Chapter 13 Drugs and Addiction

Overview

Most of us are accustomed to the idea of taking drugs when we are sick. Many of these drugs are prescribed to fight bacterial infections, to fight cancer, or to regulate the body’s physiological processes. Many other drugs are taken without medical supervision and for a wide variety of purposes. Many of these drugs are legal; some are not. The United States is the number one drug-producing and the number one drug-using country in the world. There is said to be a ‘drug problem’ that has led to a ‘war on drugs;’ yet many in society are uncertain  about the answers to some very basic questions: What is a drug? What are the various legitimate uses of drugs? What is addiction, and what makes a drug addictive? In this chapter we examine some recent research in biology and in related fields relevant to these questions. We also examine the basic biological principles that underlie our understanding of how drugs work. An understanding of the respiratory, circulatory, and excretory systems is needed to see how drugs enter and become distributed around the body, how long they stay in the body, and how they are eventually removed.

Chapter Outline

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Review Questions

THE PURPOSE of these review quizzes is to guide students in where their knowledge and understanding is strong, where it is weak, and where time should best be spent in studying.

CHAPTER 13:

  1. What defines a drug?  What are various routes by which drugs enter the body?  What is a systemic effect?  What is a side effect?  What are some common ways in which drugs are eliminated from the body?    (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 13.1.)
  2. Why do certain drugs only act in certain locations in the body?  What does this tell us about the action of those drugs?  What are some different ways in which different drugs can interact?  What are some mechanisms that may explain these interactions?  What are some important safety considerations concerning drugs, and how does this relate to the availability of drugs in society?  (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 13.1.)
  3. What is a psychoactive drug?  Identify at least six psychoactive drugs and explain what we know about their mechanism of action.  What safety concerns apply to each of these drugs?  What legal restrictions apply to these drugs?  Does the absence of legal restrictions (or the meeting of legal requirements) make a drug safe?   (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 13.2.)
  4. What is addiction?  What are some of its symptoms?  What do we know about the molecular basis for addiction?  What parts of the brain are involved in addiction?  What is the difference between acute effects and long-term effects?    (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Section 13.3.)
  5. What is drug abuse?  Is drug abuse restricted to certain drugs only?  What effects does drug abuse have on individuals?  What effects does drug abuse have on development?  What effects does drug abuse have on society at large?  What are some contrasting social policies that deal with drug abuse and addiction?  (If you cannot explain these things, or if you are not sure, then you need to reread Sections 13.4.)

Open Response Study Questions

These questions are designed to assess your understanding of the topics explored in this chapter. You can use these questions in three ways:

Before you start …

Read through the questions before you read the chapter to help prime you to read the text more carefully and strategically. Remember that you are just starting out on your learning journey, so don’t feel disheartened if you don’t know how to answer them yet!

Whilst you read …

As you work through the chapter, have another go at answering the questions to see how you are progressing. You can also answer the questions with the textbook open in front of you, in order to create model answers that can be used to refer back to later.

At the end …

Answer the questions once you have finished reading to see what you have learned. Check your responses against your model answers and use these to identify any gaps in your understanding.

DEFINITIONS:

In your own words, define ANY TWO of the following terms:

Drug tolerance   Placebo    Reticular activating system     SSRI   

ESSAYS:

Answer any two of the following questions.  Make sure to answer all parts of any question you choose.

1. Some states have made medical marijuana legal.  Is this a good idea?  What problems may arise?  How can these problems best be avoided or controlled?  Address all of these questions in a discussion BACKED UP WITH EVIDENCE.     IMPORTANT:  You will not be graded for the viewpoint(s) you choose to support;  you will be graded on how well you can support that opinion with evidence.

2. What are some mechanisms by which tobacco causes harm? (Give at least 3-4 specific effects).  What are some mechanisms that drive many people to continue using tobacco despite their understanding of the harms?

3. Explain how interference with neural pathways in the brain can make a drug addictive;  use at least three drugs (or types of drugs) as examples.

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Chapter 14
Mind, Body, and Immunity