Effects of various types of drugs - Research Paper Example

This essay considers the various types of effects of these drugs as they influence the person or persons who have consumed them. Depressants have are a specific type of psychoactive drug that temporarily limits the functionality of a specific part of the brain or body ("Msds glossary," 2010). There are a broad variety of depressants, many of which human beings consume recreationaly. In these regards, one of the most popularly consumed depressants is alcohol. While most individuals have experienced the effects of alcohol, its necessary to advance an objective understanding of these effects as they relate to different types of psychoactive drugs.

Some of the most notable effects of alcohol are disinhibitions. In these regards, the impulses one might think or feel when they are sober but are inhibited to act upon – when under the influence of alcohol – the individual is then considerably more likely to follow through (Myers 2010). Another notable effect of alcohol is slowed neural response. In these regards, significant alcohol consumption slows the users sympathetic nervous system so they oftentimes exhibit effects such as slurred speech, and impaired movement.

The slowing of the individuals neural response through alcohol consumption is a highly notable effect, as it is through this effect that individuals oftentimes become involved in fatal traffic accidents. Another highly prominent type of depressant are barbiturates. Barbiturates are understood as, “can be used as hypnotics, sedatives, anticonvulsants and anesthetics, although they are probably most familiar as sleeping pills ("Barbiturate,"). In these regards, barbiturates are generally understood as tranquilizers for their sedative effects.

While in small doses barbiturates have been administered as sleep or pain aids, in larger doses they can be potentially dangerous, leading to impairment of memory,