Drugs / Substance Abuse and Me

WHAT IS A DRUG?
In general, a drug is defined as any chemical substance that affects the normal functioning of the body and/or brain i.e. behaviour, mood/perception.

Why Do People Use Drugs?

Curiosity: people, especially young persons are tempted to experiment with drugs both legal & illegal.
Positive reinforcement: A person may use a drug and keep using a drug because the effects are pleasurable or positively reinforcing. E.g. feeling relaxed, relief from pain, tension or unpleasant emotions, being able to sleep or to stay awake or achieve enhanced athletic performance

Why Do People Use Drugs?

Celebration: people use alcohol as part of family occasions, cultural or religious celebrations or practice.
Media & Communications: advertisements on radio or TV and in magazines or newspapers promote drinking & smoking as socially acceptable activities. They link use with success.

Why Do People Use Drugs?

Emotional Pressures: some people use psychoactive drugs to relieve various emotional problems, such as, anger, stress, anxiety, boredom or depression. Some take it to boost their confidence. Some young people may use drugs as a way of rebelling from the mainstream society. Some people use drugs to forget about or cope with traumatic life events or situations or to relieve the symptoms of severe psychiatric illness (self medicating)

Why Do People Use Drugs?

Social Pressure: the pressure to use drugs at social occasions is very strong for both adults and young persons. Children may be influenced by their parents & use their parents use to justify their own drug use. In some groups it is fashionable to use drugs, it is a badge of belonging, the key to social acceptance. Group pressure for those engaged in competitive sports or body building. People may use substances particularly anabolic steroids, because they view this as an acceptable part of a successful training programme.

Why Do People Use Drugs?

Previous Drug Use: through experimentation, people may try a drug or two. A single use does not mean addiction, but it may remove some of the barriers against trying drugs again. In some cases, people who use one drug regularly, may use other drugs as well e.g. regular smokers are more likely to be heavy drinkers that non-smokers.

Why Do People Use Drugs?

Dependence: some people use drugs because they have become physically or psychologically dependent on them. Dependence occurs when a person who uses drugs feels unable to function without taking the drug. They continue to use the drug despite adverse consequences e.g. physical, mental, social, emotional, legal, economic or environmental.

Types of Dependence

Physical Dependence occurs when a person feels physical discomfort or distress when he/she greatly reduces the use of the drug or stops using it altogether. This withdrawal reaction can include nausea, trembling and/or headaches.

Psychological Dependence occurs when a person becomes so accustomed to the effects of the drug that he/she develops urges and cravings for it, even without experiencing any physical symptoms of withdrawal when the drug is stopped or reduced.

WHAT IS DRUG ABUSE?

Drug abuse or substance abuse, involves the repeated
and excessive use of legal or illegal drugs. It also includes using drugs or substances for purposes other than those

for which it is meant to be used.

Drug use becomes a problem when use of the drug results in negative consequences for the user. When the user

continues to use the drug despite negative consequences

to themselves, others, family, friends or co-workers, this can be referred to as substance abuse/addiction.

WHAT IS AN ADDICTION?
Addiction is an illness in which a person seeks & consumes a substance such as alcohol, tobacco or other drugs despite the fact that it causes harm. It is a psychological & bodily dependence on a substance or practice which is beyond voluntary control. You are addicted to something when you find it difficult to stop.

Why do some people become addicted to drugs, while others do not?

Biological/Genes

Drug

Genetics Gender Mental disorders Chaotic home & abuse Parents use and attitude Peer influences Community attitudes Poor school achievement

Environmental

Route of administration Effects of drug itself Early use Availability Cost

Areas of the Brain affected by Drugs

The brain stem controls basic functions critical to life, such as heart rate, breathing and sleeping. The limbic system contains the brains reward circuit-it links together a number of brain structures that control & regulate our ability to feel pleasure. Feeling pleasure motivates us to repeat behaviours such as eating-actions critical to our existence.

The cerebral cortex is divided into areas that control specific functions e.g. seeing, feeling, hearing and taste. The frontal cortex is the thinking centre of the brain; it powers our ability to think, plan, solve problems, and make decisions.

How do drugs work in the brain?

Drugs are chemicals and they work by tapping into the brains communication system and interfere with the way nerve cells normally send, receive and process information.

Marijuana & heroins chemical structure mimic natural neurotransmitters, so they can activate neurons. Amphetamine & cocaine can cause the nerve cells to release abnormally large amounts of natural neurotransmitters or prevent the normal recycling of these brain chemicals, resulting in a greatly amplified message.

