Which of the following groups of drugs, normally used as medicines to help patients cope with mental illnesses like depression and insomnia, are often abused?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Barbiturates, amphetamines and benzodiazepines
Some drugs are proper medicines. Barbiturates, amphetamines and benzodiazepines are normally used to help patients cope with mental illnesses like depression and insomnia, but they are often abused. The other groups in the options are either drugs of abuse that are mostly obtained from plants (opioids, cannabinoids, coca alkaloids), drugs misused by some sportspersons to increase athletic performance (narcotic analgesics, anabolic steroids, diuretics), or drugs that reduce the symptoms of allergy (anti-histamine, adrenalin, steroids).
Option (2) Barbiturates, amphetamines and benzodiazepines — Correct. These are the medicines for depression and insomnia that the book lists as often abused.
NCERT Extract:
Drugs and Alcohol Abuse – “… Other well-known plants with hallucinogenic properties are Atropa belladona and Datura (Figure 7.11). These days cannabinoids are also being abused by some sportspersons. 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.”
Figure 7.11 Flowering branch of Datura