Depressants are drugs that come in multicolored tablets, capsules, or in liquid form. They were made first in 1864. Chemist Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Baeyer (1835-1917) synthesized barbituric acid. By 1903, chemists with the Bayer pharmaceutical company used barbituric acid to develop a drug called barbital. Barbital induced sleep and was soon commercially marketed and sold. Today, pharmaceutical companies produce a wide array of depressants. Common drugs that are depressants include alcohol, xanax, sleeping pills, ketamine, etc. Depressant addiction is when a person compulsively seeks out and uses medication despite being aware of its harmful effects. When a person is addicted to depressants, brain activity is slowed, so when the person stops taking the depressants, brain activity speeds up at a rapid rate and may cause seizures. Depressants are highly dangerous and the risk for overdose and death can increase when combined with other drugs or alcohol. It can cause one's brain activity to race out of control to the point where it causes seizures. Withdrawal symptoms from depressants can be life threatening;these include, insomnia, high body temperature, delirium, etc. It is important to learn about drugs as they can also be used for medicinal purposes. For example, certain depressants work as a relaxing effect that is helpful to people with anxiety or sleep problems. In this day and age, teenagers are getting easier access to drugs so it is salient to stay away from them and remember the effects they have on one's body to live a healthy lifestyle. When I was in middle school, a public speaker came to talk to us about the effects of these drugs if used for non medical purposes. She mentioned the toll it can take on one's life when addiction starts to rise. She inspired me to look into it further and go into the history of depressants. Overall, drugs are always around us but it is your choice to be responsible enough and to make the right decision about them.
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