SUBSTANCE ABUSEBolintiam, Lu, Rivera, Sioco, Veloso

What is substance abuse?• The harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive

substances, including but not limited to alcohol and illicit drugs

What causes substance abuse?

• A mix of a variety of factors genetics, family and living environment, social factors

Why is it dangerous? • Psychoactive substances produce some form of

intoxication that alters judgment, perception, attention, or physical control that may potentially put users in harmful situations

• Many substances can bring on a withdrawal effect if usage is stopped or reduced, ranging from mild anxiety to seizures and hallucinations

• Nearly all these drugs also can produce tolerance, leading you to use a larger amount of the drug to produce the same level of intoxication

• OVERDOSE MAY CAUSE DEATH!

How can I tell if someone I know may be engaging in substance abuse? (Warning signs)

• Tobacco products: frequent smell of tobacco, irritability, discolored fingertips, lips or teeth

• Cannabinoids: reddened whites of eyes, sleepiness, excessive hunger, lack of motivation, excessive happiness, paranoia

• Cold medications: sleepiness, rapid or slowed heart rate• Inhalants: runny nose, smell of gasoline or other solvent,

confusion or irritability• Depressants: sleepiness, lowered inhibitions, poor

coordination, slowed heart rate or blood pressure, dizziness, coma, death in overdose

How can I tell if someone I know may be engaging in substance abuse?

• Stimulants: rapid heart rate or blood pressure, irritability, excessive happiness, less need for sleep, paranoia, seizures

• Narcotics: less experiencing of pain, excessive happiness, sleepiness, slowed or stopped breathing, coma, death in overdose

• Hallucinogens: trouble sleeping, blurred perceptions, paranoia

• Physical symptoms could also include symptoms of withdrawal which are roughly the opposite of these symptoms

What are some behavioral symptoms?• Lying• Making excuses• Breaking curfew• Staying in their room• Becoming verbally or physically abusive toward

others• Having items in their possession that are connected

to drug use (paraphernalia)• Mood swings• Stealing• Changes in friends

How can substance abuse affect my life negatively?

• It decreases one’s ability to pay attention• It increases the risk for having premarital sex,

unprotected sex or sex with strangers• The younger you start using drugs, the more

likely you are to relapse when you attempt to quit– also, younger individuals, particularly teens, are at

greater risk for addiction because their brains are not as developed as the adult brain, making the teenage brain more impulsive

How can substance abuse affect my life negatively?

• Drug use can mask other emotional problems like depression, mood swings, anxiety or hallucinations that may cause worse problems such as suicide or homicide

• Drugs affect all the systems of the body and result in: permanent brain damage (from inhalants - like rugby), heart attacks (from stimulants), respiratory arrest (from sedatives), and even DEATH

• Basically, drug abuse ultimately leads to difficulty in managing one’s life

What are the more commonly abused substances?

Marijuana

• A dry, shredded green and brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves derived from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa

• Main active chemical: delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, for short)

Marijuana: Effects

• Influences pleasure, memory, thoughts, concentration, sensory and time perception and coordinated movement

Marijuana: Effects• Effects on Cognition– Distorted perceptions– Paranoia– Impaired coordination– Reduced reaction time– Sleepiness– Anxiety– Difficulty in thinking and problem solving– Problems with learning and memory (which usually

last for days and weeks before the effects will wear off)– Reduced ability to do things

Marijuana: Effects• Physical effects

– Tremors (shaking)– Nausea– Headache– Faster heartbeat (immediately increases heart rate by 20-100%;

this may last up to 3 hours)– May also experience the same effects as smokers

• Daily cough and phlegm production• Higher risk for respiratory infections• Longer sick days for lung diseases• May also lead to lung cancer (This is because of the 50 – 70% of

carcinogens and the irritants they inhale in the smoke from the marijuana. Moreover, marijuana users inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers, thus increasing lung exposure to the carcinogenic smoke.)

Marijuana: Effects• Long-term effects– ADDICTION: compulsive drug seeking and abuse

despite its known harmful effects– Once addicted, it is more difficult to quit

• Patient will experience irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety and drug craving

• These withdrawal symptoms will begin within about one day following abstinence and will peak at 2-3 days and subside within 1 or 2 weeks after stopping the drug.

