CCJ 4938 Drugs in the Justice System Exam 2 7 Theoretical Perspectives on Drug Use Why Do People Take Drugs We all take drugs for genuine therapeutic reasons But why do people take them for purely recreational reasons There are many different reasons why can t come to one main conclusion Has anyone developed a single theory that explains why some people are more prone to drug abuse than others What do we end up settling for Oldest theory to explain drug abuse and disapproved behavior is demonology o Why would someone do something bad Because the Devil made them do it In the last 200 years we have moved away fro believing that evil spirits invoke bad behavior but this belief underlies the way some people still think about drug abuse moral model of drug abuse o Drug abusers can be seen as morally deficient who because of personal inadequacies overindulgence a weakness of will or other character flaw have succumbed to the clutches of a fiendish dope peddler A nonreligious version of this point of view is referred to as the moral model of drug abuse o Drug taking behavior is a matter of personal choice that we made The implications of why people take drugs can be profound on the way drug abusers are held responsible for their actions and the way the CJS views drug taking behavior We will review theories of drug use and abuse from 3 broad perspectives 1 Biological 2 Psychological 3 Sociological o Genetic factors physiological factors neurochemicals o Behavioral non psychoanalytical theories o Anomie social control differential association 1 Biological Genetic Factors Though environmental factors are important studies have shown that genetic factors play an equal or greater role Studies of different strains of mice and rats found that some have a genetic propensity to become dependent upon cocaine but other strains are more susceptible to the dependence on opiates Most studies concerning genetic factors in humans have focused on alcoholic individuals o Children of alcoholics are 4 times more likely to become alcoholics o Identical twins are more likely to have similar risk for alcoholism than fraternal twins CCJ 4938 Drugs in the Justice System Exam 2 Children of one alcoholic biological parent that were adopted by non alcoholics were 3 times more likely to be alcoholics even when they were raised in a low risk environment We have yet to identify the single gene that may be responsible for the emergence of alcoholism and it is likely that several genes play a role Genes that play an important role in alcoholism may include genes associated with liver enzymes that metabolize break down alcohol and genes affecting specific patterns of brain chemistry We are not speaking of genetic factors producing these effects in a deterministic manner always probabilistic Physiological Factors One physiological factor hypothesized to be involved in drug abuse has to do with metabolic processes in the body o People might differ in the extent to which chemicals in the body are broken down or changed in some way to allow us to function normally Chronic heroin abuse might be due to a metabolic defect in the bodies of heroin abusers o Similar to Type I diabetics who need insulin due to deficiencies o Heroin abusers are normalizing their body o Currently the evidence for a metabolic defect is only circumstantial o Heroin dependent individuals appear to behave as if they have a metabolic imbalance with respect to opiates Neurochemical Systems in the Brain Amphetamines cocaine heroin alcohol and nicotine may be very different from a pharmacological standpoint but the way people and animals react to them are remarkably similar Use of these substances results in a pattern of compulsive behavior based on an intense craving for repeating the experience The similarities among all of these drugs and across species are numerous enough to entertain the idea that there exists common neurochemical system in the brain that links them all together When lab animals are given amphetamines heroine cocaine alcohol or nicotine there is an increased level of dopamine activity in the nucleus accumbens o Administration of any substance that interferes with dopamine activity in this region eliminates the desire of animals to work for the self administration of these abused drugs We cannot say that these animals no longer experience feelings of cravings but self administration behavior in animals closely parallels humans An argument can be made that dopamine related processes in the nucleus accumbens underlie the reinforcing effects of abused drugs o If given drug that stops sending dopamine to the nucleus accumbens it stops the addicting behavior CCJ 4938 Drugs in the Justice System Exam 2 Dopamine research in drug dependence can help us understand why some individuals may be more susceptible to drug taking behavior In one study 23 drug free men with no history of drug abuse were given doses of methylphenidate Ritalin o 12 men had a pleasant feeling 9 felt annoyed and 2 felt nothing at all o Measurements of dopamine receptors in the brains of these subjects showed Men with least concentration of dopamine receptors were the ones experiencing pleasant effects Hypothesis individuals with fewest dopamine receptors might be the most vulnerable to drug abuse 2 Psychological Behavioral Theories learned Emphasize the role of learning through reinforcement most human behavior is o Drug taking behavior leading to drug abuse is a consequence of having modified one s behaviors in specific ways a s a result of being rewarded The overarching principle of behavioral theory is that any behavior that is followed by a reward reinforcement is more likely to be repeated in the future o Repeated rewards will result in a continuing pattern of behavior that can be weakened when reinforcement is removed Individuals using a drug with a high reinforcement potential typically report that they care more about obtaining and using the drug than just about anything else o Reinforcers related to drug taking behavior exceed competing Reinforcers While behavior theorists make the distinction between positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement the principle of reinforcement remains the same o Heroin example not looking for a high just don t want to be sick from withdrawal symptoms so keep taking the drug Which aspect of reinforcement is emphasized among drug abusers can determine the pattern of drug taking behavior o Positive euphoria seekers o Negative
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