WHAT ARE DRUGS? Drugs are substances taken to change the way that the mind or body works. Drugs do not always come from the Doctor or a drug store Some drugs come from plants Drugs can also be made in laboratories There are legal and illegal drugs There are drugs that are helpful and drugs that are harmful

HOW DRUG USE BEGINS CURIOSITY BELONGING/PEER PRESSURE PAIN AND STRESS HOPLESSNESS CULTURE AND MEDIA BOREDOM

DRUG CATAGORIES STIMULANTS CANNABIS DEPRESSANTS HALLUCINOGENS CANNABIS These are drugs that make you feel up or energetic. Nicotine Caffeine Amphetamines Cocaine Methamphetamines These are drugs that make you calm or sleepy. Alcohol Inhalents Barbituates Tranquilizers Narcotics These drugs make you see things different from what is real. LSD PCP Psilocybin This drug acts as an hallucinogen but also has depressant & stimulant effects. Marijuana Hashish Hash Oil

ALCOHOL Alcohol is our most widely used and abused drug It is a depressant that slows down the brain’s ability to think and make decisions. As a result, your co-ordination, reflexes and judgement are all impaired.

ALCOHOL Light-headedness Liver damage SHORT TERM EFFECTS LONG TERM EFFECTS Light-headedness Liver damage Slurred speech Brain damage (kills Dizziness brain cells!!) Nausea Heart damage Talkitiveness Clumsy movements

TOBACCO Cigarette smoking is the most preventable cause of illness, disabliity, and premature death Nicotine in tobacco is one of the most addictive drugs known 50 of the 4000 known chemicals found in tobacco smoke are known to cause cancer Only 4% of the smoke is inhaled by the smoker. The other 96% goes into the air which is a hazard for non smokers

TOBACCO SHORT TERM EFFECTS Increase in hr and bp Breathing gets faster Smelly breath and clothes Reduced fitness LONG TERM EFFECTS Cancer (lungs,mouth & throat) Respiratory disease Heart disease Stroke Stomach ulcers Wrinkled skin

CANNABIS & MARIJUANA Canabis sativa is the plant from which marijuana, hashish and hash oil are produced THC is the major psychoactive ingredient in cannabis Most commonly used illegal drug in Canada and around the world

MARIJUANA LONG TERM EFFECTS SHORT TERM EFFECTS Cancer Red eyes Dry mouth/throat Short term memory loss Enhanced sensory perception Paranoia Lack of coordination Anxiety Increased heart rate Increased appetite Concentration problems LONG TERM EFFECTS Cancer Respiratory Problems Dependence Harms immune system Memory problems

OTHER DRUGS CIRCULATING CLUB DRUGS OR DESIGNER DRUGS These are a variety of drugs used by young people at raves, bars, dance clubs Eg. Ecstasy, Crystal Meth, LSD Manufactured in labs Extremely dangerous – you never know what you are going to get When mixed with alcohol they become more deadly Colourless, odourless, tastless, so they may be added to one’s drink without their knowledge

DATE RAPE DRUGS “Rohypnol” ( a sleeping pill in Mexico) Has amnesia like effects Gets slipped into drinks of young women who are then sexually exploited Victims have no memory of what happened

INHALENTS Household products (gasoline, glue, paint remover, nail polish remover) that give the user a high when chemical fluids are sniffed Extremely dangerous/can cause irreversable brain damage – death!

STEROIDS Drugs made from male hormone testosterone They accelerate muscle growth and cause user to “beef up” their bodies Side effects includee severe acne, stunted bone growth, nose bleeds, brain damage, loss of hair, “roid rage”