Drugs

This lesson covers: 

1. Legal and illegal drugs
2. How drugs affect the body's life processes
3. Examples of common recreational drugs and their impacts

What are drugs?

A drug is defined as any substance that affects the normal functions of the body.

There are two main categories of drugs:

1. Legal drugs - Substances that are legally available for purchase and consumption such as alcohol, caffeine, and some medicinal drugs.
2. Illegal drugs - Substances that it is against the law to buy, possess, or take such as cannabis, cocaine, and heroin.

How drugs impact the body's processes

The human body has seven key life processes that allow it to survive and function.

Recreational drugs often affect the brain, impacting processes like movement, sensitivity, and behaviour.

Drugs can also damage organs involved in other life processes, such as the liver and kidneys that handle excretion.

Examples of recreational drugs

Common legal and illegal recreational drugs impact the body in several ways.

Solvents

Solvents are found in household items like paint and glue.

They can cause:

• Hallucinations, which involve seeing or hearing things that are not real.
• Personality and behaviour changes.
• Lung, brain, liver, and kidney damage.

Alcohol

Alcohol is a nervous system depressant. 

It can cause:

• Slow brain activity and responses.
• Damage to organs like the brain and liver.
• Impaired judgement, coordination, and memory.
• Liver disease and cancer.
• Addiction.

Illegal drugs

Illegal drugs include those like heroin, cocaine, and ecstasy.

They can cause:

• Hallucinations and loss of touch with reality.
• Organ damage and failure.
• Overdose and death.
• Addiction.