How do drugs work in the brain to create pleasure?

All drugs of abuse directly or indirectly target the brains reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, cognition, motivation and feelings of pleasure. The overstimulation of this system which rewards our natural behaviours produces the euphoric effects sought by drug users and teaches them to repeat the behaviour.

CLASSIFICATION OF DRUGS
DRUG CLASS
STIMULANTS: excite or speed up the CNS. Used for: alertness, endurance, staying awake, decrease appetite, feelings of well being & euphoria CNS DEPRESSANTS: Low dose: feel calm, drowsy & well being. High dose: sever intoxication, unconsciousness, coma & death

EXAMPLES Caffeine, Nicotine, Cocaine, Methamphetamine ,Khat, Ecstasy

Alcohol, pain killers, valium, opium, heroin, inhalants, benzodiazepines, barbiturates (anxiety) & sleeping pills

POSSIBLE EFFECTS Increase heart rate & blood pressure, loss of appetite, insomnia. Motor coordination reduced, impaired thought & judgment, reduced inhibitions, feelings of invincibility

DRUG CLASS
Antidepressants: for clinical depression, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorders & bulimia. Designed to elevate mood but may have some depressant properties. HALLUCINOGENS: drastically affect perception, emotions & mental processes. Distort the senses & cause hallucinations.

EXAMPLES

POSSIBLE EFFECTS

Prozac, Zoloft

Elevated mood. Side effects: Drowsiness, fatigue, rise or drop in blood pressure, muscle tremors
Hallucinations, poor perception of time & distance, difficulty concentrating, confusion, disorientation, dilated pupils, increase blood pressure

LSD, PCP, Mescaline, Joy Juice.

DRUG CLASS
Anabolic Steroids: ergogenic or performance-enhancing drugs. Primarily used in veterinary medicine & in treatment of a few human disorders. CANNABIS: basically a hallucinogen, but also produces depressant effects as well as increase heart rate.

EXAMPLES

POSSIBLE EFFECTS
Increase muscle mass, strength & endurance, well being, masculinization in women, male pattern baldness, shrinking of testicles, reduced sperm count, insomnia, depression, risk of heart attack.

Anavar, Andriol

Marijuana, Hashish, Hashish oil

Calm relaxed, drowsy, increase appetite, paranoia, hallucinations, red eyes, dry mouth.

ALCOHOL

The kind of alcohol we drink is called ethanol. Ethanol is a by-product of the fermentation process (when yeast and sugar are mixed together and react). Ethanol dissolves easily in water, so it can be rapidly absorbed from the digestive tract and circulate throughout the body in the blood. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows the function of the central nervous system. Alcohol actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain. This alters a person's perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing.

ALCOHOL
Alcohol is absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the stomach and the small intestine. Food in the stomach slows down the rate at which alcohol is absorbed, but does not prevent intoxication or drunkenness. The liver can only work at a fixed rate, getting rid of about one standard drink an hour (30ml of distilled spirit). Cold showers, exercise, black coffee, fresh air or vomiting will not speed up the process.

All alcohol consumed will reach the bloodstream, no matter how much food is in the stomach. Alcohol is distributed throughout the water in the body, but not into fatty tissue.

Short

Term

effects

include:

reduced

inhibitions,

dizziness,

talkativeness, slurred speech, nausea, impairs coordination & judgement

*

Long Term consumption can lead to brain damage, ulcers, liver and heart disease, various other cancers

When large amounts of alcohol are consumed in a short period of

time, alcohol poisoning can result. Alcohol poisoning is exactly what it sounds like the body has become poisoned by large

amounts of alcohol. Violent vomiting is usually the first symptom of

alcohol poisoning. Extreme sleepiness, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood sugar, seizures, and even death may result.

ALCOHOL

It takes less alcohol to affect women than men because women are generally smaller than men and their bodies contain less water in which to dilute the alcohol than men's bodies. Women also metabolize alcohol more slowly than men. As a result, if a woman drinks the same number of drinks as a man over the same time period, she will reach a higher blood alcohol level (BAL), that is, she will be more impaired. Women also develop alcohol-related health problems such as cirrhosis of the liver with lower levels of alcohol use over a shorter period of time than men.

DRINK SPIKING

Drink spiking is when alcohol or another substance is added to a person's drink without them knowing. Drink spiking is commonly associated with other crimes, including drug-facilitated sexual assault. Rohypnol, GHB (Gama Hydroxybuyrate), Ecstasy, Ketamine, Midazolam and Temazapam are also being used.

