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'On the Web'is an internet-based supplement that provides additional web content to supplement the material in Concepts of Fitness and Wellness. Browse through the whole document to explore web content related to this concept. If you know the specific 'On the Web' number or page number of the web icon in the text you can click on the direct link you are looking for below. The material available here is for the exclusive use of students and instructors using the Concepts-based textbooks. All rights reserved (McGraw-Hill Higher Education). On the Web - Concept 20Web20-01 Descriptions and Risks of Illicit Drugs Web20-02 Hallucinogenic Drugs and Marijuana Web20-03 Patterns of Drug Use among Youth Web20-04 Early Exposure to Drugs – Gateway Drugs Web20-06: Abuse of Over the Counter Medications Web20-07: Treatment for Drug Addiction Web20-09: Supplemental Readings Web20-01 Descriptions and Risks of Illicit DrugsDrugs are classified according to their primary effect on the body. The National Institute on Drug Abuse within the National Institutes of Health (www.nida.nih.gov ) provides detailed information on the different types of drugs and potential risks associated with their use. Click here to access the "Drugs of Abuse" section of the drug pages. The NIDA website provide a chart of commonly abused drugs that listing street names, medical uses, delivery systems, and other information. Click here to access specific information on different drugs.
Another link on the NIDA web page provides diagnostic tool that provides criteria for substance dependence. This tool can be used to determine if someone is abusing or addicted to drugs. Individuals interested in additional information on drugs should visit the Drug Resource Page developed by the Partnership for a Drug Free America (www.drugfreeamerica.org). Web20-02 Hallucinogenic Drugs and MarijuanaMarijuana is the most commonly used hallucinogenic drug. Because it is one of the more commonly abused drugs, the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) has specific web pages devoted to education on marijuana (http://www.marijuana-info.org/). The NIDA also released a research report on marijuana. This report answers many important questions that people have about marijuana. Direct links to these pages are included below: What is the scope of marijuana use in the United States? Topic for Debate: Should marijuana be legalized so that it could be used for medicinal or agricultural purposes or would legalization promote excess use? The Supreme Court (5/01) ruled against some state policies to allow medicinal use. This ruling runs counter with public sentiment as a recent Gallup poll found that the majority (73%) of American's favor the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Web20-03 Patterns of Drug Use among YouthThere is considerable public health interest in identifying patterns and trends in drug use among youth. Trend data can reveal how and why young people become interested in drugs and provide insight into how drug use can be better controlled or reduced in the population. Recent trends from the Monitoring the Future studies conducted by the University of Michigan have revealed declines in the proportion of adolescents using illicit drugs. This is an important finding because trends compiled over the 1990 have revealed increasing trends for 8th, 10th and 12th graders (see figure below). The study reported that perceived risk of drugs hadn't changed and that disapproval over drugs hadn't changed so the researchers hypothesized that other factors may be accounting for the recent declines. They suggested that reduced motivation for drugs may be the most likely factor but it is also possible that the trends were associated with declines in availability since there was some decline in this variable. Click here to read the complete report of the recent trends in the 2002 report. (The document is a .pdf file that is 61 pages long so downloading is not recommended) The most significant change in the year 2002 report was the dramatic decline in the percentage of students experimenting with ecstasy. This is an important reversal since rates were shown to be climbing in the year 2000. Click here to see the press release on this finding.  Web20-04 Early Exposure to Drugs – Gateway DrugsOne of the most significant predictors of drug use as an adult is experimentation with drugs at a younger age. This concept has been referred to as the "gateway" to drug use but it has proven difficult to prove these links are causal since there are a lot of other factors that can be involved. A recent report by the National Institute of Drug Abuse provided strong evidence that early exposure to drugs does increase the likelihood that a person will later use other drugs. The research was based on a concept called "drug exposure opportunities." This concept takes into account that some young people actively seek out opportunities to try marijuana or cocaine, whereas others are more passive recipients of drug exposure opportunities. The researchers found that alcohol and tobacco users were more likely than nonusers to have an opportunity to try marijuana and were also more likely to try the drug when the opportunity arose. About 75 percent of alcohol or tobacco users reported an opportunity to try marijuana by age 18, and more than 85 percent of them made the transition to marijuana use. Only about 25 percent of nonsmokers and nondrinkers were given an opportunity to try marijuana by the same age. Of these, fewer than 25 percent began smoking marijuana within 6 years after they were first given the opportunity. Overall, alcohol or tobacco users were seven times more likely to start using marijuana than individuals who had used neither alcohol nor tobacco. Prior marijuana use was closely associated with the opportunity to try cocaine and the likelihood of young people's starting to use cocaine once given the opportunity. Among the young people who were given the chance to try cocaine, those who were already using marijuana were 15 times more likely to use cocaine than those who did not use marijuana. Click here to read the full report from the NIDA. Web20-05: Club DrugsClub drugs have become a part of party and dance scenes at bars and nightclubs. Some of these drugs include: MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB, Rohypnol, ketamine, methamphetamine, and LSD. The 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 11.5 million Americans over the age of 12 had tried Ecstasy at least once in their lifetime. Unfortunately because many club drugs do not have odors, tastes, or smells, they can be added to drinks without the victim knowing they've been drugged. Generally the effect of club drugs can last up to 6 hours. These drugs can increase a person's risk of suffering from any of the following: confusion, depression, dehydration, increased body temperature, high blood pressure, kidney or heart failure, or even death. The