Transcript Slide 1

Preventing Drug Abuse in Your
Community
By Rosa M. Torres Ed.S., M.A.
& Amanda Steiner M.A.
Identifying and Preventing Drug Abuse in Student
School Populations and Your Community
Current Trends in Drug Abuse
 Marijuana
 Synthetic marijuana
 Synthetic Cathinones
“Bath Salts”
 DXM (cough medicine)
 Rx drug abuse
Hookah The First Tobacco Trend of the 21st Century
... Teens were 8 times more likely to experiment with
cigarettes if they had ever used a hookah.
www.mcosa.net/Hookah/Hookah.ppt
Many parents may have heard the term "e-cig" at some
point. The use of electronic cigarettes is on the rise among
middle and high school students, who mistakenly view
them as "safe" alternatives to traditional tobacco/nicotine
forms such as cigarettes.
E Lites Keychain, pen, laser pointers are
Hookah The First Tobacco Trend
some styles for electronic cigarette
Did you know?
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
 E-cigs come in many forms, some look like pens, laser
pointers, or even faux cigarettes. Along with the
actual electronic cigarette, parents should keep their
eyes open for small bottles of flavored drops that
contain varied amounts of nicotine. In addition, many
parents do not realize that e-cigs may also be used as
"drug delivery devices" when used with synthetic
marijuana drops.
Did you know?
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
Bath Salts:
The New Designer Drug
 Legal in almost every state, “bath salts” are the latest designer drug
to be sweeping the nation. Never intended to be put in bathwater,
this powdery substance is packaged as “bath salt” to circumvent
drug laws.
 Bath salt is a hallucinogen that can cause
- Intense paranoia delusions
- Days of anxiety and paranoia
 Easily found at gas stations and convenience stores, it is important
to learn the many names of this drug to protect against its
dangerous effects.
Alternative Names for Bath Salts
 Bloom
 White Dove
 Ocean Snow
How Are Bath Salts Abused?
Bath salts are typically taken:
 orally
 inhaled
 injected
 OR with the worst outcomes being associated with snorting
or needle injection.
Teen DXM Abuse
DXM or Cough Medicine Abuse Teen Drug Abuse
DXM, or dextromethorphan, is a common
ingredient in cough and cold medicines Teens,
however, have found another use for cough
medicine -- getting high.
Shocking Facts:A recent study found that one in 10
American teenagers has abused products with
DXM to get high, making it more popular in that
age group than cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, and meth.
Identifying and Preventing Drug Abuse in Student School
Populations and Your Community
Understanding DXM Abuse
 Dextromethorphan affects the brain, specifically the region that
controls coughing. However, at high doses – as much as 10 to 50
times the suggested amount
 DXM can cause hallucinatory and dissociative effects similar to
those of PCP or ketamine (special K.)
 Why Is It Popular?
 DXM is easy to get. DXM is cheap DXM seems safer DXM is
popular Hard for the parents to detect DXM Abuse:
How Is DXM Abuse Harming Teens?
 What Are the Risks?
Impaired vision Sweating and fever Rapid breathing Increased heart rate and
blood pressure Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea Slurred speech Impaired
judgment and mental function Memory loss Rapid eye movements
Hallucinations and dissociative effects Coma
 Overdoses: High amounts can shut down the central nervous system. Toxins:
Combination cold and flu drugs often contain cough suppressants,
decongestants, antihistamines, and painkillers that can be quite toxic.
Impairment. altered consciousness, impaired vision, and hallucinations can lead
to irrational and dangerous behavior.
