INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

BIOLOGY

TOPIC : DRUGS ADDICTION

Submitted by,
Name: GAYATHRI P.R
Class: XII-A
Roll No: 12107

Submitted to,
Mrs. ASHADEVI P.K
PGT Biology
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that GAYATHRI P.R of class

XII-A has successfully completed the research on
the topic DRUGS ADDICTION under the
guidance of Mrs. ASHADEVI P.K
during year 2024-25.

Internal Examiner External Examiner

Principal:
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In the accomplishment of this project successfully, many

people have best owned upon me their blessings and the
heart pledged support. I would like to utilize this
opportunity to thank all the people who have been part of
this project.
Primarily I would thank god for being able to complete
this project with success. Then I would like to thank my
principal SUDHAKARAN P.V and biology teacher
ASHADEVI P.K, whose valuable guidance has been the
ones that helped me patch this project and make it full
proof success. His suggestions and his instructions have
served as the major contributor towards the completion of
the project.
Then I would like to thank my parents and friends who
have helped me with their valuable suggestions and
guidance has been helpful in various phases of the
completion of the project.
 INDEX

• OBJECTIVE
• INTRODUCTION
• TYPES OF DRUGS
• CAUSES OF ADDICTION
• EFFECTS OF ADDICTION
• PREVENTION AND CONTROL
• DIAGNOSIS OF ADDICTION
• TOBACCO
• ALCOHOL
• TREATMENT OF ADDICTION
• CONCLUSION
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
 OBJECTIVE

To study drugs, their classification, addictive

nature and prevention from addiction.
INTRODUCTION TO DRUGS ADDICTION

WHAT IS DRUGS?
Any substance, other than food, used in the prevention,
diagnosis, alleviation or treatment of a disease is called a drug.
A drug may also be defined as a chemical which, when taken in
some way, affects the body’s function. Drug is also known as a
medicine. Generally, the term drugs applies to any stimulating
or depressing substance that can be habituating or addictive.

WHAT IS ADDICTION?
Addiction is the habitual, psychological and physiological
dependence on a substance or practice, which is beyond
voluntary control. A person who is habituated to a substance or
a practice, especially a harmful one, is called an addict.
 DRUG DEPENDENCE
Drugs are prescribed by physicians for the prevention or
treatment of diseases, or for increasing the physical and mental
performance and are withdrawn as soon as the desired effect is
achieved. Repeated use of certain drugs on a periodic or
continuous basis may make the body dependent. Such drugs
are called psychotropic drugs. They act on the brain and alter
behavior, consciousness and capacity of perception. Hence,
they are also termed mood-altering drugs. Some people start
taking drugs without medical advice due to one reason or the
other and become drug dependent.
 TYPES OF DRUGS
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.
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.
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. Long-term use can cause
liver, kidney, and lung damage.
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.
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.
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 is also not easy when it
becomes a habit because of mental and physical issues.
Professional assistance is often necessary for abusers of
alcohol.
 CAUSES OF ADDICTION

There are many factors that lead people to drug addiction:

1. Curiosity: Frequent references to drugs by public media
create curiosity for having a personal experience of the
drugs.
2. Friend’s pressure: Frequent appreciation of drug
experience by friends allures others to start the use of
drugs.
3. Frustration and Depression: Some people start taking
drugs to get relief from frustration and depression.
4. Desire for More Work: Students sometimes take drugs to
be awake the whole night to prepare for examination. It is
not desirable as it may cause mental breakdown.
5. Looking for a Different World: A wrong notion that drugs
open up a new world tempts some young pupils to start
taking drugs.
6. Relief from Pain: A prolonged use of pain-relieving drugs
with physician’s advice at times leads to addiction.
7. Family History: Children may take drugs by seeing their
elders in the family.
8. Excitement and Adventure: The young take drugs to satisfy
their instinct for excitement and adventure.
 EFFECTS OF ADDICTION

1. Fatigue – The patient is tired most of the time.

2. Memory loss – Especially the patient’s short-term
memory.
3. Eye muscles – The eye muscles can become significantly
weaker.
4. Liver diseases – The patient has a considerably higher
chance of developing hepatitis and cirrhosis. Cirrhosis of
the liver is an irreversible and progressive condition.
5. Heart problems – Regular heavy drinking can lead to
cardiomyopathy (damaged heart muscle), heart failure,
and stroke.
6. Menstruation – Alcoholism will usually stop menstruation
or disrupt it.
7. Cancer – Alcoholics have a much higher risk of developing
several cancers, including cancer of the mouth, esophagus,
liver, colon, rectum, breast, prostate, and pharynx.
8. Suicide – Suicide rates among people who are alcohol-
dependent or who abuse alcohol are much higher than
among other people.
 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 measures should be taken in time.
The following measures would be particularly useful for
prevention and control of alcohol and addiction during
adolescents:

