The Encyclopedia of Drugs and Alcohol

188 Pages·2001·5.29 MB·English

by  Greg Roza

The Encyclopedia of
Drugs and Alcohol
The Encyclopedia of
Drugs and Alcohol
Written by Greg Roza
New York
Published in 2001 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Copyright © 2001 by Rosen Book Works
First Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in
writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Roza, Greg.
The encyclopedia of drugs and alcohol/Greg Roza.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-531-11899-1
1. Drugs—Encyclopedias—Juvenile literature. 2. Drugs of abuse—Encyclopedias—
Juvenile literature. [1. Drugs—Encyclopedias. 2. Drug abuse—Encyclopedias.] I. Title.
RM301.17 .R698 2001
615'.1'03—dc21 00-045913
Manufactured in the United States of America
Table of Contents
Introduction vi
Entries 1
Where to Go for Help 183
Bibliography 186
Index 187
Photo Credits 203
Acknowledgments 203
v
Introduction
Statistics for 1999 show that,in general,illicit drug use among high school
students over the previous three years remained stable or declined
(National Institute on Drug Abuse study, Monitoring the Future).This is
great news,right? A reason to celebrate?
Not so fast. Surface statistics can be misleading. For instance, while
statistics show that monthly marijuana use among twelfth graders has
remained stable since 1997 at about 23 percent, marijuana use among
tenth graders is slightly higher.Teen use of cigarettes has been declining
since 1996,but 1999 statistics report that 15.9 percent of tenth graders and
23.1 percent of twelfth graders smoke cigarettes daily. Furthermore, while
the use of many illicit drugs appears to be on the decline,it is obvious that
other drugs—particularly alcohol, anabolic steroids, and MDMA
(ecstasy)—are steadily becoming more and more popular with teens.
Again one must ask this question:Are these findings truly a reason to
celebrate the effects of the “war on drugs”? Should we be content simply
because statistics show that the monthly use of inhalants among twelfth
graders is down to 5.6 percent, when monthly inhalant use for eighth
graders is at 10.3 percent? And isn’t 5.6 percent of America’s twelfth
graders inhaling dangerous,life-threatening chemicals still a reason for con-
cern? Furthermore, drug abuse is not only a problem with illicit drugs.
Some studies report that over half of drug-related emergency room cases
are caused by prescription drug use and overdose (“Prescription Drug Use
and Abuse.”Psychiatric Times,Vol XII,No.1,January 1995).
The point is this: Statistics may claim that drug use is declining,
remaining stable,or increasing,but the bottom line is that substance abuse
and teen drug use are still problems in the United States. Drug use will
remain a major problem until youthful Americans are helped to fully under-
stand the dangers associated with drugs, illegal as well as legal. Education
about the risks of drug use is the first step in reducing these statistics to a
more acceptable percentage:zero.
The book you hold in your hands is a guide to common drugs:
prescription, over-the-counter, and recreational—the extremely dangerous
and the seemingly harmless. While simply knowing more about the
dangers of drugs and the drugs themselves won’t make you impervious to
substance abuse, it will help you to make informed, educated decisions
about drug use.
vi
Not all drugs are harmful to you.In fact,some drugs—like antibiotics
and analgesics—are beneficial to many people on a daily basis. All drugs,
however, can become dangerous when abused—that is, when used in a
manner not recommended by a doctor––or when dosage instructions are
ignored.Don’t allow a lack of knowledge to turn you into just another sta-
tistic. Use this book to arm yourself with the knowledge to use the drugs
you need correctly and to wisely avoid the drugs that can only hurt you.
vii
A
Abstinence
Complete avoidance of an activity.Abstinence is more than simply avoiding
an excess of an activity; it is the absence of the activity altogether.
Abstinence
Abstinence is a crucial part of many drug recovery programs.
Abstinence from alcoholwas the goal of the prohibitionmovement in the
United States. In 1920, the movement achieved the ratification of the
Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibited the sale of
alcohol.This amendment was so widely ignored that it was repealed thir-
teen years later in the Twenty-first Amendment to the Constitution.
See also:
Abstinence is also a key term in drug rehabilitation.People who become
Temperance
addicted to a substance have a compulsion to use it regardless of the con-
sequences.When in recovery, abstinence allows the user to rid his or her
system of the drug and to fight the compulsion to use other drugs instead.
In many cases, abstinence is the only way to achieve a completely healthy
system after having used drugs for an extended period of time.Abstinence
is at the center of twelve-step programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous,which
help people to help themselves in reaching sobriety.
Acetaminophen
An over-the-counter drug used for relieving pain and lowering fever. This
drug is comparable to, but lacks the anti-inflammatory ability of, aspirin
and ibuprofen.
Although it is not known how acetaminophen works, it is used
successfully for relieving some symptoms of colds, allergies, and physical
injuries.New research shows it to be beneficial in blocking the pain associ-
