ADDITIVES, ADDICTIVES

and PSYCHOTROPICS

Food Additives• It would be so boring if we consumed

the same kind of food every day, if all foods taste, look, color, and smell were just the same.

• For that reason, people add some extra substances to their food, such as chili, turmeric, salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, etc.

• All of those additional substances are called food additives.

Kind of food additives1. Preservatives

To peserve food The substances to preserve food

naturally are salt, sugar, and vinegar. The synthetic preservatives are

sulphur dioxide, benzoate acid, sodium benzoate, and sodium nitrite.

Other food preservation methods are heating process, freezing, canning, sterilization, and radiation.

2. Coloring

To make food more desirable Some natural colorings are

turmeric as a yellow coloring, screw pine leaves as a green

coloring, bilimbi’s flower, chili, and teak

leaves as red coloring, carrot as a orange coloring, brown sugar and granulated

sugar as brown coloring.

There are many kinds of synthetic coloring ;

quinoline yellow

patent blue vbrilliant blue FCFbrilliant black BNsunset yellow

FCForange GCN

indigo carmine (blue)

tartrazine (yellow)

Erythrosine (pink)Annato (red)Carmoisine (red)allura red

3. Sweeteners To make food be sweet Natural sweeteners are palm

sugar, brown sugar, and cane sugar.

The weaknesses of natural sweeteners are ; the flavor is not sweet enough the amount is limited they have too many calories

Synthetic sweeteners are aspartame, asesulfame, cyclamate, saccharine, sorbitol, and neotame.

Synthetic sweeteners have some advantages ;- a high level of sweetness- ability to be produced on a large-scale- low calories

Side effect of synthetic sweeteners can cause cancer.

4. Flavorings

• To strengthen the natural taste of food.

• The examples of natural flavorings are salt, sugar, vinegar, onion, pepper, ginger, and galangal.

• The synthetic flavorings are MSG (MonoSodium Glutamate), fruit flavors (apple, orange, pineapple, banana, etc)

5. Antioxidants• To prevent rancid• Food, which contains fat and oil will be

rancid after a certain amount of time.• Natural antioxidants such as vit. C, vit.

E, and lecithin.• Synthetic antioxidants such as BHA

(Butylated HidroxyAnisole), BHT (Butylated HidroxyToluene)

6. Nutrient Supplements• To fulfill the need of particular

substances which food is lacking.

• For examples, the addition of vit. D and calcium to milk, vit. C to beverages and juice, vit. B1 to rice, iodine to salt to prevent goiter, etc

Organization of Food and Medicine Control

• Every country usually has an organization that control the use of additives in food.

1. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in US.

2. EC (European Commission) in Europe.3. BPOM (Badan Pengawas Obat dan

Makanan) in Indonesia.

• All kinds of food, beverages, and drugs which are about to be distributed to the market have to pass the test by the BPOM.

• If the chemical content in those food, beverages, and medicines are safe to be consumed, the BPOM will allow the producer to put a label “DEPKES RI MD No. ...” or “BPOM RI MD No. ...” on the food package.

• For being safe in consuming food, beverages, and medicines, notice to these following tips ;

1. See if there is label from Depkes or BPOM on the package.

2. Pay attention to the expire date3. See if there is damage to the

package, such as a leak, stain, color change, or bizarre smell.

4. For some people, pay attention to certain ingredients that can allergies.

Addictives and Psychotropics

• Addictives are substances that can cause their user to become addicted.

• Addiction is a physical and psychological condition of someone that doesn’t function properly without consuming of a particular substance.

• If the condition happens continuously the user will enter the phase of drug dependency.

• Drug dependency can be classified into 2 types ;a. Physical dependency

the desire to keep consuming and adding more doses. If it is not fulfill, the user will become sick.

b. Psychological dependency the unbearable desire to

consume the drugs. If it is not fulfill, the user will become nervous, stressed, and extremely anxious. It is called sakau.

• In the beginning every addictive was made from plants.

• For examples; hemp (Cannabis sativa), marijuana (Cannabis indica), opium (Papaver somniferum), cocaine (Erythroxylum coca).

• The development of science, these days humans able to produce synthetic addictives that have the same abilities as natural addictives.

• At first, addictives were utilized for medical purposes.

