1. Drug Use
A High Risk Behavior

2. What is Substance Abuse?
Unnecessary or improper use of chemical substances for nonmedical purposes.
Illegal Drugs: chemical substances that people of any age may not lawfully manufacture, possess, buy, or sell
Illicit Drug Use: the use or sale of any substance that is illegal or otherwise not permitted.

3. What factors influence decisions about drugs?
Peer Pressure: control or urging of friends, social groups.
Family Members: Parents and other adults
Role Models: People you admire and look up to
Media: T.V., digital media, music, internet
Perceptions
Misleading Information: believe it can be beneficial

4. Health Risks of Drug Use
Physical Health
Heart, lungs, brain, other vital organs
Overdosing: strong, sometimes fatal reaction to taking a large amount of a drug
Risk of contracting Hepatitis B and HIV greatly increases

5. Health Risks Mental Health Drugs cloud reasoning and thinking
Users lose control of their behavior
People often lose sight of their values
Drugs alter the brains structure and function

6. Health Risks Social Health
Users do and say things they will later regret
Can have a negative effect on relationships
Drug use can cause teens to be expelled or drop out of school
Legal consequences
Major factor in many crimes, suicides and unintentional injuries

7. Other Effects of Drug Use
Tolerance: body becomes accustomed to the drug and causes them to need more to get the desired effect
Psychological Dependence: believe the drug is needed in order to feel good or function normally
Physiological Dependence: develop a chemical need for the drug
Addiction: a psychological or physiological dependence on the drug

8. Signs of Drug Use “Personality”
Becomes Disrespectful-verbally abusive
Is angry a lot- extreme mood swings
Seems depressed and less out-going
Is secretive and lies about what they are doing
Is stealing or “losing” possessions
Seems to have a lot of money or always needs
Withdraws from family and family activities

9. Signs of Drug Use “Physical Apperance”
Not taking care of hygiene and grooming
Not sleeping or sleeping too much
Loss of appetite
Weight loss or weight gain
Too hyperactive or too little energy

10. Signs of Drug Use “Social Activity/School Performance”
Drops old friends and activities
Is skipping school
Loses interest in school work
Is getting low grades
Is sleeping in class
Loses concentration and is having trouble remembering things

11. Current Stats
19.1 Million Americans or 7.9% of the population aged 12 and older are current illicit drug users. (current drug use means use of an illicit drug within one month of survey)

12. General Categories of Drugs that teens are using
Over the counter cough and cold
Prescription painkillers or opiates
Sedatives
Steroids
Stimulants

13. Over the Counter
DXM (cough suppressant found in cough and cold medications)
When used as recommended it is safe
Teens use sometimes as much as 30 times the recommended dose which produces hallucinations and the sensation of having out of body experiences
Examples: Pertussin, Robitussin, Sudafed, Triaminic

14. Prescription Painkillers (opiates)
Medically used to relieve pain
Most commonly abused: OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet, Percodan
Opium and heroin are illegal forms of opiates
Work by changing how the brain perceives pain
Slow down the body processes: Breathing, heart rate, digestion
Produce a sense of well-being and calm drowsiness
Extremely addicting

15. Sedatives and GHB Also known as “downers” Slow normal brain function
Medically used to treat anxiety, stress and panic disorders
Also used as sleeping pills
Most common: Xanax, Valium
Induce drowsiness and intense relaxation
Very addicting

16. Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic)
Man Made substances related to male sex hormone
Used medically to treat: delayed puberty, impotence, aids
Illegally used to improve physical performance and body image

17. Pictures of Steroid Users

18. Stimulants Also known as “uppers”
Prescription stimulants used to treat depression, obesity, ADHD
Commonly abused prescription stimulants: dexedrine, ritalin and adderall

19. Marijuana
Pot
Herb
Grass
Weed
Mary Jane
Chronic

20. What is Marijuana?
Green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant
Mind Altering: It changes how the brain works
Contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical
Also contain over 400 other chemicals

21. Facts about Marijuana
Usually smoked as a cigarette (joint) or in a pipe or bong
THC is absorbed by fatty tissue. Can be detected in the body for weeks
Contrary to popular belief, most teens do not use marijuana. (1 in 6 tenth graders)
Most start using because of peer pressure
Some use because they think they can escape problems at school, home or with friends
Most teenagers do not use

22. What happens if you smoke marijuana?
The way the drug affects each person depends on many factors:
User’s previous experience with the drug
How strong the marijuana is (how much THC)
What the user expects to happen
How the drug is taken
Whether the user is drinking alcohol or using other drugs
Some may feel little effect, while others feel relaxed or high
Makes users feel thirsty and very hungry “the munchies”

23. Short term effects Problems with memory and learning
Distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch)
Trouble with thinking and problem solving
Loss of motor coordination
Increased heart rate

24. Long Term effects
Cancer: many of the chemicals found in marijuana are known carcinogens
Lungs and Airways: often develop same type of breathing problems as cigarette smokers.
Immune system: THC can damage cells and tissues in the body that help protect against disease

25. Gateway Drug
Very few young people use other illegal drugs without first using marijuana
Puts people in contact with other users and dealers
Marijuana may cause changes in the brain that make a person more at risk for becoming addicted to other drugs

