DRUGS

Do Now : Read and discuss with neighbor  In the United States, approximately three- fourths of all deaths among persons aged years result from only four causes: motor-vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. Results from the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey demonstrate that high school students engage in behaviors that increase their likelihood of death from these four causes...[including alcohol and illicit drug use]" Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), Centers for Disease Control, Risk Youth Behavior Surveillance.

Why do teens abuse drugs?  Family history of substance abuse  Depression  Low Self Esteem  Feelings of social rejection  Lack of parental supervision  Drug availability

Why do teens abuse drugs?  Teen Drug Use Teen Drug Use Teen Drug Use

Warning Signs of Teen Drug Use  Extreme change in friends, eating habits, sleeping patterns, physical appearance or school performance  Loss of interest in favorite activities  Hostile or uncooperative attitude  Secrecy about actions or possessions  Unexplained disappearance of household money  Empty drug or medicine containers or drug paraphernalia in the teens room.

What are some consequences of teen drug use?  Impaired Driving  Sexual Activity  Drug Dependence  Lack of Motivation  Concentration Problems  Serious Health Problems

While many parents talk to their children about drug use, most of these discussions center on street drugs. Why do you think most parents only talk to their kids about street drugs?

 What are the most common OTC and prescription drugs used by teens?

Most Commonly Used OTC Drugs Used by Teens  Cough medicine- DMX found in many cough medicines can have dangerous side effects when used in large amounts. Its estimated that 10% of teens have used cough and cold products to get high.  Diet Pills- FDA banned several ingredients found in diet pills especially ephedrine. Some diet pills still contain dangerous ingredients which if taken incorrectly can lead to high blood pressure and even heart failure sanitzer-the-new-teen-trend-to-getting- drunk#youtube_video

Teen Deaths Related to Prescription Drug Abuse Skyrocket  The Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a rather alarming statistic regarding teen deaths. The incidents of teen fatalities related to poisonings among 15 to 19 year olds increased more than 90% between 2000 and The CDC’s report states that this is a result of our country’s epidemic of prescription drug abuse.

Prescription Drugs  ews/health&id= ews/health&id= ews/health&id=  How Many Teens Abuse Prescription Drugs?  Among youth who are 12 to 17 years old, 7.4 percent reported past-year nonmedical use of prescription medications. According to the 2011 Monitoring the Future survey, prescription and over-the-counter drugs are among the most commonly abused drugs by 12th graders, after alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco. Youth who abuse prescription medications are also more likely to report use of other drugs.

Most Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs  Central Nervous System Depressants  Opioids  Stimulants

Myth or Fact?  Everyday in the U.S. an average of 2000 teenagers use prescription drugs, without a doctors guidance, for the first time…  Painkillers are one of the most commonly abused drugs by teens, after tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana…  It is legal to share prescriptions with friends or family if you have the same symptoms…  Death cannot be caused by using Oxycontin once…  When combined with any medication that causes drowsiness, alcohol can slow the heart and breathing which can lead to death….  Taking high doses of Adderal can cause an irregular heartbeat, dangerously high body temperature, and the potential for heart failure or seizure…

Central Nervous System Depressants  Slow down (or "depress") the normal activity that goes on in the brain  Creates a state of drowsiness & calm  Prescribed as seizure, anxiety, or sleep disorder medication  Often combined with other drugs to counteract the effects (stimulants)  Legal and illegal depressants (Xanax, Valium, Ambien, Alcohol, Marijuana)  Most commonly abused depressant???

Opioids  Diminish the perception of pain  Affect the area of the brain responsible for pleasure  Cause drowsiness, constipation, physical dependence.  Legal and Illegal (Heroin, Oxycodone, Percocet, Morphine, Codeine, Meth)

Prescription Painkillers (Opioids/Analgesics)  Fatal overdoses of prescription analgesics (painkillers) are the main reason why accidental poisoning deaths among teens aged 15 through 19 years have climbed 91% from 2000 to 2009 (CDC, 2012).  Abuse of opioids and other pain relievers has become so rampant among older teens that "there seems to be a trend for prescription painkillers almost to replace marijuana as a [gateway] drug for substance abuse such as heroin," said Julie Gilchrist, MD, a medical epidemiologist in the CDC's Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, in a news conference today.

