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 Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:42 pm
This sticky contains a variety of pamphlets ranging from alcohol and street drugs, to hookahs and steroids. Some of this stuff overlaps with the information in the Drugs and Addiction: Facts You Need to Know Sticky and the Substance Abuse Sticky, but these are all new pamphlets. ~ Table of Contents:- Post 1: Introduction <--- You are here.- Post 2: Alcohol and You [pamphlet] - Post 3: Hangovers: An Ounce of Prevention [pamphlet] - Post 4: Marijuana and You [pamphlet] - Post 5: Cocaine/Crack and You [pamphlet] - Post 6: About Heroin [pamphlet] - Post 7: About Steroids and Supplements [pamphlet] - Post 8: Prescription Drug Abuse [pamphlet] - Post 9: Hookahs [pamphlet] - Post 10: Ketamin [pamphlet] - Post 11: Crystal Meth [pamphlet] - Post 12: Rave & Club Drugs [pamphlet] - Post 13: By Young Addicts, For Young Addicts [pamphlet] - Post 14: Reserved. - Post 15: Reserved.
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:55 pm
Alcohol and You [pamphlet]
Alcohol: What Are the Risks?
The following is general information on the drug. A person's experience with any drug can vary. There are a number of things that have an impact on a person's experience with a drug, including but not limited to: the amount and strength of the drug they have taken, the setting in which the drug is used, a person's mood or expectations before using the drug, and as well as a person's past experience with that drug.
So What Is It Anyways?
Many people do not think of alcohol as a drug. Drugs affect the way we think, act, and feel. Alcohol does all these things. Alcohol is one of the most popular drugs in our society. Ethyl Alcohol is the type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks. Alcohol is a depressant drug. Depressant drugs slow down brain functioning.
A standard drink is considered to be a 355mL (12 oz) bottle of beer, one 150mL (5 oz) glass of wine, approximately 50mL (1.5 oz) of spirits (including whiskey, rum, scotch, and vodka).
What Are the Effects?
Short term effects vary with the amount consumed, but they can include:
- Feeling more relaxed and sociable.
- Lowered inhibitions.
- Lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.
- Drowsiness.
- Dizziness.
- Flushed skin.
- Loss of co-ordination.
- Slurred speech.
- Blurred vision.
- Memory loss (blackouts).
- Hangovers (headache, shakiness, and nausea).
Long term effects may include:
- Skin problems.
- Stomach ulcers.
- Liver disease.
- Brain damage.
- Cancers.
- Sexual dysfunction.
- Emotional problems.
Other Issues
Alcohol can cause people to become less inhibited, and it impairs judgement. Intoxication is often linked to various harms including (but not limited to) unprotected sex, violence, accident, etc.
Other Risks
- Pregnancy. Alcohol use during pregnancy can cause problems with fetal growth and brain development. There is no known safe amount for consumption during pregnancy.
- Dependency. It is possible to become both psychologically and physically dependent on alcohol. Withdrawal symptoms range from insomnia, jumpiness and sweating to tremors, hallucinations and convulsions. Heavy drinkers who may be dependent on alcohol are advised to consult a medical professional prior to quitting.
- Mental health. Alcohol use can be a factor in the development of depression, anxiety or other mental health disorders. People who struggle with anxiety, depression or bipolar disorders can be more sensitive to alcohol's negative effects.
- Overdose. Drinking alcohol rapidly and/or in large quantities can cause alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning can cause passing out, vomiting, and respiratory failure. A person who has passed out should be laid on his/her side and watched closely. Clammy skin, low body temperature, slow and laboured breathing and incontinence are signs of alcohol poisoning, which can be fatal. Seek immediate emergency medical care.
Signs of a Problem
The following signs may indicate that your use is starting to become a problem. If you are experiencing some of these signs, you may want to consider making changes in your use.
- Your drinking is causing you problems at work/school.
- You are having financial problems due to your drinking.
- You experience memory problems.
- You have lost relationships because of your drinking.
- You feel sad, angry or irritable when you are not drinking.
- You often drink alone.
- You are drinking in the mornings.
- You have stopped doing things that you liked to do in the past.
- Drinking is interfering with your responsibilities at home/work/school.
- You frequently think about drinking.
- You are driving after drinking.
- You can not control how much or how often you drink.
Reducing the Risk
Most people are able to drink alcohol in a safe and responsible way. Alcohol, like many other drugs, can cause problems for some people. You can reduce the risk of alcohol-related problems by:
- Avoiding intoxication. Limit yourself to no more than 3 drinks in a day for women, and 4 for men.
- Limit your weekly intake. Limit yourself to no more than 20 drinks for men, and 10 drinks per week for women.
- Avoid daily drinking.
- Avoid alcohol when operating a motor vehicle.
- Avoid alcohol when pregnant.
- Avoid using alcohol in combination with other drugs.
- Plan a safe ride home when drinking, such as a designated driver or a taxi.
