Infant Savari

J.A
Vallaba
vidyalaya

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

ABUSE
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I have taken efforts in this project. However, it would not have been possible
without the kind support and the help of many individuals.
I am highly indebted to my Biology teacher, Dr. P. Manimaran, for his
invaluable support and guidance which has sustained my efforts in all the stages
of this project work.
My sincere thanks to my school Chairman, Correspondent, Principal
Academic guide for providing me with the facilities required to do my projects
in the school.
I would like to thank all my subject teachers for their valuable support during
this project.
I would also like to thank my parents for their continuous support and
encouragement.
My thanks and appreciation also goes to my fellow classmates and friends in
developing the project and to the people who have willingly helped me out with
their abilities.
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S.NO CONTENTS PAGE NO.

1 INTRODUCTION TO DRUG AND ALCOHOL 3

ABUSE

2 OPIODS 5

3 CANNABINOIDS 7

4 COCAINE 9

5 ALCOHOL 11

6 EFFECTS OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 12

7 CONCLUSION 15

TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Introduction to Drugs and Alcohol

Drugs are chemicals or substances that change the way our bodies work. Some
are medicines that help people when doctors prescribe them. Many have no
medical use or benefits.
For along time now, drug and alcohol abuse in the society has been a problem
that affects the youth and the society at large. The youth in the society get
engaged in abusing substances that they feel all help them forget their problems.
This paper highlights the problems of drug abuse and alcohol drinking among
the youth in the society.
Alcohol is a substance that contains some elements that are bring about physical
and psychological changes to an individual. Being a depressant, alcohol affects
the nervous system altering the emotions and perceptions of individuals. Many
teenager abuse alcohol and other drug substances due to curiosity, the need to
feel good and to fit in their different groups. Drinking alcohol should not be
encouraged because it usually affects the health of the youth.
It puts their health at a risk. Drinking youth are more likely to engage in
irresponsible sexual activities that may result in unexpected pregnancies and
sexually transmitted diseases. Additionally, teenagers who drink are more likely
to get fat while complicating further their health conditions. Moreover, the
youth drinking are at a risk of engaging in criminal activities hence being
arrested.
According to the Australian Psychological Society, a drug can be a substance
that brings about physical or psychological changes to an individual .
Youngsters in the in the community take stuffs to increase enjoyment or
decrease the sensational or physical pain. Some of the abused drugs by the
youth in the society include marijuana, alcohol, heroine and cocaine.
The dangers of drug abuse are the chronic intoxication of the youth that is
detrimental to their societies. Much intake of drugs leads to addiction that is
indicated by the desire to take the drugs that cannot be resisted.
The effect of alcohol and other hard drugs are direct on the central nervous
system. Alcohol and drug abuse is linked to societal practices like, partying,
societal events, entertainment, and spirituality. The Australian Psychological
Society argues that the choice of a substance is influenced by the particular
needs of the substance user .
However, the effects of drug abuse differ from one individual to another. The
abuse of drugs becomes a social problem whenever the users fail to meet some
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social responsibilities at home, work, or school. This is usually the effect when
the substances are used more than they are normally taken. Additionally, when
the use of substances is addictive, it leads to social problems .
When taken (usually by swallowing, inhaling, or injecting), abused drugs find
their way into the bloodstream. From there, they move to the brain and other
parts of the body. In the brain, drugs may intensify or dull the senses, change
how alert or sleepy people feel, and sometimes decrease physical pain.
Because of the way these drugs work on the brain, they affect the ability to
make healthy choices and decisions. Even drinking makes people more likely to
get involved in dangerous situations, like driving under the influence or
having unprotected sex. Although substances can feel good at first, they can do
a lot of harm to the body and brain. Drinking alcohol, smoking or using
tobacco, taking illegal drugs, even sniffing glue all damage the human body.
Commonly abused drugs include:
 alcohol
 amphetamines
 bath salts
 cockaine and cork
 cough and cold medicines (DXM)
 depressants
 GHB
 heroine
 inhalants
 ketamine
 LSD
 MMDA/ Ecstacy
 marijuana
 methamphetamine (‘meth’)
 mushrooms
 PCP
 Prescription plain releivers
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opioids
opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine like effects.
Medically they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Other medical
uses include suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioid use disorder,
reversing opioid overdose, and suppressing cough.[3] Extremely potent opioids such
as carfentanil are approved only for veterinary use. Opioids are also frequently used
non-medically for their euphoric effects or to prevent withdrawal. Opioids can cause
death and have been used for executions in the United States.

