“Drug”… a substance that alters the mind

Much of what you hear about drugs comes from the dealers. They spread the word, they spread the

“facts” they make it seem like it won’t be so bad. They lie.

The Truth About Drugs

16

People do drugs to change something about their lives.

To fit in: 55% say that’s why they started. Dealers know.

To escape or relaxTo seem grown upTo relieve boredomTo rebelTo experiment

They think drugs are a solution… but eventually the drugs become the problem.

Why do people do drugs?

Drugs are a poison the amount taken determines the effect.

Small amounts act as a ___________.

Large amounts act as a ___________.

Even larger amounts __________.

How do drugs work?

Stimulant

Sedative

Kill

Distort perceptions of what’s happening around them.They may act odd, irrational, inappropriate, or

destructive.Block off all sensations good and bad.

May take away pain but also takes away alertness and abilities.

Slow the mindMemory is slow, blank spots, makes someone

feel stupid, causes more failures and leads to more drugs to deal with those feelings of inadequacy.

Drugs distort the mind…

Medicines are drugs that are intended to speed up or slow down or change something about the way your body is working, to try to make it work better. Sometimes they are necessary. But they are

still drugs: they act as stimulants or sedatives, and too much can kill you.

Medicines are drugs

Street NamesWeed, Blunt, Grass,

Pot, Skunk, Kiff etc.Marijuana is more

potent today because of growing techniques.

Rise of marijuana-related ER visits.

The chemical that causes distortions in reality is THC.

How it’s used:

Usually rolled up in

a cigarette form.

-Joint

Can be brewed in a

tea, mixed into food

or smoked through

a water pipe called

a bong.

Marijuana13

SHORT TERMLoss of coordinationDistortions in sense

of time, visions, and hearing.

Reddening of eyes,Increases appetiteHeart rate increases Memory reduced

and problem solving skills.

Psychotic symptomsDamage heart Damage lungsReduces immunity

by damaging the immune system.

LONG TERM

One joint gives you as much exposure to cancer causing chemicals as 5 cigarettes.

When smoking Marijuana people hold it in their lungs for as long as they can to increase the effect. This causes more damage to the lungs than cigarettes.

Alcohol stays in the body for a few hours. THC stays in the body for WEEKS!

40% of males arrested test positive for THCIn a study 62% of people who used marijuana

later went on to use cocaine, 9% heroine, and 54% abused prescription drugs.

Next to alcohol, marijuana is the second most common drug found in the blood of drivers involved in fatal automobile crashes.

Interesting Facts

Studies have linked heavy Marijuana use to brain abnormalities.

Studies have also linked long term Marijuana use to psychosis which is a loss of reality, false beliefs, or seeing or hearing things that aren’t just there.

Marijuana causes deformed sperm to form. Which can cause temporary sterility.

THC disrupts nerve cells in the brain affecting memory.

Major problems can occur when pregnant women use Marijuana

10 Reasons not to use MarijuanaEven if it was legal in your state

The Truth about Marijuana If you use Marijuana you are 85 times more likely to use Cocaine

Street NamesCoke, Charlie, Mojo,

Sniff, Snow, BlowCocaine is one of the

most dangerous drugs known to man. It has proven to be nearly impossible to become free of it’s grip.

Cocaine causes an intense high followed by an extreme low depression

Creates a strong dependence, quick tolerance and immediate addiction.

How it’s used:Cocaine- Powder

form snorted through the nose. Can be ingested, rubbed on gums, or even injected.

Where it’s from:Extracted from Cocoa leaves. Originally used as a painkiller.

Cocaine11

SHORT TERM

Loss of appetiteIncreased heart rateAnxietyParanoiaHallucinationsSeizures

Permanent brain and circulatory system damage.

Weight loss/Malnutrition

Tooth decayInfertilityDepressionLiver, Kidney and

Lung damage

Short Term and Long Term Effects

LONG TERM

Next to Meth Cocaine has the greatest psychological dependence of any drug.

Cocaine causes an intense high followed by an extreme low of depression. People will do almost anything to get the drug after they reach this low. Even commit murder or suicide.

Children of cocaine-addicted mothers come into the world as addicts themselves.

Cocaine use can lead to death from respiratory (breathing) failure, stroke, cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) or heart attack.

Interesting Facts

The Truth about Cocaine If you use Marijuana you are 85 times more likely to use Cocaine

Street Names Crack, Dice, Hail, Ball,

Rock, Grit. Crack reaches the brain

within seconds, lasts about 15 minutes

The smoke form is the most addictive.