26. How can you tell is someone has been using marijuana?
Dizzy and trouble walking
Silly and giggly for no reason
Very red, bloodshot eyes
Have a hard time remembering things that just happened

27. Is marijuana used as a medicine
Since 1970 marijuana has been listed as a Schedule 1 controlled substance
Drug in its smoked form has no commonly accepted medical use
THC is manufactured into a pill available by prescription to treat nausea and vomiting with certain cancer treatments and also to help AIDS victims eat more

28. Other facts
Heavy or daily use affects the parts of the brain that control memory, attention and learning
Long term use can lead to addiction
In 2001, over 255,000 people entered drug rehab centers stating that marijuana was their drug of choice
Counseling, Support groups

29. Inhalants
In its broadest sense, it is any substance that a person can inhale.
More specifically, inhalants are substances that can cause a person to become “high”
Examples: gasoline, paint thinner, felt-tip markers, lighter fluid, whipping cream, hair spray

30. Effects of Short-Term Inhalant Abuse
Nosebleeds
Rapid Heart Beat
Visual Hallucinations
Death
Nausea
Headache
Severe Mood Swings
Ringing in the Ears

31. Effects of Long-Term Inhalant Abuse
Chronic Headaches
Brain Damage
Muscle Weakness
Loss or decrease in the sense of smell
Liver Damage
Bone Marrow Damage
Violent Behavior
Death

32. Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome
Instant death from abusing inhalants
Death results from Heart Failure or Heart Arrest
There is no way to predict who will die
Inhalants can kill the first time someone uses

33. Fetal Solvent Syndrome
Inhalants have a negative effect on a developing fetus
“Toluene” is chemical thought to be responsible for defects
Birth Defects include:
Small head
Deep-set eyes
Disfigured nose and ears
Stubby fingertips
Developmental delay
Mental impairment

34. Signs of Inhalant Use
Problems in school (poor grades, poor attendance, and indifference)
Paint or stains on body
Spots or sores around the mouth
Red or runny eyes
Red or runny nose
Odor of chemicals on the breath
Drunken, dizzy, or dazed appearance
Nausea or vomiting
Loss of appetite
Anxiety, excitability
Short-term memory loss
Slurred speech
Staggering
Hearing loss

35. Cocaine
Also known as: Coke, Blow, Snow, Crank, “C”, Toot, White Girl, Cadillac and Nose Candy
Made from the leaf of the coca bush
Grown mainly in south America
Coca leaves are cut and soaked in kerosene, paint thinner or other solvents to make a thick paste. This turns into the white powder known as cocaine

36. Crack- The Cheap Killer
Form of cocaine that is sold as small, white or cream-colored chunks.
Looks like rock salt
Inexpensive so easy for kids to buy
Effect is felt almost immediately and is much more powerful than that which is snorted
Most powerful form of cocaine

37. How is Cocaine Used? Powder:
Inhaled through the nose. Called “snorting”
Can also be put on the mucous membranes of the mouth, anus, or vagina
Takes effect within 1-3 minutes
Reaches peak effect in minutes
Subsides in 1 hour

38. How is Cocaine Used? Injection: Stronger and Faster reaction
Acts in seconds
Reaches full effect in 5-10 minutes
Puts user at risk for diseases like AIDS, hepatitis, and meningitis
Goes right to the heart and brain

39. How is Cocaine Used? Freebase and Crack
“Freebase” made by heating cocaine powder in the presence of ether (gas). The resulting vapor or smoke is inhaled
Effects are felt in 5-10 seconds
Effects disappear in minutes
Most powerful form of cocaine
Most addictive form of the drug

40. How Cocaine works in the brain
Affects 3 types of chemicals in nerve cells
Dopamine nerve cells seem to control the cocaine “high” and are believed to be responsible for addiction
Norepinephrine nerve cells are responsible for rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, pupil dilation, heavy sweating, and shaking
Serotonin nerve cells are involved in bringing sleep

41. How does it harm your body
Brain Damage: causes the blood pressure to rise quickly over a short period of time. Can lead to blood vessels bursting in the brain as well as seizures
Heart: Causes the heart to beat very quickly which can lead to chest pain or heart attack
Lungs: Can cause blood clots to form in the lungs. Too large of dose can cause person to stop breathing

42. Ecstasy Classified as a stimulant Has hallucinogenic properties
Comes in tablet form that is often branded
Usually taken as a mood enhancer
Street Names:
Adam E X

43. Short Term Effects of Ecstasy
Enhanced sense of self-confidence and energy
Need to touch each other “Hug Drug”
Involuntary Teeth Clenching
Blurred vision, transfixed on sights and sounds
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Dehydration

44. Long Term effects of Ecstasy Use
Memory Loss
Mood
Appetite
Addiction

45. Meth Addictive Stimulant Street Names Speed Crank Chalk Go Fast Zip
Ice

46. How is Meth made?
Make shift labs in the basement of homes, trunks of cars, vacant buildings etc.
Over the counter medicines, drain cleaner, battery acid, antifreeze etc.
Cost on the street
$25 per ¼ gram
$100 per gram
$1700 per ounce

47. Effects of Meth Euphoria, Paranoia
Decreased appetite increased physical activity
Jerky or flailing movements
Insomnia
Tremors
Aggression
Hyperthermia

48. Pictures of Meth