Side effects may include itchiness, sedition, nausea, respiratory

depression, constipation, and euphoria. Long-term use can cause tolerence,
meaning that increased doses are required to achieve the same effect, and
physical dependence, meaning that abruptly discontinuing the drug leads to
unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.[8] The euphoria attracts recreational use, and
frequent, escalating recreational use of opioids typically results in addiction.
An overdose or concurrent use with other depresant
drugs like benzodiazepines commonly results in death from respiratory
depression.[9]
Opioids act by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in
the central and peripheral nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract . These
receptors mediate both the psychoactive and the somatic effects of opioids. Opioid
drugs include partial antagonists , like the anti-diarrhea drug loperamide
and antagonist like naloxegol for opioid-induced constipation, which do not cross
the blood brain barrier, but can displace other opioids from binding to those receptors.
Because opioids are addictive and may result in fatal overdose, most
are constant substances. In 2013, between 28 and 38 million people used
opioids illicitly (0.6% to 0.8% of the global population between the ages of 15
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and 65). In 2011, an estimated 4 million people in the United States used
opioids recreationally or were dependent on opiods. As of 2015, increased rates
of recreational use and addiction are attributed to over-prescription of opioid
medications and inexpensive illicit heroin . Conversely, fears about
overprescribing, exaggerated side effects, and addiction from opioids are
similarly blamed for under-treatment of pain.
Papaver Somniferum: opium poppy, (Papaver somniferum),  of the
family papaveracea, native to Turkey. Opium, morphine, codeine,
and heroin are all derived from the milky latex found in its unripe seed capsule.
It is also grown for its tiny nonnarcotic ripe seeds , which are kidney-shaped
and grayish blue to dark blue; the seeds are used in bakery products and for
seasoning, oil, and birdseed .

Poppy seeds

The opium poppy is an annual plant and can reach about 1–5 metres (3–16 feet)
tall. It has lobed or toothed silver-green foliage and bears blue-purple or
white flowers some 13 cm (5 inches) wide. Red-flowered and double and
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semidouble strains have been developed as garden ornamentals. The seeds are

borne in a spherical capsule topped by a disk formed by the stigmas of the
flower; the seeds escape from pores beneath the disk when the capsule is shaken
by the hand .

Cannabinoids

Cannabinoids  are compounds found in the cannabis plant or synthetic

compounds that can interact with the endocannabinoid system. The most
notable cannabinoid is the phytocannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
(Delta-9-THC), the primary intoxicating compound in cannabis.[3]
[4]
 Cannabidiol (CBD) is another major constituent of some cannabis plants.[5] At
least 113 distinct cannabinoids have been isolated from cannabis Before the
1980s, cannabinoids were speculated to produce their physiological and
behavioral effects via nonspecific interaction with cell membranes, instead of
interacting with specific membrane-bound receptors. The discovery of the first
cannabinoid receptors in the 1980s helped to resolve this debate. These
receptors are common in animals. Two known cannabinoid receptors are
termed CB1 and CB2, with mounting evidence of more. The human brain has
more cannabinoid receptors than any other G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)
type.
The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) regulates many functions of the human
body. The ECS plays an important role in multiple aspects of neural functions,
including the control of movement and motor coordination, learning and
memory, emotion and motivation, addictive-like behavior and pain modulation,
among others.
cannabinoids, any of more than 80 known chemical compounds found in all
parts of the cannabis plant (namely the species Cannabis indica and Cannabis
sativa) and especially concentrated in the female flower heads. They are
responsible for the physical and psychological effects that occur
when marijuana—the dried leaves and flowers of the plant—and its derivatives
are consumed. Cannabinoids have a variety of effects on humans. The main
psychoactive chemical in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It induces
mild euphoria and hallucinations—the “high” sought by many users of
marijuana. The brains of several mammalian species, including humans, have
a receptor for a substance naturally produced by the body that resembles THC
and is thus susceptible to THC’s effects. Cannabidiol (CBD) is also significant
among cannabinoids. It has a more sedative, relaxant effect on the body.
Usually, cannabinoids are inhaled by smoking marijuana.
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Cannabis can also be prepared into a concentrated resin (hashish), vaporized, or