Energy Drinks & Alcohol

Mix energy drinks with alcohol as a means of getting high without getting sleepy Fatigue is your bodys way of saying it has had enough, & it is not wise to fool your body into thinking that your not as drunk as you really are. Energy drinks have caffeine and high levels of caffeine can boost heart rates & blood pressure, causing palpitations. Mixing these drinks with alcohol further increases the risk of heart rhythm problems

Energy Drinks & Alcohol

Energy drinks have a lot of stimulants in them like ginseng & taurine, while Alcohol is a depressant, so by mixing them, your sending mixed messages to your Central Nervous System which can confuse your heart and cause cardiac related problems

Myth, by chasing alcohol with energy drinks you maintain the high longer and reduce the hangover. Wrong, alcohol dehydrates your body, one reason for the hangover, & caffeine is a diuretic which makes you pee, so you lose water/fluids faster making things worse.

TOBACCO

Extracted from the plant Nicotiana Tabacum, named after the French ambassador Jean Nicot.

Approximately 4000 substances are generated by the chemical reactions of a burning cigarette or cigar

The three main harmful substances in cigarette smoke are Carbon

Monoxide, Tar and Nicotine.

The active agent in tobacco is Nicotine, a powerful stimulant that is

found naturally in the tobacco leaf. It is highly addictive and very

poisonous and is commonly used as an insecticide

NICOTINE

It is a powerful stimulant and both physically and

psychologically addictive

Inhaled into the lungs and passes quickly into the bloodstream, reaching the brain within about 10 seconds

In the brain it stimulates an increase in the release of the

neurotransmitter dopamine

NICOTINE

The smoker quickly feels more alert and relaxed In less than 30 minutes, however, about half of the nicotine is excreted from the body and the smoker starts feeling less alert, more edgy

This is the beginning of the addiction since the smoker has to have
another cigarette to get more nicotine to feel better

Over time, the smoker starts needing more cigarettes throughout the day to satisfy the craving

WHATS IN TOBACCO SMOKE?

Arsenic (poison)
Ammonia (household cleaner)

Acetone (nail polish remover) Formaldehyde (embalming fluid)

Butane (cigarette lighter fuel)

Cadmium (component in batteries) Tar

Hydrogen Cyanide (gas chamber poison)

DDT (insecticide)

Carbon Monoxide

SECOND-HAND SMOKE (Passive Smoking)

Second-hand smoke is a mix of mainstream smoke exhaled by smokers and side stream smoke emitted from the tips of burning cigarettes. Second-hand smoke is also known as passive smoke or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).

SECOND-HAND SMOKE (Passive Smoking)

Two thirds of smoke from a cigarette is not inhaled by the smoker, but enters the air around the smoker. Regular exposure to second-hand smoke increases the chances of contracting lung disease by 25% and heart disease by 10%

Did You Know?

Increasing ventilation will dilute the smoke in a room, but will not make it safe since there is no known safe level of exposure to the carcinogens in cigarette smoke Exposure for as little as 8 to 20 minutes causes physical reactions linked to heart and stroke disease Sudden infant death syndrome Foetal growth impairment (low birth-weight and small for gestational age) Bronchitis, pneumonia and other lower respiratory trace infections Asthma exacerbation Middle ear disease

MARIJUANA
Marijuana is a brownish or greenish material made up of dried flowering tops & leaves of the cannabis plant (Cannabis Sativa). The main ingredient in marijuana is a mind-altering (psychoactive) chemical known as:

delta-9-tetra-hydro-canna-bin-ol (THC)
When smoked, THC is absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream and rapidly enters the brain and then to the rest of the body.

Cannabis resin or hash is the dried black or brown secretion of the flowering tops of the cannabis plant, which is made into a powder or pressed into slabs or cakes.
Cannabis oil or hash oil is a liquid extracted from either the dried plant material or the resin.

Cannabis has 50% more tar than high-tar cigarettes, which puts the user at increased risk of lung cancer & other respiratory diseases.

SHORT-TERM EFFECTS

Faster heartbeat, pulse rate Bloodshot eyes Dry mouth and throat Impaired or reduced short-term memory Altered sense of time Reduced ability to do things which require concentration, swift reactions & coordination Some people experience an acute panic anxiety reaction a fear of losing control. This passes after a few hours Hallucinations, delusions & paranoia.

Did You Know?

