Booklet for Parents - westerncape.gov.za · 4 Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents 8. Different...

Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents1

Booklet for Parents

Substance Abuse

Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents 3

What do you know about harmful drug use?

A Quick Quiz

Harmful drug and alcohol use occurs over time and people seldom admit there is a problem, before it is too late. At first, few wish to acknowledge they have lost con-trol and have a problem. Parents or loved ones may suspect that there may be a problem looming but are unsure and scared to confront the user and/or don’t know what to do.

To assist, here are a few simple, but not necessarily scientific or conclusive, quiz questions that one could ask to get some indication if the concern is valid and that further, more drastic action is needed to address a looming problem of harmful drug and/or alcohol use.

1. People who abuse drugs are weak-willed individuals who could control their craving for drugs if they tried.

True or False

2. Illicit drug use has declined among teens. True or False

3. Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in South Africa. True or False

4. Although “club drugs” got their start at all-night dance parties among teens, these illicit drugs have moved into mainstream culture.

True or False

5. Although illicit drug use in general has declined over the last few years, the number of people abusing controlled prescription drugs has grown.

True or False

6. Anabolic steroids are the same as corticosteroids, and both types of drugs have the same dangerous side effects.

True or False

7. Even one session of repeated “sniffing” of an inhalant can cause heart fail-ure and death.

True or False


8. Different drugs produce different symptoms, so it’s not always easy to tell when someone is abusing a substance. One possible sign of drug abuse in teens, however, is when grades slip and school attendance becomes irreg-ular.

True or False

9. If you suspect that a loved one is abusing drugs, wait to discuss the issue with the person until he or she is not high.

True or False

10. Most people who are treated for drug abuse only need to stay in treatment for at least three months.

True or False

The ANSWERS are

1. People who abuse drugs are weak-willed individuals who could control their craving for drugs if they tried. False

2. Illicit drug use has declined among teens. False 3. Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in South Africa. True 4. Although “club drugs” got their start at all-night dance parties among teens,

these illicit drugs have moved into mainstream culture. True 5. Although illicit drug use in general has declined over the last few years, the

number of people abusing controlled prescription drugs has grown. True 6. Anabolic steroids are the same as corticosteroids, and both types of drugs have

the same dangerous side effects. True 7. Even one session of repeated “sniffing” of an inhalant can cause heart failure

and death. True 8. Different drugs produce different symptoms, so it’s not always easy to tell when

someone is abusing a substance. One possible sign of drug abuse in teens, however, is when grades slip and school attendance becomes irregular. True

9. If you suspect that a loved one is abusing drugs, wait to discuss the issue with the person until he or she is not high. True

10. Most people who are treated for drug abuse only need to stay in treatment for at least three months. False.

How did you fare? Do you know enough to detect if there may be a problem or do you need to delve a bit deeper? We hope this gives you a better un-derstanding of the challenges of substance abuse in every community and that this booklet will be of assistance in some way.


Pare

nts

’ Q

uic

k G

uid

e t

o S

tre

et

Dru

gs

A li

st o

f the

mos

t com

mon

dru

gs a

nd su

bsta

nces

pot

entia

lly e

xper

imen

ted

with

and

mis

used

by

youn

g pe

ople

.

Alc

oh

ol

Co

cain

e/C

rack

Co

ug

h m

ed

icin

eE

cst

asy

/MD

MA

He

roin

Str

eet nam

esBo

oze,

dop

Blow

, Cok

e, N

ose

Can-

dy, R

ock

Syru

pX,

XTC

, ED

ope,

Sku

nk, U

ngah

Lo

oks

like

Liqu

id (t

ypes

incl

ude

win

e, b

eer,

spiri

t coo

l-er

s, c

ider

s et

c.)

Whi

te C

ryst

al P

owde

r, Ch

ips,

Chu

nks

or R

ocks

Liqu

id, p

ills

Bran

ded

tabl

ets

(Nik

e sw

oosh

, Pla

yboy

bun

-ni

es)

Whi

te o

r dar

k br

own

pow

der o

r tar

-like

sub-

stan

ce

How

it’s

use

d/a

buse

dA

lcoh

ol is

dru

nk e

xces

-si

vely

. Bin

ge d

rinki

ng.

