Over 40 million people worldwide twelve and older had problems with drug overdose in 2020 (Miller, 2024).  Internationally, 269 million adults were addicted to drugs in 2018 (Hansford, 2020).  Of those people, 35 million struggled with overdose (Hansford, 2020).  Imagine the entire state of Texas in 2021 on drugs.  As a pre-teen, I am becoming aware of the dangers of drugs and wanted to understand why people consume them, how they become addicted, and how difficult it is to stop.  
    The purpose of this project is to discover and understand the psychological and physiological effects that drugs have on the individual.  I plan to use collected data to analyze how these effects contribute to the difficulty of addiction.  From the psychological perspective I will look into: changes to the brain, the estimated time it takes to become addicted, and if the damage to the brain is reversible or permanent.  My hope is that by better understanding the way the brain reacts and changes when drugs are taken, we might be able to find a medical solution that will assist the person to stop.  
My second study on the psychological effects is about identifying what happens inside the brain when drugs are taken and what triggers the person to relapse.  I am going to compare the different drugs on a chart to clearly show the differences and similarities of their effect on brain function.  I will look at the emotional reasons people take drugs, and how drug users are viewed or judged by society.  

    I have three steps in my research, the first is to research different drugs and put everything into my logbook. The second step is to reach out to an addiction specialist to ask them about any questions that came up when I researched. The final step is to put together my data, print it and put it in my trifold, and make a speech to prepare for the science fair. 
    The first step that I will take is to confine my research to cannabis (marijuana), cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin.  I am curious to find out if there is a lower or higher addiction level depending on which drug one takes.  Then I will begin to fill in my logbook, studying the effects of drug use on the brain.  Next I will be looking for the differences in specific types of drugs to see if the brain has different reactions to the different drugs.
    When I am well into my research, I will reach out to Dr.  Jennifer Brasch, who is an Associate Professor for Addiction Research in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University and Dr.  Sharon Rousso, Pediatrician.  I will consult them about any questions that came up when I did my research, and welcome any other additional information that they would have, given their deep knowledge in this field.  Then I will determine what the differences are between the different drugs, and show what happens to the drug in the brain, and the cycle that it goes through.  
    When I have completed all of my research, I will critically analyze the data and create a chart which shows the similarities and differences that the effect of the different drugs has on the human brain.  I will also make sure that all my citations are in order and in A.P.A format.  I will then go over all the information that I have collected, organize it, and then put it on a trifold.  Finally, I will put together a script which summarizes all the important points of my presentation and prepare for the actual presentation.
 

Background Research:
    The types of drugs that I am studying are not prescription drugs, instead, they are street drugs, such as fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin.  However, it is interesting to note that some of these drugs were originally introduced for medicinal purposes.  These drugs are meant to trigger a flood of dopamine in the basal ganglia, which is the reward part of the brain (Orlando Recovery Center, 2023).  These drugs go through the Mesolimbic Dopamine Pathway (MDP) (San Antonio Recovery Center, 2024) and have the ability to permanently change the brain so that the idea of pleasure is linked to the drug, and only the drug (Orlando Recovery Center, 2023).  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (Orlando Recovery Center, 2023) which is associated with pleasure (San Antonio Recovery Center, n.d.).  
General Research:
    Drugs rewire an area of the brain called the Mesolimbic Dopamine Pathway (MDP) (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018).  The MDP is in charge of the reward circuits in the brain and also triggers emotions and motivation (Watson, 2021).  The area of the brain that controls reward is called the Basal Ganglia and drugs control this part of the brain by releasing an unnatural amount of dopamine (Orlando Recovery Center, 2023). Other functions of the Basal Ganglia include executive decision making and motor control (San Antonio Recovery Center, n.d.).  Some of the other parts of the brain affected by drugs include the Extended Amygdala and the Prefrontal Cortex (San Antonio Recovery Center, n.d.).  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which means that it sends messages throughout the brain (Orlando Recovery Center, 2023).  When dopamine is released, it tells the brain that the body is happy (Watson, 2021).  So when people experience too much dopamine in their brain, they will get a feeling of extreme pleasure.  However, because the amount of dopamine exceeds the natural level, afterwards they will feel sick, and side effects will appear (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2016).  