THC is stored for long periods in the body fat; complete elimination
can take up to 30 days

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug

Damage to short-term memory occurs because THC alters the way in which information is processed by the hippocampus, a brain area responsible for memory formation

COCAINE

Cocaine is a fine white or off-white powder, that acts as a powerful, highly

addictive stimulant drug that is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant.

The most popular form of cocaine is Crack. It is made by taking the powdered cocaine hydrochloride and adding sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water. The end result is then dried into hard pieces called rocks which can then be heated and its vapours smoked.

The term "crack" refers to the crackling sound heard when it is heated.

Cocaine can be taken in many ways:

Snorting cocaine involves inhaling cocaine powder

through the nose where it is absorbed into the

bloodstream through the nasal tissues.

Smoking cocaine involves inhaling the smoke into the

lungs, where it is absorbed into the bloodstream as quickly as when it is injected!

Injecting cocaine involves using a needle to release the drug directly into the bloodstream.

COCAINE & YOUR BODY

Insomnia
Chest pain and heart attack Nausea Blurred vision

Loss of appetite
Irritability Constricted blood vessels Dilated pupils Nasal Infections Nose bleeds Rapid breathing Hallucinations

Fever
Muscle spasms Seizures Coma

Anxiousness
Aggressiveness

ECSTASY

Ecstasy is a psychoactive stimulant, usually made in illegal laboratories. While the drug is usually distributed as tablets, it can also be a powder of capsule.
Usually swallowed, but can be snorted or injected.

ECSTASY: How it affects the user

Heightens users empathy levels & induce feelings of closeness to people around them.
User feels more sociable & energetic

ECSTASY: Short term & Long term effects

Body ignores distress signals such as dehydration, dizziness & exhaustion Interfere with bodys ability to regulate temperature Can damage organs such as the liver & kidneys Can lead to convulsions & heart failure Causes restlessness, anxiety & severe hallucinations
Damage to certain parts of the brain, resulting in serious depression & memory loss

HEROIN

Heroin is an addictive drug with pain-killing properties, processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance from the opium poppy plant. Pure heroin is a white powder, but street heroin is usually brownish white, because it is diluted with impurities. It is very addictive, the user quickly develops physical & psychological dependence

Usually injected but can also be snorted, smoked or inhaled.

HEROIN

HEROIN

HEROIN: How it affects the user

Relieves the users tension, anxiety & depression Users feel detached from emotional or physical distress or pain With large doses, users may experience euphoria.

HEROIN: Short term & Long term effects

Constricted pupils, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, inability to concentrate & apathy Severe weight loss, malnutrition & constipation Menstrual irregularity, sedation & chronic apathy

METHAMPHETAMINE

Methamphetamine is part of the group of drugs called amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS). It is a synthetic drug that is usually manufactured in illegal laboratories.
It comes as a powder, tablet or as crystals that look like shards of glass.

It can be swallowed, sniffed/snorted, smoked or injected.

METHAMPHETAMINE

METHAMPHETAMINE

METHAMPHETAMINE: How it affects the user

Stimulates a feeling of physical & mental well being There is a surge of euphoria & exhilaration User experiences a temporary rise in energy, often perceived to improve their performance at manual or intellectual tasks Users also experience delayed hunger & fatigue

METHAMPHETAMINE: Short term effects

Loss of appetite & user starts breathing faster Heart rate & blood pressure may increase & users body temperature may rise & cause sweating With large doses, users can feel restless & irritable and can experience panic attacks Excessive doses can lead to convulsions, seizures & death from respiratory failure, stroke or heart failure

METHAMPHETAMINE: Long term effects

Malnutrition, weight loss & the development of psychological dependence

Once chronic users stop taking methamphetamine, a long period of sleep and then depression usually follows

SOCIAL EFFECTS

Drug trafficking Money laundering Family discord

Addicted parents: poor parenting Lying & stealing from family members Physical, mental, emotional abuse Divorce/separation; Widow/widower Children running away from home Child addiction Prostitution Homelessness

SOCIAL EFFECTS

Robbery & violence: gang wars, general aggression/irritability Rape: drink spiking, intoxication, violence Corruption: public officers; private sector Cultivation: planting, producing Damage to the soil (slash & burn, over fertilization) Decrease in productivity

Cost of medical treatment

Absenteeism, Accidents, Theft, Drug use on the job Hospitals, EAP, Treatment and Rehabilitation

Loss of/damage to property Cost of applying the law

Police officers, Lawyers, Probation officers etc.

