WHAT IS A DRUG? Any substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body. Drugs may be legal (e.g. alcohol, caffeine and tobacco) r illegal (e.g. cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin).

MOST COMMON LEGAL DRUGS Alcohol Caffeine Tobacco Prescription Medication

MOST COMMON ILLEGAL DRUGS Heroin Cocaine Methamphetamine Prescription Drugs

HEROIN •Black heroin •White heroin •Brown heroin •Tar heroin

HOW PEOPLE USE HEROIN Smoke Shoot (inject) Snort

HOW DOES HEROIN AFFECT YOUR BRAIN Heroin binds to and activates specific receptors in the brain called mu-opioid receptors (MORs). Our bodies contain naturally occurring chemicals called neurotransmitters that bind to these receptors throughout the brain and body to regulate pain, hormone release, and feelings of well-being. Heroin tricks your brain and causes these reactions.

WHAT OCCURS AFTER THE HIGH After the initial effects, users usually will be drowsy for several hours; mental function is clouded; heart function slows; and breathing is also severely slowed, sometimes enough to be life-threatening. Slowed breathing can also lead to coma and permanent brain damage.

LONG TERM EFFECTS OF HEROIN Affect your decision-making abilities, the ability to regulate behavior, and responses to stressful situations. Heroin also produces profound degrees of tolerance and physical dependence. With physical dependence, the body adapts to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced abruptly.

WHAT IS WITHDRAWING? Withdrawal may occur within a few hours after the last time the drug is taken. Symptoms of withdrawal include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps, and leg movements.

SMOKING HEROIN Mixing heroin with water or other liquids allows it to be smoked though a pipe. When you mix heroine and cocaine and you can go “freebasing” a form of smoking both drugs. Freebasing is an incredibly dangerous activity that has claimed the lives of many, including basketball star Len Bias and comedian John Belushi.

SHOOTING HEROIN Injecting heroin into the bloodstream is perhaps the most dangerous way of using heroin. IV heroin use delivers the strongest high, but can also lead to the transmission of several potential deadly diseases. Heroin addicts who share dirty needles are at a great risk for HIV/AIDS as well as certain strains of Hepatitis.

SNORTING HEROIN When crushed into powder form, heroin can be snorted through the nose much in the same way cocaine is used. Snorting heroin delivers an impactful high, although not quite as fast acting as shooting or smoking heroin. Some people have died of a heroin overdose when they mistakenly snort heroin, thinking it is cocaine.

Philip Seymour Hoffman He died of an overdose of heroin and other drugs on February 2, 2014 at the age of 46. Hoffman had been sober for 23 years prior to 2012 when he relapsed.

Cory Monteith Cory Monteith was an American actor who was on the television series "Glee." On July 13, 2013, Monteith died as the result of a toxic combination of alcohol and heroin. He had struggled with addiction as a teen, but his death came as a shock to both his friends and fans. He was 31 years old.

COCAINE Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America. A fine, white, crystal powder

HOW DO PEOPLE USE COCAINE People snort cocaine powder through the nose, or they rub it into their gums. Others dissolve the powder in water and inject it into the bloodstream. Some people inject a combination of cocaine and heroin, called a Speedball.

CRACK-COCAINE Another popular method of use is to smoke cocaine that has been processed to make a rock crystal (also called "freebase cocaine"). The crystal is heated to produce vapors that are inhaled into the lungs. This form of cocaine is called Crack, which refers to the crackling sound of the rock as it's heated.

HOW DOES COCAINE AFFECT YOUR BRAIN? Cocaine increases levels of the natural chemical messenger dopamine in brain circuits controlling pleasure and movement. Normally, the brain releases dopamine in these circuits in response to potential rewards, like the smell of good food. It then recycles back into the cell that released it, shutting off the signal between nerve cells. Cocaine prevents dopamine from recycling, causing excessive amounts to build up between nerve cells. This flood of dopamine ultimately disrupts normal brain communication and causes cocaine’s high.