following graph shows the number of Emergency Department visits associated with Club Drug use from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) report:  More information can be found at the Club Drugs website sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Additional information can be found at the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Web20-06: Abuse of Over the Counter MedicationsThere are many over the counter or prescription medications that are used incorrectly or abused in our society. The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) has a specific web page devoted to education on prescription drug abuse. The website emphasizes coverage of prescription drugs from three different categories (opiods, CN S depressants and stimulants) since these are the most commonly abused prescription or over the counter medications. One of the main risks associated with abuse of these drugs is with the combined use of several medications so the website provides specific guidelines on safety. See the direct links from the web page below: Opioids (most often prescribed to treat pain) How do opioids affect the brain and body? What are the possible consequences of opioid use and abuse? Is it safe to use opioid drugs with other medications? CNS depressants (often used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders) How do CNS depressants affect the brain and body? What are the possible consequences of CNS depressant use and abuse? Is it safe to use CNS depressants with other medications? Stimulants (often prescribed to treat the sleep disorder narcolepsy, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obesity). How do stimulants affect the brain and body? What are the possible consequences of stimulant use and abuse? Is it safe to use stimulants with other medications? Web20-07: Treatment for Drug AddictionBecause of the addictive properties of drugs, it is often difficult for drug users to quit using drugs. There are a number of resources available on the internet to help individuals find appropriate treatment options. Visit the Treatment site on the National Institute of Drug Abuse web page (http://www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/Treatment.html). This page provides information on various treatment related issues:
Visit the Drug Free Resource Net developed by the Partnership for a Drug Free America (www.drugfreeamerica.org). This web site provides specific links for youth/teens, and for adults/caregivers A drug abuse locator service is available on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/). Visit the site to locate appropriate help in your area. -------------------------------------------------- Because drug abuse contributes to a number of problems in society (crime, HIV transmission, unsafe conditions etc…) there are considerable public health efforts made to curb drug use in society. Many proposals regarding drug issues have been hotly debated in our society. These topics could be useful for research projects or class debates.
Web20-08: Web ResourcesDrug Free Resource Net - www.drugfreeamerica.org National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse (Columbia University) - www.casacolumbia.org The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) - www.health.org National Institute on Drug Abuse - www.nida.nih.gov National Institute on Drug Abuse (Drug Publications and Public Service Announcements) www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNindex.htm Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – http://www.samhsa.gov/ Web20-09: Supplemental ReadingsReferences new to 7e/14e: Barrett, S. et al. 2007. Consumer Health: A Guide to Intelligent Decisions (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Chapter 18. Hahn, D. B. et al. 2007. Focus on Health (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, Chapter 7. ImpacTeen Illicit Drug Team (2002). Illicit drug policies: Selected laws from the 50 states. Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University. Johnston, L.D. et al. (2006). Monitoring the Future national results on adolescent drug use: Overview of key findings, 2004. (NIH Publication No. 06-5882). Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse. Ksir, C. J. et al. 2008. Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior (12th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. National Institute on Drug Abuse (2005). National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Report Series: Inhalant abuse (NIH Publication No. 05-3818). Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. Office of National Drug Control Policy (2004). The Economic Costs of Drug Abuse in the United States, 1992-2002. Washington, DC: Executive Office of the President (Publication No. 207303). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2005). Overview of key findings from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-27, DHHS Publication No. SMA 05-4061). Rockville, MD: Department of Health and Human Services. Teague, M. L. et al. 2007. Your Health Today: Choices in a Changing Society. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, Chapter 11. Wilson, H. T. 2008. Annual Editions: Drugs, Society and Behavior (22nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. ______________ Fantegrossi et al. (2004). Nantenine: An antagonist of the behavioral and physiological effects of MDMA in mice. Psychopharmacology 173: 270-277. Johnston, L.D. et al. (2005). Monitoring the Future national results on adolescent drug use: Overview of key findings, 2004. (NIH Publication No. 05-5726). Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse. National Institute on Drug Abuse (2004). NIDA Community Drug Alert Bulletin: Club Drugs. Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse. Accessed online at http://www.drugabuse.gov/ClubAlert/ClubDrugAlert.html on June 23, 2006. National Institute on Drug Abuse (2005). NIDA InfoFacts: Methamphetamine. Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse. Accessed online at http://www.nida.nih.gov/pdf/infofacts/Methamphetamine05.pdf on June 23, 2006. National Institute on Drug Abuse (2005). NIDA InfoFacts: Prescription Pain and other Medications. Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse. Accessed online at http://www.nida.nih.gov/PDF/Infofacts/PainMed05.pdf on June 23, 2006. National Institute on Drug Abuse (2006). NIDA InfoFacts: Rohypnol and GHB. Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse. Accessed online at http://www.nida.nih.gov/PDF/Infofacts/Rohypnol06.pdf on June 23, 2006. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies (2006). Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2004: National Estimates of Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits. DAWN Series D-28, DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 06-4143, Rockville, MD. Department of Health and Human Services. References from Past Editions:
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