide in smoke increases the chance of cardiovascular diseases. Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer in adults and greatly increases the risk of respiratory illnesses in children.

By now, all acknowledge that smoking is not healthy. Ask any smoker, and they will tell you they would like to quit. However, far too many smokers become discouraged ‘early on’ in the game. The list below identifies 37 things you may not know about smoking, which may motivate the smoker to keep trying to quit. Sources have been identified for each of these 37 cues, if the reader is interested in gaining more information. Some of these ideas may surprise you!

Cocaine is a powerful drug that stimulates the brain. People who use it can form a strong addiction. They may have to use more and more of the drug to get high. It's sold on the street as a fine, white powder. There are two forms of cocaine: hydrochloride salt and freebase. The salt dissolves in water. People can take it in a vein or in the nose. The freebase form can be smoked. Crack is the street name of a smokable form of cocaine.

For every drink you have, your baby also has one. Alcohol is a substance that passes easily and quickly across the placenta membrane. How much alcohol is good for the baby? One drink? Just a little wine? The obvious answer is none. If you drink alcohol, it can hurt your baby’s growth. Your baby may have physical and behavioral problems that can last for the rest of his or her life. Children born with the most serious problems caused by alcohol have fetal alcohol syndrome.

Once a young person enters college, most are ‘free from home rules’ for the first time. Judgment and discretion are usually not at their highest peek, and many strive to ‘fit in’ not only with peers, but with their image of what college fun is all about. Underage drinking and binge drinking are the two most significant problems to hit the college campus. Statistics below provide a snap shot of the scope of this problem.

Recently, marijuana has been in the news for causing psychoses in long term users. This data has to be validated, but it poses several serious questions about what some consider an ‘innocuous’ drug.

It appears this drug is not quite as innocent as its users portend. As marijuana is repeatedly on one State petition or another, perhaps it is time to examine exactly what we do or do not know about the effects of marijuana.

Ever wonder what teenagers drink, when they 'imbibe' alcohol? Look in the parents alcohol cabinet, to get a clue. These teenagers do not go for the fancy-dancy alcohol drinks of Margaritas or Daiquiris. A glass of wine is also not something they enjoy. As a matter of fact, they do not enjoy any of the alcohol types, nor the taste. They are going for the 'feel', or after effects.

Excessive alcohol consumption contributes to approximately 4,500 deaths among underage youths in the United States each year (e.g., from homicides, motor-vehicle crashes, and suicides) and an average of 60 years of life lost per death. However, little is known about the specific types of alcoholic beverages consumed by youths.