Teens’ Rx Drugs of Choice For Abuse
How they work
Strong pain Used to relieve
relievers moderate-to-severe
pain, these
medications block pain
signals to the brain
Stimulants Primarily used to treat
ADHD type symptoms,
these speed up brain
activity causing increased
alertness, attention, and
energy that comes with
elevated blood pressure,
increased heart rate and
breathing
Abused by teens to:
Get high, increase
Vicodin, OxyContin,
feelings of well being by Percocet, Lorcet,
affecting the brain
Lortab, Actiq,
regions that mediate
Darvon, codeine,
pleasure
morphine,
methadone
Feel alert, focused and
full of energy—perhaps
around final exams or
to manage coursework,
lose weight
Sedatives or Used to slow down or
Feel calm, reduce
“depress”
the
functions
of
tranquilizers
stress, sleep
the brain and central
nervous system pressure,
increased heart rate and
breathing
Drug names
Adderall,
Dexedrine, Ritalin,
Concerta
Valium, Xanax,
Ativan, Klonopin,
Restoril, Ambien,
Lunesta, Mebaral,
Nembutal, Soma
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
 Next to marijuana, the most common illegal drugs teens
are abusing are prescription medications.
 Twenty percent of U.S. high school students say they have
taken Rx drugs without consulting a doctor.
 1 in 5 teens has abused Rx drugs.
 1 in 3 teens say there is “nothing wrong” with abusing Rx
medications “every once in a while.”
 Every day, almost 2,500 teens abuse an Rx medication for
the first time.
Did you know?
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
Teens say that…
Agree strongly/somewhat
%
Rx drugs, even if they are not prescribed by a
doctor, are much safer to use than illegal drugs.
40%
There is nothing wrong with using Rx drugs
without a doctor’s prescription once in a while.
31%
Rx pain relievers, even if they are not
prescribed by a doctor, are not addictive.
29%
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
The Teen – Rx Abuse Connection
Rx Medications are All Around Us…and Teens Notice
 Patients leave the doctor’s office with a
prescription in hand in 7 out of 10 visits.
 Direct-to-consumer advertising on TV and in
magazines is pervasive.
 Many people don’t know how to safely use these
medications or ignore their doctor’s instructions.
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
As a result…
Rx drugs are part of teen culture. Teens:
 It normalizes this form of drug abuse.
 Take these meds for legitimate reasons –
with or without a prescription – to stay
awake, remain alert or to go to sleep.
 Purposely abuse these drugs to get high.
They participate in “pharming” and
“bowling” parties.
 Are often unaware that these activities
can lead to disastrous results.
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
Teenagers don’t know that abusing
Rx drugs can:
 Increase blood pressure or heart rate.
 Damage the brain and other organs.
 Lead to accidental overdose / poisonings.
 Cause physical dependency and / or addiction.
 Disrupt breathing (respiratory depression).
 Lead to risks associated with mixing multiple drugs
or combining with alcohol.
 Cause seizures and even death.
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
EDUCATE
Watch for Physical Warning Signs
 Sudden mood changes, including irritability, negative
attitude, personality change.
 Extreme changes in groups of friends or hangout locations.
 Lying or being deceitful, unaccounted time away from
home/missed school days, avoiding eye contact.
 Losing interest in personal appearance, extracurricular
activities or sports.
 Poor performance at school.
 Borrowing money or having extra cash.
 Visiting and even purchasing from pro-drug abuse (illegal)
web sites.
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
EDUCATE
Watch for Physical Warning Signs
 Excessive sweating, urination or thirst
 Nausea and vomiting
 Uncontrollable diarrhea
 Spastic shaking
 Drowsiness, dizziness and insomnia
 Loss of consciousness
 Physical dependence
 Addictive behavior
 Violence, fights in classrooms with students, teachers
 Stealing
 Disruptive classroom behavior
 Domestic violence
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
What causes dilated pupils?
