A depressant drug affects the central nervous system by:

• A. Slowing it down
• B. Speeding it up
• C. Causing no change
• D. Increasing reflexes

Answer: (A)

Depressant drugs slow the activity of the central nervous system. When the CNS is slowed, thinking, reaction time, and motor coordination become slower and less precise. In driving, that means hazards show up later, responses are delayed, lane control can wobble, and distance judgments suffer. So the best way to describe a depressant is that it slows the brain and body’s functions. It wouldn’t speed things up or leave you unchanged, and it doesn’t increase reflexes; in fact, reflexes are typically dulled.