1. Avoid undue peer pressure.

2. Education and counseling.
3. Seeking help from parents and peers.
4. Looking for danger signs.
5. Seeking professional and medical help.
 DIAGNOSIS OF ADDICTION
Blood tests or imaging 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 theater, 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 were smoking, or
so that you could have a cigarette?
 TOBACCO
SOURCES:
It is a native of South Africa, where the Red Indian first started
smoking. Now the tobacco plant has spread the world over. It
has large, quoto Lancelot leaves and terminal clusters of
tubular, white or pink flowers.
MODES OF USES:
Tobacco is used for smoking, chewing, and snuffing. Its main
stimulating component is poisonous volatile alkaloid nicotine,
which causes addiction. Nicotine synthesis occurs in the roots
of the plant but is stored in the leaves. The leaves contain 2 to
8% nicotine. Inhaling tobacco smoke from cigars, cigarettes,
biddies, pipes and hubble-bubble is called smoking. Cigar is a
roll of tobacco leaf. Cigarette is cut tobacco wrapped in paper.
Bidi is tobacco wrapped in a piece of leaf. Tobacco smoke is
drawn directly from pipe and through water is hubble-bubble.
Smoking may give some temporary relief to the strained nerves
but in the long run it proves a dangerous health hazard. The
quantity of nicotine contained in one cigar may prove fatal if
injected intravenously into a person. When smoked only 10% of
the smoke is inhaled. Hence, no immediate ill effect is
observed. Smokers may develop a physiological craving for

nicotine and then they cannot give up s moking.

Effect of Nicotine:
1. Nicotine is a low concentration. Stimulates conduction of
nerve impulses.
2. Relaxes the muscles.
3. Releases adrenaline, increasing heart beat rate and
pressure.
4. Increased blood pressure due to smoking chances the risk
of heart diseases.
5. Retards fetal growth in expecting mothers and causes
tobacco addiction. High concentration of nicotine
paralyzes nerve cells.
6. Harmful components of Tobacco Smoke:
7. Besides the poisonous nicotine, the tobacco smoke
contains carbon-monoxide, polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons and tar.
Other Effects:
(i) Smoking affects economy: A smoker not only wastes money,
but also runs risk of burns and fires.
(ii) Smoking mars personality: Teeth may become stained. Lips
may get discolored and breath becomes foul. A person with a
cigarette hanging from the mouth looks odd.
(iii) Smoking is annoying to others: Cigarette smoke is quite
annoying to non-smokers. It may prove even more harmful to
them. A smoker should avoid smoking when in the company of
non-smokers. A smoker makes the nearby people passive
smokers through inhaling smoke released by him.
 ALCOHOL

An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly

known as alcohol, although in chemistry the definition of
alcohol includes many other compounds.
Ethanol is a centrally-acting drug with a depressant effect. Beer
is an alcoholic beverage and thus has the same harmful effects
as other kinds of alcohol, depending on the quantity consumed.
Reasons for Drinking:
Psychological factors are curiosity, poor stress control, escape
from reality, poor impulse control, low self-esteem, positive
attitudes towards alcohol, to get rid of problems, to overcome
loneliness, relief from tension, and to gain courage.
Social factors are peer pressure, modeling, easy availability of
alcohol in the market, party culture, family environment
(Parent/s drinking alcohol), lack of family support, to keep up
social norms, and to show their masculinity.
Biological factors are genetic vulnerability like family history of
alcoholism in parents or near relatives, and to get sleep.
Impact of Drinking Alcohol:
Unlike other foods, alcohol does not require digestion. When
one drinks, alcohol is absorbed directly into the bloodstream
through the walls of the stomach and the intestine. Once
alcohol enters the bloodstream it circulates throughout the
body. Alcohol is metabolized in the liver and is changed to
carbon dioxide, water, and some calories of energy which get
converted into fat. A small amount of alcohol goes out of the
body through breath, urine and sweat. Regular, excessive use
of alcohol causes acute and chronic problems related to health,
occupation, family and social relationships.
Health Problems:

Alcohol can damage every system of our body.

1. Gastrointestinal system (stomach and intestines):
Increased acid secretion leading to acidity, ulcers, gastritis,
and cancer.
2. Liver: Hepatitis, jaundice, and vomiting of blood due to
cirrhosis of liver, liver cancer, acute liver failure.
3. Pancreas: Pancreatic damage due to inflammation of
pancreas and acute pancreatitis leading to sudden death.
4. Central nervous system (brain and spinal cord): Permanent
damage of brain resulting in memory disturbances, other
nervous problems, fits, and mental illnesses.
5. Hangovers: Excessive drinking can lead to hangovers, thus
causing problems like headache, nausea, vomiting, and
body aches.
6. Weight gain: Alcohol consumption in larger quantities can
lead to weight gain because alcoholic beverages are
usually high in calories.
7. Weak immune system: Alcohol consumption makes your
immune system weak, thus making your body more
susceptible to infections.
8. Cancer: Alcohol when consumed in excessive quantities
puts you at a higher risk of developing cancer.
9. Fetal alcohol syndrome: Drinking alcohol in pregnancy may
cause the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (physical abnormalities,
growth retardation, and developmental delay).
SOURCES:
Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is a flammable, colorless liquid having
a penetrating odor and burning taste. It is one of the products
of the distillation of fermented grains, fruit juices, and starches
with the help of yeast enzymes. It is the principal constituent
and the intoxicating principle of wines.
MODES OF USES:
Alcohol is taken in low concentration, as the beer, toddy and
wine and in relatively high concentration as arrack, brandy,
whisky, rum, gin, vodka etc.
 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 a great
deal of material in books and the internet that may help
the self-helper.

 COUNSELLING – A qualified counselor can help the

alcoholic talk through their 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.
 CONCLUSIONS

Drug use and addiction cause a lot of disease and

disability in the world. Recent advances in
neuroscience may help improve policies to reduce
the harm that the use of tobacco, alcohol and other
psychoactive drugs impose on society.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

• NCERT TEXTBOOK CLASS XII

• INTERNET [WIKIPEDIA]
• REFERENCE ARTICLES FROM VARIOUS
BLOGS