Biology Investigatory Project

Biology SL (Kendriya Vidyalaya BEG)

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 BIOLOGY
INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

ABUSE

SESSION 2024-25

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:

HIBA MRS. SUMAN LATA
12-B (PGT BIOLOGY)
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that,
Name of the Candidate HIBA of Class XII ‘B’ Roll No 10

has successfully completed the project on topic of DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

ABUSE for the Session 2024-202 under the guidance of SUMAN LATA, PGT
BIOLOGY

SUBJECT TEACHER

PRINCIPAL
 Acknowledgement
I am delighted to express my heartfelt
appreciation and gratitude to my esteemed
teacher, Mr. Suman Lata (PGT Biology), who
not only imparted knowledge but also assumed
the pivotal role of guiding me through the
intricate subject of Biology. I am profoundly
indebted to his instructive and inspirational
classes which have undeniably enriched my
understanding.

Furthermore, I wish to extend my deepest

thanks to our respected Principal, Mrs. Mamta
Shekhar, whose unwavering support and
encouragement have been instrumental in the
success of this project. Her inspirational
leadership has been a driving force in the
accomplishment of our goals.

Lastly, I want to convey my genuine

admiration for the camaraderie and cherished
moments shared with my batchmates. Their
friendship and the memorable time we have
spent together have added immense value to
my educational journey.
Table of contents
➢ Certificate
➢ Acknowledgement
➢ Introduction
➢ Classification of drugs
➢ Some harmful drugs
• Heroin
• Cannabinoids
• Cocaine
• Tobacco
• Alcohol
➢ Adolescence and drug/alcohol abuse
• How drug addiction begin?
➢ Addiction towards drugs
➢ Harms caused by drugs abuse
➢ Prevention and control
• Some measures to prevent drug abuse
➢ Bibliography
 Introduction
Drug abuse also called substance abuse or chemical abuse, is a
disorder that is characterized by a destructive pattern of using a
substance that leads to significant problems or distress. Teens
are increasingly engaging in prescription drug abuse, particularly
narcotics(which are prescribed to relieve severe pain), and
stimulant medications, which treat conditions like attention deficit
disorder and narcolepsy.

Any substance, other than food, used in prevention, diagnosis, all

aviation or treatment of a disease is called a drug. Drug is also
known as a medicine. A drug, broadly speaking, can be
categorized in many ways; hard or soft, uppers or downers,
addictive or non-addictive, most harmful or least harmful, legal or
illegal. Proper education and guidance would enable youth t
safeguard themselves against these dangerous behavior
patterns and follow healthy lifestyles. The World Health
Organization(WHO) reports that the harmful use of alcohol
results in three million deaths per year around the world.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), around six percent of people over the age of 18 are
drinking heavily around 16 percent are binge drinking in the US.
 Classification of drugs
There are a large number of drugs on which people become
dependent. These are classified into four major groups:
• Sedatives and Tranquilizers
• Opiate narcotics
• Stimulations
• Hallucinogens

Sr.no Types of drugs Effects Examples

1. Sedatives and Depress CNS activity give Barbiturates,
tranquilizers feeling of calmness, benzodiazepins
relaxation, drowsiness.
2. Opiate narcotics Suppress brain activity and Opium,
relaxed pain. Morphine,
Codeine,
Heroin
3. Stimulants Make a person more wakeful, Amphetamines,
alert and active, cause Caffeine,
excitement. Cocaine
4. Hallucinogens Make a person more wakeful, LSQ,
perceptions. Mescaline,
Psilocybin,
Ganja,
Charas,
Hashish
 Some harmful drugs
One way to classify drugs is based on their makeup, chemically similar
substances are either synthetically manufactured, or derived from the
same natural source. On the other hand, some drugs can have different
structures, but similar effects on human body. A social menace, drugs, and
alcohols are permeating very deep into the lives of innocent youth, who fall
prey to this. The harmful effects of drugs and alcohol are far and many.
They not only spoil the health of the individual but also slowly make people
addicted them, who turn out to be ant-social with behavioural issues.

