DISTURBING TRENDS IN ALCOHOL AND DRUG 

ABUSE

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OBJECTIVES

• Identify contributing factors to underage impaired driving fatalities. 

• Identify trends in alcohol consumption for Middle School and High School age students. 

• Identify trends in drug use among youth.  

• Identify commonly abused substances.

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CONTRIBUTING  FACTORS TO UNDERAGE IMPAIRED DRIVING FATALITIES

• Lack of driving experience puts young drivers at increasedrisk. They are less able to scan their environment and detector recognize imminent hazards.

• In addition, after they have been drinking or taking drugs,young drivers tend to engage in very risky behavior. Forexample, they are more likely to drive 20 or more miles overthe speed limit, run red lights and make illegal turns.

• They are less likely to wear safety belts.

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BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN TEENAGERS• The brain grows and changes continually in young people and it

is only about 80 percent developed in adolescents. The lastsection to mature is the frontal lobe, responsible for thingssuch as reasoning, planning and judgment. Maturation occursaround 25.

• Alcohol reduces the level of serotonin in the brain. One ofserotonin’s most important roles is to help control impulses.This is why drinking teens often engage in foolish, irresponsibleand dangerous activities.

• Alcohol‐induced memory impairments, such as "blackouts," areparticularly common among young drinkers because of theirbrain’s reduced ability to adapt to new conditions.

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ALCOHOL AND BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

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MIDDLE /HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

• In Texas, 1 in 4 students had their first drinkbefore the age of 13.

• 72% of Texas secondary students report thatthey had used alcohol at some point in theirlives and 39.7% report they have used in thelast month.

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MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

• 17% of Texas high school seniors said theyhave driven after having several drinks and34.7% rode with a driver who had beendrinking alcohol.

• Alcohol is considered a “gateway” drugmeaning early use is a predictor that anadolescent will try other substances.

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ALOCOHOL USE ‐ POPULAR TRENDS

• Energy Drinks

• Tampons

• Gummy bears

• Soaking candy

• Fruit

• Smoking Alcohol

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ENERGY DRINKS CONTAINING ALCOHOL

• Effects: Contain caffeine and other herbal stimulants.Alcohol volume varies between 6% and 12%. One 23.5can may contain nearly a six pack of beer’s worth ofethanol. User is less aware of intoxication because ofthe caffeine.

• Examples: Four Loko, Joose, Full Tilt

• FDA issued a ban on these drinks in November 2010specific to the addition of caffeine. Teens may makethem on their own or find them online.

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TAMPONS

• Soak tampons in vodka

• May be inserted vaginally or in the rectum

• Allows alcohol to enter the bloodstream fasterthan the acid protected gastrointestinal tract

• There is no way for the body to eliminate theexcess alcohol and no way for them to gaugehow much they have really consumed

• Breath does not smell like alcohol

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LIQUOR SOAKED TAMPONS

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GUMMY BEARS

• “Drunk bears”

• Pour liquor such as vodka over gummy bearsin a dish

• Let them sit for a couple of hours or overnight

• Gummy bears will soak up the liquor andexpand in size

• May also use gummy worms or red fish

• Don’t realize how much they are ingesting

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CANDY SOAKED VODKA

• Use skittles, jolly ranchers, starburst orpeppermints

• Separate the candy by color and put in jars orwater bottles

• Pour in vodka and agitate until the skittles aredissolved

• Let the mixture sit for a day or two

• Filter through a coffee filter

• Refrigerate13

VODKA SOAKED FRUIT

Students inject vodka into an orange with a syringe or soak watermelon with vodka so that they can consume the fruit in class or on school 

grounds without detection.

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SMOKING ALCOHOL• Alcohol is poured over dry ice and inhaled

• Alcohol is poured into a bottle, the bottle is corked, and a bicycle pump needle is poked through the top of the cork.  Air is then pumped into the bottle in order to vaporize the alcohol and the user inhales. 