The classification and Effects of Addictives

• Narcotics are classified into ;1. type I, consist of 26 varieties (raw

opium, opium, cocaine, hemp, THC, and heroin)

2. type II, consist of 87 varieties (morphine, opium)

3. type III, consist of 14 varieties (ethyl morphine, codein)

• Psychotropics are classified into ;1. type I, consist of 26 varieties2. type II, consist of 14 varieties3. type III, consist of 9 varieties4. type IV, consist of 60 varieties

The effects of Additives• There are 3 side effects of the use of

addictives, they are ;1. Stimulation is a symptom that happens in

the central nervous system to accelerate processes in the human body, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration.Substances that cause stimulation are called stimulants.Due to acceleration process, someone who uses stimulants will seem health, alert, happy, fresh, and so on. Examples; caffeine in coffee, nicotine in cigarettes, cocaine, and amphetamines.

2.Depression is a symptom that happpens in the central nervous system to slow down processes in the human body. Depression decrease someone’s awareness of the world around him/her.Substances that cause depression are called depressants.in the medical world, depressants are employed for people with insomnia. Examples; alcohol and sedatives.

3.Hallucination is a symptom that happens to human nerves that leads to fantasy. Hallucination makes a person hear sounds, see things, and feel something which do not exist. Hallucination can make someone laugh by himself/herself. substances that cause hallucination are called hallucinogen. Example; LSD (LySergic acid Diethylamide)

NARCOTICS • UU RI No. 22/1997 stated that

narcotics are all substances or material that are made from plants, or synthetic and semi-synthetic material, which can decrease or change a person’s awareness, reduce pain, and cause addiction.

• Substances categorized as narcotics are opium, hemp, cocaine, heroin, morphine, and codein.

1. Opium • Opium is made from the extraction of raw

Papaver somniferum. • Opium is changed into morphine and codein

which are needed in the medical world as analgesics (painkillers).

• Opium also can make people fall asleep or happy (euphoric) without any reason.

• Example natural opium; morphine, codein, and thebaine.

• Example semi-synthetic opium; heroin, and hydromorphone.

• Example synthetic opium; meperidine, and propoxiphene.

2. Hemp • Hemp is made from Cannabis sativa

leaves that contain a psychoactive substance (hashish), a kind of substance that can affect someone’s mental state and behavior.

• The tree and branches of a hemp plant also contain hashish, but in a low content.

• The highest content can be found in the sprout of this plant, which is ± 10%.

• Hashish is produced from dried hemp’s sap.

3. Cocaine • Cocaine is a white powder made from

coca leaves (Erythroxylum coca).• Cocaine used to be employed as a

local anesthetic.• nowadays, cocaine is no longer used

as an anesthetic because a safer psychoactive substance has been found.

4. Heroin • Heroin is a variety of narcotics that can

cause an extraordinarily happy feeling to the user and make the user forget all troubles that he/she had.

• Heroin is the most misused psychoactive substance.

• The hazardous narcotics called putauw, also contain heroin.

• Consumption of a high dose of heroin will cause death.

5. Morphine • Morphine is a natural opiode that is made

from the sap of opium fruit.• Morphine is a white crystals, almost like

cocaine, that can depress the respiration center.

• In a morphine-overdose case, the user usually experience a fatal respiration failure.

• Morphine can disturb the mestruation cycle of women, cause impotency in men, constipation, and many other dangerous side effects.

6. Codein • Codein is a weak analgesic.• Its power is only about one-twelfth of

morphine’s.• Codein is often used as an analgesic in

strong cough medicine.

PSYCHOTROPICS• A psychotropics is a substance which is

not included as a narcotic or alcohol, but has abilities and effect like narcotic and alcohol.

• Examples of psychotropics are amphetamines and ecstasy.

1. Amphetamines

• Amphetamines are addictive substances that are included as a stimulant because they can accelerate the body process through the central nervous system.

• They are often misused as weight-reducing drugs and dope for athletes.

• Frequent use of amphetamines can cause addiction.

2. Ecstasy • Ecstasy contain an amphetamine.• Ecstasy can cause a sense of

revitalization, alertness, and stamina. However, ecstasy can make the user suffer from dehydration, it happens because the user does not feel thirsty.

• Frequent use of ecstasy will cause memory damage and disturb the coordination system such as the movement of the hands and feet

ALCOHOL• Alcohol is an example of a depresant.• Alcohol is chemically known as

ethanol whose formula is C2H5OH.• Alcohol originated from the

fermentation of plants.• For example Cassava, can be

fermented to yield tapai and if the process continues it will yield ethanol.

