Effects of drugs
Read the following passage carefully and answer the given questions.
Surveys and statistics show that the use of drugs and alcohol has been on the rise, especially among the youth. This is really a cause of concern as it could result in many harmful effects. The immediate adverse effects of drugs and alcohol abuse are manifested in the form of reckless behaviour, vandalism and violence. Excessive doses of drugs may lead to coma and death due to respiratory failure, heart failure or cerebral hemorrhage. Proper education and guidance would enable young people to safeguard themselves against these dangerous behaviour patterns and follow healthy lifestyles. The drugs which are commonly abused are opioids, cannabinoids and coca alkaloids. Opioids are the drugs, which bind to specific opioid receptors present in our central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. Drugs which are normally used as medicines to help patients cope with mental illnesses like depression and insomnia, are often abused. Morphine is a very effective sedative and painkiller, and is very useful in patients who have undergone surgery. Several plants, fruits and seeds having hallucinogenic properties have been used for hundreds of years in folk-medicine, religious ceremonies and rituals all over the globe. Curiosity, need for adventure and excitement, and experimentation, constitute common causes, which motivate youngsters towards drug and alcohol use.
Which one of the following drugs is not normally used as medicines to help patients cope with mental illnesses like depression and insomnia?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Marijuana
Some drugs are normally used as medicines to help patients cope with mental illnesses such as depression and insomnia (sleeplessness). They are barbiturates, amphetamines and benzodiazepines. They are often abused when they are taken without such need.
(1) Barbiturates — A medicine for such illnesses. They are used as medicines and are often abused.
(2) Amphetamines — A medicine for such illnesses. They are also named among these medicines.
(3) Marijuana — Not a medicine for such illnesses. Marijuana is a cannabinoid drug made from the flower tops, leaves and resin of Cannabis sativa. It is a drug of abuse that affects the heart and blood vessels.
(4) Benzodiazepines — A medicine for such illnesses. They are the third group named.
Note: The passage is taken from NCERT. NTA has put lines of the NCERT text together to make it. Most CUET (UG) questions come straight from NCERT, so study the book line by line, including figures and their titles.
NCERT Extract:
Drugs and Alcohol Abuse – “… Drugs like barbiturates, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, and other similar drugs, that are normally used as medicines to help patients cope with mental illnesses like depression and insomnia, are often abused.”
Drugs and Alcohol Abuse – “… The flower tops, leaves and the resin of cannabis plant are used in various combinations to produce marijuana, hashish, charas and ganja.”