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I will be spontaneous during the development of my blog. I want to answer questions that come to my mind while enrolled in a special course, Drug Abuse and Addiction at National University. Pop up questions such as What is a “substance”? Which is the substance? What does a substance do? Make me think. What is substance abuse and dependency?  As far as I know, substance may refer to core values one possesses. I refer to essence, meaning, emotion, spirit, thought substance, reality, logic in thought, and profound. Is this person rational and logical, does this person possess essence and substance, does he/she influences me with positivism or negativism? 

I was able to find the definition of the “drug” in one of the textbooks, but not on “substance.” By definition drug means “any substance, natural or artificial, other than food, that by its chemical nature alters structure or function in the living organism” (Hart & Ksir, 2001).

Easy to understand, drugs change the chemical components in the body, but I am still looking for that substance, natural or artificial that adds to the alteration process, drug abuse, and dependency.

It takes a bit of deep thinking and digging through my thoughts and information available to me. So, is there a correlation between substance, natural or artificial, and drug use? Possibly. According to my posted picture I understand that substance abuse relates to a compulsive behavior, the irresistible urge, and conscious wish, whereas substance dependence relates to the need which could be more powerful than a conscious wish? So, this means that when one smokes a cigarette likes the taste of it and wishes for a second, and third, and forth one? Or is the component substance that takes over the person’s wish? What substance is so powerful to take over someone’s wish?

By definition, substance is a physical material that can be touched and felt. Substance is a particular kind of matter or material (Encarta Dictionary, 1999). Tobacco is a real matter, a plant with leaves. In fact, when Columbus arrived to America he was given those leaves as a gift, but he had no usage and through them away. He did not know that he could have saved them and use them to treat his wounds.

The herbe sainte, “holy plant,” was then called “nicotiane” after Nicot. (Hart & Ksir,2001), a French diplomat who introduced tobacco in France (World English Dictionary). The substance, nicotine, is the main component of a cigarette which appears as colorless liquid, but when in contact with oxygen the substance turns brown due to the oxidation process (Hart & Ksir, 2001).

 

As simple its chemical structure (Carbon and Nitrogen) appears as dangerous could be on human.  This substance was, in fact, known to be one of the most toxic drugs. 60 mg of nicotine can kill the person within a few minutes. Nicotine substance acts on the CNS, and it is responsible for acetylcholine mimic. What is acetylcholine? It is a neurotransmitter responsible for motor and cardiovascular functions. Ach also plays a role in memory and learning.

Therefore, nicotine binds to the Ach receptors in the brain and “blocks incoming impulses and transmission of information at the synapse” (Hart & Ksir, 2001, p.248). Nicotine is the responsible substance in the tobacco that causes addiction. So, the person becomes then nicotine dependent whether he/she chooses or not.