Many people become addicted after the first try because coming down from the high sends them lower and they immediately crave the high again. But that high will never be reached again and they are hooked on a never ending chase.

One of the most powerful drugs that causes psychological dependence. Tolerance develops quickly.

Most potent form of Cocaine

How it’s used:Crack- Crystal form,

solid blocks, heated and smoked. Can be ingested or injected.

Crack2

SHORT TERM

Increased heart rateHard to sleepNauseaErratic, Violent

behaviorHallucinations… bugs

burrowing under the skin.

PanicSudden Death from

higher dose.

Permanent brain and circulatory system damage.

Severe weight lossTooth decayInfertilityDepression

Short Term and Long Term Effects

LONG TERM

Regardless of how much of the drug is used or how frequently, crack cocaine increases the risk that the user will experience a heart attack, stroke, seizure or respiratory failure, any of which can result in sudden death.

Coming down from the drug causes severe depression, which becomes deeper and deeper after each use. This can get so severe that a person will do almost anything to get the drug—even commit murder. And if he or she can’t get crack cocaine, the depression can get so intense it can drive the addict to suicide.

Interesting Facts

The Truth about Crack

Street NamesE, X, Hug, Beans,

Love DrugA stimulantEcstasy is a man

made drug, so anything can be added to the drug, caffeine, amphetamine, or even cocaine.

Mixing alcohol with ecstasy is very dangerous and can kill.

How it’s used:Usually taken in a

pill, tablet, or capsule.

Used at dances and raves to dance all night.

Can cause dehydration and heart or kidney failure.

Ecstasy10

SHORT TERM

Impaired JudgmentFalse sense of

affectionConfusionDepressionSevere Anxiety ParanoiaMuscle tensionTeeth clenching

Long lasting and often permanent brain damage.

Lessens persons thinking ability.

Short Term and Long Term Effects

LONG TERM

Ecstasy made me crazy. One day I bit glass, just like I would an apple. I had to have my mouth full of pieces of glass to realize what was happening to me. Another time I tore rags with my teeth for an hour.

-AnnER visits from Ecstasy have increased 1,200%

since it became the popular club drug.92% of people who use Ecstasy later turn to

other drugs like marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, and heroine.

You never know what’s in it.

Interesting Facts

The Truth about Ecstasy

Street NamesMeth, Chalk, SpeedCrystal Meth =Ice or

GlassCreates a false sense of

happiness, of confidence, hyperactiveness and energy.

The effects last 6-8 hours but can last up to 24 hours.

Can cause problems such as memory loss, aggression, psychotic behavior and potential heart and brain damage.

How it’s used:Snorted, Smoked, or

Ingested.Crystalline powder

usually white.Crystal Meth comes

in clear chunky crystals that is smoked.

Methamphetamine

10

SHORT TERM

Physical and mental breakdown after drug wears off.

Loss of appetite.HyperactivityNauseaIrritabilityAggressionHallucinationsSeizures

Damage blood vessel in the brain

Liver and kidney damage

Lung damageMemory lossMood swingsMalnutritionDepressionBrain Damage

Short Term and Long Term Effects

LONG TERM

Meth is man made. It is made in illegal labs mixing things like cold medicine, battery acid, drain cleaner, lantern fuel, and anti freeze.

Producing one pound of Meth leaves 5 pounds of waste. Which is harmful and toxic.

“When I gave my three-year-old son some cheese to eat, I did not know that I was giving him poisoned food. I was too stoned on meth to notice, until twelve hours later, that my son was deathly ill. But then I was so stoned it took me two hours to figure out how to get him to the hospital five miles away. By the time I got to the emergency room my boy was pronounced dead of a lethal dose of ammonia hydroxide—one of the chemicals used to make meth.” —Melanie

Interesting Facts

1. The rush: Pulse, blood pressure and metabolism soar. Generally 3-5 minutes. Can last up to 30 minutes.

2. The high: Feel aggressively smarter often arguing . Can become super focused on an item such as washing the same window for hours. Lasts 4-16 hours

3. The Binge: Uncontrolled use of a drug or alcohol. User becomes hyperactive mentally and physically. Each time they use the drug they feel a smaller and smaller rush. Finally there is no rush or high. Can’t sleep for days. Can last 3-15 days.

4. Tweaking: Most dangerous phase. The user can no longer feel the rush or high and begins to feel itchy and steps into their own world having hallucinations, hearing things, and itches and scratches their skin. They can become hostile and dangerous.