- Look out for yourself and your friends. Be sure to keep an eye on your drink at all times and stay with your friends.
- Eat before and during occasions when you are drinking. Eating will slow alcohol's effects.
- Stay hydrated. Be sure to drink water or other non-alcoholic beverages to reduce the risk of dehydration.
- Drink slowly. One drink or fewer per hour will reduce the risk of intoxication.
- Avoid drinking games.
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 12:28 am
Hangovers: An Ounce of Prevention [pamphlet]
Post-Party Blues
You knew it the instant you woke up, your head pounding out paradiddles and your mouth dry as an armadillo with heatstroke.
You've been here before - swore, in fact, that you'd never be here again.
But, somehow, you're back again anyways, riding out the twists and turns and torments of a hangover. And it's all uphill from here.
No matter what else they might be, hangovers are more than just an unpleasant interlude for weekend party animals.
For one thing, morning-after miseries are a leading cause of workplace absenteeism and low productivity.
And heading back to the bottle for next-day relief (an ancient practice known as taking a "hair of the dog that bit you") only reinforces the tendency to drink more, more often.
So hangovers are more than just a headache, and a lot more than a cute cultural cliché.
Still, they're often passed over when research dollars are passed out - one reason that science has been slow to investigate them slowly.
Of course, hangovers are trivial compared to other alcohol-related problems, like drunk driving, fetal alcohol syndrome, and alcoholism.
People don't die from hangovers - though they might wish that they could. And morning-after symptoms do disappear without treatment in a few hours or days.
Still, that doesn't make them any easier to take when they're happening to you.
And that's the whole point of this pamphlet. In it, we'll talk about what hangovers are and where they come from. We'll discuss the basics of barrom pharmacology with the goal of helping you head off hangovers from here on out.
Because hangovers are more than just unnecessarily long and unnecessarily unpleasant - they're unnecessary altogether.
Signs and Symptoms
Where do we start in finding out about hangovers? We could begin with personal tales of My Most Miserable Morning After. Everybody's got one of those.
Or we could ask the experts. But if we did, we'd probably find a dozen different authorities with a dozen different answers.
Because the fact is that there's no single way to describe all the mornings after all the nights before.
While the most common complaints linked to hangovers center on thirst, body aches and fatigue, over 30 different morning-after symptoms have been identified.
Following an evening of close consultation with the bottle, some awaken feeling dizzy or nauseous. Others are hit by headaches, dehydration, or heartburn. Some don't suffer much at all, while others pay for Saturday with a bleary fatigue that lingers from Sunday to Monday and beyond.
So much of what's drifted down through the years under the classification of "hangover" is probably better described as the "Morning After Syndrome", varying in severity and duration from one sufferer - and one Sunday - to the next.
What accounts for the variation?
Everything from attitude to atmosphere figures into the equation, but particularly important is the question of how fast your body metabolizes (breaks down) alcohol.
Intake/Output
Biologically, hangovers are linked to high levels of alcohol in the bloodstream.
About 95% of the alcohol content of a drink is broken down in the liver. What's left is excreted in the sweat, breath, and urine.
But when intake outpaces output, blood alcohol levels remain higher longer, and the likelihood of a hangover increases.
The maximum level at which the liver can metabolize alcohol is just under an ounce of liquor per hour - or the alcohol equivalent in a 12-ounce beer or a 5 oz glass of wine.
But age, sex and weight alter that rate, increasing the intensity of the alcohol high and the chances for a hangover low.
The intoxication threshold drops with increasing years and at lower body weights, while men, in general, tend to fare better than women.
Though the fate of alcohol in the body and bloodstream may differ slightly from drinker to drinker, the onset of hangovers is relatively fixed.
Morning-after aches and pains begin to make themselves felt as blood alcohol levels start to fall, generally an hour or so following the last drink of the night.
The worst symptoms strike 8 - 10 hours later, with the full recovery cycle spreading out hours beyond.
The prolonged rebound is believed to stem from the body's slow adjustment to the abscence of alcohol.
In fact, some researchers think that hangovers represent a mild form of alcohol withdrawal.
Others argue that the hangover is only a response to the toxic effects of ethanol, liquor's primary psychoactive ingredient. Others blame cogeners, the chemical by-products of alcohol's fermentation, distillation, and aging.
But while experts still debate the biochemical basis of the hangover, most sufferers instictively know what to blame: booze - too much too soon.
Too bad they don't remember til it's too late.
Quick-Fixes and Quackery
Over the centuries, the hangover has inspired any number of home remedies - from showers and saunas to coffee and cabbage - intended to ease the symptoms that go along with going too far.
Early Romans choked down raw owl's eggs and sheep lungs as an answer to the morning after. Assyrians favoured ground swallow beaks and myrrh, while centuries later and half a world away, voodoo priests plunged needles in the corks of offending containers.
In America today, a range of organic extracts - from primrose oil to herbal teas - have been suggested, as have other disciplines and techniques, from acupuncture to biofeedback.
