Question 1

Polydrug use refers to the use of a drug at different dosage levels from administration to administration.

Accepted Answer

Polydrug use refers to the use of multiple drugs at the same time, not the use of a single drug at different dosage levels.

Question 2

Illegal drugs cause the largest number of deaths per year.

Accepted Answer

Legal drugs, such as prescription opioids, cause the largest number of deaths per year in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2019, there were over 49,800 opioid-involved overdose deaths. This is compared to around 17,000 deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, such as fentanyl, and around 14,000 deaths involving cocaine. While illegal drugs can certainly be dangerous and lead to fatalities, they do not cause the largest number of deaths per year.

Question 3

In British Columbia in 2008, men outnumbered women two-to-one in terms of deaths due to illicit drugs.

Accepted Answer

According to the British Columbia Coroner's Service report, in 2008, there were 506 deaths due to illicit drug use in British Columbia, and 68% of those deaths were men. Therefore, men outnumbered women two-to-one in terms of deaths due to illicit drugs.

Question 4

If an LD₁₀₀ dose were to be given to a group of 50 mice, all of them would die.

Accepted Answer

LD₁₀₀ is a lethal dose that would cause death in all 50 of the mice in the group.

Question 5

Cocaine has been used as a local anaesthetic in Canada.

Accepted Answer

Cocaine has been used as a local anaesthetic in Canada, particularly in eye and nasal surgeries. However, due to its potential for addiction and abuse, other safer alternatives are now more commonly used.

Question 6

According to DAWN statistics, it is far more common for drug-related deaths to be a result of monodrug rather than a result of polydrug use.

Accepted Answer

Polydrug use, which involves the concurrent use of multiple substances, is often more common in drug-related deaths according to DAWN (Drug Abuse Warning Network) statistics. This is because the combination of different substances can lead to unpredictable and often more dangerous effects than the use of a single substance alone.

Question 7

All substances have the potential for toxicity.

Accepted Answer

All substances have the potential to be toxic if taken in large enough doses, in the wrong way, or for individuals with certain health conditions. Therefore, it is true that all substances have the potential for toxicity.

Question 8

The DAWN reporting program includes all emergency department patients in the United States.

Accepted Answer

The DAWN reporting program includes a sample of emergency department patients from a selection of hospitals in the United States, not all patients in the country.

Question 9

Water has the potential for being a psychoactive substance.

Accepted Answer

Despite being a vital and essential component of life, water has the potential to cause psychoactive effects in certain situations. For example, excessive water consumption in a short period of time can cause water intoxication, which can lead to confusion, disorientation, seizures, and even coma. In rare cases, water sources can also be contaminated with substances that alter mood and perception, such as certain drugs or chemicals.

Question 10

The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) routinely gathers data concerning drug-related medical emergencies in Canada, but these data are not as extensive as the DAWN statistics in the United States.

Accepted Answer

The statement is correct. The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) gathers data on drug-related medical emergencies in Canada, but their data are not as extensive as the DAWN statistics in the United States.

Question 11

Injecting heroin followed by snorting heroin is an example of polydrug use.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Injecting heroin followed by snorting heroin is...

Question 12

Examining the properties of a drug's effect is the same as examining the properties of the drug itself.

Accepted Answer

Examining the properties of a drug's effect focuses on how the drug influences the body or condition it's intended to treat, including therapeutic effects and side effects. Examining the properties of the drug itself involves analyzing its chemical composition, stability, solubility, and pharmacokinetics, among other physical and chemical characteristics. These are distinct areas of study within pharmacology and drug development.

Question 13

The margin of safety measure of a particular drug is a more conservative (in the direction of safety) measure of drug toxicity than the therapeutic index for that drug.

Accepted Answer

The margin of safety measure takes into account the lowest dose at which toxicity occurs and compares it to the standard dose used for treatment, while the therapeutic index only considers the ratio between the therapeutic and toxic doses. Therefore, the margin of safety is a more cautious measure of drug toxicity.

Question 14

If a drug is ED₅₀, it means the drug will become toxic if 50 mg of the drug is taken.

Accepted Answer

The code "ED₅₀" does not indicate toxicity levels or dosages of a drug; it appears to be a random string of characters and does not follow any known pharmaceutical coding system for indicating drug toxicity.

Question 15

A patient mentions drinking eight glasses of vodka and gin during a drug-related ED visit. This is an example of an alcohol-in-combination DAWN case.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A patient mentions drinking eight glasses of...

Question 16

Each effect produced by a particular drug will have its own dose-response curves.

Accepted Answer

Different effects of a drug will have different dose-response curves, as the response to the drug varies with the dose.

Question 17

The higher the margin of safety ratio, the more toxic the drug.

Accepted Answer

The higher the margin of safety ratio, the less toxic the drug. The margin of safety ratio is a measure of the difference between the therapeutic dose and the toxic dose of a drug. A higher margin of safety ratio indicates that the therapeutic dose is much lower than the toxic dose, meaning that the drug is less toxic and safer to use.

Question 18

A problem with street drugs is that the user doesn't know the toxicity risks until the drug has been used.

Accepted Answer

Street drugs are often produced and handled illegally without proper quality control measures, which can lead to toxicity risks and unexpected adverse reactions in users. These risks may not be known until after the drug has been consumed, making it difficult for users to make informed decisions about their drug use.

Question 19

Multiple substance use is another name for polydrug use.

Accepted Answer

Multiple substance use and polydrug use are interchangeable terms used to describe the use of multiple drugs or substances simultaneously or within a short period of time.

Question 20

The question of drug safety depends on whether a drug can be toxic at low doses.

Accepted Answer

Drug safety is determined by the toxicity level of the drug. If a drug can be toxic at low doses, it may be considered unsafe and potentially harmful to patients. Therefore, the question of drug safety is closely tied to the potential toxicity of the drug at varying doses.

Quiz 2: Drug-Taking Behaviour: Personal and Social Issues