medicines
legal drugs that help the body fight injury, illness, or disease.
over-the-counter drug
A medicine that is sold legally in pharmacies and other stores without a doctor's prescription.
prescription drug
A drug that can be obtained only with a written order from a doctor and can be purchased only at a pharmacy.
illegal drug
chemical substance that people of any age may not lawfully manufacture, possess, buy or sell.
drug misuse
the improper use of medicines-either prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
drug abuse
When a drug is intentionally used improperly or unsafely.
psychoactive drug
A mood-altering drug that is a chemical that affects brain activity.
side effect
An unwanted physical or mental effect caused by a drug.
reward pathway
Many psychoactive drugs trigger activity along a path of cells in the brain called the...
dopamine
This chemical, though not dangerous in itself, is very dangerous when in association with drug use.
dependence
A chemical need for a drug and the body cannot function without it.
tolerance
when a drug is used repeatedly, this can form, requiring more and more of the drug as the body gets used to it.
withdrawal symptoms
If a person who is dependent on a psychoactive drug stops taking the drug, that person will experience this.
drug antagonism
When each drug's effect is canceled out or reduced by the other.
drug synergism
when drugs interact to produce greater effects than those that each drug would produce alone.
impurities
Since drugs are not manufactured legally, they may often be laced with something or tainted by something, both of which are known as what?
hepatitis and HIV
These are two diseases that can be caused by sharing needles to inject drugs.
family factors, social factors, personal factors
The three types of factors that make it more or less likely that a teen will abuse drugs.
protective factor
A factor that reduces a person's potential for harmful behavior.
depressant
a psychoactive drug that slows brain and body reactions
barbiturates
A class of depressants that are also called sedative-hypnotics. In small doses, they relax a person while in large doses they induce sleep.
CNS depressant
A sedative that slows the activity of the central nervous system.
opiate
Any drug made from the psychoactive compounds contained in the seed pods of poppy plants.
heroin
an illegal opiate made from morphine in a laboratory.
stimulant
A drug that speeds up the activities of the central nervous system.
amphetamines
prescription drugs that are sometimes sold illegally as "speed" or "uppers".
methamphetamine
A stimulant related to amphetamines, but even more powerful.
cocaine
A powerful but short-acting stimulant.
hallucinogen
A drug that distorts perception, thought and mood. They overload the brain with sensory information, cause a distorted sense of reality.
LSD, psilocybin, PCP, marijuana
The four main types of hallucinogens
LSD
The strongest hallucinogen.
psylocybin
a hallucinogenic chemical found in a certain type of mushroom, often called shrooms.
PCP
Also called "Angel Dust", this hallucinogen is one of the most dangerous of all drugs.
marijuana
the leaves, stems, and flowering tops of the hemp plant.
marijuana
A drug that may act as a depressant, stimulant, or hallucinogen.
club drugs
Drugs that got their name from the fact that they first gained popularity at dance clubs and raves.
inhalent
A breathable chemical vapor that produces mind-altering effects.
anabolic steroids
Synthetic drugs that are similar to the hormone testosterone.
acknowledging the problem
the first step in treating drug abuse.
detoxification
A program where one undergoes gradual but complete withdrawal from the abused drug under medical supervision.
therapeutic community
A residential treatment center where former drug abusers live together and learn to adjust to drug-free lives.
supervised medication
A treatment option that involves replacing the abused drug with a drug that produces some of the same effects, without the "high".
CNS depressant
...