Among the newer concoctions to hit the hangover-helper market are preparations which claim to sober-up drinkers by reversing the intoxicating effects of alcohol.
But according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the mixtures - generally blends of salts, sugars and vitamins - don't work, at least, not at turning around the effects of alcohol.
Probably the most familiar item in the unofficial pharmacy of folk remedies for hangovers is a drink or two more of the tonic of the night before.
That's more often than some people can stomach, hangover or not, but the practice does produce results by smoothing out - at least temporarily - a hangover's sharper twists and turns.
On the other hand, morning drinking also produce results of an entirely different order and often is considered an early sign of impending alcoholism.
According to most experts with a serious interest in the topic, most morning-after medications and emergency measures are no more than placebos, banking heavily on the power of belief and a hefty dose of withful thinking.
"There are no true hangover remedies available," a spokesperson for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States says.
"All so-called hangover cures have one thing in common: they don't work. The only real cure for a hangover is sobriety."
Mastering Moderation: How to Drink Responsibly
If you're a drinker and want to avoid hangovers, drink responsibly. That means not drinking to escape - problems or people - and not drinking to get drunk. But that's only what it doesn't mean. What it does mean is learning to see alcohol for what it is - a drug - and remembering to approach it with the healthy dose of caution it deserves.
Here are 4 ways to reduce your risk of problems:
- Eat before drinking. Food slows the rate at which alcohol is absorbed, lowering peak blood alcohol levels. That means that if you want to avoid waking up in your own private hell, eat before drinking - and snack on foods while drinking.
- Drink slowly. Sip drinks rather than gulping them. Drinking too much often results from drinking too fast. And don't chug or "shotgun" your drinks. If you do, you might not have to worry about waking up with a hangover. You might not wake up at all.
- Space your drinks. When you're drinking, switch off to soda or fruit juice from time to time.
- Set a drinking limit. Know - and respect - your personal drinking limit. Notice how different amounts affect you. Then set a realistic limit on your own drinking - and stick to it.
Easy Does It
So what's the answer - don't drink? That's sensible enough advice, but it's probably not for everyone.
Still, there are precautions that will help check the odds of a hangover. One involves slowing down the absorption of alcohol by eating before you drink (and even while you're drinking), and by sipping your drinks slowly.
The safest bet of all is to practice moderation when drinking.
"We've found that if you want to avoid the whole hangover problem, use moderation," the DISCUS spokesman noted. "Moderation is healthy and painless. Drink enjoyably, but as part of a social event, not the goal."
Think about it. Because of all the medications, preparations and potions toted as remedies for hangovers through the ages, the only sure-fire way to spell relief the morning-after the night befoer is (and always has been): M-O-D-E-R-A-T-I-O-N.
Cheers!
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 1:02 am
Marijuana and You [pamphlet]
The following is general information on the drug. A person's experience with any drug can vary. There are a number of things that have an impact on a person's experience with a drug, including but not limited to: the amount and strength of the drug they have taken, the setting in which the drug is used, a person's mood or expectations before using the drug, and as well as a person's past experience with that drug.
So What Is It Anyway?
Marijuana comes from the Cannabis Sativa plant. The plant is used to produce 3 drugs:
1) Marijuana (aka pot, weed, grass, dope, etc) consists of the dried leaves and flowers of the plant.
2) Hashish (aka hash) is made from the dried resin at the top of the plant. Hahish is often "chunky" in appearance and brown or black in colour.
3) Hash oil is made from hashish. It can be brown, black, red, or an almost clear sticky oil and is often placed in vials or bottle caps.
Marijuana plants are typically smoked. This drug is also sometimes eaten. The chemical in these drugs that produces the high is called THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol).
But it's only pot! Isn't pot pretty harmless?
Not necessarily. Marijuana, like many other drugs, may or may not be problematic for some people. It all depends on how much you use, when you use, as well as your background and more. Read on to learn about the risks.
What Are the Effects?
The shot term effects of marijuana are felt shortly after use, and last between 2 - 4 hours. They include:
- Feelings of euphoria, giggling, laughter, and relaxation.
- Strong desires for food, often referred to as the "munchies."
- Time and space distortion.
- Decreased reaction time and poor co-ordination.
- Impairment of short term memory and concentration.
- Anxiety, panic attacks and paranoia.
- Temporary psychosis (hallucinations or delusions).
The long term effects may include:
(after using frequently over time)
- Smoking marijuana can damage the lungs, which can lead to chronic coughing and lung infections.
- Marijuana smoke contains cancer-producing chemicals. Using both marijuana and tobacco increases the risk of developing cancer.
- Many people who use cannabis heavily for a long time experience problems with short-term memory, concentration, and abstract thinking. Most of these problems disappear after a few weeks of not using, but some last for years.
- Some heavy users are less active and ambitious than other people. It is difficult to determine if marijuana use alone causes this. However, frequent use can make people less motivated.