➢ HEROIN

▪ Heroin is white brown powder or black, sticky goo. It’s an

opioid drug made from morphine, a natural substance in the
seedpod of the Asian poppy plant. It can be mixed with water
and injected with needle.
▪ Heroin can also be smoked or snorted up the nose. All of
these ways of taking heroin send it to the brain very quickly.
This makes it very addictive.
 ▪ Major health problems from heroin include miscarriages,
heart infections, and death from overdose. People who inject
the drug also risk getting diseases, including HIV/AIDS and
hepatitis.
▪ Regular use of heroin can lead to tolerance. If dependent
users stop heroin, they have withdrawal symptoms. These
symptoms include restlessness, muscle and bone pain,
diarrhea and vomiting, and cold flashes with goosebumps.

Structure of opium Opium poppy plant

➢ Cannabinoids

▪ Cannabinoids are naturally occurring compounds found in

cannabis sativa plant. Of over 480 different compounds
present in the plant, only around 66 are termed
cannabinoids, which interact with cannabinoid receptors
present principally in brain.
▪ Natural cannabinoids are obtained from the inflorescences
of the plant cannabis sativa. The flower tops, leaves and the
resin of cannabis plant are used in various combinations to
produce marijuana, hashish, charas and ganja.
 ▪ In 1992, a naturally occurring substance in the brain that
binds to CB1 was discovered, called anandamide.
▪
▪

▪ Generally, taken by inhalation and oral ingestion, these are

known for their effects on cardiovascular system of the body.
They are abused by sports person in recent times.

Cannabinoid structure Cannabis sativa plant

➢ Cocaine

▪ The coca plant, Erythroxylum coca, and related species

have grown naturally in the nothern mountains of South
America for thousand years.
▪ It interferes with the transport of the neuro-transmitter
dopamine. Cocaine, commonly called coke or crack is
usually snorted.
▪ At the core of this progression is the intense euphoric
and hedomic joy produced initially by cocaine, quickly
followed by drug hunger.
▪ It has a potent stimulating action on central nervous
system, producing a sense of euphoria and increased
energy. Excessive dosage of cocaine causes
hallucinations.
 ➢ Tobacco

▪ It is a native of South Africa, where the Red Indian first

started smoking. Now the tobacco plant has been used by
human beings for more than 4000 years. It is smoked,
chewed or used as a snuff.
▪ Inhaling tobacco smoke from cigars, cigarettes, biddies,
pipes and hubble-bubble is called smoking.
▪ Cigarette is cut tobacco wrapped in paper. Bidi is
tobacco wrapped, in a piece of leaf. Smoking may give
some temporary relief to the strained nerves but in the long
run it proves a dangerous health hazard.

Tobacco
plant

➢ Alcohol
▪ An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol.
Ethanol is a centrally-acting drug with depressant effect.
Alcohol is taken in low concentration, as beer, toddy and
wine and in relatively high concentration as brandy,
whiskey, rum etc.
▪ Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, flammable, colorless liquid
having penetrate odor and burning taste. It is one of the
 products of distillation of fermented grains, fruit juices
and starches with the help of yeast enzyme.

▪ Unlike other foods, alcohol does not require digestion.

Alcohol is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through
wall of the stomach and the intestine.
Adolescence and drug/alcohol abuse
Adolescence means both ‘a period’ and ‘a process’ during which a child
becomes mature in terms of his/her attitudes and beliefs for effective
participation in society. The period between 12-18 years of age may be
thought of as adolescence period.
Adolescence is accompanied by several biological and behavioural
changes. Once they are exposed to the use of alcohol and drugs, it is
highly likely for them to get addicted to them thus resulting in alcohol and
drug abuse.

• How drug addiction begin?

1. Curiosity: Frequent references to drugs by public media create

curiosity for having a personal experience of the drugs.
2. Friends 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 keep
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 the 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 youngsters take drugs to satisfy
their instinct for excitement and adventure.
 Addiction towards drugs
• 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 a legal or illegal drug and medicine.
• Substance such as alcohol, marijuana and nicotine are considered
drugs. When you’re addicted, you may continue using the drug
despite the harm it causes.
• Some drugs, such as opioid painkillers, have a higher risk and cause
addiction more quickly than others. As 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 increase, 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. These are called withdrawal
symptoms.

