WEBVTT

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For thousands of years humans have been aware that certain chemical substances can change people’s behavior

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by influencing their muscular coordination, their perceptions, their mood, or even their thoughts.

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We now call these mind-altering substances psychoactive drugs.

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Some cultures used drugs during religious rituals;

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other cultures used them to control pain or boost energy during war.

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But as more people became aware of these substances, a familiar pattern emerged:

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People began using these drugs simply to induce a pleasurable experience.

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Archeologists tell us that the recreational use of alcohol in the form of beer dates back at least 10,000 years!

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To help us understand how psychoactive drugs impacts us the way we do,

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we need to look at the basic principles of drug action on the brain.