ingested (alone or in food).Though marijuana is one of the world’s most popular
recreational drugs and remains illegal in many countries, medical marijuana and
other derivatives of cannabis have gained acceptance in some quarters.
Cannabinoids may stimulate appetite and relieve nausea in patients
receiving chemotherapy. Marijuana has also been used to treat conditions such
as chronic pain and glaucoma. Cannabinoids may be delivered for medical
reasons by smoking or ingestion of specially grown strains of marijuana
where medical marijuana is legal or via distillations that may be legal even in
places where marijuana is prohibited. Many employers and professional bodies,
such as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which sets the standards for
drug testing for the Olympics, prohibit the consumption of marijuana and test
for the presence of cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are fat soluble and may be
detected by modern tests long after they are consumed.Difficulty in
concentrating, impaired motor skills, dry mouth, depression or apathy, panic
attacks, paranoia, and anxiety are common side effects of consuming
cannabinoids. Research has not indicated that users develop a strong physical
dependence on cannabinoids, and there are no significant physical withdrawal
symptoms once they are stopped. Psychological dependence may however
occur. Headaches, nausea, irritability, and depression have been reported among
frequent users shortly after quitting.
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Cocaine
Cocaine is a fine white or off-white powder that acts as a powerful stimulant. In its pure
form, cocaine is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant. On the street, it can be
diluted or "cut" with other substances to increase the quantity. Crack is cocaine that has
been further processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and looks
like small flakes or rocks.
Prevalence rates for lifetime use of cocaine are typically between one and three per cent
in developed countries, with higher rates in the United States and in the producer
countries of South America.

Cocaine (from French: cocaïne, from Spanish: coca, ultimately

from Quechua: kúka) is a stimulant drug obtained from the leaves of two Coca species
native to South America, Erythroxylum coca and Erythroxylum novogranatense.

After extraction from coca leaves and further processing

into cocaine hydrochloride (powdered cocaine), the drug may be snorted, heated until
sublimated and then inhaled, or dissolved and injected into a vein. Cocaine stimulates
the reward pathway in the brain. Mental effects may include an intense feeling of
happiness, sexual arousal, loss of contact with reality, or agitation. Physical effects
may include a fast heart rate, sweating, and dilated pupils. High doses can result
in high blood pressure or high body temperature. Effects begin within seconds to
minutes of use and last between five and ninety minutes. As cocaine also
has numbing and blood vessel constriction properties, it is occasionally used during
surgery on the throat or inside of the nose to control pain, bleeding, and vocal cord
spasm
The pharmacodynamics of cocaine involve the complex relationships of
neurotransmitters (inhibiting monoamine uptake in rats with ratios of
about: serotonin:dopamine = 2:3, serotonin:norepinephrine = 2:5).[108][16] The
most extensively studied effect of cocaine on the central nervous system is the
blockade of the dopamine transporter protein.
Dopamine neurotransmitter released during neural signaling is normally
recycled via the transporter; i.e., the transporter binds the transmitter and pumps
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it out of the synaptic cleft back into the presynaptic neuron, where it is taken up

into storage vesicles. Cocaine binds tightly at the dopamine transporter forming
a complex that blocks the transporter's function. The dopamine transporter can
no longer perform its reuptake function, and thus dopamine accumulates in
the synaptic cleft. The increased concentration of dopamine in the synapse
activates post-synaptic dopamine receptors, which makes the
drug rewarding and promotes the compulsive use of cocaine.[109]

