biology investigatory project

session 2023-2024
KenDriya viDyalaya
barracKpore(aFs)

RANVEER CHOUDHARY
NAME

• CLASS-XII
• SECTION-D
INFO • ROLL NO-37

•biology
SUBJECT •TOPIC- drug and alcohol abuse
certiFicate
This is to certify that this biology
Investigatory project on the topic
‘DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE’ has
been successfully completed by
RANVEER CHOUDHARY of class
12-D under guidance of Mr. PRAVEEN
KUMAR
sir. In particular fulfillment of
curriculum of CBSE ……leading to the
Annual Examination of the year 2023-
2024.
inDex
SL.
NO. topic
acKnoWleDgeMent
1.
introDuction
2.
What are Drugs
3.
What causes Drug aDDiction
4.
types oF Drug aDDiction
5.
soMe coMMon Drugs anD their eFFects
6.
prevention anD control
7.
Diagnosis oF aDDiction
8.
treatMent oF aDDiction
9.
bibliography
10.
acKnoWleDgeMent
I express my sincere gratitude to our
principal Mr. Rajiv Das and also express
my sincerer thanks to our Biology teacher
Mr. Praveen Kumar for giving me this
great opportunity to do this project about
Drug and Alcohol Abuse, which helped
me to know about the harmful side effects
on various drugs. I also thank my parents
who have helped me in collecting data
regarding this project. Overall I thank to
God Almighty.
introDuction
Addiction is one of the biggest disease of the
world. More than millions of the individual are
struggling against addiction. It takes away the
happiness of the people by avoiding them to get
what they want and many of the people were also
not able to take correct decision. According to the
recent studies it has been found that adolescent is
more vulnerable to addiction. Addiction is that type
of diseases whose rehabilitation is very difficult. As
we know prevention is better than cure so we can
prevent ourself from getting addicted by not living
under peer pressure. If we also get addicted, we
should immediately take the help of specialist for
rehab.
What are Drugs?
• A drug is any substance that causes a change
in an organism’s physiology or psychology
when consumed .
• Drugs may be legal (e.g. alcohol, caffeine and
tobacco) or
• Illegal (e.g cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and
heroin).

➢ There are mainly seven categories of drugs:

➢ Central nervous system(CNS) depressants
➢ CNS stimulants
➢ Hallucinogens
➢ Dissociative anesthetics
➢ Narcotic analgesics
➢ Inhalants
➢ Cannabis
What causes drug addiction ?
• Drug addiction, also called substance use
disorder, is a disease that affects a person’s
brain and behavior and leads to an inability to
control the use of legal and illegal drug
medication . Substances such as alcohol ,
marijuana and nicotine also are considered
drugs. When you are addicted , you may
continue use the drug despite the harm it
causes .
• Drug addiction can start with experimental use
of a recreational drug in social situations , and
, for some people , the drug use becomes
more frequent . For others , particularly with
opioids , drug addiction begins with exposure
to prescribed medications , or receiving
medications from a friend or relative who has
been prescribed the medication .
• As the time passes, you may need larger
doses of the drug to get high. Soon you may
need the drug just to feel good . As your drug
use increases , you may find that it’s
increasingly difficult to go without the drug .
Attempts to stop drug use may cause intense
cravings and make you feel physically ill
(withdrawal symptoms).
 TYPES OF DRUG ABUSE
1. heroin
As a destructive opioid, heroin can lead to seizures,
psychosis, and hallucinations when it is abused. Heroin
injections can also spread diseases such as human
immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis. This drug is known
to cause serious health issues when it is abused because
it interferes with the brain's receptors. Individuals who take
heroin always require professional rehabilitation because
the symptoms of withdrawal may be life-threatening.

2. cocaine
Cocaine is a very dangerous stimulant even when taken in
small amounts. It induces euphoria, increases blood
pressure, and accelerates the heart rate. The drug may
lead to fatal strokes or heart attacks for some users. Due
to the severe consequences of using cocaine, users
require immediate professional treatment.