SHORT TERM EFFECTS Extreme happiness and energy Mental alertness Hypersensitivity to sight, sound, and touch Irritability Paranoia—extreme and unreasonable distrust of others

LONG TERM EFFECTS SNORTING: loss of sense of smell, nosebleeds, frequent runny nose, and problems with swallowing. CONSUMING BY MOUTH: severe bowel decay from reduced blood flow. INJECTION: higher risk for contracting HIV, hepatitis C, and other blood borne diseases..

WHITNEY HOUSTON Whitney Houston also met an untimely early death that was caused by drug use. At the age of forty-eight, Houston was found dead in a hotel bathtub. The medical examiner found that heart disease and cocaine caused her death.

METHAMPHETAMINE Is a stimulant drug usually used as a white, bitter- tasting powder or a pill. Crystal methamphetamine is a form of the drug that looks like glass fragments or shiny, bluish-white rocks.

HOW DO PEOPLE US METH? Inhaling/smoking Swallowing (pill) Snorting Injecting the powder that has been dissolved in water/alcohol

SOME INGREDIENTS •Acetone. Nail polish remover or paint thinner. Extremely flammable. •Lithium. Used in batteries. Lithium seriously burns the skin upon contact. •Toluene. Used in brake fluid. •Hydrochloric. Acid.

SHORT TERM EFFECTS Increased wakefulness and physical activity Decreased appetite Faster breathing Rapid and/or irregular heartbeat Increased blood pressure and body temperature

LONG TERM EFFECTS Extreme weight loss Severe dental problems ("meth mouth") Intense itching, leading to skin sores from scratching Anxiety Confusion Sleeping problems Violent behavior Paranoia—extreme and unreasonable distrust of others Hallucinations—sensations and images that seem real though they aren't

14 YEARS

METH MOUTH

COMMONLY MISUSED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS Opioids Central Nervous System Depressants Stimulants

OPIODS Opioids are a class of drugs that include heroin as well as powerful pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, fentanyl, and many others. These drugs are chemically related and interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain. Opioid pain relievers are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor, but they are frequently misused (taken in a different way or in a greater quantity than prescribed, or taken without a doctor’s prescription)

CNS DEPRESSANTS CNS depressants, sometimes referred to as sedatives and tranquilizers, are substances that can slow brain activity. This property makes them useful for treating anxiety and sleep disorders. Xanax, Valium and Ambien are the most common abused.

BUT THEY COME FROM A DOCTOR? If used for the intended purpose, prescription medicines are meant to aid you. Often, medicine is time released. When people abuse prescription medicines, they bypass the release. By doing this, it becomes unsafe and may lead to an overdose.

I WILL BE FINE Often, people do not think it is a big deal to abuse prescription medicine. An estimated 2.4 million people 12 or older met criteria for abuse of or dependence on prescription drugs. 86% had used opioid pain relievers non-medically prior to using heroin. OxyContin costs $50-$80 on the street. Where heroin costs $15–$20

IT’S JUST POT, WHATS THE BIG DEAL? You may often hear the phrase “heroin epidemic” used in conversations regarding drugs. This is inaccurate. Fentanyl is the true epidemic. Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and is often placed in other drugs.

FENTANYL Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. Law Enforcement Agencies have found that drug dealers are “cutting heroin, cocaine and other drugs” with fentanyl. Drug dealers add Fentanyl to make the “high” set in quicker. Available in: •Spray •Tablet •Lozenge/Troche •Film

SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? As most of you know, drug dealers do not have a pharmacology degree. During investigations, Law Enforcement have found that dealers will combine Fentanyl and another drug in a blender. Measurements are not taken. They hit blend, then bag the batch.

THAT’S FINE, RIGHT? Seizures of drugs containing fentanyl jumped from 942 to 3,334 between 2013 and 2014. 6 people “shoot up”. 2 people overdose, 1 dies. 1 person gets a “euphoric high”, and 2 get an “alright, high”. DEA test the bag of heroin the users shared. 10 samples were taken. All samples had different quantities of fentanyl traces.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? When you buy drugs on the street, you never know what you are getting. Drug dealers do not care about you, they care about getting paid. Addicts do not care about you or your safety, they care about getting high. You may think you are “just trying pot, pills, heroin, cocaine, etc.” The truth is, you don’t know what you are doing.