After taking drugs for too long, the individual's brain will change so that the high levels of dopamine become natural, and people continue taking more and more (Better Health Channel, 2022).  This is why addiction is considered a disease ( San Antonio Recovery Center, n.d.).  Drugs change the brain because when one neuron in the brain sends dopamine to another neuron the dopamine receptors in the receiving neuron will behave normally, but the dopamine transmitter in the sending neuron will get blocked by the drug (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2016).  The dopamine transporter is there to take back all of the excess dopamine, so that people don’t get a dopamine overflow (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2016).  When people take drugs, the drugs block the dopamine transporter so that all the dopamine gets received by the receiving neuron, which causes a dopamine overflow (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2016).
Cocaine:
    Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant and it is sold in many forms.  The two most used forms are cocaine which is a fine white powder, and crack cocaine which looks like a lumpy white rock (Talk to Frank, n.d.).  The most common way of ingesting cocaine is to snort it through the nose, however, crack cocaine is smoked (Drug Enforcement Administration).  A less common way of ingesting cocaine is to make a solution out of it and inject it (Talk to Frank, n.d.).  When people snort cocaine, it can be very damaging to the nose, especially if it is not finely chopped (Drug Enforcement Administration).  Sometimes the damage to the nose is so severe that the nasal septum (the divider of the two nostrils) disappears, so that the user only has one nostril (ibid).  When people smoke cocaine as crack, it causes breathing issues and chest pain (Government of Canada, 2023).  When injecting cocaine into the bloodstream, it damages the vein that cocaine has been injected into, and it is the most dangerous way to ingest it (Talk to Frank, n.d.).  Some of the effects of cocaine include feeling happy, excited, awake, confident, and even on top of the world (Talk to Frank, n.d.).  However, some people also feel anxious, panicky, paranoid, sick, not hungry, and also overconfident, so that people might take risks that normally they wouldn’t (Government of Canada, 2023).  The side effects of cocaine include a racing heartbeat, a rise in body temperature, and even a heart attack or stroke (ibid).  When snorting cocaine, effects will begin to show anytime between 5 - 30 minutes of snorting, although when people inject or smoke it, effects are almost instant (Talk to Frank, n.d.).  However, when snorting cocaine, they feel high for about 20 - 30 minutes, and when smoking or injecting it the high lasts around 10 minutes (Talk to Frank, n.d.).  Even though the person doesn't feel high for very long, side effects such as a faster heartbeat, rise in body temperature, and a lessened need for food, lasts for over a day (Talk to Frank, n.d.).  Taking cocaine also damages the person’s mental health, so that they constantly feel depressed, run-down, anxious and paranoid (Talk to Frank, n.d.).
Heroin:
    Heroin is an opioid drug made from morphine and is highly addictive (CAMH, 2024).  Opiates actually come from the opium poppy but have been chemically processed (ibid).   Some ways that heroin can be consumed include snorting, smoking, or injecting the drug (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018).  The most dangerous way of ingesting heroin is injecting it, because it delivers the drug through the bloodstream and into the brain the fastest, damages the veins in the body, and sharing needles can result in shared virus (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018).  The main effects of heroin include making the user feel happy, relaxed, sleepy, and excited (Talk to Frank, n.d.).  When heroin is smoked, effects start appearing after a couple of minutes (Talk to Frank, n.d.).  People will feel the effects of the drug for around an hour, although after effects can last for hours after taking the drug (Talk to Frank, n.d.).  Some of the after effects of heroin include nausea, vomiting, flushing of skin, dry mouth, and also extreme itching (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2018).  Heroin can be detected by a urine test for two to three days after taking the drug (Talk to Frank, n.d.).  When people overdose on heroin, it makes them feel very sleepy and it slows their breathing, so that they could fall into a coma, and even die (Talk to Frank, n.d.).  If people take heroin on a regular basis, then their brain could build up tolerance, but if they stop, even for a few days, then their tolerance will drop, so that if they take the same dose as before, then that dose could be an overdose for them (Talk to Frank, n.d.).