Why Do People Use & Abuse Painkillers?  Decrease the perception of pain  Sedation  Slow breathing  Feeling of euphoria  Physical dependence and addiction  A person who is abusing prescription painkillers might take larger doses to achieve a euphoric effect and reduce withdrawal symptoms. These larger doses can cause breathing to slow down so much that breathing stops, resulting in a fatal overdose. The quantity of prescription painkillers sold to pharmacies, hospitals, and doctors’ offices was 4 times larger in 2010 than in Enough prescription painkillers were prescribed in 2010 to medicate every American adult around-the-clock for one month.” -CDC “The quantity of prescription painkillers sold to pharmacies, hospitals, and doctors’ offices was 4 times larger in 2010 than in Enough prescription painkillers were prescribed in 2010 to medicate every American adult around-the-clock for one month.” -CDC

Stimulants  Elevate mood, increase feeling of well- being, and increase energy and alertness  Prescribed to help control ADHD, sleep disorders, and depression  Both legal and illegal forms (cocaine, meth, nicotine, caffeine, Adderall, Ritalin)

Why is Prescription and OTC drug abuse dangerous?  FORM & DOSE- Doctors consider…  How long it takes for a pill to release drugs to the bloodstream, and reach the brain.  Weight of patient  Duration of current prescription  Other medications being taken  When abused, prescription drugs may be taken in inappropriate doses or administered in ways that change the effects of the drugs on the body, risking overdose.  EXAMPLE: when people who abuse oxycodone (OxyContin) crush and inhale the pills, a 12-hour dose hits their central nervous system all at once— which increases their risk of addiction and overdose.

Why is Prescription and OTC drug abuse dangerous?  SIDE EFFECTS: Many OTC and prescription drugs have side effects which can be heightened when the drug is not taken as prescribed  EXAMPLES:  Oxycontin stops pain, but causes constipation, drowsiness, and slowed breathing  Adderall increases attention but raises blood pressure & heart rate  Combining drugs like Valium and alcohol, which both slow breathing could stop breathing all together, resulting in death.

Activity  Get together in groups of 3.  You will be creating a 45 second PSA to help parents understand the dangers of prescription drug use among teens. What can parents do to be aware of this growing epidemic?  Be ready to perform in 10 minutes.  UsjjRk&feature=fvwrel UsjjRk&feature=fvwrel UsjjRk&feature=fvwrel

Marijuana Scored Discussion & Debate Rubric During scored discussion the student…YesPartialNo ArgumentsPresented in a well-developed case indicating a thorough understanding of the issue. RebuttalsPresented well-developed rebuttals indicating a thorough understanding of the opposition AnalysisHighlighted and explained the most important issues on the topic EvidenceArgued with facts and expert opinions DeliveryOrganized, communcative style that was pleasant and easy to understand. Presented in a civil manner TOTAL/25

“Weeding Through Marijuana Facts and Fiction”  Marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance in the word.  Roughly 70% of the population has used marijuana within the past month  Marijuana is effective in managing chronic pain  Marijuana can improve appetite in AIDS patients  Marijuana helps eleviate peripheral neuropathic pain in HIV & cancer patients undergoing treatment.  Marijuana can treat nausea and vomiting in cancer patients undergoing chemo

“Weeding Through Marijuana Facts and Fiction”  There is no conclusive evidence that marijuana is effective at treating epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, or glaucoma.  Marijuana has been linked to schizophrenia, cognitive decline, and testicular cancer.  Marijuana interacts with receptors in different parts of the brain that control things like: pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, movement, coordination, and sensory & time perception.  The properties that reduce pain, are entwined with those that elicit mind-altering effects- which could be a deterrent for some.

