Transcript Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Drug Abuse
Senior Health - Bauberger
Drugs used in
2012 by 12th
graders
Cocaine
Health Effects
Acute
Dilated pupils; increased body temperature, heart rate, and
blood pressure; nausea; increased energy, alertness;
euphoria; decreased appetite& sleep.
High doses: Erratic and violent behavior, panic attacks
Long-term
Addiction, restlessness, anxiety, irritability, paranoia, panic
attacks, mood disturbances; insomnia; nasal damage and
difficulty swallowing from snorting; GI problems; HIV
In combination with alcohol
When combined, there is a greater risk of overdose and
sudden death than either drug alone.
Withdrawal symptoms
Depression, fatigue, increased appetite, insomnia or
hypersomnia, vivid unpleasant dreams, psychomotor
retardation or agitation
Methamphetamine
Health Effects
Acute
Enhanced mood; increased heart rate, blood
pressure, body temperature, energy and activity;
decreased appetite; dry mouth; increased sexuality;
jaw-clenching
Long-term
Addiction, memory loss; weight loss; impaired
cognition; insomnia, anxiety, irritability, confusion,
paranoia, aggression, mood disturbances,
hallucinations, violent behavior; liver, kidney, lung
damage; severe dental problems; cardiac and
neurological damage; HIV, Hepatitis
Withdrawal symptoms
Depression, anxiety, fatigue, and intense craving for
the drug.
Inhalants
Health Effects
Acute
Confusion; nausea; slurred speech; lack of coordination; euphoria;
dizziness; drowsiness, lightheadedness, hallucinations/ delusions;
headaches; suffocation; convulsions/seizures; hypoxia; heart failure;
coma; sudden death
Long-term
Muscle spasms, tremors and possible permanent motor impairment;
liver/kidney damage.
Addiction - A minority inhale on a regular basis, but among those, some
report symptoms of addiction
In combination with
alcohol
Increased risk of adverse cardiovascular effects. Alcohol may increase
the blood-vessel relaxant effect of organic nitrates and result in
dangerously low blood pressure.
Withdrawal symptoms
withdrawal syndrome (e.g., irritability, restlessness, insomnia, headaches,
poor concentration) can occur with long-term inhalant abuse.
“Molly”
• Street term for MDMA, a “club drug”
• Stimulant, other chemicals or substances (caffeine,
amphetamines, PCP, or cocaine) are often added, purity is
always unknown
• Can be fatal, especially when taken with alcohol
• Effects:
– Confusion, anxiety, depression, paranoia, sleep problems, drug
craving, muscle tension, tremors, involuntary teeth clenching, muscle
cramps, nausea, faintness, chills, sweating, and blurred vision.
– High doses can interfere with the ability to regulate body temperature,
resulting in a sharp increase in body temperature (hyperthermia),
leading to liver, kidney and cardiovascular failure.
– Severe dehydration can result from the combination of the drug and the
crowded/hot conditions in which the drug is often taken.
Marijuana
Health Effects
Acute
Heightened sensory perception; euphoria, followed by
drowsiness; impaired short-term memory, attention,
judgment, coordination and balance; increased heart
rate; increased appetite
Long-term
Addiction: About 9% of users; about 1/6 of those who
started using in their teens; 25-50 % of daily users.
Mental disorders: may be a causal factor in
schizophreniform disorders (in those with a pre-existing
vulnerability); is associated with depression and anxiety.
Smoking related: chronic cough; bronchitis; lung and
upper airway cancers possible.
In combination with alcohol Magnified effect on blood pressure; amplified
impairment of cognitive, psychomotor, and driving
performance
Withdrawal symptoms
Irritability, difficulty sleeping, strange nightmares, craving,
and anxiety.
Prescription Stimulants
Health Effects
Acute
Increased alertness, attention, energy; irregular
heartbeat, dangerously high body temperature,
potential for CV failure or seizures.
Long-term
High doses especially, or alternate routes of
administration (e.g., snorting, injecting) can lead to
anxiety, hostility, paranoia, psychosis; addiction.