Coca

ine

can

be sn

orte

d or

inje

cted

. Cra

ck c

an

be sm

oked

.

Swal

low

edSw

allo

wed

Inje

cted

, sm

oked

or

snor

ted

Wh

at

tee

ns

have

he

ard

Mak

es a

bor

ing

nigh

t fu

n. M

akes

them

‘loo

k’

or fe

el m

atur

e, h

ip, e

tc.

Keep

s yo

u am

ped

up;

you

will

be

the

life

of th

e pa

rty.

Caus

es a

hig

h w

ith v

ari-

ous

phas

esEn

hanc

es th

e se

nses

Euph

oria

, but

ver

y

risky

Dan

ge

rou

s b

ecau

seIm

pairs

reas

onin

g,

clou

ds ju

dgem

ent.

Long

–ter

m h

eavy

drin

k-in

g ca

n le

ad to

alc

ohol

-ism

and

liver

and

hea

rt

dise

ase.

Can

caus

e he

art

atta

cks,

str

okes

and

se

izur

es.

In ra

re c

ases

, sud

den

deat

h on

firs

t use

.

Can

caus

e ab

dom

inal

pa

in, e

xtre

me

naus

ea,

liver

dam

age

Can

caus

e se

vere

de

hydr

atio

n, li

ver a

nd

hear

t fai

lure

and

eve

n de

ath.

Chro

nic

hero

in u

sers

ris

k de

ath

by o

ver-

dose

.

Sig

ns

of

ab

use

Slur

red

spee

ch, l

ack

of

coor

dina

tion,

nau

sea,

vo

miti

ng, a

nd h

ang-

ov

ers.

Ner

vous

beh

avio

ur, r

est-

less

ness

, blo

ody

nose

s,

high

ene

rgy

Slur

red

spee

ch, l

oss

of

co-o

rdin

atio

n, d

isor

ien-

tatio

n, v

omiti

ng

Teet

h cl

ench

ing,

chi

lls,

swea

ting,

deh

ydra

tion,

an

xiet

y, u

nusu

al d

is-

play

s of

affe

ctio

n

Trac

k m

arks

on

arm

s,

slow

ed a

nd sl

urre

d sp

eech

, vom

iting

Imp

ort

an

t

to k

no

wBe

ing

a ch

ild o

f an

alco

holic

pla

ces

a ch

ild

at g

reat

er ri

sk fo

r de-

velo

ping

alc

ohol

pro

b-le

ms.

Uns

uper

vise

d ch

ildre

n at

par

ties

are

at g

reat

-er

risk

of c

onsu

min

g al

coho

l.

Coca

ine

is a

hig

hly

ad-

dict

ive

drug

.Th

e “h

igh”

from

cou

gh

med

icin

e is

cau

sed

by in

gest

ing

a la

rge

amou

nt o

f dex

tro-

met

horp

han

(DXM

), a

com

mon

act

ive

ingr

e-di

ent f

ound

in m

any

coug

h m

edic

atio

ns.

Can

be a

ddic

tive.

Has

be

com

e a

popu

lar

club

dru

g be

caus

e of

its

stim

ulan

t pro

per-

ties

whi

ch a

llow

use

rs

to d

ance

for e

xten

ded

perio

ds o

f tim

e.

Her

oin

over

dose

is a

pa

rtic

ular

risk

on

the

stre

et, w

here

the

puri-

ty o

f the

dru

g ca

nnot

be

kno

wn.


