1. Samantha Arcand, BSW, LAC-E Western Montana Addiction Services Project SUCCESS Counselor Big Sky High School (406) 728-2400 ext. 8044 Room 15C Monday 9:00 – 2:00 Tuesday 10:30 – 2:00 Wednesday 9:00 – 2:00 Thursday 8:00 – 2:00 S chools U sing C oordinated C ommunity E fforts to S trengthen S tudents

2. Samantha Arcand, BSW, LAC-E Western Montana Addiction Services Project SUCCESS Counselor Big Sky High School (406) 728-2400 ext. 8044 Room 15C

3.  FALSE: Increasing tolerance to a substance means you would likely need to use more of a particular substance to feel the sensation or “high” from the substance, but it does not mean that it changes the amount of chemical in your blood stream. An increased tolerance typically leads to individuals consuming more of a substance to chase the “high” which then increases their risk for overdose, driving while intoxicated, etc.

4.  Spice Definition: Synthetic cannabis is a psychoactive herbal and chemical product that, when consumed, mimics the effects of cannabis.  Controlled Substance Definition: Drugs that are regulated by state or federal law.  FACT: On the warning label for most of these products it states “not for human consumption”. Synthetic cannabis can be very toxic, sometimes resulting in death.

5.  FACT: Marijuana can be found in the body for up to 10 days for occasional users, up to 45 days for regular users and up to 90 days for heavy users. (You can not dilute a test by drinking more water/fluids.)

6.  FACT: Alcohol makes some people feel depressed, but some people feel more confident and brave. Alcohol is not labeled a depressant because of how it makes you feel emotionally, but how it makes your body feel physically. Alcohol depresses or slows your central nervous system. It slows your speech, reaction time, heart beats, and breathing.

7.  FACT: Synthetics can be tested just as easily as marijuana. The testing is usually more expensive, but as more people are becoming aware of synthetics they are asking for synthetic testing along with regular drug testing. Synthetics are also much more risky to use due to the unpredictable impact on the body, which can sometimes lead to death after just one use.

8.  FACT: Club drugs are very dangerous. Club drugs, especially ecstasy, are often just a mixture of many types of drugs pressed into a pill form. You don’t always know what you are taking, which makes it hard to know it might interact with other drugs in your system.

9.  FACT: DUI=Driving Under the Influence. This does not say under the influence of alcohol – it can be any substance.  Individuals with green cards for medical marijuana use are given permission to smoke, but not to drive and smoke. Just as the same as a person over the age of 21 can legally drink, they are not legally allowed to drive under the influence.  From a Missoulian article (January 2011): Statistics showed that in 2009, Montana ranked second in the nation, after Alaska, for marijuana involvement in fatal crashes….Some 13 percent of the Montana motorists in the deadly crashes had used marijuana, compared to 4 percent nationwide.

10.  FACT: It is estimated that 9 percent of people who use marijuana will become dependent on it. The number goes up to about 1 in 6 in those who started using young (in there teens) and up to 25-50 percent among daily users.

11.  FACT: If there was a little risk to the substances they would likely be sold over- the-counter. Most prescription drugs are regulated very carefully to ensure that they are given only for the intended purpose, they do not interfere with other substances, and that people do not become dependent on the substance.

12.  FACT: Meth is highly addictive and you can become addicted just after one use. The commercials may not depict what happens after one use, but physical changes can happen very quickly.