Medical Toxicology of Drugs of Abuse

Abstract

This chapter describes the toxicological properties of the main drugs of abuse, namely alcohol, amphetamines, cocaine, heroin, and cannabis. All these drugs share chemical similarities with neuronal endogenous compounds and are thus psychoactive. Besides the nervous system, drugs of abuse affect other body systems, inducing cardiovascular, metabolic, hepatic, renal, respiratory, reproductive, and immune impairments, explaining the medical complications observed in drug addicts. The fact that the toxicity of these drugs may be affected by the interactions with other substances, namely on polydrug abuse and street drug adulteration, is also highlighted. A comparative view of the medical toxicological effects as well as the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of these drugs of abuse are presented.