Drugs and Alcohol

Prevention Education Topics

Alcohol-related high-risk behavior Alcohol poisoning Risk of cannabis use Risk of using hallucinogens, magic mushrooms

(psilocybin) Risk of anabolic steroids and other performance

enhancing drugs Risk of drinking and drug use during pregnancy

Background Facts

Drinking Facts Canada Straight Talk About Marijuana

Videos

The Overtaken Documentary

 

Innocence Lost: Stories of Youth Addiction on PEI 

Addicted Population - Drugs in Canada (Documentary)

What is a Drug?

Drugs are anything other than food that are taken and change how our body or mind work

60% of people who use illegal drugs are age 15-24

Types of Drugs

There are three main types of illegal/illicit drugs based on how they affect the brain: 1) Hallucinogens

2) Stimulants

3) Depressants

Hallucinogens

Cause people to have hallucinations and alter their perception of reality

People see images, hear sounds, and feel sensations that seem real but are not

Examples of hallucinogens: Marijuana Ecstasy (Hallucinogen & Stimulant) Magic Mushrooms LSD

Ecstasy Also known as: love drug, E, XTC, Party pill,

Hug drug Is both a STIMULANT and HALLUCIOGEN that is

made in illegal labs It is sold as a tablet, capsule or powder in

different sizes, shapes and colours A single hit can last 3-6 hours but the after

effects can last for days to weeks

Stimulants

Increase alertness and physical activity Also known as “Uppers” Examples of Stimulants:

Caffeine Nicotine Cocaine and Crack Cocaine Methamphetamine Ecstasy (Hallucinogen & Stimulant)

Cocaine & Crack Cocaine Also known as: blow, crack, coke, rock Cocaine is a STIMULANT Made from a coca plant in South America Cocaine is a white powder that can be snorted

or added to water and injected into veins Crack cocaine looks like rocks or crystals and

can be smoked

Methamphetamine Also known as: meth, crystal meth, speed Methamphetamine is a STIMULANT A man-made drug which makes it very

dangerous because it can be very strong causing an overdose

It can be taken by mouth, smoked, snorted or injected into veins

“Speed” is a form of the drug that is injected “Crystal Meth” is the form of drug that is smoked

Methamphetamine

Can cause serious memory problems if used a lot

Can lead to hallucinations such as the feeling of bugs crawling under the skin

 

Depressants

Slow down the normal function of the brain and have the opposite affect of stimulants

Also known as “downers” and can slow down breathing and heart rate

Examples of Depressants: Alcohol Heroin Narcotics (pain medication given in hospitals)

Heroin Also known as: dope, dust, junk, smack Heroin is a DEPRESSANT Made from morphine as a clear white powder

but is sold on the street in many colours It can be smoked, snorted or injected into the

veins and can be 2-98% purity which makes it very dangerous

Overdose or misuse of heroin can lead to death

Most Common Drugs

The 3 most commonly used drugs by PEI youth:

Alcohol

Nicotine

Marijuana

Alcohol: What Is It? Alcohol is a DEPRESSANT Alcohol is a flammable liquid that is composed

of ethanol There are many different types of alcohol

Beer Wine Hard Liquor: Whiskey, Vodka, Rum etc.

Alcoholic beverages vary in the percent of alcohol in one drink

Alcohol: How It Works

When a person drinks alcohol it is absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to all body parts and the brain

When alcohol reaches the brain it changes the way it works and how we function in many ways

If a person drinks too much they become intoxicated

Alcohol: Side Effects Euphoria Drowsiness Dizziness Slurred Speech Staggering Double Vision Unconsciousness Memory Concentration Coordination

Alcohol Effects

Alcohol: Long Term Effects Liver damage Brain damage Heart Disease Cancer Ulcers Memory loss Impotence Reproductive problems Disorders of the pancreas

Alcohol Video

http://www.thesite.org/audioandvideo/video/drinkanddrugs/alcoholthefacts

Nicotine: What Is It? Nicotine is a STIMULANT Nicotine is the drug responsible for making

cigarettes so addictive and is found in tobacco Tobacco makes up 90% of a cigarette but

many people use smokeless forms of tobacco known as chewing tobacco Chewing tobacco has many of the same

negative effects as smoking and also causes dental problems

Nicotine: Side Effects Difficulty breathing Decreased appetite Decreased circulation Increased heart rate and blood pressure Drop in skin temperature Faster and shallower breathing First-time smokers feel dizzy and energized

and may experience diarrhea and vomiting

Nicotine: Long Term Effects Smoking tobacco is KNOWN to cause 26 diseases

and health problems including: Chronic Obstructive Lung Diseases

Emphysema Bronchitis

Pneumonia Heart Attack Stroke Cancer

Lung, mouth, throat, pancreas, kidney and bladder

Smoking Facts

Tobacco smoke has over 4000 chemicals and over 50 that are KNOWN to cause cancer

A person who smokes will die 8 years earlier than a non-smoker

In 2010, 37 000 Canadians died from tobacco related illnesses

Marijuana: What Is it?

