Don’t Be a Dope!

The Dangers of Drug Use

FACT 11 million American adolescents and

young adults ages 12-29 need help with drug and alcohol problems

9 million of these are between the ages of 12-25

(2009 National Study on Drugs and Health)

Why do teens use drugs?

To cope with problems To fit in and be cool Influenced by friends

or family members Bored Want to see what it feels like

to be high Feeling pressured

Dealing With Pressure What are some strategies that you use

to deal with peer pressure?

Let’s hear how some other kids deal with pressure.

Cocaine A highly addictive drug that

can be risky even the first time you use it

Common side effects include increased heart rate and blood pressure

Seizures, cardiac arrest and even death are a real risk with this drug

What is Cocaine?

Cocaine is a white crystalline powder that comes from the cocoa plant

“Crack" is a type of processed cocaine that is formed into a rock-like crystal

Slang or Street Names for Cocaine

COKE

CHARLIE

SNOW

ROCK

NOSE

CANDY FLAKE“C”

BLOW

BUMP

How is Cocaine used? Snorted through the

nose Dissolved in water and

injected Crack can be smoked

The Risks

You may hear that it will keep you wired and ready to party

all night.

Even the first time you

use it, your blood vessels constrict

immediately, increasing your heart

rate, blood pressure

and body temperature.At first, you may get sweaty and shaky, but seizures, cardiac arrest and even death are the real gamble you take when you use this drug.

Long Term Effects Highly addictive; easy

to get hooked Snorting causes scabs

to form on your mucus membranes

Damages your nasal septum (the thin wall between your nostrils)

Makes your nose collapse

Smoking it lets the drug reach your brain quickly causing higher risk of addiction

Become aggressive, paranoid and anxious

Marijuana• Most commonly used illegal drug in this country

• THC is the main active chemical and causes addiction

• 400 chemicals in the cannabis plant; many cause cancer

What does Marijuana look like?

Marijuana is a green or gray mixture of dried, flowers, stems, seeds and leaves of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa)

Slang or Street Names for Marijuana WEEDHERB

SKUNK HASH

GRASS

GANJAGANGSTER DOPE

REEFER

POT

How is Marijuana used?• Most users roll loose

marijuana into a cigarette called a "joint".

• It can be smoked in a

water pipe, called a "bong“

• Mixed into food or brewed as tea.

• It has also appeared in cigars called "blunts".

What are some of the effects of Marijuana use?

Using marijuana at a young age can result in structural and functional deficits of the brain.

Marijuana smoke contains 50% to 70% more cancer causing substances than tobacco smoke

Other Effects: Weakened verbal and communication skills Lowered learning capabilities Shortened attention span Slows thinking Impaired coordination

Ecstasy• Also called MDMA• Man made drug with hallucinogenic properties

• Classified as a stimulant but has more of a mood altering affect

What does Ecstasy look like?Ecstasy comes in a tablet form that is often branded, e.g. Playboy bunnies, Nike swoosh, CK

Can be easily mistaken for candy

Slang or Street Names for Ecstasy

ADAM

E

Roll

XXTC

Love Drug

Hug

How is Ecstasy used?• Taken in pill form; sometimes liquid• Users sometimes take Ecstasy at "raves," clubs, and other parties to keep on dancing and for mood enhancement.

What happens immediately after taking Ecstasy?

Impaired judgment False sense of

affection Sleep problems Confusion Depression Nausea Paranoia

Drug cravings Muscle tension Faintness and

chills or sweating Involuntary teeth

clenching Blurred vision Severe anxiety

What are the long-term effects of Ecstasy?

Long lasting brain damage affecting thought and memory

Damage to portions of the brain that regulate critical functions such as learning, sleep and emotion

Psychosis Cardiovascular

collapse Hemorrhaging

Degenerated nerve branches and nerve endings

Depression, anxiety and memory loss

Kidney failure Convulsions Death It’s as if the brain

switchboard was torn apart and then rewired

backward

Heroin• Highly addictive drug

• Derived from morphine, which comes from the opium poppy plant

• A "downer" or depressant drug

• Affects the brain's pleasure systems

• Interferes with the brain's ability to perceive pain

What does Heroin look like?

A white to dark brown powder or tar-like substance

Slang or Street Names for Heroin

Big H

Black Tar JUNK

MUDBrown Sugar

Dope Horse

SKAGSmack

How is Heroin used?• Injected into a vein or muscle; can lead to HIV infection

• Smoked in a water pipe or standard pipe

• Mixed in a marijuana joint

• Rolled into a regular cigarette

• Snorted as powder through the nose

The destructive effects of Heroin

“Rush” – surge of sensation

Slowed breathing Clouded mental

functioning Nausea and vomiting Sedation; drowsiness Hypothermia (low body

temperature) Coma or death from

overdose

What are the long-term effects of Heroin?

Bad teeth Inflammation of gums Breathing problems Constipation Cold sweats Itching Weak immune system Coma Muscular weakness Depression Insomnia

Loss of memory and intellectual performance

Loss of appetite

Abscesses from use of needles causing pockmarks on skin

Why is Heroin so hard to quit?

Within hours after the drug effects decrease, the body craves more

The body experiences withdrawal symptoms including:› Restlessness› Aches and pains in the bones› Diarrhea› Vomiting› Severe discomfort

Other Health Risks Related to Injected Drug

Use Sharing drug needles can lead

to infections such as HIV and hepatitis

HIV/AIDS – a virus that breaks down your immune system and interferes with your body’s ability to fight off infection

Hepatitis - a virus that attacks the liver

Inhalants• Ordinary household products that give off vapors or fumes

• Hundreds of products on the market today that can be misused as inhalants

What do Inhalants look like?Examples of products kids

abuse to get high include:• model airplane glue• nail polish remover• cleaning fluids• hair spray• gasoline• the propellant in aerosol cans

• spray paint• fabric protector• air conditioner fluid• cooking spray• correction fluid

Street Names or Slang Terms for Inhalants

Bolt

POPPERS WHIPPETS

Huff

Rush

Snappers

Air Blast

Bullet

Buzz Bomb

How are Inhalants used?• Sniffed directly from the container

• Bagged (fumes inhaled from a plastic bag)

• Huffed (inhalant-soaked rag, sock, or roll of toilet paper in the mouth

Immediate Effects of Inhalants

• Dizziness Lightheaded Giddiness Impaired Headache Distorts senses Slurred speech Nausea Rapid pulse Disoriented

Severe headaches Rashes around the

mouth and nose Hallucinations and

delusions Death by suffocation

Long-term Effects of Inhalants

• Muscle weakness Disorientation Lack of coordination Irritability Depression Hearing loss Bone marrow

damage Damage to heart,

liver, kidneys, lungs and brain

Memory impairment and diminished intelligence

Death from heart failure or asphyxiation

How Can Drugs Affect Your Life?

Helping a Friend If you had a friend who was using

drugs, would you try to help that friend?

How would you do it?