Ways of Taking Drugs
Routes of Drug Administration
At its simplest definition, a route of drug administration is
a method in which a drug is taken into the body. It differs from the point at
which the drug interacts and affects an individual though. This is typically in
the brain and various internal transportation processes have to occur
beforehand for the chemical to get there. Routes of drug administration can be
split up into three categories: topical, enteral and parenteral. Topical
administration is a local effect where the drug is applied directly to the area
that it is needed. When it comes to illicit drugs, this includes smoking and
snorting. Enteral routes of drug administration involve the digestive tract and
involve orally taking the drug or using a suppository. Parental routes make use
of other internal pathways, such as blood vessels. This category covers the
various types of injections (subcutaneous, intravenous and intramuscular)
commonly associated with illicit drug use.
Smoking Drugs
As one of the most common routes of drug
administration, smoking encapsulates
tobacco, marijuana, opium, heroin, cocaine and various other substances.
Whenever someone draws in on a cigarette, the smoke goes to the lungs and is
then rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. This makes it one of the fastest
ways for someone to experience a high as the chemicals are transferred to the
necessary bodily receptors in seconds.
There are several side
effects to smoking which can pose
significant risks to the smoker’s health, regardless of the drug involved. An
individual who smokes tobacco, marijuana, opium or heroin has a higher chance
of experiencing the following:
* Heart disease
* Mouth, throat and lung cancer
* Heart attacks and strokes
* Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (including emphysema and chronic bronchitis)
* High blood pressure (hypertension)
* Bacterial pneumonia and other lung infections
* Mouth, throat and lung cancer
* Heart attacks and strokes
* Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (including emphysema and chronic bronchitis)
* High blood pressure (hypertension)
* Bacterial pneumonia and other lung infections
Drugs, such as cannabis and crack, pose greater
risks than tobacco to a smoker primarily because they are designed to be
inhaled in order for a high to be experienced. In standard cigarettes, the
smoke does not necessarily need to enter the lungs and themajority of the above effects can be
eliminated.
Snorting Drugs
The snorting of
drugs (also called insufflation) is conducted mostly by users of tobacco,
cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and amphetamines. Around 30 to 60% of the snorted chemicals
will enter the bloodstream through the mucus membrane in the nose. The rest is
then swallowed and moves down to the stomach where it finally reaches the
blood. In general, the high is experienced within about 15 minutes from the
time of snorting.
There are several health risks
associated with insufflating drugs. Most famously, drugs such as
cocaine have been known to damage the inside lining of the nostrils, damaging
the nasal cavity and even destroying the septum, the wall of cartilage between
the two nostrils. As well as this, sharing bank notes, straws or pens to snort
drugs can result in the spreading of infectious diseases such as hepatitis C
and HIV. Other potential dangers also exist, but these vary
depending on the drug being taken.
Taking Drugs Orally
One of the simplest ways of taking drugs is
through the mouth and allows the drugs to move onto the stomach where they are
absorbed by the stomach lining and then enter the bloodstream. The most common drugs to
be taken in this way are alcohol, marijuana, opium, amphetamines, ecstasy, LSD
and magic mushrooms. Swallowing is one of the safest ways to
take drugs for several
reasons. Firstly, the substance will be slowly absorbed through the stomach
lining resulting in effects which are less extreme and therefore less
dangerous. Secondly, an individual’s digestive system is designed to induce
vomiting if that person ingests anything risky. There have, however, been cases
of people dying from
swallowing cocaine, showing that there are still some dangers
present with this particular route of administration.
Using Suppositories
One of the riskier methods of drug intake is
the use of suppositories where
the substance is absorbed through the mucus membrane in the rectum. This is not
a typical method of drug administration, although water-soluble drugs such as
speed, ecstasy and cocaine have
been known to be taken in this way.
This activity can be very risky, especially
since the mucus membranes around the rectum are very sensitive. If the
substance taken is too acidic or caustic, it can burn the lining causing
irreparable damage. Additionally, inserting anything into the anus can result
in the lower colon being perforated which can then lead to a range of symptoms
including death.
Injections and Drugs
This route of administration is a recent
development in the drug scene and involves a syringe full of an illicit
substance being injected directly into the blood stream. This can be done in three
different ways:
* Subcutaneous Injections: Directly into the
soft tissue just beneath the skin.
* Intravenous Injections: Directly into a vein found under the surface of the skin.
* Intramuscular Injections: Directly into a muscle found deeper in the body.
* Intravenous Injections: Directly into a vein found under the surface of the skin.
* Intramuscular Injections: Directly into a muscle found deeper in the body.
This is one of the more popular methods of drug
use as the full effects are felt almost immediately, typically
within 3 to 5 seconds. It also bypasses many of the body’s defenses and
delivers more of the drug to the brain. This is why injecting illicit
substances is one of the more dangerous routes of administration as substances
which would have normally been rejected by the stomach or blocked by the skin
can enter into the bloodstream without any trouble. This can then lead to the
following dangers:
* Increased chance of infection due to
contaminated needles or drugs. Those who share syringes also run the risk of
spreading blood-borne diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis.
* Scarring of the veins. This is caused by blunt syringes and can lead to the vein collapsing.
* Arterial damage at the injection site, which can lead to hemorrhaging, distal ischemia, gangrene, endarteritis and thrombosis.
* Scarring of the veins. This is caused by blunt syringes and can lead to the vein collapsing.
* Arterial damage at the injection site, which can lead to hemorrhaging, distal ischemia, gangrene, endarteritis and thrombosis.
There is also an increased chance of addiction
for those who take drugs via injections. This is because the heightened
feelings that they experience may lead them to come back and repeat the action
simply to relive the previous emotions.
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