JUST SAY NO TO

DRUGS
WHAT ARE DRUGS?
If you were to ask yourself, "what exactly are drugs and
which ones are harmful?" it is possible you would say,
Marijuana, Heroin and Ecstasy, and that these drugs could
kill you. This is a narrow perception of what drugs there
are and the effect they have on our society. Any
substance which changes the way your body and mind
works can be classified as a drug.

There are many other types of drugs which are commonly used and which you
may have used yourself at one time or another. Many drugs such as nicotine,
caffeine, pain killers and alcohol,
can cause serious damage to your health. We often don't classify these
substances in the same way as other drugs, they are often called habits
because they are legal and because they have been accepted in our society. In
reality they are all drugs.

WHY DO KIDS EXPERIMENT WITH DRUGS?

CURIOSITY
Young people are curious
about most things.
Wanting to try something
different.
Looking for new challenges.
PEER PRESSURE
Trying to fit in as one of
the crowd.
Overcoming shyness.
Escaping loneliness.
Aiding communication.
EMOTIONAL FACTORS PHYSICAL REASONS
Attempting to increase Attempting to feel
self esteem. relaxed.
Trying to escape from an Blocking pain -
upset. increasing energy.
Avoiding making Getting a buzz or new
decisions. sensation.
Reducing anxiety. Reducing sensations.
INTELLECTUAL REASONS REBELLION
Wanting to assert
Reducing boredom.
adulthood.
Attempting to understand
Asserting identity.
self better.
Satisfying curiosity. Enjoyment/fun.
Trying to see the world Doesn't want to listen
in a new way. to advice.

EFFECTS OF SOME ILLEGAL DRUGS

HEROIN
Heroin 'smack', 'skag', 'hammer', 'h'' or 'horse' is usually manufactured from
morphine or codeine by a chemical process and can be a much stronger drug.
Heroin found on the street is usually in powder form.
Depending on purity and how it was refined the Heroin can be many different
colours. white powder is generally more refined than brown or pink `rocks'
which appear like a lumpy powder.
Immediate Effects
Heroin is a depressant drug, and causes the central
nervous system to slow down.
Some of Heroin's immediate effects include: sleepiness,
shallow breathing, itching, vomiting or a feeling of nausea, the pupils of the
eyes dilate (become smaller).
With large doses of Heroin, the pupils of the eye narrow to pinpoints, the skin
feels cold to the touch, central nervous system function and breathing will
slow down to a very dangerous level, the person can easily fall into a coma and
die.

The heroin that is found on the street is more than likely mixed with other
substances to reduce the strength of the Heroin. Many users suffer an
accidental overdose or die because there is no way of knowing the strength or
purity of the street Heroin.
The major problem with heroin use is the way it is used. Heroin is usually
injected and the sharing of injecting equipment such as needles and syringes,
tourniquets,filters and spoons, greatly increases the chance of contracting
infections such as Hepatitis B and C, HIV (AIDS) and blood poisoning.
Effects of long term use.
People who regularly use Heroin over a long period of time may experience
serious health problems such as . . .
Hepatitis B and C, abscesses, tetanus, damaged or collapsed veins, chest,
bronchial and heart problems, severe loss of appetite,constipation,
malnutrition, pneumonia. In woman constant use can lead to infertility and
irregular menstruation, in men it can lead to impotence.

MARIJUANA
The drug marijuana is the dried flower clusters, stems and leaves of the
Indian hemp plant (cannabis sativa).
It is otherwise known as "weed", "Maryjane", "ganja", "pot", "tea" as well as a
number of other slang names.

Small Doses - Immediate effects

The reaction from the use of marijuana differs with each user, as some may
become secluded, happy, silly, sad or talkative. Marijuana does relax the body
and mind, however it slows the user's reaction time, which is why people under
the influence of the drug take a huge risk at driving. Marijuana lowers sex
hormone and fertility levels in both male and female, and also increases the
heart rate by as much as 50%. Another effect of the drug is that colours
seem brighter than usual and music becomes more intense. Users of the drug
tend to experience mood swings quite frequently, panic, periods of depression,
hallucination and fear of death can and do occur

Large doses - Immediate effects

Large doses of cannabis can produce:
Anxiety or panic, a feeling of detachment from reality, hallucinations and
confusion, restlessness, a feeling of excitement.
Cannabis impairs short term memory, your ability to think logically, motor
skills(movement), and your ability to perform complex tasks such as driving or
operating machinery.
Regular use of marijuana may play a role in causing cancer (particularly lung
cancer) and problems with the immune or reproductive systems. Studies also
show that someone who smokes five joints a day may be taking in as many
cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes
every day.

Long Term Use of Marijuana

In the long run, marijuana users become psychologically dependent on the drug
as it represents a way to avoid facing the problems and stresses of life. It
also damages the brain, reproductive system, heart and lungs. The smoke from
the drug irritates the lung tissue much more than the smoke of well-filtered
cigarettes. It is able to do this much damage to the lungs as it contains more
tar and benzopyrene (a cancer-causing agent), than tobacco cigarettes.

Though most of the immediate and long-term effects of marijuana have been
stated, scientists are still doing studies on the drug in order to detect any
other harmful effects that it might possibly contain. Though marijuana is an
extremely addictive narcotic, there are many victims who have recovered
from the addictive use of the drug and have since remained abstinent.

Respiratory Effects of Marijuana

When a person smokes marijuana tiny particles and gases are formed. Many
of the substances found in Marijuana smoke are cancer-causing substances
such as benzopyrene and benzanthracene, the concentrations of these
substances is nearly double to that found in tobacco smoke.
Smoking one cigarette of marijuana leaves 4 times as much cancer-causing
tar deposits in airways as one tobacco cigarette. Marijuana users have an
increased risk of developing acute and chronic bronchitis, injury to the
airways, asthma and sinus problems. Marijuana is also a suspected cause of
the lung disease emphysema.
While users of marijuana usually smoke much less often than tobacco users,
Marijuana 'joints' are not filtered and the smoke is held in longer and drawn
into the lungs more deeply, this often causes chronic irritation to the lungs
and airways.

Mental Illness
Mental effects caused by marijuana can include anxiety leading to panic,
flashbacks, depression, paranoia, feelings of aggression, delusions, confusion,
delirium, hallucinations induced by toxic psychosis, psychotic disorder
(insanity), insecurity and depersonalisation.
Recent research has indicated a strong link between the heavy use of
marijuana and depression. The effects of habitual use was higher in young
women. Daily users of Marijuana ran seven times the risk of suffering anxiety
and depression.
In the more severe psychiatric cases, users may have to be admitted to a
hospital emergency room.
The 1997 National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) study of 200
long-term marijuana users in Australia found 40% had been prescribed
medication for a psychological problem, had consulted mental health
professionals or had been admitted to a psychiatric hospitals.

Signs of Marijuana Use

Users of Marijuana will often display some of these `danger signals',
recognising these may help you identify a drug problem in a family member or
friend.

* Drug paraphernalia such as bongs and pipes, cigarette papers, seeds, plastic
bags and small tins.
* A strong smoky pungent smell on the persons clothing.
* Wearing sunglasses at inappropriate times, use of eye-drops, bloodshot
eyes.
* Loss of interest in activities such school, sport.
* A noticeable change for the worse in the persons behaviour and general
attitude, achievements at school or work.
* Bursts of anger and hostility, sudden mood swings.
* Rebellious behaviour
* Withdrawal from friends, isolation, secretive behaviour.
* Unexplained disappearance of valuables or money from the home.
* Short-term memory loss, short attention span, difficulty concentrating.