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Drug abuse is a common problem in the US.
- From 1999 to 2017, more than 700,000 people have died from a drug overdose.
- Around 68% of the more than 70,200 drug overdose deaths in 2017 involved an opioid.
- There are many common drugs of abuse, each with its own mechanism of action and potential unwanted side effects.
- Most of the traditional drugs of abuse are still widespread among the youth of this country, with many newer versions on the rise.
- Many of the familiar drugs such as marijuana, amphetamines, and alcohol have leveled off in usage over the past few years with a recent surge of the newer "rave" and date rape drugs. Some, such as ecstasy, are just new versions of an old drug, where others, such as GHB are in a class unto themselves.
This lecture will cover the pharmacology of the most common agents, and focus on recognition and treatment of the various agents.
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