The Use and Abuse of Psychostimulants

Extract

Drug use has become a significant medical and social problem in the United States. Toxicological analysis of biological specimens from individuals is generally accepted to be the most objective method for determining drug use and abuse. As a science, forensic toxicology deals with the medico-legal implications of drug use, misuse, and abuse. This may include the following: criminal penalties imposed for the distribution, possession, and use of illicit drugs; assessment of drug impairment in human performance (behavioral) toxicology; assessment of drug toxicity as a contributing factor in the cause and manner of death in postmortem forensic toxicology cases; or detection of drug use in workplace drug testing programs.

Psychostimulants include a diverse class of drugs exhibiting central nervous system stimulant properties, and have a high abuse potential. Drugs in this class include illicit drugs, prescription medications, over the counter (OTC) preparations, and dietary supplements. Clinical indications for therapeutic use include treatment of narcolepsy, attention deficit disorder, and as an appetite suppressant in the treatment of obesity. Pharmacological effects of psychostimulant drugs include the ability to increase alertness, relieve fatigue, decrease appetite, elevate mood, increase confidence, and produce euphoria. Abuse of psychostimulant drugs may lead to tolerance that is exhibited by the need of higher doses of the drug to produce the same desired effects. Consequently, users may try to intensify the drug's positive effects by increasing the drug dosage, taking it more frequently, or changing the route of administration leading to the possibility of drug abuse, misuse, or toxicity. The…

ABBREVIATIONS: DAWN = Drug Abuse Warning Network; ED = emergency department; MDA = methylenedioxyamphetamine; MDMA = methylenedioxymethamphetamine; OTC = over the counter.