In combination with alcohol
Masks the depressant action of alcohol, increasing risk
of alcohol overdose. May increase blood pressure.
Withdrawal symptoms
Depression, fatigue, increased appetite, insomnia or
hypersomnia, vivid unpleasant dreams, psychomotor
retardation or agitation
Prescription Sedatives
Health Effects
Acute
Drowsiness, relaxation; overdose
Long-term
Tolerance, physical dependence, addiction
In combination with alcohol
Slows both heart rate and respiration, which
can be fatal
Withdrawal symptoms
Discontinuing prolonged use absent a
physician’s guidance can lead to serious
withdrawal symptoms, including seizures. For
barbiturates, abrupt cessation can be lifethreatening.
Prescription Opioids (Pain killers)
Health Effects
Acute
Pain relief, drowsiness, nausea, constipation, euphoria—in
some. When taken by routes other than as prescribed
(e.g., snorted, injected), increased risk of depressed
respiration, leading to coma, death. Highly addictive.
Long-term
Tolerance, addiction
In combination with
alcohol
Dangerous slowing of heart rate and respiration, coma, or
death
Withdrawal symptoms Restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea,
vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps ("cold turkey"),
and leg movements.
Opioids (Heroin)
Health Effects
Acute
Euphoria; warm flushing of skin; dry mouth; heavy
feeling in extremities; clouded thinking; alternate
wakeful and drowsy states; itching; nausea; depressed
respiration
Long-term
Addiction; physical dependence; collapsed veins;
abscesses; infection of heart lining and valves;
arthritis/other rheumatologic problems; HIV; Hepatitis C
In combination with alcohol
Dangerous slowdown of heart rate and respiration,
coma, or death
Withdrawal symptoms
Restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia,
diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps
("cold turkey"), and leg movements.
Camden County heroin overdoses
reported in Gloucester City,
Berlin, Stratford
• 3/11/14 NJ.com— “Police are investigating a
single-day rash of heroin overdoses in the city.
Authorities confirmed seven overdoses in Camden
alone, all of which occurred on Tuesday. None were
fatal there, but investigators are seeking the
source of the heroin. "We are hoping this warning
may alter the behavior of the addicted, or assist
their loved ones with their intervention to
prevent another senseless death," Camden County
Police Department Chief Scott Thomson said. Early
emergency dispatch reports indicated there were a
dozen 911 calls reporting heroin overdoses
throughout Camden County early Tuesday evening.”
New Jersey Drug Epidemic
• 2 yr probe recently unveiled escalating epidemic in NJ
• 1/2 of the 843 drug-related deaths that occurred in NJ in
2010 were specifically due to prescription pills
• More Americans die each year due to prescription drug
overdoses than to heroin and cocaine combined
• Corrupt doctors and “medical facilities” are the trigger to
the epidemic
• North Jersey.com:
– http://www.northjersey.com/specialreports/heroin_bergen_paterso
n_drugs_2013.html#ooid=5vZWtmYjqsdVqUypmfN7Zc8cBMPHUu
k_
New Jersey Drug Epidemic
• Chain Reaction:
Injury/Illness gets
painkiller
prescription
Corrupt
doctors/drug
dealers continue
prescriptions
beyond what is
necessary
Addicts
eventually find
heroin, cheaper
and increasingly
available
New Jersey Drug Epidemic
• In 2010, enough painkillers were prescribed in New
Jersey to medicate all 9 million state residents around
the clock for a month, according to the CDC
• Drug overdoses now outnumber automobile
accidents as the leading cause of death in NJ
• What is being done???
New Jersey Drug Epidemic
• What can you do?
– Only used prescription medications AS INSTRUCTED
– NEVER take a medication that wasn’t specifically prescribed for YOU
– If you see something, SAY something – spread the word
– “Medicine” does not mean “Safe”
“No Heroin in Heaven”
• http://noheroininheaven.com/
• http://www.wsbtv.com/videos/news/studysoaring-number-of-local-youth-dyingfrom/vCQzzL/