- Marijuana should not be used prior to or during driving, or any other activity that requires judgement, co-ordination and attentiveness.
Other Risks
- Marijuana can cause damage to a developing fetus if used during pregnancy. Women who use cannabis during pregnancy are more likely to have premature or underweight babies. As the children grow up, they may have some learning and behavior problems.
- People with heart disease or high blood pressure may be at risk for further complications due to additional strain on the heart.
- THC is stored in the fat cells of the body. Elimination is a slow process. It can be detected in the body up to 30 days (sometimes longer) after the last use.
- Overdosing on marijuana alone is highly unlikely, but fearfulness and anxiety are common with high doses.
- Marijuana use can increase the chances of developing a mental illness like schizophrenia or depression for some people. This is particularly true for those with a family history of mental illness.
Can you become dependent on it?
Evidence supports that it is possible for heavy users to develop cannabis dependency syndrome, which is characterized by an inability to abstain from or to control cannabis use. Frequent users can develop tolerance to the drug, meaning that they will need to use more to feel the effects. Dependent users who quit may feel mild withdrawal symptoms like troubled sleep, irritability, anxiety, nausea, sweating, and loss of appetite. These symptoms usually last less than a week, but cravings can last longer. Starting to use at an early age appears to increase the risk of developing cannabis dependency syndrome.
(Sources: AAADAC: Beyond the ABC's, AFM: The Basics Cannabis, Health Canada: Straight Talk, CAMH: About Marijuana, CCSA: Cannabis Fact Sheet, SILINK: Cannabis Fact Sheet.)
What Are Some Signs That Marijuana Use May Be Starting to Become a Problem?
The following signs may indicate that your use is starting to become a problem. If you are experiencing some of these signs, you may want to consider making some chances in your use.
- You want to get high while you are at work or school.
- You are spending lots of money on marijuana.
- You experience memory problems.
- You have lost relationships because of your use.
- You feel sad, angry or irritable when you are not high.
- You often use alone.
- You are getting high in the morning.
- You have stopped doing things that you liked to do in the past.
- Getting high is interfering with your responsibilities at home, work, or school.
- You think about getting high a lot.
- You are driving while high.
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 1:05 am
Cocaine/Crack and You [pamphlet]
The following is general information on the drug. A person's experience with any drug can vary. There are a number of things that have an impact on a person's experience with a drug, including but not limited to: the amount and strength of the drug they have taken, the setting in which the drug is used, a person's mood or expectations before using the drug, and as well as a person's past experience with that drug.
So What Is It Anyway?
- Cocaine: a powerful drug made from the South American coca bush. A fine, white power that may be diluted with other substances like cornstarch, sugar, or other drugs. It is often snorted or injected.
- Crack: A form of cocaine that is chemically changed so it can be smoked. It looks like chunks or rocks and often makes a crackling sound when smoked.
- Freebase: A pure form of cocaine that can also be smoked.
What Are The Effects?
The short term effects of cocaine can be felt shortly after use and can last from a few minutes to a couple of hours. The speed at which the effects occur and how long they last depends on how the drug has been used.
Short term effects include:
- Feelings of pleasure.
- Alertness.
- Confidence.
- Energy.
- Increased heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and body temperature.
- Decreased appetite and desire for sleep.
- Loss of appetite.
The long term effects (using frequently over time) may include:
- Mood swings.
- Depression.
- Malnutrition and weight loss.
- Sexual problems.
- Lung and breathing problems.
- Runny, chapped, and bleeding nose.
- Holes in the barrier between the nostrils.
- Stomach and bowel problems.
(Sources: The AADAC: The ABC's of Cocaine and Crack, Bayla Schecter MD: The Medical Effects of Cocaine, Drug and Alcohol Services of South Australia: Cocaine Fact Sheet.)
Other Risks
- Dependency: Cocaine use can cause dependence. It changes brain chemistry, which can result in powerful cravings. Tolerance (needing more to feel the effects) can develop with binge use and long term use. Withdrawal symptoms can occur within 12 hours of the last use.
- Pregnancy: Use during pregnancy can affect the unborn child. It can cause miscarriages and low birth weight. Other abnormalities in newborns such as irritability, insomnia, inconsolable crying, lethargy, drowsiness, feeding problems and tremors are possible and may be due to drug use as well as environmental factors.
- Mental health: When the high wears off, people often feel depressed, anxious, and irritable. This is known as a "crash." Frequent users report difficulty feeling pleasure for several months after they stop using. Heavy use can cause psychosis, which is a loss of contact with reality.
- Overdose: Large doses can produce agitation, anxiety, erratic behavior, violence, psychosis (seeing, hearing, or thinking things that are not real), headaches, chest pains, muscle pains, nausea and fever. Seizures, strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, coma and death are possible as well.
Signs of a Problem
The following signs may indicate that your use is starting to become a problem. If you are experiencing some of these signs, you may want to consider making changes in your use.
