B1- the use and abuse of drugs Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in B1- the use and abuse of drugs Deck (21)
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1
Q

Why do new medical drugs have to be tested?

A

to ensure that they work, and are safe

2
Q

What is the first stage in developing a drug?

A

The drugs are tested using computer models and human cells grown in the laboratory. Many substances fail this test because they damage cells or do not seem to work.

3
Q

What is the second stage in developing a drug?

A

Drugs that pass the first stage are tested on animals. A typical test involves giving a known amount of the substance to the animals, then monitoring them carefully for any side-effects.

4
Q

What is the third stage in developing a drug?

A

Drugs that have passed animal tests are used in clinical trials. They are tested on healthy volunteers to check they are safe. Very low doses of the drug are given to begin with. If there are no problems, further clinical trials are done to find the optimum dose for the drug.

5
Q

What are the downsides of drug development?

A

Clinical trials are not without risk. Sometimes severe and unexpected side effects occur. Most substances do not pass all of the tests and trials, so drug development is expensive and takes a long time.

6
Q

What is the placebo effect?

A

people feeling better simply because they expect to feel better if they take a medicine.

7
Q

How do double blind trials work?

A

Some patients are given the drug while others are given a placebo. A placebo is designed to appear exactly the same as the drug itself, but it does not actually contain any of the drug. The doctors and patients are not told who have received the drug and who have received the placebo until the trial is over.

8
Q

What is Thalidomide?

A

Thalidomide is a medical drug that caused unexpected and serious damage to unborn babies in the 1950s and 1960s. Thalidomide was developed as a sleeping pill, but it was also thought to be useful for easing morning sickness in pregnant women.

9
Q

What effects did Thalidomide caused on unborn babies?

A

By 1960 thalidomide was found to damage the development of unborn babies, especially if it had been taken in the first four to eight weeks of pregnancy. The drug led to the arms or legs of the babies being very short or incompletely formed.

10
Q

What happened as a result of the Thalidomide disaster?

A

thalidomide was banned. Drug testing was also made more rigorous than before.

11
Q

What is Thaidomide used for today?

A

Thalidomide is now used as a treatment for leprosy and bone cancer. Its use is heavily regulated, however, to prevent a repeat of the problems it caused in the last century.

12
Q

What is alcohol?

A

The alcohol in alcoholic drinks such as wines, beer and spirits is ethanol, which is a depressant, meaning that it slows down signals in the nerves and brain.

13
Q

What are the effects of alcohol?

A

Small amounts of alcohol help people to relax, but greater amounts lead to a lack of self-control.Alcohol is addictive. Long-term effects of alcohol include damage to the liver and brain, and it is often the cause of weight gain. Dangerous during pregnancy.

14
Q

What is nicotine?

A

Nicotine is the addictive substance in tobacco smoke. It reaches the brain within 20 seconds and creates a dependency so that smokers become addicted.

15
Q

What does smoking increase the risk of?

A

heart disease and strokes
miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight
lung cancer, mouth cancer and throat cancer.

16
Q

What do illegal drugs include?

A

prescription drugs that have been dangerously modified and substances that are banned by law.

17
Q

What are the health problems associated with illegal drugs?

A

Heroin and cocaine are very addictive. Like ecstasy, they can damage the heart and circulatory system. Cannabis smoke contains chemicals that cause mental illness in some people

18
Q

What are the indirect effect of drugs on our health?

A

buying the drugs reduces the amount of money available to buy food, and may place users in dangerous situations. Injecting a drug using a needle and syringe that someone else has used may lead to a number of diseases from infected blood, including HIV and hepatitis. Users of illegal drugs may turn to crime to pay for their habit.

19
Q

What did a research report in 2006 do?

A

classified various drugs according to their health and social risks, without reference to whether they are legal or not. In the report, heroin and cocaine are the most dangerous two drugs, alcohol is the fifth most dangerous and tobacco is ninth.

20
Q

What do performance enhancing drugs include?

A

stimulants – these boost heart rate and other body functions

anabolic steroids – these stimulate the growth of muscles.

21
Q

What is the problem with performance enhancing drugs?

A

the use of performance enhancing drugs is widely seen as unfair. They may also damage the athlete’s body.

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