Cocaine increases levels of the natural chemical messenger dopamine in brain

circuits related to the control of movement and reward.
Normally, dopamine recycles back into the cell that released it, shutting off the
signal between nerve cells. However, cocaine prevents dopamine from being
recycled, causing large amounts to build up in the space between two nerve
cells, stopping their normal communication. This flood of dopamine in the
brain’s reward circuit strongly reinforces drug-taking behaviors. With continued
drug use, the reward circuit may adapt, becoming less sensitive to the drug. As a
result, people take stronger and more frequent doses in an attempt to feel the
same high, and to obtain relief from withdrawal.
Withdrawal
Giving up cocaine after a long time is challenging because the body has to get
used to functioning without it. Please seek advice from a health professional.
Phases of withdrawal
Withdrawal symptoms usually start around 6-12 hours after the last use.
Withdrawal usually happens in three phases:
 Crash – feelings of depression or anxiety, cocaine cravings, extreme
tiredness (experienced in the first few days)
 Withdrawal – cocaine cravings, lack of energy, anxiety, agitation,
disturbed sleep,and an inability to feel pleasure (can last for several
weeks)
 Extinction – withdrawal symptoms can occur over several months,
gradually subsidiary

Alcohol
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Alcohol, sometimes referred to by the chemical name ethanol, is a depressant

drug that is the active ingredient in drinks such as beer, wine, and distilled
spirits (hard liquor). It is one of the oldest and most commonly
consumed recreational drugs, causing the characteristic effects of alcohol
intoxication ("drunkenness").Among other effects, alcohol
produces happiness and euphoria, decreased anxiety,
increased sociability, sedation, impairment of cognitive, memory, motor,
and sensory function, and generalized depression of central nervous
system function. Ethanol is only one of several types of alcohol, but it is the
only type of alcohol that is found in alcoholic beverages or commonly used for
recreational purposes; other alcohols such as methanol and isopropyl alcohol are
significantly more toxic. A mild, brief exposure to isopropanol, being only
moderately more toxic than ethanol, is unlikely to cause any serious harm.
Methanol, being profoundly more toxic than ethanol, is lethal in quantities as
small as 10–15 milliliters.
Alcohol has a variety of short-term and long-term adverse effects. Short-term
adverse effects include generalized impairment of neurocognitive
function, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and hangover-like symptoms. Alcohol
is addictive to humans, and can result in alcohol use
disorder, dependence and withdrawal. It can have a variety of long-term adverse
effects on health, such as liver damage[13] and brain damage,[14][15] and its
consumption is the fifth leading cause of cancer. The adverse effects of alcohol
on health are most important when it is used in excessive quantities or with
heavy frequency. However, some of them, such as increased risk of certain
cancers, may occur even with light or moderate alcohol consumption.[17][18] In
high amounts, alcohol may cause loss of consciousness or, in severe cases,
death.
When alcohol goes into the body, it doesn’t digest. Instead, it passes quickly
into the bloodstream. After affecting the stomach and brain, it travels to the
kidneys and liver.
First, alcohol hits the stomach. Oftentimes, drinking a small amount of
alcohol can increase appetite because it increases the flow of liquids in the
stomach. However, drinking too much alcohol can diminish appetite and even
cause an ulcer due to the combination of stomach acid and alcohol.
Alcohol’s next stop: the brain. When the first sip of alcohol is taken, it races
to your brain within the next thirty seconds. Alcohol slows down the chemicals
and pathways that help your brain send messages. This causes reflexes to slow
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and reduces the ability to balance. As more alcohol is consumed, physical

coordination and the speed of reflexes continue to lower. 
After a number of drinks, depending on your body, you’ll likely experience:
 word slurring
 blurry vision
 a lack of coordination
Then, the alcohol is on to the kidneys. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it
increases urine production. When you drink alcohol, you’ll have to urinate more
often, leading to thirst and dehydration.
Alcohol has short-term effects on the liver. The liver oxidizes 95% of the
alcohol you consume, meaning that it converts alcohol into water and carbon
monoxide. The liver can generally oxidize one standard alcoholic drink an hour,
so drinking too much will overwhelm it.

