Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Substance use and abuse

First…a few statistics…

3

Nationwide Statistics on Substance Use:

• 81% of students surveyed have had >1 drink of alcohol in their lifetime

• 14.6% of students surveyed have sniffed glue, breathed the contents of aerosol, or inhaled any type of sprays or paints to get high during their lifetime

• 11.3% of students surveyed have tried marijuana before age 13 years

• 32.2% of students surveyed have had their first drink of alcohol before age 13

• 47.2% students surveyed have used marijuana in their lifetime

• 30.2% of students surveyed have been offered, sold, or been given drugs on school property the 12 months preceding the survey

Source: National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2005

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Initiation of Substance Abuse BehaviorsBefore Age 11 (Middle School) or Age 13 (HS)

8.8%

17.3%15.9%

19.7%

3.6%

8.3%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

18.0%

20.0%

Cigarettes Alcohol Marijuana

*Middle School *High School

* Middle school initiation before age 11yrs; * High school initiation before age 13yrs

Source: NC YRBS, 2007

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Substance Abuse Behaviors among Youth in North Carolina (past 30 day use)

11.7%

22.5%

37.7%

5.7%

19.1%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

Cigarettes Alcohol Marijuana

Middle School High School

Middle schools students asked the question “ever had a drink other than a few sips” (33.6%) , no comparable ‘past 30 day use’ data available through 2007 YRBS for middle school students.

Source: NC YRBS, 2007

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Illegal Drug Use Patterns Among Middle School Students (‘ever used’)

3.4%

13.6%

3.0%

7.9%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

18.0%

20.0%

Cocaine/ crack Sniffed glue/ spraycans

Steroid pills/ shots Prescription pills

Middle School Students

Source: NC YRBS, 2007

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Illegal Drug Use Patterns Among High School Students (‘ever used’)

17.0%

3.9%

6.4%4.7%

2.8%

13.8%

7.0%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

12.0%

14.0%

16.0%

18.0%

Prescri

ption

Drug

Steroid pi

lls/ s

hots

Ecsta

sy

Meth

emph

etamine

s

Hero

in

Sniff G

lue/ a

reosols

Cocaine/

Crack

High School Students

Source: NC YRBS, 2007

Substance Abuse: Substance dependence (addiction)

Occupational or social problems, much time trying to obtain substance, continued use despite problems, etc.

Involves either tolerance or withdrawalTolerance

Greater amounts required to produce desired effect

WithdrawalPhysiological and psychological consequences when individual discontinues or reduces substance use

Restlessness, anxiety, cramps, death

Substance abuseMaladaptive use of substanceNo physiological dependence

Alcohol: beer, wine, hard liquors.

Enters the bloodstream through small intestinemetabolized by the liver

Effects vary by concentrationConcentration varies by gender, height, weight, liver efficiencyAffects brain areas associated with error monitoring and decision making.

Biphasic effectInitially stimulatesLater depresses

Increase in negative emotions

Short Term effects of alcohol use:

Alcohol: Effects of ingesting large amounts of alcohol:

* Impaired speech and vision* Interference in complex thought processes* Poor coordination* Loss of balance* Depression and withdrawal

Long term effects of use may include:* Malnutrition * Deficiency of B-complex vitamins* Cirrhosis of the liver* Heart failure* Stroke* Destruction of brain cells

Alcohol Abuse

• Research has found that repeated exposure to alcohol (Chronic Intermittent Exposure) leads to long lasting deficits in learning, memory and visual spatial ability• This is especially true when alcohol use is heavy enough to cause withdrawal symptoms• Studies conducted in alcohol abuse treatment have demonstrated that a return to drinking after treatment may cause deficits in attentional functioning• Adolescents who abuse alcohol are at greater risk for long term deficits• Compared to adults, adolescents are actually less sensitive to impairments in motor coordination

Smoking: use of tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, pipe smoking.

NicotineAddicting agent of tobaccoPrincipal alkaloid

Active chemicals that give drugs their physiological and psychological altering properties

Stimulates dopamine neurons in mesolimbic area

Involved in reinforcing effect

Effects of Smoking or using tobacco:

Lung Disease: lung cancer, emphysema, bronchitis

Bad breath, yellow teeth, damage to epithelial tissues like skin and hair

Heart Disease: Increased risk of heart disease

Hardening of arteries due to plaque buildup

Effects of Alcohol and Nicotine on Startle Eyeblink Magnitudes (reactions rate to startling).

Marijuana (pot)

Drug derived from dried and ground leaves and stems of the female hemp plant (Cannibis sativa)

Most frequently used illicit drug in US15,000,000 reported using it in 2006

Effects include: Rapid shifts of emotionInterferes with attention, memory, and thinking

Decline in IQ over timeHeavy doses can induce hallucinations and panicImpairment of skills needed for drivingBloodshot & itchy eyesDry mouth and throatIncreased appetiteReduced pressure within the eyeIncreased BPAbnormal heart rate

Other potentially abused and/or addictive drugs:

Opiates: morphine, heroin, codeine

Sedatives: barbituates, synthetic sedatives

Stimulants: Amphetamines—benzedrine, dexadrine, methadrine; and Methamphetamines (crystal meth)

Stimulants: Alkaloids--Cocaine—”crack” is the cheap street version

Hallucinogens: LSD, various “mushrooms” (some are deadly!)

Others: ecstasy, PCP, mescaline, et. Al.

Recent Problem: Overdose and mis-use of pharmaceuticals (over the counter and prescribed medications and drugs)

Which Drugs cause the most harm to people?

Treatment Methods for Substance Abuse:

* Detoxification—via hospitals, clinics, other medical means

* Intervention:--group therapy such as Alcoholics Anonymous, family therapy

* Medications—nicotine patch, antidepressants, synthetic drugs

* Education—at schools, hospitals, etc. “Be smart, don’t start…”

* Counseling/Behavioral Therapy—via a psychologist to modify behavior