• In a low dose, consuming alcohol will cause euphoria or happiness without any reason.

• In a high dose, it will cause someone to become drunk.

• In a higher dose, it will cause death.• In the medical world, alcohol is a

chemical substance that has an important role, it is often used as a solvent and antiseptic.

CIGARETTES• We already know that UU RI No.

22/1997 only controls the use of narcotics and psychotropics.

• Other addictives such as cigarettes, caffeines, gasolines, thinners, and adhesives are not controlled in detail.

• However, those substances are also dangerous, so that we need to know the uses and the effect.

• A cigarette is a roll of tobacco that contains a psychoactive compound called nicotine.

• The tobacco in cigarettes has been added with addictives such as clove, incense, and other kinds of organics substances.

• Cigarette smoke is very dangerous for human health.

• When someone is smoking, the smoke enters the respiration system and goes straight to the lungs.

• People who don’t smoke but are around a smoker will inhale exactly the same smoke, these people are called passive smokers.

• Active and passive smokers have the same risks.

• Why is cigarette smoke very dangerous for human health?

• How can we avoid it?• Let us learn further to answer those

question.

Hazardous substances in cigarette• Cigarettes contain substances that are

hazardous to human health, especially the respiration system.

1. Carbon monoxide (CO) Carbon monoxide is poisonous. in a certain amount, it will kill

humans who inhale it. the carbon monoxide gas will bind

with haemoglobin in human blood so that the blood’s ability to bind oxygen is reduced.

2. Nicotine nicotine is a dangerous chemical

compound with the chemical formula C10H14N2.

nicotine can cause addiction and cause cancer in human lungs.

nicotine in smoke only needs 9 seconds to reach the human brain.

as a result, the blood pressure rises, respiration rate increases, and central nervous system is stimulated.

3. Tar tar is burnt residue of a cigarette that

we can see on a cigarette filter. the color is black, and it is sticky. it will make the teeth, fingers, and

nails of a smoker become dark yellow. it is very dangerous because it is

carsinogenic (able to cause cancer). moreover, tar makes the oscillation of

respiratory har should oscillate to prevent hazardous materials from coming inside the respiratory system.

4. Nitrogen oxide (N2O) in a certain dose, nitrogen

oxide can cause a spontaneous laugh without any reason.

it can reduce pain in humans so that it is used as anesthetic in the chemical field.

5. Hydrogen cyanide (HCN)HCN is very poisonous gas and very dangerous for human health.

6. Ammonia (NH4)ammonia is a gas that smells bad, poisonous, and corrosive.

7. Methanol (CH3OH)methanol is a simple compound of alcohol which is also poisonous.

• Every substance contained in cigarettes give no advantages for human health, conversely it can harm human health.

• But why do people still smoke?• The answer is because to stop

smoking is hard for a smoker.• This means that the person has

already become addicted.

• That’s why you shouldn’t try to smoke. All smokers started from just trying.

• In the end, they are trapped in a bad habit and very hard to break this addiction.

• To keep our body healthy, we had better not smoke and not be around a smoker.

CAFFEINE• Caffeine is a psychotropic substance

contained in coffee, tea leaves, and chocolate.

• After consuming some caffeine, someone will feel fresh and energetic.

• In a higher dose, it can cause anxiety.

• Gasoline, thinner, and adhesives are also classified as addictive, because if they are inhaled continuously, they will cause the same symptoms as the other addictives.

Drugs Addiction Prevention• Things you can do to prevent drugs addiction are ;1. Do not ever try any dose and/or any kind of drugs

with any excuse.2. Find a good social network in a reliable place, with

good people, and at a proper time.3. Strengthen the affection of your family by watching

each other’s back, loving each other, and encouraging each other. Develop love and care for your siblings, family, and friends.

4. Be aware of your life and your environtment. Say NO to drugs.

5. Intensity your faith in God for strength and blessings. Without God’s power, humans will be weak.

Drugs Addiction Treatment• Treatment for drug users takes a very long time

depending on the addiction level.• Drug addiction is different from a smoking habit or a

cigarette addiction.• Drug addicts need therapy and medication.• There are many rehabilitation centers for drug-addicts. • In those rehabilitation centers, there are professionals,

medical and non-medical that will give therapy and medication to the people with drug addiction.

• Most of the drug addicts cannot self-medicate at home no matter how tight the surveillance is.

• Ex-users need to have a community where they can strengthen, motivate, and remain each other.