Inh

ala

nts

Mari

juan

aM

eth

am

ph

eta

min

eP

erf

orm

an

ce

-

en

han

cin

g d

rug

sP

resc

rip

tio

n p

ain

re

lieve

rs

Str

eet nam

esSn

appe

rs, P

oppe

rs,

Huffi

ng, G

lue,

Thi

n-ne

rs, S

olve

nts

Dagg

a, Bo

om, D

ope,

Gras

s, Ha

sh, H

erb,

Mar

y Jan

e, Po

t, Re

efer,

Skun

k, W

eed

Ice,

Spe

ed, T

ik, M

eth

Juic

e, R

hoid

sCo

dein

e an

d ho

st o

f ot

hers

Lo

oks

like

Pain

t thi

nner

s, g

lues

, pe

trol

, etc

.A

gre

en o

r gre

y m

ixtu

re

of d

ried,

shre

dded

flow

-er

s an

d le

aves

of t

he

hem

p pl

ant

Whi

te o

r slig

htly

yel

low

cr

ysta

l-lik

e po

wde

r, la

rge

rock

-like

chu

nks

Tabl

et, l

iqui

d or

ski

n ap

plic

atio

nTa

blet

s an

d ca

psul

es

How

it’s

use

d/a

buse

dIn

hale

d th

roug

h no

se

or m

outh

Smok

ed, b

rew

ed in

to te

a or

mix

ed in

to fo

ods

Swal

low

ed, i

njec

ted,

sn

orte

d or

smok

edSw

allo

wed

or i

njec

ted

or

app

lied

to s

kin

Swal

low

ed

Wh

at

tee

ns

have

he

ard

A c

heap

, 20-

min

ute

high

Oft

en e

asie

r to

get t

han

alco

hol

Can

keep

you

goi

ng fo

r da

ysW

ill g

uara

ntee

a sp

ot

on th

e st

artin

g lin

e-up

A hi

gh, s

traig

ht fr

om th

e m

edici

ne ca

bine

t

Dan

ge

rou

s b

ecau

seCh

roni

c ex

posu

re

can

prod

uce

sign

ifi-

cant

dam

age

to th

e he

art,

lung

s, li

ver a

nd

kidn

eys.

Can

indu

ce

deat

h

Can

caus

e m

emor

y an

d le

arni

ng p

robl

ems,

ha

lluci

natio

ns, d

elus

ions

an

d de

pers

onal

isat

ion

Chro

nic l

ong-

term

use

or

high

dos

ages

, can

caus

e ps

ycho

tic b

ehav

iour

(in

clud

ing

para

noia

, de

lusio

ns, h

allu

cina

tions

, vi

olen

t beh

avio

ur, in

som

-ni

a an

d st

roke

s)

Boys

can

dev

elop

br

east

s; gi

rls c

an d

e-ve

lop

faci

al h

air a

nd a

de

epen

ed v

oice

. Can

ca

use

hear

t att

acks

an

d st

roke

s

A la

rge

sing

le d

ose

can

caus

e se

vere

re-

spira

tory

dep

ress

ion

that

can

lead

to d

eath

Sig

ns

of

ab

use

Slur

red

spee

ch, l

ack

of

co-o

rdin

atio

n, n

ause

a,

vom

iting

, and

han

g-ov

ers

Bloo

dsho

t eye

s, sl

urre

d or

slow

spee

chN

ervo

us, p

hysi

cal a

c-tiv

ity, s

cabs

and

ope

n so

res,

dec

reas

ed a

ppe-

tite,

inab

ility

to sl

eep

Med

icin

e bo

ttle

s pr

es-

ent w

ithou

t illn

ess.

D

isru

pted

eat

ing

and

slee

ping

pat

tern

s

Imp

ort

an

t

to k

no

wSl

urre

d sp

eech

, lac

k of

co

-ord

inat

ion,

nau

sea,

vo

miti

ng, a

nd h

ang-

over

s

Cont

rary

to p

opul

ar

belie

f, m

ariju

ana

can

be

addi

ctiv

e

Met

h ha

s a h

igh

pote

ntia

l fo

r abu

se an

d ad

dict

ion,

pu

tting

child

ren

at ri

sk,

incr

easin

g cr

ime

and

caus

-in

g en

viro

nmen

tal h

arm

Teen

s who

abu

se p

er-

form

ance

-enh

anci

ng

drug

s bef

ore

thei

r ad-

oles

cent

gro

wth

spur

ts

risk

stay

ing

shor

t and

ne

ver r

each

ing

thei

r ful

l he

ight

Abu

sing

pre

scrip

tion

pain

kille

rs is

just

as

dang

erou

s an

d ad

-di

ctiv

e as

usi

ng o

ther

dr

ugs

Pare

nts

’ Q

uic

k G

uid

e t

o S

tre

et

Dru

gs

(co

nti

nu

ed

)A

list

of t

he m

ost c

omm

on d

rugs

and

subs

tanc

es p

oten

tially

exp

erim

ente

d w

ith a

nd m

isus

ed b

y yo

ung

peop

le.