Effects of Alcohol and drug abuses

At the global level:
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) (which includes a level that's is sometimes called
alcoholism) is a pattern of alcohol use that involves problems controlling your
drinking, being preoccupied with alcohol, continuing to use alcohol even when
it causes problems, having to drink more to get the same effect or having
withdrawal symptoms when you rapidly decrease or stop drinking. The
prevalence of AUDs is highest in Europe (7.5%) and the lowest among eastern
Mediterranean regions, which includes Afghanistan, Bahrain and Egypt.
Globally, 50% of the deaths caused by liver cirrhosis, 30% of the deaths
because of oral and pharyngeal cancers, 22% of the deaths caused by inter-
personal violence, 22% of the deaths because of self-harm, 15% of the deaths
caused by traffic injuries, 12% of the deaths because of tuberculosis (TB) and
12% of the deaths caused by liver cancer were attributed to alcohol
consumption.[1]
At the national level:
The 12-month prevalence of AUDs in India in the year 2010 was 2.6% and that
of alcohol dependence was 2.1%. In 2012, 33.1% of all the road traffic accident
deaths were attributable to drunk and driving. The National Mental Health
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Survey of India 2015–16 found the prevalence of AUDs to be 9% in adult men.

In India, the alcohol-attributable fraction (AAF) of all cause deaths was found
to be 5.4%. Around 62.9% of all the deaths due to liver cirrhosis were
attributable to alcohol use
Millions of Indians are dependent on alcohol, cannabis, and opiates, and drug
misuse is a pervasive phenomenon in Indian society, says a new report,
published jointly by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and India's Ministry of
Social Justice.
The report was completed more than 18 months ago but was only recently
published because its findings were not acceptable to the government of the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was in power until May this year.
“They [the previous government] did not want to admit the magnitude of the
problem indicated by the national household survey and that this too was
happening within India—something they considered antithetical to Indian
culture and embarrassing,” said a senior
government official.

In the national household survey more than 40 000 men and boys (aged 12 to 60
years) were interviewed, while subsidiary studies looked at drug misuse among
women and prison inmates and in rural populations and border areas.
Alcohol, cannabis, opium, and heroin are the major drugs misused in India, says
the report. Buprenorphine, propoxyphene, and heroin are the most commonly
injected drugs.
Applying estimates of prevalence to population figures, the survey estimated
that in India, whose population is just over a billion, 62.5 million people use
alcohol, 8.75 million use cannabis, two million use opiates, and 0.6 million use
sedatives or hypnotics. Seventeen per cent to 26% of these people can be
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classified as dependent users who need urgent treatment, says the report. About
25% of users of opiates and cannabis are likely to seek treatment, while about
one in six people who drink alcohol are likely to do so.
“That drug abuse is an exclusively urban phenomenon is a myth,” said Gary
Lewis, the South Asia regional representative of the UN Office on Drugs and
Crime. Injecting drugs and high risk behaviours are seen in urban and rural
areas, he added.
Injecting drugs is fairly widespread throughout the country and not restricted to
the northeastern states—the common perception. “It is interesting to note that
the abuse of heroin and IDUs [injecting drug users] were also reported from
rural India,” says the report. Sharing of needles was common (needles were
shared by three injecting drug users, on average), as was unsafe sex.
The potential number of people seeking treatment—about 0.5 million opiate
users, 2.3 million cannabis users, and 10.5 million alcohol users—is a serious
challenge for India at present, said Mr Lewis. Low enrolment in treatment
programmes and long duration of drug use before people seek treatment remain
key areas of concern, he added.
Currently India does not have a system of national or local monitoring for drug
misuse, said Dr Rajat Ray, head of the Centre for Behavioural Sciences at the
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, and the main author of the
report. “Mere building of treatment centres will not be enough, and millions of
drug users in the community will have to be motivated, informed, and
encouraged to come forward to seek treatment,” he say.

CONCLUSION:
Drug and alcohol abuse among the youth in the society should be discouraged
and voided at all costs. The youth are affected and the society is affected. The
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productive young men and women cannot perform their social duties. One way
in which the abuse of drugs and alcohol can be avoided in the society is through
engaging the youth in various productive activities. This will reduce their idle
time while keeping them busy.
They will not have enough time for drinking. Additionally, they will have fewer
problems to worry about. They should also be educated and warned about the
dangers of drug and alcohol abuse both to their health and to the society. Since
alcohol and substance abuse is related to increased crime in the society, its
reduction will lead to reduced crime rates and economic growth.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
•Internet (Wikipedia)
•NCERT biology class 12
•Online library