Marijuana is a HALLUCINOGEN Also called: weed, pot, joint, grass, green Marijuana comes from a plant called Cannabis

Other forms of cannabis include hash & hash oil

There is a chemical in all cannabis called THC that causes the “high” feeling

Marijuana: Side Effects See handout Increased pulse rate & decreased blood pressure

Which could lead to dizziness & fainting

Bloodshot eyes Dry mouth Increased appetite Mild paranoia, anxiety or panic Impaired short term memory Impaired coordination & reaction time

Marijuana: Long Term Effects Respiratory diseases Cancer Decreased motivation and concentration

Leads to problems in school and work

Long term use of marijuana can cause the mental illness schizophrenia Paranoia Delusions Hallucinations

What Does This Mean for You? In 2007, of PEI’s grade 9 students:

37% have used alcohol at least once

17% have used marijuana at least once First use of marijuana is around Grade 8 or Grade 9

13% have tried smoking

Addiction Definition:

Addiction is when people crave the drug, lose control over how much they use and use of the drug even though it causes bad things to happen in their life

Factors That Cause Addiction

Early Regular Use: the younger a person is when they begin to use

drugs and alcohol the more likely they will become addicted and the faster the addiction occurs

40% of people who began using alcohol at age 14 or younger were found to have problems and addictions later in life

Heredity: people who have a family history of addiction are

more likely to become addicted themselves

Factors That Cause Addiction

Education & Knowledge: Addiction is linked to lower levels of education

The less people know about drugs and alcohol the more likely they are to try them and become addicted

Body Make-Up: Drugs and alcohol affect everyone’s body differently

Exposure Before Birth: If a pregnant woman uses drugs and alcohol while

pregnant, her child has a higher risk of addiction

Negative Effects of Addiction

Withdrawal: The body gets used to using a certain drug and if

it is decreased or stopped the person becomes sick and has withdrawal symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms include: shaking, sweating, headache, nausea, vomiting, and many others

Dependence: There are two types of dependence, when your

body needs the drug to feel normal and when your mind needs the drug because of a craving

Negative Effects of Addiction

Tolerance: The more often a drug is used, then more of the

drug is needed to produce the effects it used to

Ex: a person who used to get drunk from 4 beer now needs more than 4 to feel the effects

Overdose: Taking too much of a drug or drinking too much

alcohol that can lead to death

Negative Effects of Addiction Legal Risks:

The use of illegal drugs, drugs that are not prescribed by your doctor and alcohol under the legal age can lead to charges, prison and a criminal record

Other Risks: drugs and alcohol can cause people to do

dangerous things they wouldn’t normally do it they were no under the influence such as drinking and driving, risky behaviour such as stealing or sex which can lead to unwanted pregnancy or STIs

Video

http://www.justtalkpei.ca/index.php?page=video2

Slideshow Project

You will choose a topic to research and present to the class.

1) Gather the facts – identify the substance and how it affects teen users. Identify 2 or 3 “high-risk” behaviors that can occur when using the substance. Include 2-5 statistics – you can use the PEI Drug Use Survey.

Slideshow Project

2) Set a priority – decide what single message is the most important to share and make sure you emphasize it. “Present facts, or bust myths.”

3) Be credible – speak to teens from teens. Include a list of references

4) Be creative – make sure the message “hits home.” Include a personal thought, opinion, or statement that you have formed about the topic through your research.

Topics Alcohol-related high risk behavior The risk of cannabis use The risks of drinking and other drug use during pregnancy Risk of prescription drug dependency Risks of using hallucinogens – psilocybin or MDMA Risk of methamphetamine use Risk of anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs Alcohol poisoning

Rubric

Rubric

Test Review

Need to know:

What is a drug? Know the three types of drugs and provide

examples of each What are the three most common for PEI? Know the drinking facts sheet – how alcohol

affects you, how you absorb it, alcohol poisoning, etc.

Test Review

Know marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and how it affects the brain.

Problems with marijuana Know: drug abuse physical dependency

psychological dependencywithdrawal symptoms hallucinogens

depressants stimulants alcoholLSD ecstasy psychoactive

10 multiple choice questions