“Cig

are

tte

sm

okin

g h

arm

s e

ve

ry o

rgan

in

th

e

bo

dy a

nd

cau

ses

co

ron

ary

he

art

d

ise

ase

an

d s

tro

ke

s,

as

we

ll a

s m

an

y

form

s o

f can

ce

r.”

Pare

nts

’ Q

uic

k G

uid

e t

o S

tre

et

Dru

gs

(co

nti

nu

ed

)A

list

of t

he m

ost c

omm

on d

rugs

and

subs

tanc

es p

oten

tially

exp

erim

ente

d w

ith a

nd m

isus

ed b

y yo

ung

peop

le.

Pre

scri

pti

on

sed

ati

ves

an

d t

ran

quili

sers

Pre

scri

pti

on

st

imu

lan

tsTo

bacco

Str

eet nam

esBe

nzod

ianz

epin

eRi

talin

Canc

er s

tick,

Cig

a-re

ttes

, Fag

s, S

mok

es

Lo

oks

like

Mul

ticol

oure

d ta

blet

s an

d ca

psul

es, s

ome

can

be in

liq

uid

form

Tabl

ets

and

caps

ules

Brow

n cu

t-up

leav

es

How

it’s

use

d/a

buse

dSw

allo

wed

or i

njec

ted

Swal

low

ed, i

njec

ted

or

snor

ted

Smok

ed o

r che

wed

Wh

at

tee

ns

have

he

ard

A g

reat

rele

ase

of te

nsio

nKe

eps

you

atte

ntiv

e an

d fo

cuse

dA

n or

al fi

xatio

n an

d ap

-pe

tite

supp

ress

ant

Dan

ge

rou

s b

ecau

seSl

ows d

own

the

brai

n’s

activ

ity a

nd w

hen

a us

er

stop

s usin

g th

em, t

here

can

be a

rebo

und

effec

t with

a

poss

ibilit

y of

lead

ing

to

seizu

res a

nd o

ther

har

mfu

l co

nseq

uenc

es

Taki

ng h

igh

dose

s m

ay

resu

lt in

dan

gero

usly

hi

gh b

ody

tem

pera

-tu

re a

nd a

n irr

egul

ar

hear

tbea

t. Po

tent

ial f

or

hear

t att

acks

and

leth

al

seiz

ures

Ciga

rett

e sm

okin

g ha

rms

ever

y or

gan

in

the

body

and

cau

ses

coro

nary

hea

rt d

isea

se

and

stro

ke a

s w

ell a

s m

any

form

s of

can

cer

Sig

ns

of

ab

use

Slur

red

spee

ch, s

hallo

w

brea

thin

g, sl

uggi

shne

ss,

diso

rient

atio

n, la

ck o

f co

-ord

inat

ion

Lack

of a

ppet

ite, i

n-cr

ease

d al

ertn

ess,

at

tent

ion

span

an

d en

ergy

Imp

ort

an

t

to k

no

wUs

ing pr

escri

ption

seda

tives

w

ith al

coho

l can

slow

bot

h the

he

art a

nd re

spira

tion

and p

ossib

ly lea

d to d

eath

Man

y tee

ns ab

use

this

pres

crib

ed m

edica

tion

to h

elp

them

cram

for

exam

s or s

uppr

ess t

heir

appe

tite

Seco

nd-h

and

smok

e co

ntrib

utes

to d

eath

s re

late

d to

car

diov

ascu

-la

r dis

ease


Warning signs that a friend or family member is indulging in harmful drug or alcohol use

Harmful drug and alcohol users often try to conceal their symptoms and downplay their problem. If you’re worried that a friend or family member might be abusing drugs, look for the following warning signs:

Warning signs of teen drug use

The challenge for parents is to distinguish between the normal, sometimes volatile, ups and downs of the teen years and the red flags of substance abuse. The warning signs of drug use and abuse in teenagers often include:

suddenly being secretive about friends, possessions and activities;

new interest in clothing, music and other items that highlight drug use;

demanding more privacy, locking doors, avoiding eye contact, sneaking around;

skipping class, declining grades, sud-denly getting into trouble at school;

missing money, valuables or prescrip-tions;

acting uncharacteristically isolated, withdrawn or depressed;

using incense, perfume, or air fresh-ener to hide the smell of smoke or drugs; and

using eye drops to mask bloodshot eyes or dilated pupils.

