Illicit Drugs

Marijuana

Statistics: A recent government survey tells us that marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in the United States.
A survey conducted in 2005 by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) estimated 97.5 million Americans aged 12 or older tried marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, representing 40.1% of the U.S. population in that age group.

Marijuana is the most used illegal drug. Today, marijuana is up to 7 times stronger that it was in the 60’s and 70’s. It contains approximately 420 chemicals, and the average first age of use is 14. It is considered the gateway drug to all other drugs. The tar content of marijuana is up to 20 times compared to a cigarette. More teens are in treatment for marijuana use than all other illegal drugs combined.

Method: Smoked.

Effects: difficulty listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge , problem solving, forming concepts, coordination, and cause memory loss, increase heart rate, anxiety, hallucinations, increase risk of cancer.

Signs your child may be using:

Red or bloodshot eyes
A sense of relaxation and happiness
A heightened sense of tatse perception
Poor memory
Increased blood pressure and heart rate
Red eyes
Decreased coordination
Difficulty concentrating
Increased appetite
Slowed reaction time
Addiction (psychological)
Panic

Paranoia
Persistent anxiety
Impaired learning skills
Memory difficulties

Methamphetamine:

Street Names: crank, crystal, ice, glass, chalk, black beauty, bling, blade

Stats: Approximately 8% of high school seniors surveyed in 2000 had used methamphetamine at least once in their lives.
According to the 2005 NSDUH, 10.4 million Americans age 12 and older had tried methamphetamine at least once in their lifetimes. (NIDA)

Method: swallowed, injected, snorted, smoked.

Onset 8-30 seconds: Highly addicted.

Effects: Sensation of insects crawling under the skin, hallucinations, anxiety, aggression, Irritability, loss of appetite, unable to sleep, stoke or convulsions.
Methamphetamine is an extremely addictive central nervous system stimulant.
Meth usage has effects on the brain and central nervous system. Withdrawal from meth is also more intense, painful, and longer-lasting than withdrawal from other drugs. Depression can result from coming off the drug.

Made from common household chemicals, methamphetamine is a synthetic (or man-made) drug.

Signs your child may be using:

Dilated pupils
Dry mouth
Euphoria
Decreased appetite
Rapid speech
Irritability
Restlessness
Depression
Nasal congestion
Insomnia
Weight loss
Increased heart rate
Increased blood pressure
Increased temperature
Lack of interest in food or sleep
Argumentative
Nervous
Violent
Paranoia

Ecstacy

MDMA - Street names: 69’s, Adams, b-bombs, batman’s, hug drug, love drug

Stats: 28% of teens know a friend or classmate who has used Ecstasy, with 17% knowing more than one user.
10% of teens say that they have been to a rave, and Ecstasy was available at more than two-thirds of these raves.
Among 12th graders, Ecstasy use rose from 5.6% in 1999 to 8.2% in 2000, and for the first time, 8th graders showed increased rates in their use of Ecstasy as well.

MDMA, known as Ecstasy, is a chemical that is usually taken orally as a capsule or tablet. It is a man-made drug that is chemically similar to both stimulants and hallucinogens. It distorts the perception of time and the sense of touch. Taking Ecstasy causes chemical changes in the brain that affect your mood, appetite and sleep.

Effects: Confusion, depression , sleep problems, severe anxiety, muscle tension , involuntary teeth clenching, nausea , blurred vision ,faintness ,chills or sweating , dependence and withdrawal effects (fatigue, loss of appetite, depressed feelings, and trouble concentrating) Some problems can occur while or soon after taking the drug, others come days or weeks after taking Ecstasy.

Signs your child may be using:

Dilated pupils
Intense euphoria
Peacefulness
Empathy
Sympathy
Acceptances

GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid)

Street Names: date rape drug, candy raver, cherry meth, ever clear, fantasy, G

Stats: GHB has reportedly been used in cases of date rape. Because GHB is odorless and tasteless, it can be slipped into someone's drink without detection.
Anyone who possesses manufactures or distributes GHB could face a prison term of up to 20 years.

Method: Liquid form.
This is clear form, odorless liquid that relaxes and sedate the body. Ten to twenty seconds after ingestion and up to four hours. The level of doses reflects on the effects. It relaxes or sedates the body , and makes them look like they are drunk. In high doses it can slow breathing and heart rate to dangerous levels, may cause coma or death. In low doses it relieves anxiety, produce relaxation.

Overdose Signs and effects: drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, headache, loss of consciousness, loss of reflexes, impaired breathing, and ultimately death National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Person appears to be asleep but cannot be woken.
Person is incoherent, sweating profusely, vomiting and has irregular or shallow breathing.
Person is not able to stand and/or has involuntary muscle contractions.

Heroin (Black Tar)

Street names: A-bomb, Aunt Hazel, Bart Simpson, Big H, Big Harry, black beauty

Stats: Current estimates suggest that nearly 600,000 people need treatment for heroin addiction.
Children as young as 13 have been found involved in heroin abuse. According to statistics in 1999 heroin overdose has caused more deaths than traffic accidents.

Heroin is a highly addictive drug and is the most widely abused and most rapidly acting of the opiates. Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy plants. A "downer" that affects the brain's pleasure systems and interferes with the brain's ability to perceive pain. Most widely abused illicit narcotic in the United States.

Physical tolerance builds up is fast.

Purity levels vary: too much pure heroin can result in respiratory arrest and death .
Methods: can be injected, smoked, sniffed or snorted.

Side Effects: Warm flushing of the skin ,dry mouth ,heavy feeling in the extremities ,nausea ,vomiting, severe itching ,clouded mental functions ,infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis (from injection needles) ,collapsed veins ,infection of the heart lining and valves ,abscesses at the injection location ,liver or kidney disease . Overdose is a daily possibility

Signs your child may be using:

Pinpoint pupils
No response of pupils to light
A rush of pleasurable feelings
Cessation of physical pain
Lethargy
Drowsiness
Slurred Speech
Shallow breathing
Sweating
Vomiting
A drop in body temperature
Sleepiness
Loss of appetite

Cocaine

Stats: Approximately 36.8 million Americans ages 12 and older had tried cocaine at least once in their lifetimes.
19.5% of eighth graders, 28.2% of tenth graders, and 38.9% of twelfth graders surveyed in 2008 reported that powder cocaine was "fairly easy" or "very easy" to obtain (Whitehouse Drug Policy, 2008).

Cocaine is the most potent stimulant of natural origin. This substance can be snorted, smoked, or injected. When snorted, cocaine powder is inhaled through the nose where it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues. When injected, the user uses a needle to release the drug directly into the bloodstream. Smoking involves inhaling cocaine vapor or smoke into the lungs where absorption into the bloodstream is as rapid as by injection. Each of these methods of administration pose great risks to the user.
Methods: can be injected, smoked, sniffed or snorted.

Effects: Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant. Physical effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Users may also experience feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety.

Signs your child may be using:

Dilated pupils
Euphoria
Irritability
Anxiety
Excessive talking
Depression or excessive sleeping
Long periods without eating
Long periods without sleeping
Weight loss
Dry mouth and nose
Paranoia
Disturbance of heart rhythm
Chest pain
Heart failure
Respiratory failure
Strokes
Seizures

Prescription/O.T.C

Street names: skittles, Trail Mix, Pharm Party, poly drug, chill pills, French fries, trangs, big boys, cotton
Prescription Drug Abuse by teens/young adults is a serious problem in the United States

1 in 5 teens has abused a prescription (Rx) pain medication
1 in 5 report abusing prescription stimulants.
1 in 10 has abused cough medication

The misconception of Prescription drugs is that they are safer than illicit drugs, when abused, they can be as addictive and dangerous as illegal drugs. Prescription drugs should only be taken exactly as directed by a medical professional.

Prescription drugs account for the second most commonly abused category of drugs, behind marijuana and ahead of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other drugs.

Pharming (pronounced "farming") from the word pharmaceutical. It means kids getting high by raiding their parents' medicine cabinets for prescription drugs. Pharm parties where teens bring prescription drugs from home, mix them together into a big bowl (trail mix), and grab a handful. Not surprisingly, pharm parties are usually arranged while parents are out. Pilz (pronounced pills) A popular term used to describe prescription medications.

Method: Perfect Cocktail Prescription drugs mixed with alcoholic or other beverages.

Trail mix: A mixture of various prescription drugs, usually served in a big bag or bowl at pharm parties.
“ POLY DRUG” Taking several drugs throughout the day to produce different reactions uppers and downers.

What do they look like?
They can be broken down into 4 types
•   Pain relievers
•   Stimulants
•   Sedatives
•   Tranquilizers

Signs your child may be abusing:

Excessive energy
Excessive drowsiness
Inability to concentrate
Lowered inhibitions
Increased secrecy
Dramatic and compelling but vague complaints
Constricted or diluted pupils
Flushed face and neck
Slowed breathing
Lowered blood pressure
Sensory alteration

Inhalants

Street Names: Whippets, poppers, snappers, satan's secret, buzz bomb, shoot the breeze, snotballs, Texas shoe shine, highball, thrust, hippie crack, toilet water, huff, toncho, laughing gas, locker room, and more.
WHAT IS AN INHALANT? Substances or fumes that are sniffed or “huffed” to achieve a fast high.

Stats: One on five students in America has used an inhalant to get high by the time he or she reaches the eighth grade.
Huffing is the 3rd most abused substance by teenagers and is an increasing problem in today's society. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH/NHSDA), "inhalants had the youngest average age at first use (16.0 years)" and "75% of recent initiates were under 18 when they first used".

Not classified as drugs, classified as poisons. Deprives oxygen to the brain. “Inhalants kill more first time users than any other substance used as a drug” (Buzzed, 2003)

Examples: paints, whip cream canisters, markers, whiteout, cooking spray, superglue, gasoline, axe spray nitrous oxide “whippets”, purell, aerosols – hairspray, etc. www.inhalants.org

“Sudden Sniffing Death” is the terms used when a person’s heart rate increases so erratically that

it results in cardiac arrest and death. It can happen the 1st or 100th time. Sudden Sniffing Death
Inhalants are volatile substances that produce chemical vapors that can be inhaled to induce a psychoactive, or mind-altering, effect. Inhalants include a broad range of chemicals found in hundreds of different products that may have different pharmacological effects. There are four general categories of inhalants:

Volatile solvents are liquids that vaporize at room temperature and are found in products such as paint thinners/removers, dry-cleaning fluids, gasoline, correction fluids, and felt-tip marker fluids.
Aerosols are sprays that contain propellants and solvents and include spray paints, deodorant and hair sprays, vegetable oil sprays for cooking, and fabric protector sprays.
Gases used as inhalants include medical anesthetics (ether, chloroform, and nitrous oxide) as well as gases used in household or commercial products (butane lighters, propane tanks, whipped cream dispensers, and refrigerants).
Nitrites include cyclohexyl nitrite, isoamyl (amyl) nitrite, and isobutyl (butyl) nitrite, and are commonly known as "poppers" or "snappers.

Signs your child may be using: