Depressants
Depressants are drugs or chemicals that slow down, or depress the activity of the central nervous system. They are separated into three common categories: barbiturates, sedatives, and tranquilizers. Another substance that is commonly used is alcohol, which also considers to be a depressant. Depressants usually come in tablets or in red, yellow, or blue capsules (see picture 1). Some common and interesting street names of depressants are: Red Devils, Yellow Jackets, Christmas Trees, Pink Ladies, Goof Balls, and King Kong Pills. Depressants can either be synthesized or can appear naturally in plants such as curare and belladonna. In 1864, German chemist Adolph Von Bayer discovered what he named "barbiturate" after Saint Barbara of artillery officers. In 1903, the first barbiturate, Venronal, was marketed, following by Phenobarbital in 1912. Barbiturates were very popular in the early 1900's, but today, only about twenty percent of all depressant prescriptions are for barbiturates in the United States. There are more than 2,500 known types of barbiturates, but only about fifty of them are used for medicinal applications, and among these fifty types, only about fifteen are mainly used. Bromides were first synthesized for med
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. "The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information" n.pag. On-line. Internet. 10 Jan. 2000. Available WWW: http://www.health.org/index.htm Eighth District neighborhood Relations. "Parenting and Drug Awareness" n.pag. On-line. Internet. 10 Jan. 2000. Available WWW: Generally, sedatives do not create drowsiness nor clumsiness like barbiturates do, but they also depress mental activity and alertness, meaning that they do impair driving and similar skills where concentration is involved, and create a sudden feeling of euphoria. They reduce nervous tension, change the mood of the user, and have a relaxing and calming effect on muscles and the central nervous system. Sometimes, sedatives can release aggression by lowering the user's inhibitions. If taken in a large dose, sedatives act as a hypnotic and their effects last for three to six hours, depending on the type of sedatives used. Royal Canadian Mounted Police. "Drugs" n.pag. On-line. Internet. 10 Jan. 2000. Available WWW: http://www6.northatlantic.nf.ca/cs/rcmp/depressants.html Another danger accompanied by depressants is automatism, especially in the elderly. This happens when the user is accidentally poisoned by depressants, usually by barbiturates, and forgets that the medication has been taken already. As a result, the user ingests more of the drugs and this process could be repeated until toxic quantities of the drugs are ingested, which could be fatal. Medically, sedatives (see picture 3) are used to reduce anxiety and nervous tension, to relax muscles, and/or to induce sleep. Doctors use them to calm patients, to relieve them from convulsions, and to relieve their emotional stresses. http://www.ci.chi.il.us/CommunityPolicing/Districts/Dist08/DrugAwareness/ The minor tranquilizers are safe when taken alone in small doses. Their short-term effects are to relief temporary anxiety and insomnia, and in 1979, a National Academy of Sciences declared that tranquilizers are not effective over two weeks of use. If they are used with alcohol, coma or even death may result.
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Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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