Physical warning signs

Bloodshot eyes or pupils that are larger or smaller than usual

Changes in appetite or sleep patterns Sudden weight loss or weight gain Deterioration of physical appearance and

personal grooming habits Unusual smells on breath, body or clothing. Tremors, slurred speech, or impaired

co-ordination

Drop in attendance and performance at work or school

Unexplained need for money or financial problems

May borrow or steal to get it Engaging in secretive or suspicious

behaviours Sudden change in friends, favourite

hangouts and hobbies Frequently getting into trouble (fights,

accidents, illegal activities)

Behavioural signs

Psychological warning signs

Unexplained change in personality or attitude

Sudden mood swings, irritability or angry outbursts

Periods of unusual hyperactivity, agita-tion or giddiness

Lack of motivation; appears lethargic or “spaced out”

Appears fearful, anxious, or paranoid for no reason


When you suspect a loved one may have a drug problem

If you suspect that a friend or family member may have a drug problem, don’t ig-nore it hoping it will change in time, it won’t. Do something about it. Here are a few things you can do:

Talk to the person about your concerns, and offer your help and support. The ear-lier dependency is treated, the better. Don’t wait for your loved one to hit bottom.

Be prepared for excuses and denial with specific examples of behaviour that has you worried.

Don’t get so caught up in someone else’s drug problem and neglect your own needs. Make sure you have people you can talk to and lean on for support, and stay safe. Don’t put yourself in dangerous situations. Join a support group.

Don’t make excuses or try to hide the problem. It’s natural to want to help a loved one in need, but protecting them from the nega-tive consequences of their choices may keep them from getting the help they need.

You can support a person with a drug or alcohol problem and encourage treatment, but you can’t force a person with a dependency to change.

You can’t control your loved one’s decisions. Let the person ac-cept responsibility for his or her actions, an essential step along the way to recovery for drug dependency.


Educate yourself and others about the positive and negative effects of substances, the risk of using them and what resources are available. Get brochures from your local clinic, your doctor, NGO’s or the internet.

Make informed choices about your own use of mood-altering substances (e.g. relax and have a good time without necessarily using alcohol, cigarettes or other mood-altering substances), and address any problems you may experience.

Discuss alcohol and other drug use openly with different people (no moralising, blaming or shaming. Let people explain their views, share your values and why you feel the way you do.)

Take notice of the signs that suggest problematic use of mood-altering substances in the people around you.

Set clear limits for yourself on the way someone else’s substance use affects you and decide on consequences that you are willing and able to carry through, should their behaviour not change.

Be honest, clear and caring with the user, saying how you are being affected by their actions and what limits you have set.

Offer constructive support to the user by giving information about interventions and treatment options, should they choose to seek help.

Be consistent in the way you apply your limits and their consequences. (Be prepared to lose a person’s affection for a while. Avoid feeling guilty for their poor decisions. This does not make you a bad person.)

Call to action – what can you do?

When parents or a friend confront the challenges of dealing with a loved one engaged in harmful drug or alcohol use, they often feel helpless.

One needs to educate oneself in order to help another.

Where does one start addressing the problem?Harmful drug or alcohol use can be a very real challenge. It often requires more than just the abuser or misuser to address the problem. It may require the con-scious action and commitment from the rest of the family to address the issue successfully.

The best place to start is at the beginning. Here are a few tips as to where to start the process of addressing the problem.

1

2

345678


Monitor yourself. Try to be aware of ways in which you may inadvertently be making it easier for problems to continue.

Get support and help for yourself — you will probably find many others in similar situations. Join a support group.Information provided courtesy © Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre 2007

910

Myths and facts about harmful alcohol/drug use

The second step is to know, and then dispense with, the myths and excuses the user or abuser may offer as an explanation or promise of action.

MYTH 1:Overcoming harmful use or depen-dency is simply a matter of willpow-er. “You can stop using drugs if you really want to.”FACT:Prolonged exposure to drugs and alcohol alters the brain. These brain changes make it extremely difficult for an individual to quit by sheer force of will.

