Ann Kramer - Drugs

E-book published in 2012 by Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., in association with Arcturus Publishing Limited, 26/27 Bickels Yard, 151-153 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3HA. Britannica, Encyclopdia Britannica, and the Thistle logo are registered trademarks of Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc.

ISBN 978-1-61535-657-7 (e-book)

This edition first published in 2010 by Arcturus Publishing

Distributed by Black Rabbit Books

P.O. Box 3263

Mankato, Minnesota 56002

Copyright 2010 Arcturus Publishing Limited

The right of Ann Kramer to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved.

Planned and produced by Discovery Books Ltd.

www.discoverybooks.net

Managing editor for Discovery Books: Rachel Tisdale

Editors: Amy Bauman and Juliet Mozley

Designer: D. R. ink

Consultant: Xanthe Fry, School Counselor and Educational Consultant

Editor for U.S. edition: Amy Bauman

Picture researcher: Tamsin Osler

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kramer, Ann.

Drugs / Ann Kramer.

p. cm. -- (Teen FAQ)

Includes index.

1. Drug abuse--Juvenile literature. 2. Drugs--Juvenile literature. 3. Drugs of abuse-Juvenile literature. I. Title.

HV5809.5.K73 2011

613.8--dc22

2010010639

Picture credits

Corbis: cover, 9 (Falko Updarp), 20 (Scott Houston/Sygma), 35 (Bob Thomas), 36 (Mediscan), 40 (LWA-Dann Tardif). Getty Images: 13 (Supernova), 14 (Dimas Ardian/Stringer), 17 (Steve Allen), 19 (Chris Jackson), 32 (Luca Zampedri). Istockphoto.com: 7 (Alexandr Tovstenko), 16 (Achim Prill), 26, 27 (Jean-Joseph Renucci), 28 (Henk Bentlage), 31 (Patricia Furtado), 41 (Rich Legg), 45. Photofusion: 10 (Janine Wiedel), 18 (Janine Wiedel), 21 (David Hoffman). Shutterstock: 22 (Gregor Kervina), 24 (Attila Huszti), 38 (Wikus Otto).

Every attempt has been made to clear copyright. Should there be any inadvertent omission, please apply to the copyright holder for rectification.

SL001458US

Supplier 03, Date 0510

It seems that barely a day goes by without a newspaper article or a television program about the growing problem of young people using drugs or about a teenager who has died after taking drugs in a club. Sometimes it may feel as if its one of the most important topics in the media today.

But what do people mean when they talk about drugs? Are they only talking about illegal drugs such as marijuana or heroin? Do they mean other kinds of drugs, too? And how big is the problem?

Drugs are chemical substances that change the way we feel, the way we behave, or how our body works. They can be swallowed, inhaled, or injected. They then enter the bloodstream and affect our bodies and minds in various ways.

Usually when people talk about drugs, they are referring to street drugs. These include drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, or heroin, which are illegal in many countries, and which people take for excitement, relaxation or to feel good. Many are harmful, and several are addictive.

Not all drugs that people take are illegal. Alcohol, nicotine (as in cigarettes), and caffeine are drugs. Medicines that doctors prescribe, such as painkillers or tranquilizers, are also drugs. And they can be addictive, too. Then there are solvents and household products such as paint thinners and lighter fuel. These are deadly poisonous, but some people use them as drugs to get high.

When someone says drugs, what do you think of first? Do you think of medicine, illegal drugs, or something else?

Drugs can have devastating effects and may cause addiction, lasting physical and mental harm, and even death. There are concerns that teenage drug misuse causes problems at school, involves teenagers in criminal acts, and leaves teenagers vulnerable to sexual and other attacks.

NOTHING NEW

Humans have been using drugs for pleasure or as medicine for thousands of years. Archaeologists have found evidence that humans were growing marijuana more than 14,000 years ago. The ancient Sumerians used opium more than 5,000 years ago, and Inca peoples chewed coca leaves, the source of cocaine, as part of their religious rituals. Originally most drugs were natural and came from plants; today many are made in laboratories.

THE AGE LINK

Adults who first used drugs at a younger age were more likely to become dependent on or abusive of illicit drugs than adults who initiated use at an older age. For example, among adults age 18 or older who first tried marijuana at age 14 or younger, 13 percent became dependent on or abusive of illicit drugs as compared to only 2.8 percent of adults who first used marijuana at age 18 or older.

National Drug Intelligence Center, U.S. Dept. of Justice

Drugs can be divided into different groups.

Stimulants speed up messages in the brain and along the central nervous system, making you feel more alert and energetic and heightening your senses. They include amphetamines, cocaine and crack, nicotine, and caffeine.

Depressants slow down the central nervous system. Thinking and activity slow down. Alcohol is a depressant, as are heroin and solvents such as glue and aerosols.

Hallucinogens alter the way you see things, and can cause hallucinations so that you see things that are not there. They include LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) and magic mushrooms.

Some drugs dont fit neatly into these groups because they have more than one effect. For instance, marijuana can both stimulate and depress the body, and can cause hallucinations.

It is hard to say which drugs are most dangerous. Heroin kills more people each year than ecstasy. Drug deaths in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2005 were 6,913 for heroin compared to 292 for ecstasy. No deaths have been recorded directly and solely from marijuana. But all drugs have unpleasant side effects. If abused, all drugs can be dangerous. Long-term use of any drug can cause permanent damage to the mind and body. And drugs can be difficult to give up.

In the United States and the United Kingdom, about 9 percent of 11- to 15-year-olds have used an illegal drug. Drug use increases with age and it is likely that nearly half of all 17-year-olds will take an illegal drug at least once. Marijuana is the most popular street drug used by teenagers.

Do you know if any of your friends have tried drugs? If so, which ones?

When teenagers are asked why they take drugs, some of the main reasons they give are: