Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs
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Transcript Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs
Chapters 24-27
• 1 in 5 teens smoke
• Roughly 1 million young people start smoking every year
Every year:
• 6K teens smoke 1st cigarette
• 3K become regular smokers
• 9 in 10 adults started smoking as teenagers
• 1/3 of these adults will die of a smoke-related cause
• 2.6 million packs of cigarettes are sold illegally to minors EVERY
DAY!
Some teens believe smoking will remove fears or insecurities
Some feel it will make them look older or more sophisticated
Many start because of peer pressure or advertising
Many teens think they will be able to stop whenever they want
Addiction- a physiological or psychological dependence on a
substance or activity
• Cigarettes are the most used tobacco product
• With every puff you come in contact with 43 cancer causing
chemicals
• cyanide, formaldehyde, arsenic
• Cancer isn’t the only concern with smoking…
Nicotine is an addictive drug in cigarettes and is a poisonous
stimulant
• Tar is the primary flavor
• Tar is a thick, sticky, and dark fluid produced when tobacco burns
• Tar penetrates the smoker’s airway and lungs
• Causes dryness, paralyzing or destroying cilia
• Several substances in the tar are carcinogenic
Carcinogen, cancer-causing substances
• Low-tar, low-nicotine cigarettes actually encourages the smoke
to inhale more deeply and smoke more cigarettes to maintain
nicotine levels.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas in
cigarette smoke that passes through the lungs into the blood.
• The same gas from a car’s exhaust
• When inhaled, it can be fatal
• unites with hemoglobin in red blood cells preventing them
from binding with oxygen
Smokeless tobacco is tobacco that is sniffed through the nose or
chewed
• Over 12 million Americans use smokeless tobacco
• The average age to start chewing or dipping is 13-15 years old
• Brown-stained teeth
• Is not safer than smoking cigarettes
• Can cause mouth sores that can turn into cancer of the lip, mouth,
or throat
• Damage to teeth and gums
• Damage to digestive system
• Pipes or Cigars
• Usually inhale less
• More likely to develop cancers of the lip, mouth, and throat
because more tar and chemicals generated by pipes and cigars
• If the smoker inhales the smoke cancer risk also increases
• Specialty cigarettes have tobacco and other ingredients
• Contain spices to taste and smell sweet
• More cancer-causing tars than standard cigarettes
Impair Health in 2 ways:
1. Short-term effects that occur immediately after lighting up
2. Long-term effects that occur as you continue to smoke
Some of the deadliest problems affect the respiratory and
circulatory systems
2 principal diseases that make up Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease:
• Chronic bronchitis
• Emphysema
• 10 times more likely to occur in smokers
• Chronic bronchitis is a condition where the bronchi are irritated
• Cilia becomes useless because of tar build up
• Chronic coughing and excessive mucus secretion
• Condition that involves the destruction of the tiny air sacs in
lungs where the oxygen is absorbed into the body
• As the sacs are destroyed, they lose their elasticity and provide
less total surface where oxygen can be absorbed
• More breaths are required:
• Normal person= 5% of body’s
energy in breathing
• Advanced emphysema= 80%
energy to breathe
• Directly linked to cigarette smoking
• Leading cause of death in males
• Cancerous cells grow in conditions
where cilia is destroyed and
mucus collects
• The bronchi are blocked and the cancer moves into the lungs
• Nicotine makes the heart work harder and speeds up the pulse
• Smoking constricts blood vessels, decreasing blood flow, to limbs
• This can result in numbness and tingling in hands and feet
• Nicotine leads to plaque build up
• Hardening of the arteries and increases the risk of sudden death
• Risk even higher if you smoke more than 1 pack a day
• Increases blood pressure and leads to risk of stroke
• 30,000 lives/year could be saved by not smoking!
• People secrete more saliva with smokeless tobacco
• If swallowed, tar and other chemicals end up in the urinary and
digestive systems
• May delay wound healing
Leukoplakia is thickened, white, leathery-appearing spots on the
inside of a smokeless tobacco user’s mouth that can develop into
cancer of the mouth
• Oral cancer impacts 30,000 Americans/annually
• Smoking hurts endurance and performance
• The resting heart rate increases 2-3 beats/minute
• Regular smoking leads to coughing and respiratory illnesses
• Smoking teens are twice as likely to cough with phlegm or blood
• 3x more likely to report shortness of breath when exercising
• 3x more likely to drink alcohol, 8x more likely to use marijuana,
22x more likely to use cocaine
• Smoking is associate with other high risk behavior such as fighting
Passive smoke is cigarette, cigar, or pipe smoke inhaled by
nonsmokers as well as smoke that remains in a closed environment
after the smoker is through smoking
Includes:
• Mainstream smoke, the smoke that a smoker blows off
• Sidestream smoke, the smoke that comes from burning tobacco
• Eye irritation, headaches, coughing
• More frequent ear infections, asthma attacks, other respiratory
problems and aggravating existing heart and lung diseases
• 3,000 die/annually from someone else smoking
A study in 1997 showed:
6,200 children die each year from ailments secondary to their
parents smoking when pregnant
2,800 deaths of low-birth weight
1,100 deaths from respiratory infections
Small fetal growth, increased risk of spontaneous abortion and
prenatal death, increased stillbirths, as well as growth and
development problems during childhood
Impacted intellectually and behaviorally
• Nicotine passes through the placenta, constricting blood vessels to
of the fetus
• Carbon monoxide reduces oxygen levels to the fetus
• Smoking is especially harmful in the 2nd trimester
• Nicotine can be passed during breastfeeding
• Children of cigarette smokers are twice as likely to be in fair or
poor health
• More likely to suffer from respiratory problems
risk of lung cancer is double
• Nearly half of all smokers light up without asking those around
them first
• 80% of people say they are bothered by the passive smoke
but only 4% actually ask the smoker to stop
• Ask to sit in the smoke-free area of the restaurant
Nicotine withdrawal is the process that occurs when nicotine,
addictive drug, is no longer used.
• The person may feel nervous or moody or have difficulty
sleeping
Techniques for quitting smoking:
Nicotine substitutes are manufactured forms of nicotine that
deliver small amounts of the drug into the user’s system while he or
she is trying to give up the tobacco habit
• Nicotine gum, nicotine patch
1. Begin by deciding once and for all that you want to quit
2. Set a target date for quitting
3. Take immediate steps to help you reach your goal
4. Get help meeting your goal
5. Plan a healthy way to reward yourself once you have kicked
the habit
• The benefits are both immediate and long-term
• Cardiorespiratory endurance improves
• Physical fitness
increases
• Provided emotional
and social benefits
• Save $$$$
Observe:
How much they smoke
When and where they smoke
What triggers the desire to smoke
Write down:
Cost of smoking, in dollars spent
Health concerns
Negative reactions from friends, family, and others
List:
Why should I quit?
Post around the house
Learn stress management techniques
May help during the withdrawal process
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Set a specific date for quitting and stick to it
Set short-term goals to reinforce the decision
Decide which approach or combo will be used
Get your environment ready for a smoke-free life
Set up a support group to help you through the process and
keep you smoke-free
Our society is starting to make environments more friendly for nonsmokers, holding businesses more accountable for selling to minors,
restaurants and businesses are going smoke-free, hotels
• Alcohol is ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic
beverages and is a powerful drug
• May be made synthetically or produced naturally through
fermentation
• fermentation of fruits, veggies, or grains
Fermentation is the chemical action of yeast on sugars
• Water, flavoring, and minerals are added to ethanol to
form a beverage, including beer and wine
• Alcohol initially gives the drinker a certain energy and “buzz”
• Soon, it becomes a natural depressant
• causes CNS to slow down
• Eventually, the drinker becomes intoxicated
Intoxication is physical and mental impairment resulting from the use
of alcohol
• Intoxication can lead to the inability to walk or loss of
consciousness
• Intoxication levels vary from person-to-person
• 80% of teens have had at least 1 or more alcoholic drink
during their lifetime
• At any age, alcohol can become a high-risk behavior
• For teens it can have a negative impact on schoolwork, athletic
performance, friendships, family relationships, and career goals.
• May lead to health problems, even death
Facts:
• Half of all teen deaths each year are a direct result of alcohol
or other drug, and many happen in accidents
• Alcohol is a factor in a number of unplanned pregnancies, cases
of sexually transmitted diseases, dating violence, rapes,
suicides, and homicides
• Nearly 5 MILLION problem drinkers are 14-17
• 10 teens die a day in alcohol-related crashes
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To escape pressures or problems
To feel better or get over being sad or lonely
To deal with stress and relax
To feel more self-confident in social situations
For excitement
Because their friends are doing it
To deal with boredom
To get away with something they are not supposed to do
To fit in
Friends- want to fit in, very difficult to say no
Family- modeling from parents or family-life issues
Advertisements- $1billion a year just to promote alcoholic
beverages
Advertisements aimed at teen drinking:
• Young handsome, attractive, fit, and healthy-looking
• Party-like atmosphere with upbeat music
• Healthy environment
• Problem-free drinking
• Never mentions the risks of using the product
Short-term effects depend on the amount consumed, gender, size,
and if there was food in the system or not.
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Brain
Liver
Blood Vessels
Heart
Kidneys
Stomach
• Alcohol reaches brain almost the moment it is consumed
• Depresses brain activity, slowing down CNS work
• Thought processes are disorganized
• Memory and concentration are dulled
• Decision making can be badly affected
• The liver changes alcohol to water, carbon dioxide, and energy
through oxidation
• The liver can oxidize only about 1/3-1/2 ounce of alcohol an
hour
• Until the liver can oxidize it alcohol circulates through all body
parts
• Blood carries alcohol to all parts of the body, including the
heart, liver, and brain
• Alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate
• This causes an increase in blood flow, especially to the skin
• Makes the skin feel flush and warm
• Is an artificial warmth
• Causes the body to lose heat by radiation
• Body temperature actually decreases
• People who drink and go into the cold are at increased risk of
hypothermia
• Alcohol causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure
• Leads to arrhythmias, or abnormal heartbeats
• Can cause scar tissue to build up in the muscle fibers of the
heart
• Risk of heart attack and stroke also increases
• Alcohol affects the pituitary gland, which in turn acts on the
kidneys
• Produces more urine
• This is why someone feels dehydrated the day after heavy
drinking
• The alcohol molecule is very small and water soluble so it doesn’t
have to be digested
• It can be immediately absorbed into the blood
• Having food in the stomach slows the absorption process
• Alcohol increases the flow of gastric juices from the stomach
lining
• Larger amounts of alcohol cause a larger flow of the high-acid
juices
• Irritating stomach lining
• Repeated irritation can cause internal bleeding
• Driving while intoxicated (DWI), also known as driving under the
influence (DUI), is one of the deadliest and most widespread
short-term effects of drinking
Blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, is the amount of alcohol in a
person’s blood expressed as a percentage
• Signs of being intoxicated can appear at BAC as low as .02
• Factors that affect the amount of alcohol in a person’s blood
include gender, weight, metabolism, amount of alcohol consumed,
food in stomach, and time elapsed
What effect does alcohol have on an individual’s ability to
operate a car or other heavy machinery?
• Reduces the ability to judge distances, speeds, and turns
• Reduces the ability to judge accurately one’s own capabilities
and limitations
• Increases the tendency to take risks
• Slows reflexes
• Adds to forgetfulness to take precautions such as using signals
when turning
• Reduces the ability to concentrate
• DWI is the leading cause of death among teenagers
• Each day 10-11 teens are killed and over 350 are injured in
alcohol-related MVA
• DUI is not only a problem for the drinker but also for the
nondrinker
• Almost 50% of crashes where a passenger dies occurs because
the drivers were legally drunk
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Immediate confiscation of driver’s license
Arrest, a trip to jail, court appearance, and fine
Possible suspension of driver’s license
Possible mandatory jail sentence
Cost of bail to get out of jail
Higher insurance rates
Possible lawsuits
• In most states, driving intoxicated is defined as having a .01%
BAC, though others have pushed it to .08%
• In all states it is against the law to drive while intoxicated
• Some make it illegal to have an open container inside the car
• MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and SADD, Students
Against Destructive Decisions
Designated drivers- people in social settings who choose not to
drink so that they can safely drive themselves and others
• Brain damage
• Chronic liver problems
• Tolerance and Depression
• The Multiplier Effect
• Can lead to major brain damage
• May even lead to a decrease in brain size
• People have been hospitalized in mental institutions for severe
brain damage caused by excessive alcohol use
• Moderate drinking can destroy brain cells
• Can be a loss of intellectual abilities, such as memory and
problem solving
• Alcohol interferes with the liver’s ability to break down fats.
Fatty liver, a condition in which fats build up in the liver and cannot
be broken down, can develop
• Increased fat prevents the liver from functioning normally
• Also interferes with the growth of new liver cells
• Excess fat in the liver blocks the flow of blood in the liver
• Can be reversed when drinking stops
• Prolonged heavy drinking can lead to cirrhosis, a condition in
which the liver tissue is destroyed and then replaced with useless
scar tissue.
• Cirrhosis means “scarring” and there is not blood flow in scar
tissue because there are no blood vessels
• Hepatitis can occur due to alcohol abuse. It is an inflammation
of the liver and can cause weakness, jaundice, fever, and
sometimes death
• Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by toxic effects of the drug
• People who use alcohol regularly may develop a tolerance,
making it necessary to drink more and more to produce the
same effects
• Physical damage can result and could be hospitalized
• May experience symptoms of withdrawal that range from
jumpiness, sleeplessness, sweating, and poor appetite to severe
tremors, convulsions, and hallucinations.
• May become dependent on alcohol. The body tends to need
alcohol
• Synergistic effect occurs when two or more medicine are taken
simultaneously
• Alcohol combined with other drugs or medicine produces an
interaction known as the multiplier effect
• When alcohol is mixed with another depressant such as a
tranquilizer, the effect can be devastating
Fetal alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a condition in which a fetus has
been adversely affected mentally and physically by its mother’s heavy
alcohol use during pregnancy
• Low birth weight, impaired speech, cleft palate, general
weakness, slow body growth, facial abnormalities, poor
coordination, and heart defects
• Mental retardation, poor attention span, nervousness, and
hyperactivity are also common in children with FAS
Binge drinking- periodic excessive drinking
• Popular in high school and college
• Social event or contest to see who can drink the most
• Many believe they do not have a problem because they don’t drink
every day
• However, alcoholics can goes days without drinking until later
stages of the disease
Alcohol poisoning is a dangerous toxic condition that occurs when a
person drinks a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time
• When someone’s blood alcohol level reaches about
400mg/deciliter or 4x legal amount for DUI
• Brain’s ability to control breathing can e interrupted. Death can
result
Alcoholism is a physical and psychological dependence of the drug
ethanol and is a disease
• Many alcoholics appear clean, orderly, and well groomed
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Traits of Alcoholism
Stages of Alcoholism
Costs to the family
Coasts to society
Alcoholics are unable to stop drinking despite the toll it takes on
their health and their lives
May exhibit one or a combination of the following behaviors or
traits:
• They are preoccupied in one way or another with alcohol
• Once they pick up their first drink, the cannot promise or predict
what they will say or do or how much they will drink
• The cannot manage tension without drinking
• They may have personality changes or memory lapses due to
drinking
3 clearly defined stages of alcoholism that happen over a period
of time. The time frame can be long or short, depending on the
individual and the age at which he or she starting drinking.
Abuse, Dependence, Addiction
Stage 1
• Often begins with social drinking, often to relax or relieve stress
or depression
• Gradually becomes necessary
• Then becomes intoxicated regularly
• May have short-term memory loss and blackouts
• Starts to make excuses and tries to rationalize behavior
• Often called a Problem drinker
Stage 2:
• Gradually becomes a point where the person cannot stop
drinking
• The person is now physically dependent on the drug
• May drink alone and may drink every day
• The craving to drink may occur earlier and earlier in the day
• Physical and mental problems may become evident
• The drinker denies or tries to hide the problem
• Body has developed a tolerance and more alcohol is necessary
• Drinking becomes the central event in the person’s life
• Performance on the job, at school, or at home decreases
• Absences become consistent
Stage 3:
• The final and worst stage of the disease where drinking is more
important in the person’s life than everything else
• The problem can no longer be denied, and it is uncontrolled
• There may be hallucinations and alcohol becomes a constant
companion
• The alcoholic becomes aggressive and is isolated from friends and
family
• Malnutrition occurs because the drinker overlooks nutritional needs
• The body is addicted to ethanol
• The person has fallen apart physically, mentally, emotionally, and
socially
• Has decreased or reverse tolerance, meaning it takes less to get
drunk
Stage 3 continued:
• If the alcoholic stops drinking he or she would experience
withdrawal symptoms
• This is called delirium tremens (DTs), the dramatic physical and
psychological effects of alcohol withdrawal
• These consist of hot and cold flashes, severe tremors, nightmares,
hallucinations, and having fear of people and animals
• People with DTs need immediate medical care
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Alcoholism cannot be cured, it can be treated
As many as 2/3 recover with proper treatment
The goal is to stop or control the amount of alcohol
Alcoholics Anonymous and Alateen
• There are more than 3 million teen alcoholics
• Up to 5 million young people in the US are considered alcoholics
or problem drinkers
• Alcohol use, abuse, and alcoholism are major factors in the four
leading causes of accidental deaths: car crashes, falls, drowning,
and burns caused by fire.
• Accounts for 20-35% of all suicides and play a major part in
domestic violence, spousal and child abuse, abuse of the elderly,
and marital separation and divorce.
• Is a leading stressor and factor in troubled families
• You could be a co-alcoholic or codependency if you live or are
involved with an alcoholic
• Alcohol is a major factor in the three leading causes of death for
16-24 year olds
• Traffic crashes, homicides, and suicides
• Alcohol claims about 100,000 Americans a year
• Off the highway, alcohol contributes to about 6 million nonfatal and
15,000 fatal inquiries per year
• In the workplace, up to 40% of industrial fatalities and 47% of
industrial injuries are linked to alcohol
• In 1996, an estimated $83B for drug abuse and $116B for
alcoholism
• Alcohol costs employers about $30B/year in lost revenueaccording to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug
Dependence
• There is good news when it comes to alcoholism and a lot of
hope
• More people are joining self-help support groups to become
sober
• More young people are entering treatment centers and
programs for alcohol related problems
• Many teens are deciding not to drink at all
• In one spring, almost 3 million students in 3,500 high schools
across the country registered in a program to abstain from using
drugs and alcohol on prom night
• Despite the rise in teen drinking, many teens are choosing to
remain or become alcohol-free
• The most common reason given is “I do not need it.”
• Some are saying, “I don’t have to drink to be popular,” or “I
don’t need to drink to be accepted, to have fun, or to act in
some way that usually wouldn’t.”
Saying No to Alcohol
• Takes a firm mental commitment
• Practice what you are going to say before you need to say it
• Keep it brief, polite, confident, and to the point
• Sometimes humor, or the unexpected, creative comment can do
the trick
• Alcohol affects a person’s judgment and may interfere with selfcontrol over emotions, decisions, and behavior
• May cause a person to do or say things he or she would
otherwise not normally do, including sexual activity
• Someone who is shy or socially uncomfortable might use alcohol
as an ice breaker only to find themselves in a situation they may
regret later
• HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancies,
ruined reputations, date rape, and other violence can result from
mixing alcohol and social relationships
• Remember to practice abstinence from all risk behaviors,
including alcohol use
You can choose to live an
alcohol-free life in which
you pursue your goals and
work steadily at reaching
them
OR
You can get sidetracked
and thrown off course
altogether by using alcohol
Substance abuse is an unnecessary or improper use of chemical
substances for nonmedical purposes.
• This includes overuse and multiple use of a drug, including
alcohol taken in combination with other drugs
• Not all abused substances need to be medicines
• They could be substances for recreational or other unhealthful
purposes
• Illegal drugs or street drugs are substances that are against the
law
• People who use illegal drugs are guilty of a crime called illicit
drug use. This is the use of sale of any substances that are
illegal or otherwise not permitted.
• This includes selling or prescription meds on the street
• Selling minors alcohol is illegal too
• Alcohol and nicotine are considered gateway drugs, or drugs
that often lead to other serious and dangerous drug use.
• Teens in the US are now using drugs at younger ages than ever
before
• Drug use among 12-17 year-olds more than doubled between
1993 and 1998
• In 1998, nearly 11% of Americans age 12 and up used drugs
• More teens are trying heroin than ever before and more teen
heroin users are showing up in the ER
• In 1992, 4% of all teens used marijuana. By 1998 9%
• Many teens consider marijuana a safe drug
Many teens try drugs for one or more of the following reasons:
• They see their friends, parents, or older siblings using them
• They feel pressured to use drugs and don’t know how to say no.
• They want to fit in, relax, or seem mature.
• They see drugs glamorized on TV, in videos, or in song lyrics.
• They seek a solution to boredom or are searching for new
thrills.
• They are trying to escape from their problems.
• Drugs can have serious side effects. These side effects range
from minor to deadly.
• When taking at the same time with one or more medications or
other drugs including alcohol, they can have synergistic effects.
Illegal drugs can be especially dangerous because there is no system
to monitor quality, purity, or strength.
Overdose is a strong or even fatal reaction to taking a large amount
of a drug.
• Many overdoses are accidental
• Often overdoses occur when alcohol and other drugs are
combined
When injecting substances, there may be added risks of
contracting diseases such as hepatitis B and HIV
Many lose control and this can lead to unprotected sex and STD’s
or pregnancies
Substance abuse is a factor in many crimes, suicides, and both
accidental and intentional deaths
Substance abuse is like riding a “down” escalator.
Tolerance
Physiological dependence
Withdrawal
Psychological dependence
Addiction
Tolerance:
• The body of the abuser starts to develop tolerance to the drug.
• This means the abuser needs more to get the same effects and
eventually just to function
Physiological dependence:
• The body develops a chemical need for a drug.
• The abuser can experience severe effects when the drug is
taken away.
Withdrawal:
• Withdrawal occurs when the person stops using a drug which he or
she has a physiological dependence.
• Symptoms include nervousness, insomnia, severe nausea,
headaches, vomiting, chills, cramps, and sometimes, death.
Psychological dependence:
• A person believes a drug is needed in order to feel good or to
function normally
• He or she has a continued to desire to take the drug for its effect
Addiction:
• Involves physiological dependence and psychological dependence
• For a teen substance abuse can negatively affect performance in
school, sports, in relationships with peers, and in family.
• Can effect the teen’s social, mental, and physical health.
• Can add undue pressure and stress to a period that is already
filled with both.
• Experimenting even with one drug can get a teen in trouble with
the law or even ruin his or her life.
• Educational goals may be interrupted and substance abuse can
slow the progress toward becoming a mature adult.
Illegal drugs burden American Society with an estimated $67 billion
in health, social, and criminal costs every year.
Substance abuse can do serious harm to a developing fetus and to
babies who ingest substances through breast milk
In one study, 5% of the 4million who gave birth had used illicit drugs.
Babies may be physically dependent on depressants and experience
withdrawal when born.
Babies addicted to heroin, cocaine, or other narcotics experience
severe withdrawal within days of birth
Four Main Groups:
• Stimulants
• Depressants
• Narcotics
• Hallucinogens
Stimulants are drugs that speed up the central nervous system
Commonly abused stimulants:
• Amphetamines
• Methamphetamines
• Cocaine
• Nicotine in tobacco products is also a well-known stimulant.
• Caffeine and chocolate are also stimulants
• Increase HR and respiratory rates, HBP, dilated pupils,
decreased appetite
• Users may experience sweating, headaches, blurred vision,
dizziness, and sleeplessness.
• Extremely high doses can cause irregular heartbeat, shaking or
trembling, loss of coordination, and even physical collapse.
• Inhalation or injection can cause a sudden increase in BP that can
lead to stroke, high fever, or heart failure
• The psychological effects of stimulants include moodiness,
restlessness, and anxiety
• Chronic users can experience hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia
Paranoia is irrational suspiciousness or distrust of others
• Stimulants with effects similar to that of the sympathetic nervous
system.
• Use has declined in recent years
• Some use them to stay awake and alert, to improve athletic
performance, to lose weight, and to offset effect of depressant
drugs
Euphoria is a feeling of intense well-being or elation that may be
followed by a complete “crash” or letdown.
• These temporary highs come a great cost to a person’s physical
and mental well-being
• Tolerances can easily develop
• Psychological dependence can occur too.
• A stimulant that has been used medically in treating certain
diseases including Parkinson’s disease and obesity
• Illegally known as crank, speed, or ice
• May cause paranoia or violence
• Is readily available
• Can be smoked, “snorted,” injected, or swallowed
• The effects are long-lasting
• Food and water become unimportant
• The fumes alone prove deadly
A white powder made from the coca bush, which grows in parts of
South America
Illegal under state and federal laws
A rapid-acting, powerful stimulant
Effects can last 20 minutes to several hours
Confidence followed by letdown
Can lead to depression, edginess, weight loss, and physiological
dependence
• Repeated cocaine use can cause tissue damage in the nose and
even holes in the nasal septum
• Can cause malnutrition
• Increased risk of heart attacks, especially if you have cardiac
problems
• The drug may disturb the electrical impulses of the heart and
cause death
• Could become infected with HIV from sharing needles
• A form of cocaine that can be smoked
• Processing converts cocaine into lumps or rocks, a form of
the drug known as freebase
Preparing freebase may involve using dangerous solvents
and can result in injury or death from an explosion or fire
• Extremely dangerous and addictive
• Effects are felt within a few seconds
• May develop a sore throat, hoarseness, and lung damage
• Can cause death by cardiac or respiratory failure
• Depressants or sedatives, are drugs that tend to slow down the
CNS
• Alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive drug
• Relax muscles, relieve feelings of tension and worry, and bring
on sleep.
• Slow down the heart, breathing rates, and reduce blood
pressure
• Can easily cause physiological and psychological dependence
• Barbiturates
• Tranquilizers
• Methaqualone
• In the sedative-hypnotic family
• Drugs that induce sleepiness
• Can result in mood changes, more sleep than normal, or even a
coma
• Are rarely used for medical purposes
• Illegally used to produce a feeling similar to that of
intoxication and counteract the effects of stimulants
• Combined with alcohol they can sometimes prove fatal
• Reduce muscular activity, coordination, and attention span
• Anti-anxiety tranquilizers, such as diazepam, are used
medically to relieve anxiety, muscle spasm, sleeplessness, and
nervousness
• Used in excess, physiological and psychological dependence
occurs
• Originally prescribed to reduce anxiety and to help with
insomnia
• Known for producing temporary euphoria
• The feeling doesn’t last and withdrawal can be extremely
unpleasant
• Serious side effects include rapid dependence, headaches,
diarrhea, dizziness, convulsions, and coma
• Many people die by combining with alcohol
Narcotics are drugs derived from the opium plant that have a sedative
effect.
• Most commonly used narcotics are morphine, heroin,
codeine, and opium itself.
• The term narcotic used to be referred only to drugs made from
the opium poppy flower
• These drugs are called opiates
• Narcotics also include medicines used to relieve pain
• Cause drowsiness and can cause physiological dependence
• Drugs from opiates can cause stupor or sleep so deep they
depress respiration and can cause coma or death
• A natural narcotic compound that is contained in opium
• Often used to reduce severe pain
• Can act as an appetite suppressant, cause severe constipation,
and lead to addiction
• A weaker cousin to morphine but is also a narcotic compound
derived from opium
• Sometimes used in cough medicines
• Can lead to dependence and abuse
• Made from morphine and has no accepted medical use in the
US
• Is an illegal drug
•
•
•
•
Depresses the CNS and slows breathing and pulse rate
Coma or death may occur with large doses
Tolerance develops quickly
Babies can be born addicted
• Withdrawal is very painful
• Risk of HIV when injected
• It is now sometimes 10x higher than it was in the 80’s
• Hallucinogens are drugs that alter moods, thoughts, and sense
perceptions, including vision, hearing, smell, and touch.
Most commonly
abused are:
• PCP
• LSD
• Mescaline
• Phencyclidine, also known as PCP or angel dust, is powerful and
dangerous
• Prepared synthetically and is considered to be one of the most
dangerous of all drugs
•
•
•
•
Feel distant and detached from their surroundings
Time passes slowly, body movements slow down
Muscle coordination is impaired
Sensation of touch and pain are dulled
• The user feels strong and powerful
• Has resulted in tragic deaths, serious accidents and terrible
acts of violence
• Most PCP related deaths
aren’t from overdose but
rather caused by strange,
destructive behavior that the
drug produces in the user
• Users have drowned in
shallow water because they
were so disorientated they
didn’t know which way was
up.
• Lysergic acid diethylamide
• Commonly referred to as Acid
• Is Illegal
• One of the most potent of all mood-altering chemicals
• Comes in tablet, capsule, and sometimes liquid form
• Is colorless, odorless, and tasteless
• Effects are widely unpredictable
• Can cause a false sense of security and power
• May lead to panic, anxiety, or accidental suicide
• Is a psychoactive
ingredient of the peyote
cactus
• Can lead to “bad trips,”
or frightening imagined
phenomena
• May lead to vicious
stomach cramps and
vomiting
Anabolic steroids are synthetic derivatives of the male hormone
testosterone.
• When used as medicine, these substances help build muscles in
patients with chronic diseases
• When used illegally, they can impact behavior and health
• Causes mood swings and abnormally violent and aggressive
behavior- referred to as “roid rage”
• Causes HBP, acne, baldness, increased risk of liver disease,
growth of body and facial hair, and stroke
• In males, depression, decrease sperm production and testicle
size and an increase in breast size
•
Females may have breast shrinkage
• One of the most tragic aspects in teens they are lead to believe
steroids makes them stronger.
• They can make the muscles look bigger, but strength only comes
when working the muscles
• In the meantime, the risks to your life and body are not worth
the risk.