HEALTH EFFECTS

STDs: HIV/AIDS, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis etc. Road accidents: deaths, injuries Children born to addicted parents/miscarriage

Disabled (mental & physical effects) Newborn cravings, impairment in babys growth

Tooth decay, oral infections

EMOTIONAL EFFECTS

Increased feelings of loneliness and ostracism Increased irritability Increased fatigue Unexplainable anxiety Inability to concentrate Feelings of abandonment (for both the addict and the people in the addict's life)

EMOTIONAL EFFECTS

Stress from strained relationships Fear that the addiction is out of control Fear of rejection if addiction is discovered Fear that even if the addict gets sober, they will no longer be accepted by their social circle Anger at people who "don't get it"

Indicators Of Substance Abuse Among Individuals

Abruptly changing the circle of friends Experiencing major mood swings

Continually challenging rules and regulations

Being particularly submissive to peer pressures Sleeping excessively

Keeping very late hours

Lack of involvement in family matters Deterioration of personal hygiene

Indicators Of Substance Abuse Among Individuals

Becoming isolated
Engaging in unusual selling of possessions Manipulating family members Becoming easily frustrated and quick to anger Displaying abusive behaviour to other members of family Frequently coming home at night high Ends of wrapping/foil paper in bedroom

Some Physical Signs of Teen Drug Use

Loss of appetite, increase in appetite, any changes in eating habits, unexplained weight loss or gain. Slowed or staggering walk; poor physical coordination. Inability to sleep, awake at unusual times, unusual laziness. Red, watery eyes; pupils larger or smaller than usual; blank stare. Cold, sweaty palms; shaking hands. Puffy face, blushing or paleness. Smell of substance on breath, body or clothes.

Some Physical Signs of Teen Drug Use

Extreme hyperactivity; excessive talkativeness. Runny nose; hacking cough. Needle marks on lower arm, leg or bottom of feet. Nausea, vomiting or excessive sweating. Tremors or shakes of hands, feet or head.
Irregular heartbeat.

Some Common Warnings of Teen Drug Use

Evidence of drug paraphernalia, such as pipes and rolling papers Evidence of eye drops used to mask bloodshot eyes or dilated pupils Missing prescription drugs Unusual requests for money without reasonable explanations for why they need it, discovering money has been stolen from your home or wallet, or finding objects missing which may have been sold to support a drug habit

Some Common Warnings of Teen Drug Use

School performance, declining grades, increased absences, reported truancy Withdrawal from hobbies, teams, family life Marked change in behavior ranging from hostility to violence Changes in energy level, having unusual amounts of energy or increased fatigue Increased secrecy about possessions or activities Use of incense, room freshener, or perfume to hide smoke or chemical odors Wearing new clothes that highlight drug use, or suggest inappropriate conduct, or lack of concern for appearance and grooming

COPING WITH PEER PRESSURE

You are not alone! You may think you are the only one who has not experimented with drugs. Wrong! Most young people dont take drugs;
Think about where you stand on issues like sex, drugs. Think about how you would like to respond and behave in situations where these things occur; You dont have to justify your decision not to take drugs. Whether you have a strong personal commitment or just dont want to take it at this time, your choices are your business;

If youre offered drugs you dont want, say no firmly but clearly and without making a big deal about it. If they persist, humour can be an be an effective way to deal with the situation.

COPING WITH PEER PRESSURE

Having the strength to say NO can be hard. However, it feels good to stand up for what you believe in. Explaining to people in a calm way why you dont want to be part of something may earn you respect; Find out about the different types of drugs their effects and the risks involved. As your understanding grows, so will your confidence;

We all want to belong, and its hard to stand out in the crowd. However, while your friends may not show it now, they may come to respect you more for your decision and determination;
Most people worry about what others think of them, so youre not alone. However, try to focus on your own opinion of yourself; that is most important; Peer pressure is often a way for people to seek approval for their own behaviour. Do you really want to help justify someone elses drug use?

Some Helpful Steps:

Dont lecture; talk with the person Listen, Listen, Listen Give feedback and positive support Dont label or stigmatize others Show acceptance Give positive guidance

Some Helpful Steps:

Help develop social skills Discourage unhealthy relationships Encourage participation in healthy, relaxing activities Help build self-esteem Teach by example Seek professional support

References

National Institute On Drug Abuse Drugs (NIDA); Drugs, Brains and Behavior: The Science Of Addiction Health Canada., Straight Facts About Drugs and Drug Abuse, 2000 www.hc-sc.gc.ca www.helpguide.org ; Drug Abuse Signs and Symptoms www.acde.org ; Parents: Signs and symptoms of drug use

THANK YOU!!!