Fentanyl:
    Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, which means that it is artificial, and can be much more deadly than natural drugs, such as heroin and cocaine (Talk to Frank, n.d).  Fentanyl is meant to be used in a hospital setting, but it has grown to become a street drug (Government of Canada, 2023).   Fentanyl usually comes as a pill, capsule, patch, or a solution injection (Talk to Frank, n.d).  After taking the drug, people can feel dizzy, confused, and their breathing might slow, they also could vomit, and feel very sick (Government of Canada, 2023).  Fentanyl is 20 - 40 times more powerful than Heroin and a few grains would be enough to kill someone (Government of Canada, 2023).  Fentanyl also has no taste or smell, and it is being mixed in with cocaine and heroin (Government of Canada, 2023).  If someone takes fentanyl on a regular basis, and then they try to stop, withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, nausea, a racing heartbeat, abdominal cramping, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, restlessness, and depression (Government of Canada, 2023).  Street dealers put fentanyl in the drug that they are selling, because of its addictive property (Youthlink, 2024).  Street dealers don’t measure out how much fentanyl they put in the drug, just like most people don’t measure out how much chocolate chips they have in a cookie (Youthlink, 2024).  This means that death from overdose is more common, because the seller has no way of knowing if there is too much fentanyl in the drug.
Marijuana:
    Marijuana is a mixture of dried flowers which turns into a greenish gray mixture (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  Marijuana is also known as weed, herb, and pot (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  Marijuana can be smoked and it is not uncommon for it to be hand rolled in cigarettes (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  Marijuana is also used in tea, but usually brewing it in tea is used for medicinal purposes (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  Some vapes also use marijuana (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  The chemical which causes the effects that people want in marijuana is called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  The plant also includes over 100 compounds that are related to THC (Centers for Disease Control, 2021).  Many people experience a pleasant sense of relaxation (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  Other common effects include laughter, altered perception of time, and increased appetite (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  When marijuana is ingested through food and drinks, effects can take between half an hour to an hour (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  Eating and drinking marijuana gets much less THC into the brain because it must go through the digestive system (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  With some people, instead of feeling relaxation when they take the drug they feel anxiety, fear, distrust, or panic (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  This most commonly happens when a person has an overdose (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  People who are accustomed to taking large doses of marijuana may experience hallucinations, delusions, and a loss of personal identity (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  Occasionally, this can evolve into schizophrenia and other mental disorders (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  Some amounts of THC can remain in the body for weeks, the noticeable effects of it last from 1-3 hours (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  Marijuana produces its effects because of the chemical structure of THC (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  THC has a very similar chemical structure to the natural neurotransmitter, anandamide (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  Because of this, the brain recognizes them as the same, but they transmit very different effects (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  After taking the drug, some people experience memory loss (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  This is because the THC goes through the hippocampus and damages functions there (National Institute For Drug Abuse, 2020).  
What are the Reasons for Addiction:
    The main starting point to drug addiction is either experimental use, where people just want to try it once, or prescription use (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).  The problem is that they start taking drugs occasionally (Cleveland Clinic, 2022) and then become dependent on it, leading addicts to take narcotics on a regular basis (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).   Finally, it turns into an addiction which is extremely hard to stop (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).   This process can change depending on the substance's effect on a person’s brain, genetics, mental health condition, early exposure, and difficult living experiences (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).   It is shown that if someone has a parent or sibling that has a substance use disorder, the chance of getting addicted to that substance goes up by 40-60% (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).  Some genes are associated with substance use disorders (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).  For example, it has been found that a change in the CHRNA2 gene on chromosome 8 is associated with cannabis use disorder (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).  The CHRNA2 gene creates a subunit of a protein, specifically called the Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor (nAChR) (Medline Plus, 2009).  The nAChR protein’s function is to chemically signal messages between nerve cells (Medline Plus, 2009).  These proteins open up to minerals such as calcium, sodium, and potassium (Medline Plus, 2009).  These proteins also open up to nicotine, a substance in tobacco (Medline Plus, 2009).  A change in this gene results in addiction to tobacco, or similar substances, because those substances complete the same job as calcium, sodium, and potassium, meaning the brain cannot tell these molecules apart (Medline Plus, 2009).  A statistic given by Cleveland Clinic (2022) says that about half the people who take drugs, have a mental health disorder, and vice versa.  Taking drugs can contribute to the condition of a mental disorder, and the mental disorder can contribute to taking drugs, it is known as a dual diagnosis (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).  Having access or being exposed to the substance, especially at a young age, greatly increases the chance of consuming it (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).  It has been shown that if people take an addictive substance when they are thirteen, 70% of those people become addicted, compared to if they take it when they are seventeen, where only 27% of people get addicted (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).  Another common reason why people get addicted is because of childhood trauma.  This is because the person wants to escape the memory, and does so by doing drugs. Some common cases of childhood trauma that contribute to addiction include: childhood abuse and neglect, household dysfunction, witnessing violence, having family members who have substance use disorder, and parental incarceration (Cleveland Clinic, 2022).  
