Problem+Research

"New Ways to Stay Clean: Treatment: Beating an addiction is tough, but scientists are creating an arsenal of weapons, from pills and vaccines to innovative counseling." //Newsweek// 12 Feb. 2001: 44. //Infotrac Newsstand//. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. - Cocaine works by blocking the receptor that neurons use to reabsorb dopamine after they release it. - Dopamine: a chemical that releases neurons that make us want to do them again by giving us strong incentives - Addictive substances upper the feeling you get from dopamine. - Cocaine & heroine change the way the brain is as well as feeling good. Amodio, Joseph V. "Why pot's not cool: how marijuana messes with your brain and body." //Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader publication// Mar. 2005: 11+. //Student Resources in Context//. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. - Marijuana has tetrahydrocannabidinol also known as THC - Marijuana can cause cancer & lung disease - Marijuana can make getting a cold or other illnesses easier than normal, because THC can damage immune-protecting cells. - THC affects memory and can make it harder to focus and work - THC can affect coordination (ex. timing, balance, ability to play sports) - THC can affect judgement which can lead to more risky or bad choices - Marijuana is called a gateway drug because many cocaine and heroin users started out smoking marijuana - Many people become addicted to marijuana because it tricks the brain into thinking that everything besides being high is dull, so the user wants to feel high agai "Drug Abuse Health Information - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment - NY Times Health ." //Health News - The New York Times//. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. <[]>. - Primary affects of Marijuana is on the CNS (Central Nervous System) - Other effects are: -- blood-shot eyes -- increased heart rate and blood pressure -- bronchodilatation (widening of the airways) Dryden-Edwards, Roxanne. "Drug Abuse and Addiction Causes, Effects, Symptoms, Prevention, Statistics, Facts and Treatment Centers by MedicineNet.com." //MedicineNet - Health and Medical Information Produced by Doctors//. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. <[|www.medicinenet.com/drug_abuse/article.htm]>. - No single cause to drug addiction - Social risk factors for men & women of ages 18-44 are Native-American status, Unmarried martial status, lower socioeconomic status - Psychological factor can be mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, or bi-polar disorder - Psychological factors can also be personality disorders such as antisocial personality disorder - According to statistics by state, people residing in the West tend to be at higher risk for chemical abuse or dependency - Men are more at risk to develop chemical dependency such as alcoholism, women seem to be more vulnerable to become addicted at lower amount of alcohol "Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction | InfoFacts | National Institute on Drug Abuse." //Home | National Institute on Drug Abuse//. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. <[]>. - 2 ways drugs can disrupt the way nerve cells normally function by: -- Overstimulating the brain -- or -- by imitating the brain's chemical messangers - Drugs such as marijuana and heroin have a similar chemical structure like the chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) which are produced naturally by the brain - "Tricks" (Makes) the brain into sending out nerve cells which send abnormal messages - Other drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine make nerve cells release large amounts of neurotransmitters (mostly dopamine) - This overstimulates the brain and makes other things seem not as good - More the person uses the drug, the less dopamine is released which makes the drug feel not a good as before - The user needs to take more of the same drug to achieve the same high Lopez, Donna L. "Part of the solution: latest insights on drug abuse." //American Fitness// Mar.-Apr. 1996: 24+. //Student Resources in Context//. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. - Drug abuse is using a psychoactive in compulsion or pleasure reason - Public health analysts say that with pro-drug messages in the media is has become "desensitized" - Also with wrong information on the internet, it can also have increased the use