Exploring Psychopharmacology: How Drugs Affect Behavior

Introduction - Human have used drugs for thousands of years - Alcohol was 1 st (fermentation) What is Psychopharmacology? - The scientific study of how drugs affect behavior - Psychology plus Pharmacology - Includes how social and environmental factors influence drug use What is a drug? - World Health Organization definition - A chemical that alters biological function and possibly structure (1981) - Psychoactive drug - Alters mood, cognition (mental processes), and behavior The Drug Experience - Why do people take drugs? - Feel good - Feelings range from mild pleasure to feeling “high” or euphoric - Feel better - Improve mood, reduce anxiety - Do better - Perform better at a sport or on a test - Other reasons - Curiosity, to fit in/peer influence

- Is influenced by - Pharmacological factors - Relate to the drug’s biochemical or physiological actions - Non-pharmacological factors - Everything else not directly related to the pharmacological action of drug Studying Drug Use - Drugs are studied by scientists from many different backgrounds - At many levels of analysis - From neurons to society - Interdisciplinary research - Combination of two or more traditionally defined academic disciplines - Translational research - Translates basic research findings into clinical practice - “Bench to bedside” - Applying animal studies to humans Drug Use Around the World - Comparisons are difficult but studies have concluded - Men use more alcohol and drugs than women - Marijuana is most used illicit drug; highest rates in U.S and New Zealand - Alcohol use highest in the Netherlands and lowest in Mexico - Younger people use drugs more than older people - Countries with stringent drug laws do not have lower use

Defining Problematic Drug Use - For some people, drugs are used without concern - A subset of individuals develops drug-related problems ranging from mild to devastating - Chronic drug use alter chemical levels in the brain and the body changes to compensate for The drug exposure - After while the drug is needed to feel “normal.” - The drug causes problems in a person’s life Legislative Efforts - Controlled Substances Act, 1970 - Current U.S federal drug policy regulating the manufacture, importation, possession, Use, and distribution of certain substances - Drugs are classified according to their medical use, their potential abuse, and them Likelihood for producing dependence. - Different legal penalties depending on drug - Classification is controversial - Marijuana is schedule 1 (the highest potential for abuse with no medical use)