MYTH 2:Dependency is a disease; there’s nothing you can do about it.FACT:Dependency is a disease, but that does not mean you’re a helpless vic-tim. Dependency can be treated and reversed through therapy, medica-tion, exercise and other treatments.

MYTH 3:Harmful drug and alcohol users have to hit rock bottom before they can get better. FACT:Treatment and recovery can begin at any point of dependency. The earlier, the better. The longer abuse continues, the harder it is to treat. Don’t wait, act immediately.

MYTH 4:You can’t force someone into treat-ment. They have to want help.FACT:Treatment does not have to be vol-untary to be successful. Someone that is pressured into treatment is just as likely to benefit as those who choose to enter treatment on their own. Advice as to how to have someone admitted, even against their will, is addressed below.

MYTH 5:Treatment did not work before, so there’s no point trying again. Some cases are hopeless.

FACT:Recovery from drug dependency is a long pro-cess. It often involves setbacks. Relapse does not mean that treatment has failed or that the person is a lost cause. Do not give up.


When someone resists your help

All too often a parent, family member or a friend tries to help someone close to them who is engaging in harmful drug or alcohol use and is behaving dangerously, but with little success.

What can you do if they ignore or resist any attempt to assist them to seek help?

Action required:

For this, the person needs to be taken to the nearest day hospital and ask them to assist.

If they refuse to go to the day hospital, you can call the police to take them there.

If they seem reluctant to act (sometimes the case), you can get a MHCA 04 form from your nearest day hospital and take it your local SAPS charge office.

The SAPS are then obliged to take him/her to the nearest day hospital for assessment.

If drugs seem to be the cause of their behaviour and the focus of the attention (e.g. violent and aggressive while high, demanding of money for drugs, etc.), they can be forced to go for compulsory drug treatment under the Substance Dependence Act.

They then need to be committed.

You have to go to the local magistrate’s office and make an affidavit in this regard. Then hand the affidavit in at your nearest social development office for action.

This is a lengthy process that goes through court and can take months but it is better than leaving the situation to worsen without acting on it.

If the person seems mentally unstable and psychotic (e.g. hearing voices, par-anoid, believes things that are untrue to be true, etc.) and is a danger to them-selves or others as a result of this, they should be certified under the Mental Health Care Act.


If they commit a crime (whether it is as a result of drug use or not), they are to be held legally accountable for this.

If they commit a crime as a result of a mental illness, there is a process where-by patients are sent for observation at Valkenburg and get compulsory mental health treatment.

If it is as a result of their dependency, the judge can sentence them via Article 296 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1977, for compulsory drug treatment, should the probation officer recommend it.

If neither of these two reasons are at play and they commit a crime, you need to consider whether you want them to repeatedly get away with it, or learn by experi-encing the consequences of their behaviour.

The offender may end up with a criminal record and may be sentenced to a prison term, which may be traumatic.

If the abuser is often abusive and violent at home (domestic violence), one can also get a restraining order and the police are obliged to act on this and remove them.

One may also apply for a protection order against the offending party to avoid fu-ture confrontation and abuse.

The advice is: act to address the problem and to protect yourself and your family.

It will also be of benefit to the abuser in the long term.

Courtesy Dr. Weich MRC 2009

... may end up with a criminal record and may be sentenced

to a prison term ...


Where to find helpDepartment of Social Development Toll-Free:0800 220 250

South African Police Services:0860 010 111

City of Cape Town:0800 435 748

Department of Health: Stikland Helpline:021 940 4500

Department of Social Development Regional Offices:

Metro North: 021 483 7689

Metro South: 021 763 6200

Metro East: 021 360 4200

West Coast: 022 713 2272

Eden-Karoo: 081 588 9118

Cape Winelands: 023 348 5300

OR


Western Cape GovernmentSocial Development

Private Bag X9112Cape Town8000South Africa

Toll-free: 0800 220 250

www.westerncape.gov.za

October 2017

Afrikaans and Xhosa versions of this publication are available on request.

Booklet for Parents - westerncape.gov.za · 4 Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents 8. Different...

Documents

Transcript of Booklet for Parents - westerncape.gov.za · 4 Substance Abuse Booklet for Parents 8. Different...