- You want to get high while youa re at work or school.
- You are spending tons of money on cocaine.
- You experience memory problems.
- You have lost relationships because of your use.
- You feel sad, angry or irritable when you are not high.
- You often use alone.
- You are getting high in the morning.
- You have stopped doing things that you liked to do in the past.
- Getting high is interfering with your responsibilities at home, work, or school.
- You think about getting high a lot.
- You are driving while high.
- You can not control how much or how often you use.
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 1:10 am
About Heroin [pamphlet]
Heroin is a highly addictive drug.
Heroin is made from opium, a drug that comes from the seed pods of certain poppy plans. Drugs made from opium are called opiates. They are also called narcotics.
Heroin is sold as a white or brownish powder, or as a black, sticky, tar-like substance. It can be smoked, snorted, sniffed or injected. All forms of heroin are addictive.
Heroin is also called smack, H, skag, and junk.
Like all drugs, heroin changes the way the body works.
When heroin is made, it is mised or "cut" with other drugs, chemicals or poisons. It is easy to overdose on heroin that is too strong. People can overdose the first time they use heroin. There is no way to know how strong heroin is or what is really in a dose.
Why Do People Use Heroin
People may start using heroin because:
- Their friends use it and they want to fit in.
- They are curious about how it will make them feel. They think it will make their problems go away.
- They hear that people they admore -models, rock stars and movie starts- use heroin.
- They don't know it can hurt them.
People start using heroin for lots of reasons. They keep using heroin for one main reason - they are addicted.
Is Heroin Illegal?
All forms of heroin are illegal.
How Addictive is Heroin?
It is very easy to get addicted to heroin. Because heroin enters the brain freely, addiction happens quickly. People who are addicted need heroin to function. It is very difficult to stop using.
A few hours after using heroin, people begin to feel sick. Without heroin, they will soon go into withdrawal.
Withdrawal can make people restless and cause muscle and bone pain, diarrhea and vomiting. They can get cold flashes with goosebumps, and their legs can move uncontrollably. This is where the terms "cold turkey" and "kicking the habit" come from.
Heroin withdrawal can last for a week. There is medical treatment that can help.
Even after they have been treated and withdrawal is over, people can get very strong cravings. This makes many of them start using again.
What Does Heroin Do to the Body?
- Heroin goes to the brain and changes how it works. Whether inhaled or injected, heroin gets to the brain quickly.
- Heroin affects the parts of the brain that control emotions, pain and automatic body functions such as breathing and heart rate.
- Heroin causes a very intense pleasurable feeling called a "rush." A rush lasts only a few minutes. During the rush, the mouth becomes dry, skin turns red, and larms and legs feel heavy. It can also cause nausea, vomiting and extreme itching.
- Heroin slows down breathing and heart rate. A heroin overdose can cause a person to stop breathing and die.
- Heroin makes users drowsy for several hours after the rush. It clouds their thinking so they can't function normally.
- Heroin can make eyes water and pupils get very small.
- Heroin causes an intense craving for more drug. The craving is so strong, it's often impossible to resist.
To Learn More
To learn more about heroin or for help to stop using heroin, contact:
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
1-800-729-6686
www.health.org
Narcotics Anonymous
Look in the white pages of the local telephone book to find numbers.
Or call 1-818-773-9999
www.na.org
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
www.nida.nih.gov
~
The information in this post is from ETR Associates. I do not claim to own any of this information, nor am I trying to profit from it.
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Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 1:13 am
About Steriods and Supplements [pamphlet]
What Are Steroids and Supplements?
Three different types of substances claim to increase muscle size and strength.
Steriods
Steroids are powerful drugs. They are synthetic versions of the male hormone testosterone. They are usually used with some form of exercise to increase the size and strength of muscles.
(A different type of steroid is used to treat rashes and pain. This type of steriod doesn't affect muscles.)
Steriod Supplements
Steroid supplements are also called prohormones. They can have the same effects -and side effects- as steroids. The body changes these supplements into testosterone after they are taken.
Dietary Supplements
Dietary supplements are products that contain greater amounts of certain foods and chemicals than are found in a normal diet. Some dietary supplements contain substances that the body uses to build muscles.
Dietary supplements may contain steroids, steroid supplements, or other illegal or banned drugs. These can show up on a drug test.
Are They Dangerous?
Steroids and steroid supplements:
- Can cause injuries and harmful side effects.
- Can cause physical and mental dependence, and addiction.
- Can cause athletes to be banned from their sport.
Often people don't know what's in them, or how much to take. Taking them without knowing the facts can be useless or dangerous.
Steroid abusers often use 10 - 100 times more than a medical dose. This kind of use can cause over 70 different side effects than range from mild to deadly.
Some people use needles to inject steroids. Sharing needles greatly increases the changes of getting HIV.
What Do Steroids Do to the Body?
Steroids have 2 major side effects. They grow and strengthen muscle, and they cause male sexual traits to develop. They can also cause these unwanted side effects:
- Steroids change looks and feelings. Steroids can cause acne, bad breath, stunted height and baldness. Women can grow heavy facial and body hair. Steroids can also cause angry or hostile behaviour.
- They can cause injury. Steroids can cause torn tendons and ligaments. Their use can lengthen healing time.
- They change sexual features. In men, steroids can increase breast size, shrink testicles, and cause impotence. In women, they can shrink breasts, stop periods, and cause infertility.
- They can damage the heart. Steroids can increase blood pressure, and cause heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
- They increase the risk of cancer. Steroid users have more liver, kidney, prostate, breast and uterine cancer.
- Stopping steroid use can cause withdrawal. Users can have severe depression and headaches. When use is stopped, increases in muscle strength and size go away.
Steroid supplements may have the same side effects as steroids. Many of these side effects are permanent.
What Do Dietary Supplements Do to the Body?
Some dietary supplements claim to build muscle.
- Protein may help build or maintain muscle when used with regular exercise. Protein supplements are made from food sources such as soy, milk and eggs.
Overuse of protein can strain the liver and kidneys and cause dehydration.
- Creatine may cause a small increase in muscle strength during sprinting or weight lifting. The body may retain water from using creatine, which may also increase muscle size.
Some creatine users complain of cramps, strains, headaches and loss of endurance. Long-term use of high doses may damage the kidneys.
- Glutamine may help increase and maintain muscle size and strength with weight training.
It's not known if glutamine works or is safe.
- HMB (hydroxy methylbutyrate) may help build muscles and burn fat with weight strain.
HMB does nothing for many people. Studies of its safety are not complete.
Why Do People Use Steroids and Supplements?
Some athletes believe their opponents use steroids and supplements. They feel they can't compete without using these things themselves.
Users want to:
- Increase muscle power, strength and size.
- Look more attractive.
- Perform better in sports.
Are They Illegal?
- Steroids are illegal to buy, sell, or use without a doctor's order.
- Steroid supplements are often illegal.
- Dietary supplements are legal. But there are few laws about them. So there's no way to be sure of what's in them or how much is safe to use.
To Learn More
To learn more about muscle-building steroids, steroid supplements, and dietary supplements, contact:
National Institute on Drug Abuse
1-301-443-1124
www.nida.nih.gov
National Clearninghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
1-800-729-6686
www.health.org
~
The information in this is from ETR Associates. I do not claim to own any of this information, nor am I trying to profit from it.
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Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 11:34 pm
Prescription Drug Abuse [pamphlet]
What is Prescription Drug Abuse?
Individuals who abuse and misuse prescription drugs will typically use them in greater amounts than prescribed, for reasons other than why they were prescribed, or without a valid prescription.
Why Are Young People Abusing Prescription Medications?
- Belief that prescription drug abuse is safver to use than an illicit drug because it is medicine.
- To get "high."
- Easily accessible.
- Inexpensive.
- To cope with anxiety and stress.
- To fit in or have fun with friends.
Did you know...
In the United States, the only drug abused more frequently than prescription drugs is marijuana. (National Drug Intelligence Center, 2006)
What Are the Dangers of Using and Mixing Prescription Drugs?
- Death
- Coma
- Heart attack
- Diarrhea
- Addiction
- Feelings of paranoia
- Nausea
- Physical injury
What Are the Most Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs?
- Opiods (Tylenol 3, OxyContin, Percocet)
- Depressants (Valium and Xanax)
- Stimulants (Adderall and Ritalin)
How Are These Drugs Obtained?
- Doctor shopping (seeing multiple doctors to get the same prescription).
- Stealing, or getting drugs from friends or family, especially from medicine cabinets or dealers.
- Internet pharmacy websites where you can get some medications without a prescription.
- Theft from a pharmacy.
What Are "Pharm Parties"?
A group of young people getting together, mixing prescription drugs in a bowl, taking a handful of drugs, and ingesting all or some of them, without knowing exactly what they are taking.
What Can Parents Do?
- Educate yourself, your children, your family and friends; prescription drugs can be just as dangerous and addictive as "street drug."
- Keep track of the quantities of medications in your home. Store them in a safe place. Discard old or unused medications; ask your pharmacist how this can be done properly.
- Follow medicinal directions carefully; make sure you and your children use prescription drugs only when prescribed by a medical doctor, and take only the recommended dosages.
Resources
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
www.ccsa..ca
Parents: The Anti-Drug
www.TheAntiDrug.com
National Institute on Drug Abuse
www.nida.nih.gov
For more information on this and other topics visit the BC Centre for Social Responsibility at www.bccsr.ca
~
The information in this post is from the University of the Fraser Valley and the BC Centre for Social Responsibility. I do not claim to own any of this information, nor am I trying to profit from it.
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Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 11:36 pm
Hookahs
"I'd never smoke cigarettes. But I like smoking a hookah."