3. cracK
A potent form of cocaine, crack is often smoked and
suddenly creates an intense euphoric sensation for a short
while. Crack has turned into a problem because it is cheap
and easy to buy and use. Abusing the substance, however,
can lead to immediate addiction. Abusers are also at risk of
suffering heart attacks and strokes with every use.
Longterm use can cause liver, kidney, and lung damage.
4. hallucinogens

PCP (phencyclidine) and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)

are hallucinogens, which means that they make users feel,
see, and hear things that are not real. While they
experience hallucinations with these drugs, users lose
touch with reality and enter mental states of disconnection.
Withdrawing from hallucinogens is not easy, and abusers
will need professional treatment in a rehab facility.

5. Marijuana / cannabis
Marijuana is the most common illegal drug that is abused,
and many people begin using it as a recreational drug in
social situations. Continued abuse of marijuana can lead to
addiction, and the substance can affect the physical
coordination, memory, and mental functions of users over
time. While it is easy to abuse marijuana, it is not easy to
stop using it.

6. alcohol

Abusing alcohol can cause psychological, physical, and

social problems, and it can lead to the destruction of
relationships, friendships, and marriages. A lot of alcohol
abusers drink so much that their bodies are unable to
handle it. Sometimes this requires that they are hospitalized
for alcohol poisoning. Furthermore, alcohol abuse can lead
to injury or death to the people around them while they are
under the influence. Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal
because of delirium tremens, which is a symptom with the
potential to trigger heart failure or stroke. Refraining from
drinking also is not easy when it becomes a habit because
of mental and physical issues. Professional assistance is
often necessary for abusers of alcohol.
soMe coMMon Drugs anD their eFFects

1. ALCOHOL
➢ Alcohol, also known by its chemical name ethanol is a
psychoactive substance that is the active ingredient in
drinks such as beer , wine , and distilled spirits(hard
liquor). It is one of the oldest and most common
recreational substances, causing the characteristic effects
of alcohol intoxication(drunkenness). Among other effects,
alcohol produces a mood lift and euphoria, decreased
anxiety, increased sociability, sedation, impairment of
cognitive , memory motor and sensory function, and
generalized depression of central nervous system
function.
➢ Alcohol has been produced and consumed by humans for
its psychoactive effects for almost 10,000 years. Drinking
alcohol is generally socially acceptable and is legal in
most countries , unlike with many other recreational
substances . However , there are often restrictions on
alcohol sale and use, for instance a minimum age for
drinking and laws against public drinking and drinking and
driving .

EFFECTS:
1. Central nervous system impairment
2. Gastrointestinal effects
3. Brain damage
4. Liver diseases
5. Cancer and birth defects
2. COCAINE
➢ Cocaine, also known as coca , is a strong stimulant mostly
used as a recreational drug . It is commonly snorted ,
inhaled or smoked , or dissolved and injected into a vein.
Mental effects may include loss of contact with reality, an
intense feeling of happiness, or agitation.
➢ Effects begin with seconds to minutes of use and last
between five and ninety minutes. Cocaine is used in
medical purposed for its constricted vessel numbing
properties and decreasing bleeding during nasal
surgeries.

➢ Erythroxylum
➢ Erythroxylum (Erythroxylon) is a genus of tropical
flowering plants in the family Erythroxylaceae. Many of the
approximately 200 species contain the substance cocaine,
and two of the species with the genus,p Erythroxylum
coca and Erythroxylum novogranatense, both native to
South America, are the main commercial source of
cocaine and the mild stimulant coca tea. Another species,
Erythroxylum vaccinifolium (also known as catuaba) is
used as an aphrodisiac in Brazilian drinks and herbal
medicine.
➢ Coca leaf is a controlled narcotic drug in India by the
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985
which is the principal legislation governing the subject.

