WHAT ARE DRUGS?

1. WHAT ARE DRUGS? • Drugs are substances taken to change the way that the mind or body works. • Drugs do not always come from the Doctor or a drug store • Some drugs come from plants • Drugs can also be made in laboratories • There are legal and illegal drugs • There are drugs that are helpful and drugs that are harmful

3. HOW DRUG USE BEGINS • CURIOSITY • BELONGING/PEER PRESSURE • PAIN AND STRESS • HOPLESSNESS • CULTURE AND MEDIA • BOREDOM

4. DRUG CATAGORIES

5. ALCOHOL • Alcohol is our most widely used and abused drug • It is a depressant that slows down the brain’s ability to think and make decisions. As a result, your co-ordination, reflexes and judgement are all impaired.

6. ALCOHOL SHORT TERM EFFECTSLONG TERM EFFECTS • Light-headedness Liver damage • Slurred speech Brain damage (kills • Dizziness brain cells!!) • Nausea Heart damage • Talkitiveness • Clumsy movements

11. TOBACCO • Cigarette smoking is the most preventable cause of illness, disabliity, and premature death • Nicotine in tobacco is one of the most addictive drugs known • 50 of the 4000 known chemicals found in tobacco smoke are known to cause cancer • Only 4% of the smoke is inhaled by the smoker. The other 96% goes into the air which is a hazard for non smokers

12. SHORT TERM EFFECTS Increase in hr and bp Breathing gets faster Smelly breath and clothes Reduced fitness LONG TERM EFFECTS Cancer (lungs,mouth & throat) Respiratory disease Heart disease Stroke Stomach ulcers Wrinkled skin TOBACCO

13. CANNABIS & MARIJUANA • Canabis sativa is the plant from which marijuana, hashish and hash oil are produced • THC is the major psychoactive ingredient in cannabis • Most commonly used illegal drug in Canada and around the world

14. SHORT TERM EFFECTS Red eyes Dry mouth/throat Short term memory loss Enhanced sensory perception Paranoia Lack of coordination Anxiety Increased heart rate Increased appetite Concentration problems LONG TERM EFFECTS Cancer Respiratory Problems Dependence Harms immune system Memory problems MARIJUANA

15. NON HEALTH RELATED EFFECTS • No motivation • Concentration problems • Lazy/Tired • Don’t care about anything but smoking • If smoke a lot, seem to need it, want life to slow down because the real world is too fast • Anti-social • Gateway to heavier drugs • Effects each person differently

16. OTHER DRUGS CIRCULATING CLUB DRUGS OR DESIGNER DRUGS • These are a variety of drugs used by young people at raves, bars, dance clubs • Eg. Ecstasy, Crystal Meth, LSD • Manufactured in labs • Extremely dangerous – you never know what you are going to get • When mixed with alcohol they become more deadly • Colourless, odourless, tastless, so they may be added to one’s drink without their knowledge

17. DATE RAPE DRUGS • “Rohypnol” ( a sleeping pill in Mexico) • Has amnesia like effects • Gets slipped into drinks of young women who are then sexually exploited • Victims have no memory of what happened

18. INHALENTS • Household products (gasoline, glue, paint remover, nail polish remover) that give the user a high when chemical fluids are sniffed • Extremely dangerous/can cause irreversable brain damage – death!

19. STEROIDS • Drugs made from male hormone testosterone • They accelerate muscle growth and cause user to “beef up” their bodies • Side effects includee severe acne, stunted bone growth, nose bleeds, brain damage, loss of hair, “roid rage”