What's a Hookah?
A hookah is a pipe used for smoking tobacco.
Hookahs have many different names. Common ones include:
- Water pipe
- Narghile
- Shisha
- Goza
- Hubble bubble
What's the Appeal?
People smoke hookahs for a lot of reasons:
- It's new. Hookahs are mainstream in some Eastern and Middle Eastern cultures. But in the US, they're newer and more exotic.
- It's social. People sit together to share a hookah. They talk and relax together.
- They like the ritual. They enjoy preparing and lighting the tobacco, passing the pipe, and listening to the bubbling of the water.
- They think it's safe. Hookahs are new in thsi country. So there are few studies on them and few warnings. People like to think that there could be a "safer" form of tobacco.
What's the Risk?
- Hookahs pose serious health risks, and tobacco contains nicotine. It's highly addictive in any form. Hookah smoke also has toxins. Some are even more potent than in cigarette smoke.
- Hookah smoking raises the risk of serious health problems. These include cancers, heart disease and lung problems. Pregnant women are more likely to have a low-birth-weight baby. Men are more likely to be infertile.
- Sharing a hookah can pass infections. Colds and flu and even herpes can be passed when people share a mouthpiece.
Why Do People Who Won't Smoke Cigarettes Smoke Hookahs?
They probably believe some of these popular myths:
Hookah Myth: The toxins and tar in the tobacco will be filtered out by the water.
Truth: Not all toxins are filtered out. Hookah smoke has high amounts of carbon monoxide, tar, nicotine, and heavy metals - sometimes even more than cigarettes.
Hookah Myth: The water-cooled smoke doesn't damage your lungs or your body.
Truth: Hookah smoke my feel mild. But it's still harmful to the lungs, heart, and other organs.
Hookah Myth: When you smoke a hookah, you get less nicotine.
Truth: Nicotine content depends on the tobacco, the pipe and how you smoke. Sometimes you get more nicotine from a hookah.
Hookah Myth: Hookah smokers don't get addicted.
Truth: Like any tobacco users, hookah smokers can get addicted. They may smooke hookahs more often, or use cogarettes or other tobacco products to satisfy their cravings.
Hookah Myth: Hookah tobacco contains fruit, so it's healthy.
Truth: Tobacco is never healthy. The sweet-flavored hookah tobacco can cover up the toxins.
Hookah Myth: Hookah smokers don't have the health risks cigarette smokers do.
Truth: Hookah smokers develop many of the same serious health problems as cigarette smokers.
Did you know...?
A hookah smoker inhales 8 times more carbon monoxide and 36 times more tar in a typical session than someone who smokes 1 cigarette.
Make the Smart Choice
Not smoking a hookah when others are doing it can be hard. But choosing not to smoke keeps your lungs, heart, and the rest of your body healthy. You can also avoid getting addicted.
Here are some options:
- Do something else if people are going to smoke. Find other non-smoking friends to join you.
- Bust the myths. Tell friends what you know. Be low key, but let people know you're protecting your health by choosing not to smoke.
- Find alternatives. Suggest other pastimes that can provide the ritual, relaxation and connection without the risks. Convince your friends to come along.
Some ideas:
- Prepare and eat a meal together.
- Listen to live music.
- Go bowling.
- Take a group walk to someplace fun or beautiful.
- Shoot some pool.
Did you know...?
A person inhales about 10 times more smoke from a puff on a hookah pipe than from a puff on a cigarette.
Who Gets Addicted?
Not everyone who smokes a hookah gets addicted to nicotine. As with cigarettes, some people can try it then leave it behind.
The problem is, you can't know if you'll belong to the "take it or leave it" group or the "hooked on tobacco" group.
Nicotine is a powerful drug no matter how you use it. Some people become addicted in just a few weeks. Others develop cravings and addiction over several months.
In one study, 6 out of 10 hookah smokers who wanted to quit had tried and failed in the past year. That's addiction.
To Learn More
Check out these sites if you already smoke and want to quit.
American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org
1-800-227-2345
American Lung Association
www.lungusa.org
1-800-586-4872
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Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 11:52 pm
Ketamine [pamphlet] What is Ketamine?Ketamine is most often used legally as an anesthetic by veterinarians and doctors. It is a highly addictive drug that results in a psychological state of seperation between self and reality. It is usually used in combination with other drugs. Ketamine Can Also Be Called:- K - Ket - Special K - Kit Kat - Horse Tranquilizer - Spesh - Vitamin K What Are the Effects of Ketamine?- Feeling dreamy. - Out of body experiences. - Sense of vertigo. - Reduced sensations. What Does Ketamine Look Like?Usually Ketamine comes in a liquid form that can be injected itno a muscle, or taken orally. It can also be taken orally in pill form. Ketamine can also be in the form of crystals or powder that can be snorted or smoked. Quote: "There is an increased risk of Ketamine use among the LGBT community." Quote: "61% of rave goers reported snorting Ketamine." - Nervousness - Increased heart rate - Dry mouth - Fatal respiratory problems - Paranoia - Hallucinations - Nausea and vomiting - Seizures - Disruptions in consciousness - Neurosis - Disintegration of skeletal muscles - Anxiety - Memory and behavioural disturbances - Near death experiences ResourcesCentre for Addiction and Mental Healthwww.camh.net For more information on this and other topics, visit the BC Centre for Social Responsibility at www.bccsr.ca ~ The information in this post is from the University of the Fraser Valley and the BC Centre for Social Responsibility. I do not claim to own any of this information, nor am I trying to profit from it.