• Cannabis is the scientific term for the hemp plant
Marijuana, which is illegal in most states, is cannabis that is smoked,
eaten, or drunk for intoxicating effects
Hashish, or “hash,” is the dark brown resin collected from the top of
the cannabis plant.
• Usually sold in small brown chunks that are smoked in a pipe
• Sometimes boiled to make hashish oil, which is then
combined with tobacco and smoked for even stronger
effects.
• Is a hallucinogen and acts as both a depressant and a stimulant
• Alters your senses, coordination, and reaction time and can
interrupt your ability to make rational and healthful decisions
• Lowers body temperature but increases heart rate and blood
pressure
• Stimulates appetite
• User may become talkative and giddy, or quiet and withdrawn
• Effects vary from person-to-person and can be influenced by the
person’s mood and surroundings
• Regular users tend to have personality problems that include loss
or willpower and motivation, lack of energy, and paranoia
• Can affect memory
• Drivers react slower and make be more at risk for accidents
• Contains cancer-causing chemicals
• May damage the respiratory system
• May increase risk of bacterial infections
• Lowers levels of the testosterone and decreases sperm
production
• During pregnancy it can cause stillbirth, decreased birth
weight, and fetal alcohol syndrome
Inhalants are substances with breathable fumes that are sniffed and
inhaled to give a hallucinogenic or mind-altering high
•
•
•
•
•
Glue
Spray Paint
Aerosols
Lighter Fluid
Gasoline
• Depress the CNS and
produces effects similar to alcohol
Immediate effects:
• Nosebleeds, fatigue, nausea, sneezing, coughing, lack of
coordination, and loss of appetite
• Heavy use can damage the kidneys and liver, change bone
marrow, and permanent brain damage
• Can lead to hearing loss, limb spasms, and blood oxygen
depletion.
• User can go into a coma or a vegetative state for the rest of his
or her life
• May be a gateway drug. Peak age is 14!
Designer drugs are synthetic substances meant to imitate the effects
of narcotics and hallucinogens.
• Ecstasy or MDMS, which is similar to methamphetamine and
mescaline.
• It is a combo stimulant and hallucinogen causing a short term
euphoria
• May cause confusion, depression, paranoia, psychosis, increase
in HR and BP, and can kill brain cells
• Designer drugs can be hundred times
stronger than those they try to imitate
• Can cause uncontrollable tremors,
drooling, impaired speech, paralysis,
and irreversible brain damage
Look-alike drugs are drugs made so as to physically resemble
specific illegal drugs
• The user never knows quite what they are getting
• “Speed” might contain high doses of caffeine plus cold
medicines. Can cause dangerously fast HR, changes in BP,
strange behavior, nervousness, and breathing problems.
• If admitted to the ER the staff may not be able to treat them
successfully
• Peer pressure can be intense
during the teen years
• Over 86% of 12-17 year olds in
the US have never tried
marijuana
• Over 98% have never tried
cocaine
• So “everyone’s doing it” simply
isn’t true
• First Step
• Make a clear and deliberate decision to stay drug-free
• It is a positive, life-enhancing decision
Living a drug-free life means:
• Finding healthful ways to have fun and enjoy life
• Stick with people who know how to have fun without drugs and
make you feel good about yourself
• Find out what makes you feel good about yourself and do more
of that activity
• What is your purpose? What are your talents?
• Tap into your creativity
• Find healthful ways to relax and manage stress
• Stay connected socially
• Learn new skills, hobbies and crafts, etc. Expand your mind
• Connect to the world
• Physical exercise
• Nutrition and rest
• It is never too late to get help
• First thing to do is to talk to a trusted adult
• Self-help programs, support groups, and treatment facilities
exist across the country
• Therapeutic communities or residential treatment centers, and
outpatient programs
• Cocaine Anonymous, Marijuana Anonymous, Narcotics
Anonymous, and Alcohol Anonymous
Schools are now drug-free school zones. This
means, areas within 1,000 feet of schools and
designated by signs, within which people get cause
selling drugs receives especially tough penalties
• Some are double what the normal offense
would be elsewhere
• Classes in drug education, suspensions and
expulsions for drug use, police or security
guards in halls, drug and alcohol counselors on
the premises, locker searches, school uniforms,
banning beepers and certain kinds of clothing,
and more.
Drug Watches, organized community efforts by neighborhood
residents to patrol, monitor, report, and otherwise help try to stop
drug deals and drug use.