By Charlotte Lee
~ 8 minutes
What are Drugs?
- Drugs are chemical substances that can alter or affect the structure or function of the body.
- They can be used for medicinal purposes or recreational purposes, as well as be addictive or non-addictive.
- They can be classified as stimulants, depressants, opioids, hallucinogens, cannabinoids, and inhalants.
Why are Certain Drugs Addictive?
Drugs interfere with the ways that neurons interact with neurotransmitters. Some drugs, like marijuana, mimic the neurotransmitters in the brain, which allows them to activate certain neurons.
Marijuana is a type of cannabinoid, which is a class of chemical compounds from the cannabis plant that originated in Asia. The cannabis plant was first used to make ropes and textiles, but was later used for medicinal and spiritual purposes. Additionally, they can be medicinal, psychoactive, or non-psychoactive and stay in the body for 3-4 days after use.
THC, which is the main active component in marijuana, binds to the cannabinoid receptors in the brain. This binding mimics neurotransmitters and triggers a release of dopamine, and increased use of marijuana leads to more dopamine being released, creating a reinforcement loop that leads to addiction.
Although the chemicals in the drugs mimic the neurotransmitters, they are not exactly the same. This causes them to send abnormal messages and, in the case of some drugs like heroin, send an increase of dopamine because they bind to and activate opioid receptors. This also blocks the transmission of pain and causes a large amount of pain relief. Additionally, it can lead to dependence because it causes the brain to reduce the number of endorphins and the sensitivity of opioid receptors. Over time, the brain and body become dependent on external stimulants like heroin to feel any sense of happiness.
Heroin, another narcotic, is a very strong, highly addictive drug that comes from morphine, which is extracted from a part of the opium plant. It can cause severe withdrawal symptoms, overdose, liver and kidney disease, and many other negative side effects. Heroin can come in the form of a white or brownish powder, or a black, sticky substance. It is typically injected, snorted, or smoked and considered a Schedule I controlled substance in the U.S. and most other countries. That means that the drug is illegal, has a high potential for abuse, and is not accepted for any type of medical use.
Cocaine, another popular narcotic, comes from the leaves of a coca plant, native to South America, most commonly, Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. Traditionally, people in the Andes chewed or brewed coca leaves as a medicine and stimulant; however, industrial processing has made their effects more potent, creating a drug trade. Cocaine is highly addictive and can cause serious health concerns like depression, bleeding in the lungs, and inflammation. Cocaine is illegal in the US, as it hijacks the brain’s reward system, causing a flood of dopamine and other neurotransmitters, but it can be used for medical purposes with restrictions. Over time, the brain and body become dependent on cocaine to feel any sense of happiness.
These drugs affect the ganglia, a part of the brain responsible for relaying pleasurable effects and forming routines. The over-stimulation of a nerve cluster can lead to a feeling of euphoria or a dopamine release. The large amounts of dopamine make the brain connect drugs to the good feeling and teach the brain to continue using drugs. However, the ganglia are also the reason the drug’s high fades over time, as they adapt to its constant presence and become less sensitive to its effects.
Drugs are more addictive than natural activities that release dopamine, like working out, because drug misuse can lead to fewer neurotransmitters being released in general. This makes a person’s overall ability to feel pleasure for regular activities lower, making them feel flat or unmotivated in general. This also leads to people needing more and more drugs to feel a normal level of reward.
While many drugs are plant-derived and addictive, the rise of synthetic drugs is creating an unprecedented danger due to unnatural chemicals increasing the potency and unpredictability of the drug.
QUICK CAUTIONS: Synthetic Drugs
- They are often illegal and have very little quality control, which makes the potency and effects of the drug unpredictable.
- Synthetic drugs are easily contaminated with other hazardous materials, poisons, or drugs. Untested stimulants and chemicals may also exist in the drug, where the long-term side effects are unknown. For example, many drugs are often laced with the synthetic drug fentanyl, which is very strong and can increase the high, causing consumers to keep buying the drug. However, fentanyl is extremely deadly and a little amount can be fatal, leading to an increase in overdose deaths.
- Manufacturers constantly modify the chemical structure of the drugs to increase the high and addictiveness of the drug as well as evade authorities. This also makes it harder for medical professionals to treat overdoses or reactions because they are not familiar with the drug.
- Synthetic drugs are often sold under misleading names with colorful packaging to evade authorities, which can lead to accidental consumption. For example, Spice and K2 are common names for a lab-made drug that mimics the THC in marijuana by mimicking marijuana’s chemical structure. It is often sold under the name of herbal incense or potpourri to sound more enticing and evade authorities.
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