Drugs
Drugs are substances that change chemical
reactions in the body.
Medical drugs relieve diseases and
illness.
Recreational drugs are used for pleasure.
Developing new drugs
1. Drugs are tested using computer models
and human cells growth in the laboratory. (Many substances fail this test as
they damage the cell or don’t work)
2. Drugs that pass the first stage are
tested on animals. They are monitored carefully for any side effects.
3. Drugs that passed the animal test are
used in clinical trials. They are tested on healthy volunteers to check if they
are safe. Low doses are used at the beginning and further clinical trials are
done to find the optimum dose for the drug.
Clinical trials are not without risk and
severe side effects may occur.
People feel better from a drug because
they have taken a medicine called a placebo effect.
Double blind trials are used to minimise
the placebo effect.
Some people are given the drug whilst
others are given a placebo.
A placebo does not contain the drug.
Doctors and patients are both not told
which have taken the placebo or drug until the trial is over.
Thalidomide is medical drug that caused an
unexpected and serious damage to unborn babies.
First developed as a sleeping pill, it was
thought to be useful for easing morning sickness but hasn’t been tested for use
in this way.
It was found to have damaged the
development of unborn babies, it lead to babies born very short or incompletely
formed. More than 10,000 babies were affected around the world.
Thalidomide was banned and drug testing
was made more rigorous than before.
Thalidomide is used as a treatment for
leprosy and bone cancer now.
Alcohol and nicotine are legal
recreational drugs.
Alcohol is a depressant so it slows down
signals in the nerves and brain.
It is addictive and long term effects of
alcohol include damages to the liver and brain and it is often the cause of
weight gain. Small amounts of alcohol can be relaxing but large amounts lead to
aggression and sometimes unconsciousness.
Nicotine is found in tobacco smoke
100,000 people die each year from smoking
related illnesses.
It is addictive.
It increases the risk of heart diseases
and strokes
Premature birth
Lung cancer, mouth + throat cancer
It deposits tar in the lung.
Illegal drugs
Heroin and cocaine are very addictive,
they damage the heart and circulatory system, and cannabis can cause mental
illness in some people.
Recreational drugs can damage health
indirectly (people spending less money on food to buy drugs)
Injecting drugs through a syringe can lead
to HIV.
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