Preventing Drug Abuse

1. Preventing Drug Abuse

2. Legal and illegal drugs

3. Vocabulary • Drug– a chemical substance that is taken to cause changes in a person’s body or behavior • Medicine– a legal drug that helps the body fight injury, illness, or disease • Over-the-Counter-Drug (OTC)– a medicine that is sold legally in pharmacies and other stores without a doctor’s prescription

4. Vocabulary • Prescription Drug– a drug that can only be obtained with a written order from a doctor and can only be purchased at a pharmacy • Illegal Drug– a chemical substance that people of any age may not lawfully manufacture, possess, buy, or sell • Drug Misuse– the improper use of medicines; either prescription or OTC drugs

5. Vocabulary • Drug Abuse– the intentional improper or unsafe use of a drug • Psychoactive Drug– a chemical that affects brain activity; also known as a “mood altering” drug • Side Effect– an unwanted physical or mental effect caused by a drug

6. Vocabulary • Drug Antagonism– a condition that occurs when one drug’s effect is canceled out or reduced by another's • Drug Synergism– a condition that occurs when drugs interact to produce effects greater than those that each drug would produce alone

7. Warm Up • TRUE or FALSE? • Medicines from a drug store can’t harm you.

8. Warm Up • TRUE - Medicines can be just as dangerous as “street drugs” if they are used inappropriately. • What other myths do teens believe about drugs? • Write down some statements you have heard from your peers. • Which do you think are true? Which do you think are false?

9. Drugs can be Good! • Thanks to medical and drug research, there are thousands of drugs that help people • Antibiotics and vaccines have revolutionized the treatment of infections • Medicines can lower blood pressure, treat diabetes, and reduce the body's rejection of new organs • Medicines can cure, slow, or prevent disease, helping us to lead healthier and happier lives

10. How do Drugs Work? • They are chemicals or substances that change the way our bodies work • When you put them into your body drugs find their way into your bloodstream and are transported to parts of your body, such as your brain • In the brain, drugs may either intensify or dull your senses, alter your sense of alertness, and sometimes decrease physical pain

11. Drugs can be Helpful or Harmful • The effects of drugs can vary depending upon: • the kind of drug taken • how much is taken • how often it is used • how quickly it gets to the brain • what other drugs, food, or substances are taken at the same time • Effects can also vary based on the differences in body size, shape, and chemistry

12. Why do People Use Drugs? • Pleasure • Think better • Be more popular / peer pressure • Stay more active • Become better athletes • Curiosity • Invincibility – “That will never happen to me.” • Gain attention from parents • Depressed • Think that drugs will help them escape their problems

13. The truth is… • Drugs don't solve problems — they simply hide feelings and problems • When a drug wears off, the feelings and problems remain, or become worse • Drugs can ruin every aspect of a person's life

14. Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs • Medicine sold legally without a Drs. prescription • Pain Relievers  Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen • Cough and Cold Remedies • Sleep Aids • Pharmacies and other stores • Any OTC drug can cause harm if the instructions on the label are not followed!

15. OTC Drugs

16. Prescription Drugs • Drug that you can only get from a Dr. • Must be purchased at a pharmacy • More government control than OTC drugs • Potential for harm • A doctor determines the correct amount of medication given • Only to be used by the person the prescription was prescribed for!

17. Prescription Drugs

18. Prescription Drug Label

19. Illegal Drugs • A drug that people of any age may not lawfully: • MANUFACTURE • POSSESS • BUY • SELL • Street Drugs • Heroin, Marijuana, Cocaine, Methamphetamines, Ecstasy, PCP, etc.

20. Drug Misuse • Any improper use of medicines • Taking more than the prescribed amount • Taking drugs with the wrong foods • Taking drugs at the wrong time of day • Not taking the drug for the correct period of time • Often by mistake or because of a patient’s misunderstanding of the doctor’s orders

21. Drug Abuse • When a drug is intentionally used improperly or unsafely • Abusing prescription painkillers • Abusing OTC medicines • Using them to get “high” rather than to treat pain or a cough • ANY use of illegal drugs • Drug Abuse occurs when people intentionally use any kind of drugs for nonmedical purposes

22. Addiction • Abuse of drugs can result in addiction • Addiction is the compulsive use of a drug, despite any cost to health, family, or social standing • It is a disease that changes the structure and chemistry of the brain

23. Side Effects • Although the immediate effect of a medicine may feel good, unpleasant side effects may follow • Side effect – unwanted physical or mental effect caused by a drug. • Examples: nausea, headaches, dizziness, etc. • Because each person is unique, side effects vary from person to person, which is why prescriptions should never be shared

24. Side Effects • Medicines have been thoroughly tested to minimize side effects with appropriate use • Drugs that are misused or abused often have side effects that can’t be predicted and may be severe or even life threatening

25. Tolerance & Dependence • When a person uses a drug repeatedly, the body may develop a tolerance to the drug • As the tolerance grows, the user needs increasingly larger amounts of the drug to achieve the original affect • Tolerance may lead to drug dependence—the body develops a chemical need for the drug and cannot function normally without it

26. Withdrawal • If a person who is dependent on a drug stops taking it, they will experience withdrawal symptoms • These symptoms are the body’s reaction to not having the drug • Symptoms range from mild to life threatening, depending on the drug used

27. Drug Interactions • When a person takes more than one drug at a time, the drugs interact • The result is different than if the drugs were taken alone

28. Antagonism • When each drugs affect is cancelled out or reduced by the other one • Neither drug has the predicted effect • Example – continuing to smoke while taking blood pressure medication (to lower BP) eliminates the benefit of the medicine

29. Synergism • When drugs interact to produce effects greater than those that each drug would produce alone • Example – alcohol and sleep medications can lead to the loss of consciousness

30. Impurities • The manufacture of illegal drugs is not regulated by law (obviously) • There is no guarantee that they are pure • Many have other chemicals in them that may be harmful or cause dangerous drug interactions • The user simply cannot predict what effect the drug will have each time

31. Other Health Risks • Hepatitis and HIV – from sharing needles • Hepatitis – can lead to severe liver disease • HIV – leads to AIDS (no cure) • Risks to Fetus and Newborn • Developmental problems • Born with a drug dependency • Through placenta and/or breast milk

32. Legal Risks • In addition to the obvious health risks, drug users/abusers risk facing serious legal penalties, damaging their relationships with family and friends, and causing significant costs to society

33. Legal Risks • Penalties for people who produce, possess, transport, or sell illegal drugs include long prison terms and heavy fines • Criminal record • Difficult for jobs, college, military • May commit other crimes to support their addiction • Robbery, shoplifting

34. Effects of Family and Friends • Relationships become strained as the personality and behavior of the drug user change • Withdraw from relationships and responsibility • Become violent

35. Costs to Society • The US government spends billions of dollars to stop illegal drug manufacture and sales • Drug abuse prevention, education, treatment, and rehabilitation programs • These programs provide hope for many users • However, demand usually outweighs funding