1. Chapter 17
Preventing Drug Abuse

2. Facts About Drug Use Different Kinds of Drugs
Over-the-counter: medicine sold legally in pharmacies and other stores without a prescription.
Prescription: a drug that can only be obtained with a written order from a doctor and purchased at a pharmacy.
Illegal drug: a.k.a. street drugs – chemical substances that people of any age unlawfully manufacture, possess, buy, or sell.
Drug Misuse: the improper use of medicine, either prescription or OTC.
Example: mistakenly taking more than recommended or taking it at the wrong time of the day.
Drug Abuse: intentionally using a drug improperly or unsafely. Example: taking prescribed medications or OTC medications to get “high,” or deliberately taking more than is recommended.
Proper Use: using per doctor’s or label instructions.
Facts About Drug Use

3. Your Brain On Drugs (pg. 433)
Under normal conditions your brains dopamine gets released which gives us a feel good effect. This happens when you eat something you love, snuggle with a puppy, etc.
When drugs are introduced the extra dopamine can cause that feeling to become stronger, causing the user to ignore the harmful effects. Flooding the brain with extra dopamine may lead to cravings for the drug when it is unavailable.
After repeated use of the drugs, the brain loses it’s ability to naturally react under normal dopamine levels, causing the user to no longer feel pleasure from normal activities.
Your Brain On Drugs

4. Dangers of Drug Misuse and Abuse
Side effects: unwanted physical or mental effect caused by a drug. Examples include nausea, drowsiness, or dizziness.
Dependence: when the body develops a chemical need for the drug
Tolerance: as tolerance grows, the user needs larger amounts of the drug to achieve the original effect. (can lead to dependence)
Withdrawal: the body’s reaction to not having a drug that it is dependent on. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, fever, panic, paranoia, seizures, etc.
Drug Interactions: user could experience a dangerous reaction – antagonism occurs when each drugs effect is canceled our or reduced by the other; synergism occurs when drugs interact to produce greater effects than those that each drug would produce alone.
Example: mixing sleep medications with alcohol could lead to unconsciousness or death.
Impurities: many illegal drugs are contaminated or laced with other chemicals or drugs that could cause an unknown effect each time the drug is used.
Other Health Risks: overdose, death, mental disorders, disease risk, harm to unborn child.
Dangers of Drug Misuse and Abuse

6. Factors Affecting Drug Abuse
RISK FACTORS
Family factors: poor relationships at home; no support, not close, alienation
Social factors: drug abusing peer group, poor role models, or peer pressure
Personal factors: low self-esteem, depression, death of someone close to them, negative feelings associated with stress
PROTECTIVE FACTORS – having strong protective factors in your life will help you
Family factors: parental awareness, clear family rules, strong and positive family bonds
Social factors: supportive friends, having strong connections to school and/or other community institutions (clubs, athletics, etc.), associating with others that do not use or abuse drugs
Personal factors: commitment to self and success, seek guidance and help from peers, role models, trusted adults, learn techniques to problem solve and manage stress.
Factors Affecting Drug Abuse

7. Commonly Abused Drugs
Depressants: a drug that lowers neurotransmission levels, which is to slow body functions by decreasing heart and breathing rates and lowering blood pressure.
Examples: alcohol, valium, heroin, morphine, marijuana, inhalants, grey death, sizzurp, GHB, rohypnol (date rape drug)
Commonly Abused Drugs

8. Examples: tobacco, speed, MDMA (meth), cocaine, crack, ecstacy
Commonly Abused Drugs
Stimulants: psychoactive drugs that speed up activities of the central nervous system. Increase heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and alertness.
Examples: tobacco, speed, MDMA (meth), cocaine, crack, ecstacy
Commonly Abused Drugs

9. Commonly Abused Drugs
Hallucinogens: a drug containing a psychoactive agent that distorts perception, thought, and mood.
Examples: LSD (acid), PCP (phencyclidine – former anesthetic – aka – angel dust), psilocybin (shrooms), ecstacy (MDMA), ketamine
Commonly Abused Drugs