Dilated pupils not resulting from a normal response to low light are typically
caused by drugs, medications, poisons,
Medication or other drug causes of dilated pupils
A number of therapeutic medications, as well as illicit drugs, may cause dilated
pupils including:
Amphetamines
Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (for example, Benadryl, Allermax,
Allergia-C) or chlorpheniramine (for example, Chlor-trimeton, Aller-Chlor,
Allerlief)
Atropine
Cocaine
Decongestants such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
Eye drops such as tetrahydrozoline (Visine)
LSD
Marijuana
Methamphetamines
Withdrawal from heroin and other narcotics
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
Signs of Addiction
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People with drug problems might act differently than they used to. They might:
Spend a lot of time alone
Lose interest in their favorite things
Get messy—for instance, not bathe, change clothes, or brush their teeth
Be really tired and sad
Be very energetic, talk fast, or say things that don't make sense
Be nervous or cranky (in a bad mood)
Quickly change between feeling bad and feeling good
Sleep at strange hours
Miss important appointments
Have problems at work
Eat a lot more or a lot less than usual
According to the National
Institution on Drug Abuse (2013)
Rx Access Points—
Friends & Family Source of Concern
SAMHSA. (2008). Results from the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings
(Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series: H-34, DHHS Publication No. SMA 08-4343). Rockville, MD.
Available at: www.oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh/2k7nsduh/2k7Results.pdf
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
Parental/Guardian
Beliefs & Attitudes
 Many parents aren’t aware of the dangers of Rx
and drug/alcohol abuse – it’s just not on their
radar screen.
 Rx medicines can be found in homes of family or
friends, and parents don’t realize the connection
between teen Rx drug/alcohol abuse and easy
availability.
 Many parents do not know how to effectively talk
with their teens about Rx drug/alcohol abuse.
 They often find out about an Rx/Drug/alcohol
problem when it is too late.
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
COMMUNICATE
Talk to teens about
Rx/Drug/alcohol abuse
 Teens learn by example. Peer Pressure, Fellow
Students, Friends, Family, even Foes influence
students and teenagers. When they see mom,
dad, a sibling or grandparent taking a pill – even
responsibly – it doesn’t seem so bad.
 Many teens report that their parents have the
greatest influence on their drug use attitudes
and decisions.
 Kids who continue to learn about the risks of
drugs at home are up to 50% less likely to use
drugs than those who are not taught about these
dangers.
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
COMMUNICATE
Talking to teens
“DENORMALIZE” THE BEHAVIOR While 1 in 5 teens are abusing Rx
drugs/alcohol, 4 in 5 are not.
DEBUNK COMMON MYTHS: Rx Drug/Alcohol abuse is just as dangerous
as abusing other substances; it can be addictive; and it’s not OK to
misuse these drugs even “once in a while.”
PROVIDE CLEAR GUIDELINES If you’re a parent, let teens know you will be
disappointed if they abuse Rx Drug/Alcohol with medications and watch how
you use medicines in front of teens.
GIVE TEENS ESCAPE ROUTES Teach them how to get out of bad situations; and
suggest responses they can use so they don’t feel “uncool.”
 “No, thanks – not into it.”
 “Not today.”
 “I’m not interested.”
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
SAFEGUARD
Keep track of your meds
• Parents (and other family members) are in the best position to
reduce access to prescription drugs by locking up medicines and
properly disposing of expired or unused medicines.
• Monitor all medications in the home—prescription and OTC
medicines.
• Safely store medicines out of children’s reach and sight.
• Consider locking them up.
• Get rid of old or unused medicines.
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action
SAFEGUARD
Guidelines for Rx drug disposal
FEDERAL GUIDELINES
 Refer to October 15, 2009 FDA Guidelines for Disposal by Flushing.
 Do not flush down toilet or drain unless label or accompanying patient information
specifically instructs you to do so.
 Dispose of Rx drugs not labeled to be flushed through community drug take-back
programs. If a program is not available, dispose of medications appropriately:
1. Take medication out of its original packaging and place it into a disposable
container with a lid or into a sealable bag.
2. Mix drugs with an undesirable substance (e.g., cat litter or used coffee
grounds).
3. Place sealed container with the mixture and original packaging (be sure to
remove all personal information from the packaging) in the trash.
Office of National Drug Control Policy. Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs. 2009.
Available at: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/prescrip_disposal.pdf
RX ABUSE PREVENTION TOOLKIT - from awareness to action