Drug Side Effects
What is a side effect?
An unintended effect of a drug on the body.
What is an over-the-counter (OTC) drug?
A drug you can buy without a prescription.
What type of drug slows down the central nervous system?
Depressants
Why is the teen brain more vulnerable to drugs than the adult brain?
It is still developing.
At what age is recreational marijuana legal in New Jersey?
21 years old.
Name one common side effect of many medications.
Examples: drowsiness, nausea, headache, dizziness.
What is a prescription drug?
A drug ordered by a doctor that must be dispensed by a pharmacist.
A drug increases alertness, heart rate, and energy levels. What type of drug is this?
Stimulants
Which brain functions are most affected by marijuana use in teens?
Memory, decision-making, attention, learning.
Why can marijuana be legal for adults but still illegal for teens?
Age restrictions due to brain development and law.
What is the difference between antagonistic and synergistic effects when drugs are combined?
Antagonistic = drugs reduce or cancel each other’s effects;
Synergistic = drugs work together to increase the effects, sometimes dangerously.
A drug has no accepted medical use and is illegal to manufacture, distribute, or possess. How would it most likely be classified under U.S. drug laws?
An illegal drug / Schedule I controlled substance.
A person reports seeing and hearing things that are not real after using a substance. What class of drug most likely caused this?
Hallucinogen
How can marijuana use interfere with a teen’s ability to achieve academic goals?
Impairs focus, motivation, and memory.
What could happen if a teen is caught with marijuana at school?
School consequences such as suspension and possible legal consequences.
A person has been taking the same pain medication for months and says it “doesn’t work anymore.” What has most likely happened?
Tolerance has developed.
Why are some drugs placed into different legal “schedules”?
Based on medical use, potential for abuse, and risk of dependence.
Marijuana is often classified as what type of drug based on its effects?
Hallucinogen — and sometimes depressant because it can slow reaction time.
How can regular marijuana use affect motivation or school performance?
Lower motivation, lower grades, difficulty focusing.
How could a marijuana-related suspension impact a student beyond school discipline?
Athletics eligibility, extracurriculars, future opportunities.
Two drugs are taken together. One increases heart rate, and the other slows heart rate. What type of interaction is this, and why could it still be dangerous?
Antagonistic effect — but it can still strain the heart and body.
Name an example of a schedule V drug.
Cough preparations with low codeine content (e.g., Promethazine with Codeine), anti-diarrheal medicines like diphenoxylate/atropine (Lomotil), and certain anticonvulsant or nerve pain medications such as pregabalin (Lyrica) and lacosamide (Vimpat).
Alcohol and opioids are both depressants. Explain why combining them increases overdose risk using proper drug classification vocabulary.
Both depress the central nervous system, creating a synergistic effect that can dangerously slow breathing.
THC affects the brain’s reward system. Why does repeated stimulation of this system increase the risk of addiction?
The brain adapts, leading to tolerance and dependence
New Jersey legalized marijuana for adults in 2021. Why does legalization not mean the substance is safe for everyone?
Legal does not equal harmless; risks remain, especially for teens.