10. Signs of Possible Drug Abuse Acknowledge the problem
Behavioral Signs: major changes in behavior or personality; lying, cheating; attention-getting behavior; denial of any problems
Physical Signs: poor coordination; changes in appearance; slurred speech
Social Signs: friends suspected of abusing drugs; withdrawal from normal activities; poor school performance
Treating Drug Abuse
Acknowledge the problem
Explore Treatment Options: detoxification, therapy, supervised clinics
Commit to the process
Commonly Abused Drugs

11. Staying Drug Free
Practicing refusal skills and refusing drugs when you are faced with pressure to take them.
Seeking help when you need it, find someone to talk to. Teachers, nurses, parents, health center, guidance counselor, call a hotline
Getting involved in drug-free activities such as athletics, volunteering to help others, joining a youth group, etc.
Staying Drug Free

12. Chapter 15
Alcohol

13. Depressant: a drug that slows brain and body reactions.
Drug: a chemical substance that is taken to cause changes in a person’s body or behavior.
Depressant: a drug that slows brain and body reactions.
In slowing the body’s normal reactions, alcohol may cause confusion, decreased alertness, poor coordination, blurred vision, and drowsiness.
Drug: a chemical substance that is taken to cause changes in a person’s body or behavior.
Depressant: a drug that slows brain and body reactions.
In slowing the body’s normal reactions, alcohol may cause confusion, decreased alertness, poor coordination, blurred vision, and drowsiness.

14. Alcohol Content
Not all alcoholic beverages contain the same amount of alcohol. To calculate alcohol content from proof, divide by two. Example: 100 proof vodka = 50% alcohol.
Alcohol Content

15. Major Factors that Influence Underage Drinking
Family
Peers
Media
How can the 3 factors influence underage drinking?
Risks of Underage Drinking
Being injured or killed in an accident such as a car accident; a bad decision, etc.
Committing or being the victim of sexual assault or other violence.
Long-term brain damage.
Problems with alcohol later in life.
Suspension from school, sports teams, or other activities.
Illegal
Major Factors that Influence Underage Drinking

16. Effects of Alcohol on the Body
Alcohol has effects on the body systems, and behaviors.
Intoxication: the state in which a person’s mental and physical abilities are impaired by alcohol or another substance.
( See worksheet for body system effects)
Blackout: period of time that the drinker cannot recall.
Other effects: loss of judgment, loss of self control, loss of inhibitions, loss of ability to reason, dilation of blood vessels.

17. Effects of Alcohol on the Body

18. Blood Alcohol Concentration
B.A.C. – the amount of alcohol in a person’s blood. Expressed as a percentage. 0.1% means that 1/10th of 1% of the fluid in the blood is alcohol.
The higher a person’s blood alcohol concentration, the more severe the physical and behavioral effects.
0.02 – 0.03: slightly affected; reflexes and alertness decline (.02 is legally intoxicated for teens)
0.04 – 0.06: impaired; judgment and self-control impaired; reaction time slows
: intoxicated; muscle coordination decreases; vomiting may occur; disorientation; blackouts are typical (legal limit is 0.08 for over 21)
0.30 +: lose control; may pass out; death may occur
Blood

19. If you’re a WOMAN, your Blood Alcohol Level is: # of drinks in one hour Weight lbs. 120 lbs lbs lbs lbs lbs. 1 drink drinks Compare this chart with the B.A.C. chart on pg If you’re a MAN, your Blood Alcohol Level is: # of drinks in one hour Weight lbs lbs lbs b ls lbs lbs lbs lbs. 1 drink drinks
Blood Alcohol Concentration

20. Amount of food in stomach
Factors Affecting B.A.C.
Rate of consumption
Gender: males will generally have a lower BAC than females at the same rate and amount of consumption.
Body size
Amount of food in stomach
After drinking ends, the only way to “sober up” is time.
Factors Affecting B.A.C.

21. Life-Threatening effects:
Everything else…..
Hangover: used to describe the after effects of drinking too much alcohol. Symptoms include upset stomach, headaches, nausea…
Life-Threatening effects:
Motor-vehicle crashes – D.W.I. (driving while intoxicated)
Overdose – taking an excessive amount that leads to a coma or death – can be caused by binge-drinking.
Interactions with other drugs
Everything else…..