• The addictive potential of drugs and alcohol, pull the user into a
vicious circle leading to their regular use(abuse) from which he/she
may not be able to get out.
• In the absence of any guidance or counselling, the person gets
addicted and becomes dependent on their use. Dependence is the
tendency of the body to manifest a characteristic and unpleasant
withdrawal syndrome if regular dose of drugs/alcohol is abruptly
discontinued.
• This is characterized by anxiety, shakiness, nausea, and sweating
which may be relieved when use is resumed again.
 Harms caused by drug abuse
• Excessive doses of drugs may lead to coma and death due to
respiratory failure, heart failure or cerebral hemorrhage.
• The most common warning signs of drug and alcohol abuse among
youth include drop in academic performance, unexplained absence,
lack of interest in the personal hygiene, withdrawal, isolation,
depression, fatigue, aggressive behavior, deteriorating relationships
change in sleeping and eating habits, fluctuations in weight, appetite,
etc.
• If an abuser is unable to get money to buy drugs/alcohol he/she may
turn to stealing. At times, a drug addict becomes the cause of mental
and financial distress to his/her entire family and friends.
• Those who take drugs intravenously are much more likely to acquire
serious infections like AIDS and hepatitis B.
• The use of alcohol during adolescence may also have been long
term effects. It could lead to heavy drinking in adulthood. The chronic
use of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy is also known to
adversely affect foetus.
• Another misuse of drugs is what is certain is sportspersons do to
enhance their performance. They misuse narcotics analgesics,
anabolic steroids, diuretics and certain hormones in sports to
increase muscle strength and bulk and to promote aggressiveness
and as result increase athletic performance.
• The side effects of the use of anabolic steroids in female include
masculinisation, increased aggressiveness, mood swings,
depression, abnormal menstrual cycles, excessive hair growth on the
face and body.
 Prevention and control
The ages old adage of ‘prevention is better than cure’ holds true here
also. It is true that habits such as smoking, taking drug or alcohol are
more likely to be taken up at a young age, more during adolescence.
Hence, it is best to identify the situations that may push an adolescent
towards use of drugs and alcohol, and t take remedial measures well in
time. In this regard, the parents and the teachers have a special
responsibility. Parenting that combine with high levels of nurturance and
consistent discipline, has been associated with lowered risk of substance
(drug/alcohol/tobacco) abuse.

• Some of the measures mentioned here

would be useful for prevention and
control of drugs abuse:
1. Understand how substance abuse develops

Substance abuse starts by:

• Using addictive drugs (illicit or prescribed) for recreational purposes.
• Seeking out intoxication every time you use.
• Abusing prescription medication.
2. Avoid temptation and peer pressure.

Develop healthy friendships relationships by avoiding

friends or family member who pressure you to use substances. It’s
often said “we become most like those we surround ourselves by,”
meaning if you surround yourself with people who abuse drugs and
alcohol are more likely to as well. Peer pressure is major part of life
for teens and adults.

3. Seek help for mental illness

Mental illness and substance abuse often go hand in

hand. If you are dealing with a mental illness such as anxiety,
depression or post-traumatic stress disorder you should seek
professional help from a licensed therapist or counselor. A
professional will provide you with healthy coping skills to alleviate
your symptoms without turning to drugs and alcohol.

4. Examine the risk factors

Look at your family history of mental illness and

addiction, several studies have shown that this disease tends
to run in the family, but can be prevented. The more you are aware
of your biological, environmental and physical risk factors the more
likely you are to overcome them.

5. Keep a well-balanced life

People often turn to drugs and alcohol when something

in their life is missing or not working. Practicing stress management
skills can help you overcome these life stressors and will help you
live a balanced and healthy life.

6. School based drug abuse prevention programs

Preschool children can benefit from learning how to

handle aggression, solve problems, and communicate better that
they can avoid putting themselves at risk for drug abuse later in life.
 Bibliography
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substance_abuse
• https://medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html
• https://www.quora.com/What-is-drug-abuse-1
• https://rehabs.in/learn/drug-addiction-explained
• NCERT BIOLOGY BOOK