Drug Use and Abuse - Drug is any substance – other than food or water – that, when taken into the body, alters Physical functioning in some way - Defining drug abuse - Is the excessive or inappropriate use of a drug that results in some form of physical, Mental, or social impairment - Drug addiction - Refers to a psychological and/or physiological need for a drug to maintain a sense of Well-being and to avoid withdrawal symptoms. - Tolerance - Occurs when larger doses of a drug are required over time to produce the same Physical or psychological effect that was originally achieved by a smaller dose. - Withdrawal - Refers to a variety of physical and/or psychological symptoms that habitual drug users Experience when they discontinue drug use. Alcohol Use and Abuse - Alcohol consumption and class, gender, age, and race - Alcohol consumption, personal health, and family problems - Personal health problems - Fetal alcohol syndrome – a condition characterized by mental retardation and Craniofacial malformations that may affect the child of an alcoholic mother. - Family problems - Codependency – a reciprocal relationship between the alcoholic and one or more Nonalcoholic who unwittingly aid and abet the alcoholic’s excessive drinking and Resulting behavior Tobacco Use as a Social Problem - Who is most likely to smoke - Effects of smoking - Environmental tobacco smoke – the smoke in the air as aa result of other people’s Tobacco smoking Prescription Drugs, Over-the-Counter Drugs, and Caffeine - Prescription drugs - Iatrogenic addiction is most likely to occur with long-term use and/or high dosages Of a prescription drug - It most often affects people from the middle or upper class who have no previous History of drug abuse or addiction - Over-the-counter drugs - Caffeine Illegal Drug Use and Abuse - Marijuana - Stimulants - Cocaine and crack - Amphetamines and methamphetamines - Depressants - Narcotics - Hallucinogens Explanations of Drug Abuse - Biological explanations - Psychological explanations - Sociological explanations - The symbolic interactionist perspective - Drug subculture – a group of people whose attitudes, and behaviors pertaining to drug Use differs significantly from those of most people in the larger society. - The functionalist perspective - The conflict perspective