• “Vaportinis” – Available at bars

• Dangerous because it is unknown exactly how much alcohol is being ingested directly into the bloodstream through the lungs.  The alcohol isn’t metabolized or expelled through vomiting.    

• Risk of lungs filling up with liquid.15

COMMONLY ABUSED SUBSTANCES

• Marijuana

• Medication

• Synthetics

• Inhalants

• Mushrooms

• Ecstasy

• Herbs and Plants

• Cocaine

• Heroin16

MARIJUANA(Duration of effects: 2‐3 hours but up to 24 hours)

What an you might see:

• Body tremors

• Eyelid tremors

• Sleepiness 

• Increased heart rate 

• Paranoia

• Hallucinations 

• Panic attacks

• Psychosis

• Debris in mouth

• Relaxed inhibitions

• Impaired perception of time and distance

• Disorientation

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MEDICATION ‐ PSYCHOSTIMULANTS

• Although stimulants, these drugs have a calming andfocusing effect on those with a hyperactivity disorder.

• Those without ADHD use the drugs for the stimulanteffect. They increase the amount of circulating brainchemicals that raise blood pressure and heart rate,speed up breathing, decrease appetite, increaseconcentration, gives a sense of euphoria and causesinsomnia.

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MEDICATION ‐ PSYCHOSTIMULANTS(Duration of effects: 4‐8 hours)

What an you might see: 

• Body Tremors

• Restlessness 

• Talkative

• Exaggerated reflexes

• Anxiety 

• Irritability 

• Grinding teeth 

• Loss of appetite 

• Cardiac irregularities

• Convulsions 

• Seizures

• Dry mouth

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Examples: 

•Xanax (aka “Xannies”, “Handle Bars”, “Bars”) 

•Valium•Ativan

MEDICATION ‐ ANTI‐ANXIETY TRANQUILIZERS

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MEDICATION ‐ ANTI‐ANXIETY TRANQUILIZERS

(Duration of effects: 4‐8 hours)

What an you might see: 

• Uncoordinated and/or fumbling

• Disoriented

• Sluggish

• Thick, slurred speech

• Sleepy 

• Droopy eyelids 

• Oversedation looks like alcohol impairment21

MEDICATION ‐ OPIODS

A recent report from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that each year, more people die from prescription painkiller overdoses than from heroin and 

cocaine overdoses combined.

http://news.yahoo.com/3-dangerous-drug-habits-teens-161303746.html

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Examples: 

• Vicodin 

• Lortab

• Oxycodone • “Hillbilly Heroin” 

• “OC” 

• “Oxy” 

• Codeine (aka “Purple Drank”)

MEDICATION ‐ OPIODS

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MEDICATION ‐ OPIODS(Duration of Effects: Varies)

What an you might see: 

• Low, raspy slow speech

• Dry mouth

• Euphoria

• Sensory distortion

• Droopy eyelids 

• Drowsy

• Constricted pupils

• Itching

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Examples: 

Dextromethorphan (DXM)

Brands: Robitussin (aka“Robo”,“Triple C’s”,“Skittles”)

Sleeping Pills/Allergy Medication 

Brands: Sominex, Benadryl

Doxylamine

Brands: Unisom, Nyquil

Effects: 

• Similar to alcohol impairment 

• May have mild hallucinations

MEDICATION ‐ OVER‐THE‐COUNTER

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PHARMING PARTIES

During these parties, students take whatever drugs and medications that they can get and combine them in a bag or bowl. They take 

handfuls at one time without knowing exactly what they are taking and what interactions the drugs may have when mixed together.

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SYNERGISTIC EFFECT• A biologic response to multiple substances where one

substance worsens the effect of another substance. Thecombined effect of the substances acting together is greaterthan the sum of the effects of the substances acting bythemselves.

• This is a common concern involving college age students thatfrequently mix alcohol with substances or various substancestogether.

• Poly drug use is becoming very popular as students mixmultiple “uppers” and “downers” in order to maintain aconsistent high.

• Happens during “Pharming Parties”

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SYNTHETIC DRUGS

• Drugs that mimic the effects of marijuana, cocaine and LSD.  

