What is a drug?

Drugs are chemical substances that affect how our body and mind work. However, there a lot of types of
drugs and those are: prescribed medicines, over the counter medicines (OTC), alcohol, tobacco, and
illegal drugs. There are 3 types of drugs: Depressants, Stimulants, Hallucinogens.

Depressants - are drugs that affects the central nervous system affecting the messages that are sent
between the brain and the body.

Stimulants – are drugs that instead of slowing down the central nervous system it stimulates
and speed up the messages that are sent between the brain and the body.

Hallucinogens – are a type of drug that affects the 5 senses of a person and the perception
around them.

What are the type drugs?

Prescribed medicines – This are a type of drugs that are prescribed and used for medical purposes
for example Central Nervous System (CNS) depressants and stimulants.

Over the counter medicines (OTC) – This is a type of drugs that you can buy without a
prescription for example aspirin and laxatives.

Alcohol – It is classified as a depressant because it affects the body and the mind of a person,
when we drink alcohol, our brain and vital functions slows down resulting in a disturbed and
poor perception around us, slow reaction time, unsteady movement, slurred speech, and the
ability to think rationally.

Tobacco – This is considered a drug because it contains Nicotine, a highly addicting drug.
When smoked it can affect the brains and lungs quickly and being addicting a person will smoke
it for years with the possibility of developing cancer or other diseases.
Illegal drugs - This is a type of drug that are banned by law because they are considered
dangerous. Types of illegal drugs: Cannabis (Marijuana), Cocaine, MDMA/Ecstasy, GHB,
Hallucinogens, Heroin, Inhalants, Ketamine, and Methamphetamine.

Who are the people who will most likely

use illegal drugs?
Teens are the people who most likely will take illegal drugs because they are more vulnerable
than adults. There are various reasons but most of them use drugs to: fit in, feel good, try, excel
in academic and sports.

Fit in – to fit in a group of friends to be accepted or to look cool because other people in that
group use drugs and because of that teens are “forced” to take drugs.

Feel good – teens use drugs to find pleasure and to minimize the effects of mental health
disorders such as depression or anxiety. They also use drugs to forget about their stressful life
experiences such as traumas.

Try – teens often try drugs because they are curious.

Excel in academics or sports - because of the pressure in exceeding in academics and

sports many teens use drugs to improve and meet the expectations of their family or teachers.
What are the signs that a teen has a drug
problem?
 Missing school
 A significant drop in grades or performance at school
 Not doing the activities that he/she usually enjoy
 Disinterest in spending time with family
 Drastic changes in behavior including isolation
 Not taking care of themselves - for example, not taking showers, or not
changing clothes
 Being tired and sad
 Eating more or eating less than usual
 Being very energetic, talking fast, or saying things that don't make sense
 Being in a bad mood

References
https://positivechoices.org.au/students/what-are-illegal-drugs

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/prescription-drug-abuse.html

https://medlineplus.gov/druguseandaddiction.html

https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/drugs/about-drugs/what-are-the-effects-of-taking-drugs

https://medlineplus.gov/drugsandyoungpeople.html

https://www.sandstonecare.com/blog/5-reasons-teens-use-drugs