9781422279649

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The Dangers of Drug Abuse

device fits into its port. If you don’t have the right size of plug, it simply won’t fit. The same thing is true for neurotransmit- ters and receptor proteins. They need to be the right “match” or they won’t be able to recognize each other and take the next step. In the case of a cell phone, that would be to recharge the battery. For a neurotransmitter, the next step is for it to travel to another cell.

Drugs alter the way people think, feel, and behave by disrupting communication between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. Neurons are separated by small spaces called synapses. Messages are passed from cell to cell across the synapse by specialized molecules, called neurotransmitters, which bind to receptors on the nerve cells. Prescription opioids and heroin produce effects that are similar to—but stronger than—those produced by the neu- rotransmitters endorphin and enkephalin: reduced pain, decreased alertness, and slowed respiration.