 

    In conclusion to my research, I have determined that willpower is not enough to stop doing drugs because the drugs can permanently change the Mesolimbic Dopamine Pathway.  I have also realized that people take drugs mainly because of genetics, early exposure to the drug, and tough living conditions.  People who take drugs get addicted because of the way the brain reacts to the substance, meaning that after taking the substance, the only way to get pleasure is through that substance.  Although they may not be able to reclaim the life that they had before addiction, with the help of rehab centers, therapy, and a good support system, they might be able to once again become a productive member of society, which is considered a success.

References
Better Health Channel.  (2022, August 12).  Heroin.  https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/heroin#heroin-dependence-and-tolerance 
CAMH.  (2024, n.d.).  Heroin.  https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/heroin 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, September 9). What We Know About Marijuana. https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/what-we-know.html 
Cleveland Clinic.  (2022, October 20).  Substance Use Disorder (SUD).  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16652-drug-addiction-substance-use-disorder-sud
“Drug safety” (Youthlink, personal communication, February 6, 2024).  
Government of Canada.  (2023, September 5).  Fentanyl.  https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/controlled-illegal-drugs/fentanyl.html#a5 
Government of Canada.  (2023, February 8).  Cocaine and crack.  https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/controlled-illegal-drugs/cocaine-crack.html 
Hansford, B.  (2020, June 25).  UNODC World Drug Report 2020: Global drug use rising; while COVID-19 has far reaching impact on global drug markets.  United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.  https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2020/June/media-advisory---global-launch-of-the-2020-world-drug-report.html 
Medline Plus.  (2009, April 1).  CHRNA2 gene.  https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/chrna2/ 

Miller, J.  (2024, January 31).  Addiction Recovery Statistics.  Addiction Help.  https://www.addictionhelp.com/recovery/statistics/ 
National Institute on Drug Abuse.  (2020, n.d.).  Cannabis (Marijuana) Research Report.  National Institute on Drug Abuse Advancing Addiction Science.  https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/letter-director 
National Institute on Drug Abuse.  (2018).  Heroin Research Report.  National Institute on Drug Abuse Advancing Addiction Science.   https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/what-heroin 
National Institute on Drug Abuse (2018, June).  Understanding Drug Use and Addiction Drug Facts.  National Institute on Drug Abuse Advancing Addiction Science.  https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-use-addiction 
National Institute on Drug Abuse.  (2016, May).  How does cocaine produce its effects? National Institute of Drug Abuse Advancing Addiction Science.  https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/cocaine/how-does-cocaine-produce-its-effects 
Orlando Recovery Center (2023, November 1).  What Makes a Drug Addictive? https://www.orlandorecovery.com/drug-addiction-resources/what-makes-a-drug-addictive/ 
San Antonio Recovery Center (2024).  What Part of The Brain Causes Addiction? https://www.sanantoniorecoverycenter.com/rehab-blog/what-part-of-the-brain-causes-addiction/#:~:text=Addiction%20is%20a%20complex%20disease,reward%20 circuit%20of%20the%20 brain 
Talk to Frank.  (n.d.).  Cocaine.  https://www.talktoTalk to Frank.com/drug/cocaine#the-risks 
Talk to Frank.  (n.d.).  Synthetic Opioids.  https://www.talktoTalk to Frank.com/drug/synthetic-opioids#how-it-feels 
United States Drug Enforcement Administration.  (n.d.).  Cocaine.  https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/cocaine 
Watson, S.  (2021, July 20).  Dopamine: The pathway to pleasure.  Harvard Heath Publishing.  https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/dopamine-the-pathway-to-pleasure#:~:text=Neurons%20in%20the%20region%20at,enzymes%20turn%20it%20into%20dopamine.https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/dopamine-the-pathway-to-pleasure#:~:text=Neurons%20in%20the%20region%20at,enzymes%20turn%20it%20to%20 dopamine 
 

My mom, for supporting me through this project and making sure that I was making all the deadlines
Ms. Haney, for being my mentor and guiding me through my project
Ms. Madison and Dr. Miri, for editing all my work and helping me sound more professional
Dr. Brasch and Dr. Rousso for giving me information that I could not find in my research and for answering my questions