1. The Depressing Truth Behind Barbiturates By: Meghan O’Sullivan, Olivia Murray, and Andy Benavides Health 3rd hour

2. Classification Ultra-short= used by the medical field for anesthetic purposes Short/intermediate-acting= anesthetic; also cure anxiety or insomnia Long-acting= treat convulsions; sedation during the daytime Central Nervous System Depressants (CNS)

3. History First synthesized December 6, 1864 Adolf Von Baeyer-German Scientist Composed of a combination of urea and malonic acid But, barbiturates didn’t have a use until 19o3.

4. Mental Effects Hallucinations Anxiety Insomnia Increased dreaming Lack of focus Tiredness

5. Physical Effects Muscle twitches Shaky hands Seizures Dizziness Stomach problems and nausea Difficulty breathing Loss of reflexes

6. Dependence Users of this drug might become physically and mentally dependant. When a person using this drug tries to cut back they experience withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms can range from minor like anxiety to much more serious symptoms like compulsions or even death.

7. Statistics Between 1959 and 1974 27,000 people died from barbiturate abuse Since the 1980’s doctor prescriptions for this drug have greatly declined.

8. Treatment Treatment for barbiturate abuse is similar to that of most addictions to drugs. Sometimes, a person may go through a detoxification process to rid all the toxins from their body. Also, a person who abuses barbiturates may be given medicine to control their addiction and relieve symptoms. Therapist and counselors motivate addicts to stop using and become clean

9. Bibliography http://alcoholism.about.com/od/barbs/a/withdrawal.http http://www.fadaa.org/services/resource_center/resources/JTF/BARB02.pdf http://www.pdrhealth.com/disease/disease-mono.aspx?contentFileName=ND2405G.xml&contentName=Barbiturate+Abuse&contentId=268&TypeId=2 http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/barbiturates/barbiturates_stats.shtml