Session 3 Effects of ATS Use

1. Session 3Effects of ATS Use Preventing Amphetamine-Type-Stimulant (ATS) Use Among Young People A UNODC Training Workshop

2. Challenges in researching the effects of ATS • ATS often contain other substances. • ATS users use other substances concurrently. • The lifestyle associated with use may contribute to some of the effects, not just the drug alone. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop

3. Immediate and short term effects of meth/amphetamine • Sought after effects are similar to that of cocaine, but cheaper and longer lasting. • Methamphetamine is more quickly and fully absorbed by the brain than amphetamine, therefore the effects are stronger. • Short term negative effects: • State of agitation that can lead to violence; • Inability to sleep, hallucinations; • Weight loss (women might see it as a desirable effect); • Paranoia and aggression. • Overdose can happen but is rare. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop

4. Effects of longer term meth/amphetamine use (1) • High potential for addiction and dependence, especially methamphetamine. • Amphetamine psychosis: • Violent tendencies usually linked to psychotic episodes; Violence, accidental or otherwise, is the leading cause of amphetamine related deaths; • Usually ends on stopping use. • Malnourishment. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop

5. Effects of longer term meth/amphetamine use (2) • Depression, cognitive and memory problems: • Abstract thought, verbal competency, ability to learn and retain new information. • Sexual dysfunction: • Rough sex > risk of bleeding and STIs; • Inability to achieve or maintain erection. • High rates of HIV among injecting users: • Because of needle sharing, increased no. of partners, increased no. of unprotected sex. • Physical damage: • Dental erosion, skin lesions • Damage to heart, lungs and brain. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop

6. Short term effects of ecstasy use • Sought after effects reported by users are positive changes in feelings, enhanced communication, empathy, pleasure in touching. • However, especially in higher doses, use can produce distortion in perception, thinking and memory. • Serotonine syndrome can result in extreme rise in body temperature, as serotonin regulates temperature. • Some individual appear to have particular vulnerability to toxic effects of ecstasy. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop

7. Effects of longer term ecstasy use • Hangover characterised by depression, fatigue, dehydration and difficulties in concentrating. • Weight loss, kidney & liver damage. • Impairment in short term memory: • Not clear if it reverses stopping use or not. • Depression, panic attacks, paranoia. • Dependence: • A proportion of heavy ecstasy users show evidence of dependence according to diagnostic criteria. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop

8. Effects of methyphenidate use • Higher doses and chronic use result in effects similar to those of meth/amphetamine Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop

9. The drug, the person and the context • The effects and the level of risk that a person is taking depends on three aspects of the situation that will vary with each occasion: • The substance • What is it? In which dose is it taken? How? Are other substances being taken concurrently? • The person • The physical and mental condition of the person taking the substance, his/her expectations and past experiences. • The context • Physical and social setting in which the substance is taken, including interpersonal atmosphere and group expectations. Preventing ATS use among youth A UNODC Training Workshop