The crash: The body is unable to cope with the effects and becomes lifeless and sleeps for 1-3 days.

Meth Hangover: User is in a deteriorated state. They are starved, dehydrated, and exhausted physically and mentally. This lasts 2-14 days

Withdrawal: 30-90 days pass after the last drug use. And the user realizes they are in withdrawal. They feel depressed, no energy and no ability to experience pleasure. They cannot deal with the feelings and turn to more meth.

The “Experience” of Meth

The Truth about Methamphetamine

“Inhalants” refers to the vapors from toxic substances to reach a quick high.

More than 1,000 household products can be abused as Inhalants.

Permanent damage can be done by using inhalants.

How it’s used:Inhaling the

contents of open containers

Breathing the fumes from a soaked rag

Spraying substance directly into the nose

Inhaling fumes of a substance in a paper bag.

Inhalants

10

SHORT TERM

Slurred speechDrunk or dazed lookHallucinationsApathyUnconsciousnessSevere Headaches

Muscle weaknessDisorientationLack of coordinationDepressionIrreversible damage

to heart, liver, kidneys, lungs and brain

Bone marrow damage

Short Term and Long Term Effects

LONG TERM

Inhalants can be addictive22% of abusers who die of Sudden Sniffing

Death Syndrome were first time users.In a Nairobi, Kenya there re 60,000 kids on

the street and nearly all are addicted to some sort of inhalant.

4 CategoriesLiquids: Pain thinner, Gasoline, GluesSprays: Paints, vegetable oil, hairspraysGases: Ether, ChloroformNitrites: Leather cleaner, room deodorizer

Interesting Facts

The Truth about Inhalants

Basic InformationComes from the resin of

Poppy plantsHeroin was created to help

morphine addicts but it ended up being more addictive.

By the late 1990’s being a heroin addict meant you were 20 times more likely to die than the rest of the population.

Users who buy Heroin on the street never know how potent their packet is and they are constantly at risk for an overdose.

How it’s used:Heroin can be

injected, smoked or sniffed.

Between 1995 and 2002, the number of teenagers in America, aged 12 to 17, who used heroin at some point in their lives increased by 300%. Likely due to not having to inject it anymore.

Heroin10

SHORT TERM“Rush”Slowed breathingClouded mental

functioningNausea and vomitingSedation; drowsinessHypothermia Coma or death (due

to overdose)

Death/ DepressionBad teeth and gumsConstipationCold sweatsItchingWeakening of the

immune systemRespiratory illnessesMuscular weakness,

partial paralysis

Short Term and Long Term Effects

LONG TERM

In Europe 4 out of every 5 drug related deaths was due to Opiates mainly Heroin.

Users will give up everything sometimes their life for a high that lasts only a few minutes.

In the past decade, the “heroin addict look”—blank expression, waxy complexion, dark circles under the eyes, sunken cheeks, excessive thinness, greasy hair—was promoted in popular magazines and fashion circles as “chic.”

Between 1995 and 2002, the number of teenagers in America, aged 12 to 17, who used heroin at some point in their lives increased by 300%.

Interesting Facts

The Truth about Heroin

Street NamesAcid, Micro-dots, Looney

toons, BlottersLSD is one of the most potent,

mood-changing chemicals. It is manufactured from

fungus that grows on rye and other grains.

It is produced in crystal form in illegal laboratories, mainly in the United States.

Users call an LSD experience a “trip.” Trips can last up to 12 hours. A “bad trip” is a living Hell.

How it’s used:Tablets, gelatin

squares, absorbent paper with cartoon drawings.

LSD:Hallucinogen

10

Physical Effects

Dilated pupilsSweating or ChillsSleeplessnessTremorsDry MouthVomiting

DelusionsVisual HallucinationsArtificial Sense of

euphoria or certaintyReality distortionsFear of losing

controlPanic attackSevere depression or

psychosis

Physical and Mental EffectsMental Effects

An oral dose equal in weight to a few grains of salt is capable of producing vivid hallucinations.

The effects of LSD are unpredictable. They depend on the amount taken, the person’s mood and personality, and the surroundings in which the drug is used. It is a roll of the dice.

The ability to make sensible judgments and see common dangers is impaired. An LSD user might try to step out a window to get a “closer look” at the ground. He might consider it fun to admire the sunset, blissfully unaware that he is standing in the middle of a busy intersection.