• In many cases, the effects might be stronger and more unpredictable. 

• Examples:  K2 or Spice aka “fake weed”

Bath Salts aka “fake cocaine”

• DEA has banned the chemicals used to make these products.

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Examples: 

• Nitrous Oxide (aka: laughing gas, whippets) 

• Dust Off

• Cooking Spray

• Spray Paint 

• Glue

INHALANTS

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INHALANTS(Duration of effects: very short)

What an officer may see:

• Feels like being drunk with dizziness, dreaminess and fits of giggles 

• May cause hallucinations 

• Constricted pupils

• Possible nausea

• Disorientation

• Confusion 

• Bloodshot watery eyes

• Lack of muscle control

• Flushed face

• May leave a rash around the mouth 30

INHALANTS

Methods of Ingestion:

• Sniffing through the nose 

• “Huffing”‐inhaling fumes through the open mouth

• “Bagging”‐spraying the substance into a bag and placing the bag over their head 

• “Dusting”‐inhaling compressed air from sprays used for cleaning computer keyboards.  

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MUSHROOMS

• Contain hallucinogenic properties and alter states ofconsciousness.

• May be eaten raw or cooked, made into a tea orsoup and drank, or ground into a powder andsmoked, often on top of marijuana.

• Side effects include stomach pain, increased heartrate, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, anxiety/panicattacks, mental disorders, flashbacks and impairedjudgment.

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MDMA(ECSTASY)

• Psychoactive drug similar to methamphetamine andmescaline.

• Effects the neurons in the brain that use serotonin,by causing excessive release of serotonin. Thisproduces an energizing effect and feelings ofeuphoria, emotional warmth and distortions in timeperception and tactile experiences.

• Side effects include confusion, depression, insomnia,drug craving and severe anxiety.

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SALVIAMay be purchased at a head shop or directions are available online for extracting and purifying the substance out of the plant that is smoked. 

Effects:

•Uncontrollable laughter

•Lack of coordination

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SALVIA TRIP

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JIMSON WEEDUser may eat the seeds or drink them in a tea. The entire plant is poisonous. The experience is typically described as unpleasant. 

Effects:

•Hallucinations

•Dry Mouth

•Euphoria 36

MORNING GLORY

Must purchase untreated seeds to be eaten.  The kind that is sold for planting is usually treated and will make the user sick to their stomach.

Effects:

•Similar to LSD

•Mood Swings37

COCAINE

• Cocaine is used for its exhilarating and intensehigh. Cocaine can be snorted or injected, orcrack cocaine—cocaine mixed with bakingsoda—can be smoked.

• Cocaine depletes all of the body’s feel‐goodchemicals after the user’s high is over, thuscausing depression and other symptoms, calleda cocaine crash.

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COCAINE

Effects:

• Nausea 

• Increased blood pressure 

• Headaches

• Insomnia

• Erratic heart beat 

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HEROIN

• Heroin is a highly addictive drug that is processed frommorphine, which comes from the seedpod of the opiumAsian poppy plant. It is a depressant that inhibits thecentral nervous system.

• Heroin in its purest form is usually a white powder. Lesspure forms have varied colors ranging from white tobrown. "Black tar" heroin is dark brown or black andhas a tar‐like sticky feel to it.

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HEROINEffects:

• Itching

• Reddening of the eyes

• Dry mouth

• Flushing of the skin

• Pupil constriction

• Nodding out

• Heaviness of the extremities 

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CONCEALING ON SCHOOL GROUNDS

• Students may use soda cans, water bottles, batteries, pens, clothing, etc.

• These items can be purchased at head shops, online or made at home.

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CONCEALING ON SCHOOL GROUNDS

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CONCLUSIONS• We must look beyond underage drinking at the larger issue of substance abuse.

• Trends and methods of young people may be far different from those of adults.

• New substances and methods of abuse are occurring regularly.

• This makes recognition of drugs and their effects a considerable challenge. 

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