Effects of Drugs

Effects of Drugs:

Any substance or chemical that changes the way the body works is called a drug. Some drugs can change the way we feel, think and act.

Drugs are grouped depending on what effect they have on us:

Narcotics makes us feel sleepy.

Painkillers block some nerve impulses so we feel less pain. Eg. Morphine.

Hallucinogens change the way the brain works, particularly how we see, feel and hear. E.g. LSD

Stimulants increase the speed of nerve impulses. This speeds up reaction times (the time it takes for the body to respond to an outside stimulus). E.g. Caffeine.

Depressants slow down the activity of neurones in the brain and help us relax. E.g. Alcohol.

A drug used to make people feel a certain way is a recreational drug.

Medicines help to limit damage caused by diseases or injury.

Some drugs are legal but some are only legal to buy at certain ages. Other drugs are illegal because they can have dangerous effects. 

Most drugs are addictive so people become dependent on the drug and feel they can't function without it.

Key Words:

Drug

Narcotic

Painkillers

Hallucinogens

Reaction Times

Depressants

Legal

Illegal

Addictive.

Questions:

1. What is a drug?

2. Find an example of a narcotic.

3. How does alcohol increase reaction times?

What you should know:

What a drug is as a chemical substance, such as narcotic or hallucinogen, that effects the Central Nervous System, causing changes in psychological behaviour and possible addiction.

The general effects of:

a. Painkillers that block nerve impulses, including morphine.

b. Hallucinogens that distort sense perception, including LSD

c. Stimulants that increase the speed of reactions and neurotransmission at the synapse, including caffeine.

d. Depressants that slow down the activity of the brain, including alcohol.