CCJ 4938 Drugs in the Justice System EXAM 1 NOTES 1 Introduction to Drugs in the Justice System Why Are Drugs Important to Study Think About It o Why are some of the most injurious addictive and mind altering substances tobacco and alcohol are legal while others are illegal o Why are certain drugs legal in some countries but not others o Why is marijuana much less common in Holland where it is not punished than in the US where it is harshly punished o Why do people continue to use illegal drugs when they face prison sentences longer than those for murder Psychoactive drugs have always been around o Because of this will we ever be able to stop them Humans like to alter their consciousness o Focus should be on reducing harm rather than eliminating entirely What should we do o Best option is to educate the population about drugs Wanda s Feelings on the War on Drugs Everyone has their own biases towards against certain drugs Making drugs illegal has not been effective in reducing drug use In irresponsible hands lots of things can be bad besides just drugs Should drugs be restricted o Maybe some The Does Makes the Poison Nothing of itself is good or evil only the manner of its use makes it so Drug a chemical substance used in the treatment cure prevention or diagnosis of disease or used to otherwise enhance physical or mental well being More commonly a drug is any substance that in small amounts produces noticeable changes in the body or mind o If this is the case then that includes Advil Tylenol and other such medicines Medicine vs Poison helpful Medicine helps poison hurts common sense All drugs are harmful in high enough doses and some low doses of poison can be The potency of the drug dictates how much you need for an effect The Controlled Substance Act divided illegal drugs into four basic categories 1 Opiates and Opioids 2 Hallucinogens 3 Stimulants 4 Depressants Four Categories of Drugs CCJ 4938 Drugs in the Justice System EXAM 1 NOTES 1 Opiates and Opioids Opiates drug derived from opium plant o Some of the oldest drugs and were first to be seen as public health threat o Ex heroin morphine and codeine Opioids completely synthetic drugs that are not derived from opium not from the plant at all o Similar to opiates in chemical structure and biological effects o Ex meperdine Demerol and fentanyl Overwhelming majority of illegal drugs are in this category 2 Hallucinogens Grouped in this category because chief feature is to cause altered perceptions Ex LSD PCP and marijuana Several objections to the term o Hallucinogen implies visual distortions or other changes in sensations the importance of mood and thought change gets lost o Most hallucinogens do not actually make you hallucinate they just alter the perception of things that are already there 3 Stimulants 4 Depressants General category of drugs that excite the Central Nervous System CNS Ex Cocaine amphetamines Drugs that inhibit the Central Nervous System Ex Barbiturates GHB and sleeping pills Includes sedatives and hypnotics often referred to as downers sedatives Drug Terms What is meant by illegal drug o Usually means drugs that are classified as Schedule I or II substances in the Controlled Substances Act Is an illegal drug the same as an illicit drug o Illicit Drugs not necessarily illegal Illicit use is when a drug is taken outside its regular or medicinally prescribed use Drugs of Abuse any drug legal or illegal that is used in an irresponsible manner or harmful way o Not all recreational drugs are abused and medicines are often abused Psychoactive Drugs affect the CNS and stimulate or dull senses promote feelings of euphoria or alter perceptions o All illegal drugs in the US are psychoactive drugs o Many of these are used recreationally but not all of them are illegal CCJ 4938 Drugs in the Justice System EXAM 1 NOTES Recreational Drugs drugs taken for non medicinal purposes usually for pleasure o Not all are illegal opioids Narcotic refers specifically to drugs related to opium or synthetic forms o Because narcotics were the first drugs to be controlled by international agreement the term is often used today loosely to refer to all illegal drugs not all drugs are narcotics though Why are Drugs Illegal Drugs cause a danger to and tobacco o Self injures the mind and body however legal drugs kill more alcohol o Others o Society may be a political threat drugs alter perception and may be less respectful of certain traditions Much of the supposed dangers of these drugs are highly disputed but because they are illegal it is almost impossible to conduct the research necessary to prove that they may be used safely A dangerous drug is one that is toxic injuring the mind and body or causes harm to the functioning of a person Supposedly drugs that have been made illegal are hazardous but also have no long standing social use and have a high potential for abuse However most toxic drugs are not always regulated by the government and may Danger to Self be made legal Danger to Others Illegal drugs are restricted because they are a threat to health of individuals and to family and rest of society Greatest danger these have is on their mental health Addiction results in unpredictable compulsive behavior that can bring suffering to family friends and co workers Danger to Society Some drugs are more of a political threat Drugs that change behavior or thoughts can make people less respectful of traditions and regulations making drug user hard to control May be physically harmless but a threat to society if they break down social harmony Ex o Alcohol social attitude seen as a good thing o Opiates reclusive antisocial behavior is bad CCJ 4938 Drugs in the Justice System EXAM 1 NOTES Will the Drug Problem Ever be Solved NO Not a question of whether or not they will be used but which will be used Ex o In a family Mom has headaches uses Advil Dad is stressed at work drinks alcohol Brother wants to be cool starts smoking marijuana Sister has ADD takes Adderol Internationally recreational drugs are more used in industrial countries the more aggressive and economically successful more wide use of drugs Qualities that contribute to strength of people also encourage to rebel against drug laws CCJ 4938 Drugs in the Justice System EXAM 1 NOTES 2 The Long Strange History of Psychoactive Drugs OPIUM Known history of drugs starts here BC was created poppy o First evidence of their use was discovered in Mesopotamia dates to 4000 o Roughly about the time
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