Answer to Question 1
A drug is any substance other than food and water that, when taken into the body, alters its functioning in some way. Drugs are used for either therapeutic or recreational purposes. Therapeutic use occurs when a person takes a drug for a specific purpose such as reducing a fever or controlling a cough. In contrast, recreational drug use occurs when a person takes a drug for no purpose other than achieving a pleasurable feeling or psychological state. Alcohol and tobacco are examples of drugs that are primarily used for recreational purposes. The use of alcohol is considered an accepted part of the culture in the United States.
Chronic heavy drinking or alcoholism can cause permanent damage to the brain or other parts of the body. For alcoholics, the long-term negative health effects include nutritional deficiencies resulting from poor eating habits; cardiovascular problems such as inflammation and enlargement of the heart muscle, high blood pressure, and stroke and eventually alcoholic cirrhosisa progressive development of scar tissue that chokes off blood vessels in the liver and destroys liver cells by interfering with their use of oxygen. Many people get and stay sober. Some rely on organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous or church support groups to help them overcome their drinking problem.
The nicotine in tobacco is a toxic, dependency producing psychoactive drug that is more addictive than heroin. It is classified as a stimulant because it stimulates central nervous system receptors and activates them to release adrenaline, which raises blood pressure, speeds up the heartbeat, and gives the user a temporary sense of alertness. Tobacco is responsible for about one in every five deaths in the U.S. Even people who never light up a cigarette are harmed by environmental tobacco smoke the smoke in the air inhaled by nonsmokers as a result of other people's tobacco smoking and the residue of smoke on garments and furniture, for example.
Marijuana is the most extensively used illegal drug in the United States. High doses of marijuana smoked during pregnancy can disrupt the development of a fetus and result in congenital abnormalities and neurological disturbances. Another widely used illegal drug is cocaine. People who use cocaine over extended periods of time have higher rates of infection, heart problems, internal bleeding, hypertension, stroke, and other neurological and cardiovascular disorders than do nonusers. Intravenous cocaine users who share contaminated needles are also at risk for contracting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
Answer to Question 2
False