Toxicologist’s Point of View on Drugs

UC’s very own Professor of Toxicology gives us the deal on drugs.  

Prof. Ian Shaw is every Chemistry student’s favourite. He’s done TED Talks, written books, and feels more like a friend than a lecturer. 

Professor Ian Shaw has done it all; Ted Talks, writing books, as well as being a lecturer at UC. Source: Prof. Ian Shaw. 

Although he admits he’s never taken drugs himself, instead getting his hit from collecting antiques and walking his dogs, this Professor knows a thing or two about illicit substances. 

Disclaimer: Prof. Shaw isn’t telling us what or what not to do with drugs. But he does believe letting us know what substances do to our bodies and how they’re made will help us think about drugs in a new way, so we’re equipped to make our own substance decisions. 

The case for cannabis 

For stressy students with a high workload, the pain-killing effect of cannabis makes you feel lighter and less concerned with life. “It makes you feel better, so you can see why people do it. And that’s not bad!” Shaw explained. 

Cannabis binds to a specific receptor in the brain and changes the way you think, your mood and your perspective, generally making you relax. “And that can be quite good!” said Shaw. 

“If you have cannabis, you wouldn't suddenly look out the window and see green pigs flying past. In fact, you wouldn't particularly feel any different.” 

But Shaw explained, “Cannabis changes the way you respond to things in a way that you don't fully realise.” 

The drug takes around 8 to 10 hours to get out of your system, much like jetlag. “It means that you might not be functioning as normal for quite some time.” 

MDMA 

Seemingly the fuel to every festival, Prof. Shaw describes gear as the drug that “creates happiness”. 

Although MDMA is known to cause the highest serotonin kick, it comes with some downs. 

“When you're excruciatingly happy, all the chemicals in your brain bind to receptors to make you feel that way. People then feel miserable because the chemicals have gone down in concentration.” 

Endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine are our own internal, natural drugs for well-being which are produced in response to things that make you happy. MDMA is designed to increase the activity of these neurotransmitters to elevate your mood. 

MDMA is a good example of a compound drug being looked at for the treatment of depression at low doses, because it lifts spirits, that might actually be helpful.  

LSD 

With LSD you might see flying green pigs – it’s a psychedelic that consumes and accentuates your sensory experience. 

Shaw said that drugs like LSD bind to other happiness-inducing receptors in the brain. “The substances used for recreational drugs have chemical structures which are very similar to our natural chemicals that bind to our receptors.” 

To put it simply, drugs increase the concentration of happy chemicals. He said, “There are probably four or five receptors crucial for feeling happy, so drugs are designed to fit those.” 

Mushrooms 

Shaw briefly touched on magic mushrooms, which are “quite” addictive, as they bind to receptors that replicate themselves in response to the shrooms.   

Mushrooms are decriminalized in certain states in the U.S. and countries like the Netherlands and Brazil.  

“Like cannabis, magic mushrooms are another drug that’s being looked at for anxiety treatment. They’re even growing in my garden!” Shaw laughed. 

Alcohol 

Most societally accepted, alcohol is like a rite of passage within university culture. “It's so commonly used that is difficult to imagine life without it,” said Shaw.  

Alcohol has been normalised since the beginning of time. It’s woven throughout history.  

We all know that there are detrimental health effects associated with alcohol. However, Shaw doesn’t necessarily think we should all stop consuming it.  

“I have a glass of wine with dinner because it's not dinner without a glass of wine. It's a part of me enjoying myself.” 

Vaping 

Whether you have one yourself, feign a social puff on nights out, or are mourning the recent loss of dispos, vaping is a newer but more popular habit among students.  

Shaw explained an addiction to vaping in two ways. One is the nicotine fiend and the other comes from the natural production of endorphins people get from the act of vaping, whether it’s the yummy flavours or the act of smoking. 

Shaw said, “We don’t know whether it is doing any harm because vaping has not been around long enough to know.” 

“Compared to smoking, it’s the lesser of two evils. But the jury’s out since we don’t have much data yet.” 

How they’re made 

“To make most drugs is actually quite simple,” said Shaw. Even his chemistry students would be shocked to see how easy it is. However, this means drug takers are in greater danger. 

Shaw’s biggest worry is how recreational drugs are being made.  

“Pharmaceuticals are manufacturing under all sorts of licenses to produce substances in the right concentration. It's completely controlled to ensure its quality and safety.” 

But the unfortunate reality is most drugs on the scene are far from quality-assured.   

“You've most likely got some bloke making this stuff in his garden shed... he's got a few chemicals, he mixes them together, he shakes ‘em up, and sells it.” 

“It frightens me a bit,” said Shaw. “I love the younger generation… students are my life and it saddens me that some of them are doing daft things that if they knew more, they wouldn't do.”  

“They’re not my students, they’re my friends.” 

Shaw said that drugs all affect the brain in different ways, acknowledging that friends his age still take drugs themselves. 

“I never tell people what to do, I just state the facts. When I do the lecture on drugs, I'm teaching students because it's biochemistry, not because I'm trying to stop them from doing it.” 

In different countries and cultures, different drugs are more socially acceptable and popular. In Professor Shaw’s undergrad days in the 1970s UK, LSD was the cool thing.  

“There were strong social pressures that I don’t think are as bad nowadays… my mates and I wanted to be with the others but because we didn’t do drugs, it meant that you couldn't get into the ‘hip crowd’.” 

Addiction 101 

Finally, Prof. Shaw talked through the science of addiction, in a way someone who can’t do science – me – can comprehend. 

Addiction develops when “drugs bind to receptors… when you've got the receptor occupied with a substance, it stimulates the production of more receptors.” 

“If you've got one occupied, then you produce more receptors which aren't occupied, so you therefore crave the compound [drug] to fill those unoccupied receptors… which means you need more of the drug.” 

“If you start reducing the amount of drug, you crave it like crazy because your receptors are unoccupied… making you feel unhappy because they need to be occupied.” 

This Professor’s point of view is that he wants the best for us students. To enjoy ourselves and be happy. So, if you understand drugs a bit more, how they work and how they’re affecting you, you’ll be able to make better decisions to suit you and have a better time. 

I’ve never been more captivated by a chemistry chat in my life.