ated with arthritis (inflammation of a joint) and osteoarthritis (degenera-
tion of joint cartilage). Unlike aspirin and ibuprofen, acetaminophen has
little or no adverse effect on the stomach.
Taking large doses of acetaminophen over long periods of time can lead
to kidneydisease.A dose as large as fifteen grams or more can produce irre-
versible liver damage, especially for people who drink alcohol regularly.
People should be careful not to use too many products containing aceta-
minophen at one time (cold medicines, allergy remedies, pain relievers) to
avoid acetaminophen poisoning, which can lead to death.
Acid
See LSD.
2
A
Addiction
An unhealthy obsession with a certain activity or substance. Drug abuse
and alcoholism are common forms of addiction. An addiction is caused
Addictive
by repeated participation in an activity until it becomes a harmful fixation
Personality
in one’s daily life, or by using a particular substance so often that it
becomes difficult to live without that substance’s
effect. Addiction to drugs and alcohol manifests
in two ways: psychological dependence and
physical dependence.
Addiction, especially in the case of drug and
alcohol abuse, can cause one’s physical well-being
to deteriorate over a period of time.Negative health
effects can include heart disease, liver and kidney
disease, lung disease, nervous disorders, and even
death. Addiction can also affect one’s ability to
work,go to school,interact with family and friends,
and carry out everyday activities.
Addictions manifest in a wide variety of people
from all walks of life. It is not exactly clear how
addictions develop, but they can be initiated by a
number of factors, including social pressure, per-
sonality,and availability of the substance or activity.Also,it is believed that
chemicals in the brain,such as norepinephrine,are different in people with
addictions. Some researchers believe addictions may be hereditary. Addiction to drugs
Treatment for addictions include family intervention,drug rehabilitation pro- and/or alcohol can
grams,psychological counseling,and medical attention. lead to physical
and psychological
deterioration.
Addictive Personality
The compulsion to behave in a way that is harmful to one’s well-being.An
addictive person often has more than one addiction (cross-drug addiction),
works to hide these addictions from others, and allows the addictions to
affect relationships with family and friends,work,school,and other areas of
everyday life. Detrimental factors that go hand-in-hand with an addictive
personality include depression, low self-esteem, nervousness, impulsive
actions,and difficulty in coping with everyday life.
When associated with substance abuse, addictive personalities exhibit
common characteristics. People addicted to drugs and/or alcohol develop a
tolerance for the substance and experience withdrawal symptoms when they
try to quit using it.They spend excessive time and money using the drugs
3
A
to which they are addicted and often begin using other drugs.What follow
are ineffectual efforts to quit using, extreme usage, and a reduced partici-
pation in society.They continue to use the drug despite knowing that it is
harmful and despite repeated warnings from people close to them.
Adrenaline
The first step in coping with an addictive personality is ending the
habitual presence of the object or event. It is equally important to become
familiar with one’s addictive tendencies and to rid oneself of addictive
behaviors. These goals can be attained with the aid of alcohol and drug
rehabilitation, a twelve-step program, and the help of friends and family.
Adrenaline
A hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, which are located above the
kidneys. Adrenaline is another name for the hormone epinephrine.
Adrenaline allows the body to respond to sudden stress.When a person
becomes frightened, threatened, injured, or angry, the brain sends a sig-
nal to the adrenal glands, which in turn release adrenaline into the sys-
tem.Adrenaline increases heart and breathing rates,raises blood pressure,
creates extra glucose (a type of sugar made by the body for energy), and
slows the process of digestion to allow more blood to go to the muscles.
This reaction is often referred to as “fight or flight” because it prepares
the body for immediate action.
Adrenaline is made syntheticallyfor medical purposes.It is used to treat
shock,to restore the heartbeat of patients suffering cardiac arrest,to prevent
bleeding, and (in the form of mist inhalers) to treat respiratory problems
such as asthma and croup.
Certain drugs,such as amphetamines,increase the amount of adrenaline
that the adrenal glands release into the body.This can result in heightened
alertness, physical performance, and mental activity, as well as inability to
sleep and decreased appetite.
Adulterant
A psychoactive drug added to another drug to mimic its effects.This is pri-
marily done by dealerswho want to increase their drugsupply and thus their
profits. For example, caffeine and ephedrine are often added to certain
amphetaminesbecause they have similar effects on the body.Drug users usu-
ally cannot tell the difference. Researchers have discovered that many ille-
gal drugs—particularly amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin—are almost
always mixed with other substances.These impurities make such drugs even
more dangerous because one never knows exactly what one is taking.
4