• It will not only affect us physically, but will also have harmful effects on our daily lives:– It will make existing problems worse, leading to increased

absences, tardiness, decreased productivity, and accidents

Cigarettes (Nicotine)• Smoking is a practice in which a

substance is burned, and the resulting smoke is tasted or inhaled. It is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs and makes them available for absorption through the lungs

• The most common method of smoking today is through cigarettes, primarily industrially manufactured but also hand-rolled from loose tobacco and rolling paper

Cigarettes (Nicotine)• Other smoking tools include pipes, cigars, bidis, hookahs and bongs• It has been suggested that smoking related disease kills one half of all long term smokers, but these diseases may also be contracted by non-smokers• A 2007 report states that about 4.9 million people worldwide each year die as a result of smoking

Smoking: Effects

– Highly addictive– Tar in cigarettes increases a smoker's risk of lung cancer,

emphysema, and bronchial disorders– Carbon monoxide in smoke increases the chance of

cardiovascular diseases– There is a higher chance of miscarriage or low birth weight

babies in smokers who are pregnant– Second hand smoke lung cancer in adults and risk of

respiratory illnesses in children– Increases one’s risk for TB– Blocks blood vessels, which can lead to heart attack

Smoking: Effects

Shabu (Metamphetamine)• A kind of stimulant, which is a

white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol

• Taken orally, intranasally (snorting the powder), by needle injection, or by smoking

• As a stimulant, it produces feelings of tremendous joy, increased wakefulness and decreased appetite among its users. They also become more talkative and energetic

Shabu: Effects

Short Term:– Increased body temperature– Dilated pupils– Nausea– Blurred vision– Muscle spasms– Confusion– Increased blood pressure– Faster heart rate

• Since stimulants can cause blood vessels to constrict, the flow of blood will be impeded. Thus, the heart needs to work harder to pump blood throughout the body. However, this may cause a temporary loss of its natural rhythm, which is dangerous because it can stop the flow of blood.

Shabu: Effects

Chronic Effects:– Severe dental problems

(“meth mouth”)– Anxiety and confusion– Violent behavior– Psychotic behavior– Hallucinations– Delusions– Extreme weight loss

Shabu: Effects– Paranoia and Homicidal thoughts– Brain damage Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and epilepsy– Altered judgement and inhibition, which can lead

people to engage in unsafe behavior, including risky sexual behavior. This may result in increased transmission of HIV and hepatitis B and C

– HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases can be spread through contaminated needles, syringes, and other injection equipment that are shared among abusers who inject the drug. Methamphetamine abuse may also worsen the progression of HIV/AIDS and its consequences.

Shabu: Effects

Rugby• The most popular inhalant drug

abused in the Philippines • A brand of contact cement and

glue, it is very cheap and is inhaled through a plastic bag.

• The vapor of the chemical is sniffed in order to achieve a euphoric state or decrease hunger pangs.

• The chemical toluene gives the aromatic smell and is the culprit behind the addiction.

• Not under The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (Republic Act 9165) making it easy to obtain

Signs of inhalant abuse

• Drunk or disoriented appearance• Paint or other stains on face, hands, or clothing• Hidden empty spray paint or solvent containers

and chemical-soaked rags or clothing• Slurred speech• Strong chemical odors on breath or clothing• Nausea or loss of appetite• Red or runny nose• Sores or rash around the nose or mouth

Rugby: Effects• Confusion• Delirium• Disorientation• Memory Loss• Hallucination• Nausea • Vomiting• Cramps and Weakness• Abdominal Pain• Liver and Kidney Damage• “Sudden Sniffing Death”

Alcohol• Alcoholic beverages contain

ethanol, a depressant that induces drunkenness and reduces attention and reaction time

• Can have health benefits if taken in low levels (ex: wine), but chronic and excessive alcohol abuse is dangerous and can damage nearly every organ and system in the body

• An adolescent’s brain is especially vulnerable to the damaging effects of alcohol

Alcohol: Effects• Chronic high level

consumption is correlated with an increased risk of addiction

• Violence• Heart disease such as

hypertension • Intestinal

indigestion/malabsorption• Chronic pancreatitis• Alcoholic liver disease • Cancer• Fetal damage

Alcohol: Effects

Community Prevention Programs• Can produce beneficial effects, even among high-risk families

and children if they are aimed at general populations at key transition points, such as the transition from lower to higher elementary levels. Such interventions do not single out risk populations and, therefore, reduce labeling and promote bonding

• Combining two or more effective programs, such as family-based and school-based programs, can be more effective than a single program alone

• Reaching populations in multiple settings—for example, schools, clubs, faith-based organizations, and the media—are most effective when they present consistent, community-wide messages in each setting

Community Prevention Programs• When communities adapt programs to match their needs, community

norms, or differing cultural requirements, they should retain core elements of the original research-based intervention

• Should be long-term with repeated interventions (ex: booster programs) to reinforce the original prevention goals. Research shows that the benefits from middle school prevention programs diminish without follow-up programs in high school

• Should include teacher training on good classroom management practices, such as rewarding appropriate student behavior. Such techniques help to foster students’ positive behavior, achievement, academic motivation, and school bonding

• Most effective when they employ interactive techniques, such as peer discussion groups and parent role-playing, that allow for active involvement in learning about drug abuse and reinforcing skills

• Research-based prevention programs can be cost-effective