Gateway Drugs and Common Drug Abuse :: Substance Abuse Essays

G take inway Drugs and Common Drug Abuse The oldest known written record of drug use is a clay tablet from the past Sumerian civilization of the Middle East. This tablet, made in the 2000s B.C., lists about a dozen drug prescriptions. An Egyptian scroll from bout 1550 B.C. names to a greater extent than 800 prescriptions containing about 700 drugs. The ancient Chinese, Greek and Romans also used many an(prenominal) drugs. The Greeks and Romans used opium to relieve pain. The Egyptians used castor oil as a laxative. The Chinese ate liver to cure anemia. In the 1500,s and 1600s, doctors and scientists made important advances in Pharmacology and in other fields of science. In the early 1500s, Swiss physician Philippus Paracelsus pioneered in the use of minerals as drugs. He introduces many compounds of lead, mercury and other minerals in the treatment of other diseases. Gateway drugs are substances that people take which, in many cases, lead to those people taking more drugs. Alcohol and pot are the most obvious gateway drugs. Studies show that if you smoke pot, youre more presumable to quiz things like crystal meth or cocaine or heroin. Many people see alcohol and pot as less dangerous and bruising than other drugs, but the truth is, they are only when as dangerous as any other drug in more ways than one. not only are alcohol and pot dangerous in there own right, they also screw up your judgment making you more likely to use other drugs. Gateway drugs work in two major ways. The first, gateway drugs break down a psychological barrier against doing other drugs. in one case you have crossed the line with a gateway drug, you are more likely to go there with other drugs. Second, Gateway drugs impair your judgment. If you are inebriated to high, it is easier to say yes to cocaine or whatever else is around. These drugs break down your inhibitions, so you are more susceptible to peer pressure and experimenting. They do not just impair your judgment whe n you are on them they can change the way you feel about drugs in general.LSDLSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is one of the major drugs making up the hallucinogen class. LSD was discovered in 1938 and is one of the most potent mood-Schreiber 2changing chemicals. It is manufactured commonly referred to as acid, The personal effects of LSD are unpredictable.