Do you guys still remember what recreational drugs are in I/GCSE Biology?

• In I/GCSE Biology, Extracted from natural substance
• Alcohol = fermented from fruit + grain
• Drug = any chemical that alters how our body works
• Affect the CNS + control movement of chemicals across synapses
• Natural chemicals (in body) that fit the shape of the receptors in our body
• In I/GCSE Biology, Drugs have similar shapes shape to these chemicals – mimic or copy what they do
• Drug abuse – take too much of a drug/use for wrong reasons
• Chew on coca plant – stay way = now used to make cocaine
• Some drugs mimic chemicals released across synapses
• If drug used allot – build up tolerance = use more for same effect = body becomes dependant on it (difficult to manage without drug) = leads to addiction (can’t manage without taking drug)
• If try to stop – suffer withdrawal symptoms = feel sick, headaches, flu-like symptoms – more serious symptoms = tremors and fits

• In I/GCSE Biology, Recreational drugs – taken for pleasure
• Legal – caffeine and nicotine (tobacco)
• Illegal – cannabis, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy - have negative effects on heart + circulatory system
• Some evidence – cannabis causes psychological problems(not sure though)
• NHS spend more money treating legal drugs than illegal (more people use them)
• Can cut down crime + stop criminal gangs if drugs were legal

• In I/GCSE Biology, Evidence of a link between smoking cannabis and mental illness
• Cannabis – leads to harder drugs = gateway drugs

• New Zealand study results:
  • Mental illness more common in cannabis users
  • People with mental illness = no greater wish to smoke cannabis
  • Cannabis probably increased chance of mental illness = cause chemical changes in the brain
  • Increase of mental illness symptoms after regular use of cannabis
  • Men who smoked cannabis = develop schizophrenia

However some studies do show that there is little correlation in cannabis being a gateway drug and cannabis causing mental illness

That's all~

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