Re: Drugs: The new candy?
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"research in the last few years has shown that the areas in the brain activated by such addicting substances as nicotine or heroin are pretty much the same (particularly once you become a regular user). "
Uh, no. You are a [censored] moron.
"Addiction pathways" have nothing to do with effect jackass.
Heroin and Nicotine have nothing in common other than the fact that they are "addictive," as is, of course sugar.
Oh no!
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I thought both effected your dopamine levels (of course that just may be uppers such as coke and speed).
craig
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you are correct
specifically, cocaine attaches to the same neurostransmitter binding sites as dopamine.
when cocaine is introduced, dopamine cannot bind to the transporters and is stranded in the synapses, whic leads to increased dopamine levels.
...interstingly it is dopamine that is thought be primarily
responsible for the pleasure pathway (it is at least quite clearly a pleasure chemical).
release of dopamine is enhanced in a brain system called the limbic system (which is basically the emotional brain).
....(as i mentioned above) ALL ADDICTIVE DRUGS have the common ability to increase dopamine activity within the limbic system in some way.
finally, for those of you wondering why not to do cocaine consider that diseases such as parkinson's and schizophrenia are characterized by abnormal dopamine levels (the former with elevate levels and the latter with depressed levels)....
cheers,
sean
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