Many LSD users experience flashbacks, or a recurrence of the LSD trip, often without warning, long after taking LSD.

Bad trips and flashbacks are only part of the risks of LSD use. LSD users may manifest relatively long-lasting psychoses or severe depression.

Interesting Facts

The Truth about LSD

Basic InfoAbuse of prescription

drugs is growing in the US.

Among teens, prescription drugs are the most commonly used drugs next to marijuana

Almost 50% of teens believe that taking prescription drugs is much safer than using illegal street drugs.

Long-term use of painkillers can lead to dependence

• Often the dangers of pain killers don’t surface until it’s too late.

• In 2007, for example, abuse of the painkiller Fentanyl killed more than 1,000 people. The drug was found to be thirty to fifty times more powerful than heroin.

How it’s used• Ingested, snorted,

injected

Pain Killers10

Usage increaseChange in

personalitySocial withdrawalOngoing useTime spent obtaining

prescriptionsChange in habits and

appearanceNeglects

responsibilities

Increased sensitivity to sights and sounds

Blackouts ForgetfulnessDefensiveness when

they think their secret is being discovered

Signs of painkiller dependence

The strongest painkillers are opioids and derive from Poppy’s like Heroin.

Oxycodone has one of the greatest potentials for abuse and the greatest dangers. It is as powerful as Heroin. OxyContin, Endocet, Hillbilly Heroin

Meperidine has been banned in the UK, is 8 times more powerful than morphine, and is one of the top then drugs in drug abuse deaths. Darvon

Dependence and addiction occur because the body begins to adapt to the presence of the drug. Withdrawal is painful

Interesting Facts

The Truth about Painkillers

Street NamesKiddie Coke, Vitamin R,

R-ballClassified the same as

cocaine, amphetamines and morphine

One 17-year-old, after snorting crushed Ritalin pills and staying awake for days, went psychotic, killed his parents and severely injured his brothers and sister with a hatchet. A 14-year-old, on Ritalin since he was 7, beat another boy to death with a baseball bat.

• Often the dangers of pain killers don’t surface until it’s too late.

• In 2007, for example, abuse of the painkiller Fentanyl killed more than 1,000 people. The drug was found to be thirty to fifty times more powerful than heroin.

How it’s used• Ingested, snorted,

injected

Ritalin 10

HallucinationsSuicidal thoughtsAggressive behaviorPsychotic BehaviorSudden DeathNervousnessInsomniaMalnourishmentPulse changesHeart problems

Heart attacks, strokes Liver, kidney

Destruction of tissues in nose if sniffed

Lung problemsStrong psychological

dependencePsychosisDepressionDamage to the brain

including strokes and possibly epilepsy

Unhealthy weight loss

Short term Long term

“Parents are never told: ‘Oh, by the way, once in a while a child dies simply by taking their prescribed medication.’ Or ‘By the way, children on stimulant medications have twice the future rate of drug abuse.’ Or ‘By the way, one third of all children on these medications develop symptoms of obsessive-compulsive behavior within the first year.’”

It is 100% illegal to distribute any prescription medication.

Initially used for energy, or to stay up to study, and then turns into an addiction because you can’t deal with the crash.

It states on the bottle “The mode of action in man is not completely understood.”

Interesting Facts

Ritalin and other Prescription drugs lead to other drugs.

Tolerance and Dependence lead to harder and harder drugs.

According to a 2005 study, teens who abuse prescription drugs are twelve times likelier to use heroin, fifteen times likelier to use Ecstasy and twenty times likelier to use cocaine, compared to teens who do not abuse such drugs.

Don’t Fall into the trap! No matter who is telling you lies!Everyone is using it It’s just one time… for studyMy brother takes it for a learning disorder. It

couldn’t be that bad.You can control it. It’s not addicting.

A Slippery Slope

The Truth about Perscription Drugs

Don’t just say No….

Know the Facts…Know the TRUTH

Split up into 14 groups Pick a number and let me know. First come first serve.Heroin1. Street names, 4 Facts, How it’s used.2. Long and short term effects

LSDPrescription DrugsPainkillersRitalinCrystal MethInhalants

Basic description of the drug, places used, people who use it, effects on the body. Become an expert on that drug.

Some street names At least 2 interesting statistics Several Short term effects and long term effects 1 real life story.

7 more drugs

Then gather together in numbers and share with the whole group what you learned and wrote down about your drug.

Each group should keep note of what the other groups told them.

http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/marijuana/it-s-background.html

Number off in your group