Substance Abuse Trends & Classroom Implications

2. Substance Abuse Trends& Classroom Implications

3. Learning Objectives • This session will help the participant: • Increase awareness about the impact of various drugs of use/abuse in WV • Increase knowledge of perinatal substance exposure and effects on children and classroom implications

4. Alcohol Symptoms and effects • Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, lowers inhibitions, and impairs judgment and coordination. • Adults who had first use of alcohol before age 15 are five times as likely to be dependent on alcohol as adults who first used at age 21 or older. • Impaired brain development, learning, and memory National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 2006

5. Alcohol and Societal Attitudes • Alcohol is often a traditional part of culture • Alcohol is used to celebrate, relax, and socialize • Stigma attached to receiving treatment. • Strong legislative lobby • Availability and Accessibility • Not illegal for adults • Change of societal norms past 30 years

6. Prescription CNS Depressants • Slow brain activity • Prescribed for anxiety, tension, panic attacks, acute stress reactions, sleep disorders, and can be used for anesthesia (high doses) SAMHSA, 2005

7. What do they look like? Valium Street drugs.org Klonopin Ativan Halcion ProSom Street drugs.org

8. PrescriptionStimulants • Increase alertness and energy • Prescribed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder • Narcolepsy • Obesity • Some forms of Depression SAMSHA., 2005

9. What do they look like? Ritalin Street drugs.org Dexedrine

11. 2010 Top Abused Prescription Drugs Reported in WV *Percentage of the total drugs abused in 2010 WV Behavioral Health Profile, 2011

12. *2011 is PreliminaryWV Behavioral Health Profile, 2011

13. SyntheticsBath Salts and K2

14. Bath Salts Huffington Post.com DEA,

15. What does it look like? ● Crystalized powder that can be white to brown, with shades in between and even speckled. ● Typically an attractive package about the size of a tea bag. ● The label says “Not for Human Consumption”. ● Manufactured mainly in China or India.

16. www.erowid.org

17. Common Symptoms • Paranoia • Hallucinations • Anger • Intense cravings to re-dose • Profuse Sweating • Hyper alertness • Violence • Elevated Blood pressure • Jaw clenching/tooth grinding (Bruxism) • Delusions • Mood swings National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012

18. What does K2 look like? DEA, 2012

19. Slang Names for K2 Spice K2 Blaze Red X Dawn Bilss Zoh Black Mamba Bombay Blue Fake Weed Genie Spice DEA, 2012

20. Common Symptoms • Vomiting • Intense Hallucinations • Rapid Heart Beat • Increased Blood Pressure • Seizures • Loss of Consciousness • Paranoid Behavior • Anxiety • Agitation Spicester.com

21. Heroin • Heroin abuse is associated with serious health conditions, including fatal overdose, spontaneous abortion, collapsed veins, and, particularly in users who inject the drug, infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. SAMHSA, 2005

22. Heroin Erowid.org

23. The FALLOUT • Societal Implications? • Classroom Implications?

24. Drug Abuse DURING Pregnancy • Illegal substance exposure in childbearing women is approximately 11% nationwide • Incidence of prenatal substance abuse ranges from 375,000 – 625,000 infants exposed annually • Women tend to become addicted in less time than men and develop larger habits

25. WV Perinatal Exposure to Substances

26. Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome • CNS • Disturbed sleep patterns • Hyperactivity • Hyperreflexia • Tremors • Increased muscle tone • Myoclonic jerks • Shrill cry • Convulsions • Metabolic • Fever • Hypoglycemia • Mottling • Sweating • Yawning • Vasomotor instability

27. BABIES Experiencing NAS

28. Alcohol Related Birth Defects Terminology • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is an umbrella term used to describe the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a specific diagnosis with specific criteria, a disorder of permanent birth defects that occurs in the offspring of women who drink alcohol during pregnancy Fetal Alcohol Effects is an outdated term used to describe individuals who had problems associated with prenatal alcohol exposure, but did not have enough of the outward signs to be eligible for the medical diagnosis of FAS • Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder has been widely used to describe the specific damage that prenatal alcohol exposure can have on the central nervous system

29. Developmental Delays, Learning Disabilities & Behavioral Problems • Mental Retardation • Attention deficits • Hyperactivity • Poor Impulse Control • Problems in Social Perception • Speech and Language Delays or Deficits • Poor Capacity for Abstract Thinking • Specific Deficits in Math Skills • Problems in Memory, Attention, or Judgment • Problems Changing Behavior or Response in Different Situations • Problems Anticipating Consequences • Problems with Cause and Effect

30. Effects of Prescription Drug Abuse • Women who abuse opiates during pregnancy greatly increase their risk of serious pregnancy complications. • poor fetal growth • premature rupture of the membranes (the bag of waters that holds the fetus breaks too soon) • premature and still births

31. Drug Exposed Babies... • 50% of all babies of opiate users are born with low birth weight • Many of these babies are premature and often suffer from serious health problems during the newborn period, including breathing problems • They also are at increased risk of lifelong disabilities • Babies exposed to heroin before birth also face an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

32. Treatment for NAS • Minimize external stimuli (light and sound) in a dark, quiet environment, careful swaddling, adopting comforting and positioning techniques (swaying, rocking), and a high caloric diet • Buprenorphine is increasingly used for treatment also, because of the potential to reduce the severity of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Scores • Most babies of opiate abusers show withdrawal symptoms during the 3 days after birth, including fever, sneezing, trembling, irritability, diarrhea, vomiting, continual crying and seizures usually subsiding by 1 week of age • http://www.adoptmed.org/topics/prenatal-opiate-exposure.html Dorothy Minch, MSW

33. “System Fall Out” • Mental health issues – 90% • Disrupted school experience – 60% • Trouble with the law – 60% • Confinement – 50% • Inappropriate sexual behavior – 49% • Alcohol and drug problems – 35% • Streissguth, Understanding the Occurrence of Secondary Disabilities August

34. Criminal Justice System • VICTIMIZATION • Known predators a problem • Unreliable witness • Social Functioning Lower • Gang Activity “Patsy” or “fall guy” • Brain damage hinders the inability to deal with usual life demands • Unable to resist sexual advances72% of adolescents & adults with FAS/FAE have been physically or sexually abused. Streissguth

35. Planning for Classroom Success • Student Prevention Education • Understanding the “Cause” of the Problem • Learning about Current Initiatives and Resources • http://www.ocali.org/topic/fasd/

36. Simple Strategies that Work! • Concrete • Consistency • Repetition • Routine • Simplicity • Specific • Structure • Supervision 8 Magic Keys Deb Everson & Jan Lutke 1997

37. Educational & Environmental Strategies • Organizing the Physical Space • Reinforcing Routines and Assisting with Transitions • Making Learning Accommodations • Assisting Social Development and Improving Behavior

38. What professionals can do today? • Modify the environment. • Modify expectations. • Think younger or think “stage not age.” • Think perpetual innocence. • Make the world make sense. • Rethink, reteach, respect.

39. WV Initiatives • Regional Prevention Trainings • Physician Guidance Documents • Maternal Addiction and Recovery Center (MARC)-Dr. Chaffin • WV Moms and Babies Recovery Project • Lilly’s Place

40. QuestionS? Kathy Paxton, Director WV Division on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Kathy.L.Paxton@wv.gov