SRI RAMAKRISHNA PUBLIC SCHOOL

PROJECT WORK IN BIOLOGY

BIOLOGY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

SUBMITED BY
S. JAYABHARATHI

BIOLOGY TEACHER: PANGAJAM

Certificate
This is to certify that s. jayabharathi, a student of class
XII has successfully completed the research on the below
mentioned project under the guidance of mrs. Pangajam
(biology Teacher).

Teacher’s Signature

Internal examiner

External examiner

Principal signature
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I express my sincere gratitude to our principal sharmila

prasad and also express my sincere thanks to our Biology
teachers mrs.pangajam for giving me this great
opportunity to do this project about Drug Addiction,
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.
CONTENTS

 INTRODUCTION
 WHAT IS ADDICTION
 TYPES OF DRUG ABUSE
 CAUSES OF ADDICTION
 EFFECTS OF ADDICTION
 HISTORY OF ADDICTION: DRUG ABUSE
 DIAGONISIS OF ADDICTION
 STUDY (QUESTIONARY)
 THE PROFILE OF FIVE PATIENTS
 TREATMENT OF ADDICTION
 SCENARIO OF ADDICTION
 CONCLUSION
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION

Addiction is the 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 our self 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 IS ADDICTION?

Addiction is the habitual, physiological, psychological

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. Addiction is a chronic, progressive and
sometimes fatal disorder with both genetic and
environmental roots. It manifests as a compulsion that
derives an individual to continue to behave in a way that
is harmful to self and loved ones, despite an intense desire
to halt that behavior. It is a disease of “more”- an active
addict needs an increasing amount of substance to get
high and is unable to cease usage without painful
withdrawal symptoms. This is true whether the addictive
substance is a drug or tobacco or alcohol or a behavior.
Medically, addiction is of three types: Tobacco Addiction,
Alcohol Addiction, Drug Addiction
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.
Long-term 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.
CAUSES OF ADDICTION

Some of the causes of addiction are: -

1. Peer pressure
2. Stress and depression
3. Lack of education
4. Religious rituals
EFFECTS OF ADDICTION
 Fatigue –
The patient is tired most of the time.

 Memory loss –
Especially the patient's short-term memory.

 Eye muscles –
The eye muscles can become significantly weaker.

 Liver diseases –
The patient has a considerably higher chance of
developing hepatitis, and cirrhosis. Cirrhosis of the
liver is an irreversible and progressive condition

 Heart problems –
Regular heaving drinking can lead to cardiomyopathy
(damaged heart muscle), heart failure, and stroke.

 Menstruation –
Alcoholism will usually stop menstruation or disrupt
it.

 Cancer –
Alcoholics have a much higher risk of developing
several cancers, including cancer of the mouth,
 oesophagus, liver, colon, rectum, breast, prostate and
pharynx.

 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 measure 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 counselling.

3.Seeking help from parents and peers.

4.Looking for Danger Signs.

5.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 were
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 a great 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.

HISTORY OF ADDICTION
1. BEER
Since the dawn of history, mankind has found ways to
relieve the daily grind of life. In ancient Mesopotamia
(the area now known as Iraq), agriculture slowly began to
flourish, and a large network of city states started to gain
prominence. With the cultivation of wheat and barley
came another product: beer. After all, the water wasn't
particularly healthy, and the weak alcohol content in beer
killed off a lot of harmful organisms in the water.
While the beer wasn't particularly strong, it also wasn't
particularly nice, as the concept of sterility was unknown
in 3,000 BCE. However, beer was consumed in bulk.
Consequently, addiction to alcohol was rampant in the
so-called cradle of civilization, and people during that
time generally lived much shorter lives thanks to disease
and, presumably, drunkenness.
2. OPIUM
Throughout the time that beer was gaining popularity, the
Indians, Assyrians and Egyptians were cultivating and
preparing opium from the opium poppy. Indeed, the
upper classes of many civilizations would use this to relax
and pass time, although some uses are much less benign.
One Egyptian scroll recommends using opium to soothe a
crying baby.
3. HALLUCINOGENS AND NATURAL HIGHS
Moving on 15 centuries, the ancient Greece used a
special form of mead (fermented honey) or beer to induce
visions known as mysteries. Naturally, there is something
very mystical in seeing hallucinations, and plants
containing entheogens (natural chemicals that induce
hallucinations) have been widely cultivated throughout
the world; these include the peyote cactus, fly agaric, and
cannabis. Clearly, this is a form of drug abuse, although
it was a socially acceptable one at the time.
4. COCAINE
During the second millennium, world tradestarted to be
more prominent. Ships started sailing from China to
Europe-Marco Polo rediscovered major trade routes to
India and China, and in 1492, cocaine came to be major
product of trade.
After that, the American continent became ripe for
development. Various conquistadors discovered the drugs
that kept the locals going, especially cocaine, which was
touted as a wonder cure for all ailments.
5. TOBACCO
One of the major drugs that came out of the New World
was tobacco. Sir Walter Raleigh famously introduced
dried tobacco leaves to England, where they were
controlled and taxed heavily. Again, abuse of tobacco led
to very expensive addictions, as it was a risky but
incredibly profitable voyage for those who made it over
the Atlant.
SCENARIO OF ADDICTION
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Special thanks to the following source: -

 NCERT biology class XI
pradeeps biology books