2023-04-15 17:39:39
How “dangerous” are drugs?
Every drug has its risk, depending on how it works and how quickly it becomes addictive.
Besides, it also depends on the amount one consumes. And from the consumer himself: is he or she already grown up, has the brain grown out? Does he or she have a health problem? Is a drug used alone or with another (eg alcohol)?
For example, to assess the risk of an individual drug, you can look at the “margin of exposure”. This is a value that indicates the distance between the typical dose of a drug and the lowest assumed lethal dose.
The University of Dresden has evaluated and ranked the “margin of exposure” for various drugs: How large is the step between the usual dose of a drug and the lethal dose? The smaller this step, the faster you get from the “usual” to the “deadly” dose.
This “margin of exposure” is smallest for alcohol. Heroin, cocaine and nicotine follow. The least danger is THC – ie cannabis. A THC overdose is next to impossible. But cannabis can induce psychosis.
On the other hand, studies show that THC can have long-term damage to the brain if it is not yet fully grown – i.e. in adolescents. And even so it is clear: there are still a great many people who die as a result of drug use – whether legal or illegal.
What happens in the brain when you take drugs?
All drugs – whether legal or illegal – have one thing in common: they affect the way our brain works, and thus our state of consciousness. They put us in the famous “intoxication”.
It happens like this: Our brain consists of tens of millions of nerve cells, also called neurons. The nerve cells communicate with each other via many, many connection points, the so-called synapses: They pass on electrical impulses to the next nerve cell. Since the synapses do not touch, they use small molecules, so-called messenger substances, to pass on their information to the next nerve cell.
When drugs come into play now, they reach the brain via the bloodstream and ensure that many, many more messenger substances are released. Or different than usual.
And so certain areas in our brain become over-activated – far too much electricity gets there.
Example cocaine
Cocaine ensures that messenger substances are released at the synapses even without an electrical output signal. Without any trigger, the synapse begins to release messenger substances and thus triggers an electrical stimulus in the “receiver cell”. Normally, the messenger substances would now return to the cell of origin and dock there again. However, the original cell is blocked by the cocaine. So the messenger substances dock to the recipient cell again. And triggers an electrical stimulus again.
After the consumption of cocaine, the brain is completely energized and runs at full speed. The effect: The consumer feels unbeatable, one is awake, euphoric, has an amazing self-esteem. Until the cocaine is just cleared from the bloodstream and the hangover sets in.
The dependency potential
Drugs can be addictive. A distinction must be made between physical and psychological dependence. Physical dependence leads to physical withdrawal symptoms, such as tremors, sweating, gastrointestinal problems and even circulatory collapse.
In the case of psychological dependence, the user has the feeling that they can no longer do without the drug. The desire to consume is growing. The addict often needs more and more substance to achieve the effect again.
Since all drugs affect our reward system in the brain, there is always a shift from “I find this enjoyable” to “I need this” when there is an addiction. However, the risk of this always has to do with individual factors.
Responsible Consumption
In the best-case scenario, everyone should consider the effects, side effects and after-effects of the substance in question before consuming it. And not from the mouth of friends, but on the basis of reliable facts.
You should also find out about cutting agents or mixed use, because illegal drugs in particular often have other substances added to them that are often much more dangerous than the pure substance. Sometimes the pure substance is even used to treat an addiction.
You should also find out about legal drugs, because alcohol and nicotine are by no means harmless just because you can buy them freely.
If you do get addicted, addiction counseling can help. They also provide advice before, during or after consumption. Because a strong will alone has never been enough to get out of a dependency.
Author: Julia Trahms
Host: Sebastian Sunday
Editor: Peter Ehmer
#Quarks #Daily #Special #Episode #Drugs #deal