“Weeding Through Marijuana Facts and Fiction”  Marijuana creates a “high”, increases heart rate, appetite, and sensory perception.  Marijuana diminishes coordination, causes short-term memory loss, anxiety, paranoia, and sometimes psychotic episodes.  Generally, there is no evidence to show a link between marijuana use and decreased lung functions (unlike cigarettes…usually people do not smoke enough to cause permanent damage)  Smoking marijuana, particularly during adolescence, when the brain is still developing, has been linked to the onset of schitzophrenia

“Weeding Through Marijuana Facts and Fiction”  Research has shown a link between chronic marijuana use and a decline in intelligence (people tested at age 13 and at age 38)- an 8% drop in IQ was discovered in people who reported a marijuana dependency by age 18.  “One would assume that not getting behind the wheel shortly after toking is a no-brainer. Likewise, common sense suggests little good will come from excessive, chronic recreational marijuana use, or indulgence by adolescents and young adults, in the midst of sensitive brain development.”  Huffington Post-, Glen Braustein, M.D. (2013)

Alcohol  Alcohol is a depressant that alters perceptions, emotions, and senses.  Addictiveness: Much like other drugs…  Teens and adults who use alcohol can become psychologically dependent upon it to feel good, deal with life, or handle stress.  The body may demand more and more to achieve the same kind of high experienced in the beginning.  Physical addicted to alcohol is possible as withdrawal from alcohol can be painful and even life threatening. Symptoms range from shaking, sweating, nausea, anxiety, and depression to hallucinations, fever, and convulsions.

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 ADDICTION: When taken as prescribed, most drugs do not become addictive because they are compensating for a problem, making the patient feel better, not high…  BUT…When brain altering medications are taken repeatedly or in large doses feeling good without the drug becomes increasingly difficult, and patients begin craving the medication. This is the same addiction one might experience with illicit drugs like cocaine or heroine. Why is Drug Abuse Dangerous?

 WITHDRAWAL: The body and brain adapts to the drug’s presence, and when use is stopped, the person experiences withdrawal symptoms…(varies from drug- to-drug)  Nausea, chills, vomiting, muscle pain, hallucinations, etc.  Withdrawal from heroin Withdrawal Why is Drug Abuse Dangerous?

Drugs & Your Mind.  Drugs harm one’s ability to think of be fully aware of present surroundings and reduce levels of consciousness.  Addictive drugs activate the brain’s reward system and chemically alter normal brain function.  The promise of “reward” is very intense and causes cravings and obsessions with the drug, which can lead to addiction.

Addiction  MX2F0Y&feature=related MX2F0Y&feature=related MX2F0Y&feature=related

Signs Of Addiction Psychological Signals  use of drugs or alcohol as a way to forget problems or to relax  withdrawal or keeping secrets from family and friends  loss of interest in activities that used to be important  problems with schoolwork, such as slipping grades or absences  changes in friendships, such as hanging out only with friends who use drugs  spending a lot of time figuring out how to get drugs  stealing or selling belongings to be able to afford drugs  anxiety, anger, or depression mood swings Physical Signals Physical Signals  changes in sleeping habits  feeling shaky or sick when trying to stop  needing to take more of the substance to get the same effect  changes in eating habits, including weight loss or gain

Cycle of Addiction  1. Short-Term Gratification: Users feel good temporarily, which causes a positive association with the drug. “It makes me feel good, it must be good…”  2. Long-Term Pain and Dysfunction: Consequences of addictive chemicals are part physical (withdrawal symptoms) & part psychological (inability to cope w/out the drug)  3. Obsession & Compulsion: Obsession with the positive effects of using, and a compulsive urge/craving to use the drug again (Even knowing it has harmful long-term effects) 

Cycle of Addiction Cont’  #4- Denial & Rationalization: Inability to recognize there is a problem, and blaming others or situations for the problems (rather than blaming the drug)  #5- Increased Tolerance: More drug is required to produce the same effects  #6- Loss of Control: Users cannot think of anything other than the drug. Feelings, emotions, and actions become distorted by the compulsion to use the drug. Users feel stress and discomfort until they can no longer resist the urge to use

Cycle of Addiction Cont’  #7- Bio-Psycho-Social Damage: Deterioration of body, mind, and relationships. As pain and stress increases, so does the compulsion to use.

TREATMENTS 1. ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM 2. INTERVENTION  Detoxification  Groups (AA)  Supervised Medications

A Story of Addiction  Write a short story/scenario about someone going through the cycle of addiction RequirementYesMaybeNo Background: Develop your character210 Lead Up: What events led to your character using310 Story: Take us through the addiction: Short-term gratification, long-term pain, obsession & compulsion, denial and rationalization, loss of control 1050 Rock Bottom: Damage to body, mind, and relationships310 Resolution: ?210 Total Points/20