➢EFFECTS
➢ Increased heart rate , blood pressure, body temperature
➢ Disturbed sleep patterns
➢ Hallucinations, hyper excitability, irritability
➢ Nausea
➢ Intense drug craving.
3. NICOTINE
➢ Nicotine dependence-also called tobacco dependence-is
an addiction to tobacco products caused by the drug
nicotine. Nicotine dependence means you can’t stop using
the substance, even though it’s causing you harm.
➢ Nicotine produces physical and mood- altering effects in
your brain that are temporarily pleasing. These effects
make you want to use tobacco and lead to dependence .
At the same time, stopping tobacco use causes
withdrawal symptoms, including irritability and anxiety.
➢ While it’s the nicotine in tobacco that causes nicotine
dependence, the toxic effects of tobacco result from other
substances in tobacco. Smokers have much higher rates
of heart disease, stroke and cancer than non-smokers do.

Effects:
➢ Lung cancer
➢ Heart and circulatory system problems
➢ Diabetes
➢ Infertility and impotence
➢ Teeth and gum diseases
➢ Eye problems
 4. CANNABIS/WEED/MARIJUANA

➢ Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names,

is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant used for
medical or recreational purposes. The main psychoactive
part of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol(THC), one of 483
known compounds in the plant,[20]including at least 65
other cannabinoids. cannabis can be used by smoking ,
vaporizing, within food or as an extract.

Effects:
Pregnancy : Marijuana is unsafe when taken by mouth
or smoked during pregnancy. Marijuana passes
through the placents and can slow the growth of the
foetus . Marijuana use during pregnancy is also
associated with childhood leukemia and
abnormalities in foetus .
➢ Heart diseases
➢ A weakened immune system
➢ Lung diseases
➢ Seizure diseases
prevention anD control
“Prevention is better than cure’ is also true here. Tobacco,
Drug/Alcohol abuse are more during young age and
adolescence. The remedial measure should be taken in time.
The following measures would be particularly useful for
prevention and control of alcohol and addiction during
adolescence.

➢ Avoid undue Peer pressure.

➢ Education and counselling.

➢ Seeking help from parents and peers

➢ Looking for Danger Signs

➢ Seeking Professional and Medical helps.

Diagnosis oF aDDiction
➢ Blood test or imaging scan can determine whether
somebody is addicted to drug or alcohol or smoking, and to
what degree.
➢ Blood test - this may be ordered to determine whether the
substance is still in the blood (whether the substance has
been taken recently). It is not used to diagnose addiction.
➢ A GP (general practitioner, primary care physician) can
help the patient determine their degree of dependence by
asking pertinent questions, or using a specific
questionnaire. The following questions may help determine
how dependent a patient is:

➢ How many cigarettes do you smoke per day?

➢ Do you find it hard not to smoke in places where it is not
allowed, such as in a church, school, movie theatre, library,
public transport, hospital, etc.?
➢ If you had to give up, which cigarette would you miss the
most (e.g. the first one in the morning)?
➢ Do you smoke more cigarettes during the first few hours
after waking up, than during the rest of the day?
➢ If you are ill, with a bad cold or the flu, do you still take
drug or alcohol?
➢ Have you ever smoked more than you intended to?
➢ Have you ever neglected a duty because you are smoking
or so that you could have a cigarette?
treatMent oF aDDiction
➢Do it yourself:
Experts say about 30% of people with an alcohol problem
manage to reduce their drinking or abstain without seeking
professional help. There is agreat deal of material in books
and the internet that may help the self helper.

➢Counselling:
A qualified counsellor can help the alcoholic talk through
his/her problems and then devise a plan to tackle the
drinking. CBT(Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is commonly
used to treat alcohol dependency.

➢Detoxification:
The patient takes some medication to prevent withdrawal
symptoms (delirium tremens) which many alcoholics
experience when they give up drinking.
 Bibliography

➢ [Link]
➢ [Link]
conditions/drug-addiction/symptoms-
causes/syc-20365112
➢ [Link]
rug)
➢ Collected information about
recreational drugs from – Dr. Prokash
Chandra Bagchi (cardiologist), MBBS,
MD.