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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 12:35 am
Crystal Meth [pamphlet] What is Crystal Methamphetamine?Crystal Methamphetamine is a man-made stimulant drug that increases the activity of neurotransmitters (dopamine and serotonin) in the brain. It is made into either a white, odorless powder or a clear, crystal substance. Common Ingredients Include:- Battery acid - Sulfuric acid - Rubbing alcohol - Drain cleaners - Kerosene - Antifreeze - Paint thinner - Iodine - Ether - Cold/allergy medication Why Do Youth Use Crystal Meth?- Restlessness - Insomnia - Agitation - Teeth clenching/grinding - Increased mental and physical performance - Euphoria - 4-12 hour "high" - Increased energy - Wakefulness - Decreased appetite Quote: "First time use of crystal methamphetamine often occurs in grade 9 or 10." Quote: "5% of grade 7 - 12 BC high school students have tried crystal methamphetamine at least once." - Skin sores - Tooth decay - Malnutrition - Paranoid delusions - Drug-induced psychosis - Kidney and liver failure What Can I Do to Prevent My Child From Using Crystal Methamphetamine?- Set clear boundaries. - Set high, but achievable expectations. - Be aware of transition periods. - Be there for your child. - Show your child that you love them and believe in them. - Demonstrate a healthy lifestyle. - Make time to talk to your child about substance use issues (make sure you are well informed first). - Avoid lecturing. - Listen to what your child has to say. ResourcesTalking With Your Kidswww.talkingwithyourkids.ca Crystal Meth Society of BCwww.crystalmethbc.ca No 2 Methwww.no2meth.ca For more information on this and other topics, visit the BC Centre for Social Responsibility at www.bccsr.ca ~ The information from this post is from the University of the Fraser Valley and the BC Centre for Social Responsibility. I do not claim to own any of this information, nor am I trying to profit from it.
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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 7:19 am
By Young Addicts, For Young Addicts [pamphlet] This literature was developed by young members of Narcotics Anonymous who have stayed clean and found a new way of life. Young addicts around the world, speaking many different languages, are getting and staying clean in NA. We are writing this to share our experience in living the NA message that any addict, no matter how young, can stop using drugs, lose the resire to use, and find a new way to live. As young members, most of us didn't come to Narcotics Anonymous looking for a new way of life. We were just tired of the lives we had. We spent a lot of our time feeling angry, lonely, hurt or scared. Getting high was the only thing tha tseemed to help, but drugs quickly began to make life even harder. We were tired of the pain and confusion, but we didn't want to consider the idea that drugs were making our problems worse. Regardless of whether or not we thought we were addicts, the idea of giving up drugs was hard to imagine. If we did consider stopping, the idea usually didn't last long. If this sounds familiar, you might be like us. This pamphlet is our change to share what we've learned: We weren't too young to be addicts, and we're not too young to get clean. We stopped using and are discovering a new way of life. You may not see young members in the meetings you go to, but if you stay clean and keep coming back, you'll find us. When we came to Narcotics Anonymous, we saw how members treated each other. We saw something honest and real. We listened to other addicts share about not having to use drugs anymore. We listened as other addicts talked about walking through fear, about living the NA program, and about being free to have a different kind of life. Other people in our lives seemed to be trying to control us, but NA members simply offered their experience, strength, and hope. They told us that we never had to use again, even if we felt like it. We began to feel like we belonged. Because we didn't always see other young members in the meetings we went to, we wondered if maybe we were too young to be addicts, or too young to get clean. With support from other members, we stayed clean anyways, and we made connections with people of all ages in Narcotics Anonymous. We may not have used drugs as long, but we've learned that addiction runs much deeper than our drug use. When we first came to NA, it was easier to relate to people with similar backgrounds, or people who used the same drugs as us. After to getting to know other addicts, we realized that we experience similar thoughs and feelings - no matter how old or young, or where we came from. Am I Really an Addict? Before coming to NA, many of us though our drug use was a normal phase, a natural part of growing up. We may have tried to use our age as an excuse, but it soon became hard to deny that drugs weren't making life any easier. We could act like we didn't care about things, but deep down we knew that we were making more sacrifices than we wanted to for drugs. When we found NA, we felt like we might be too young to get clean. We might've thought addiction was just a physical thing, and that addicts had to use certain types of drugs for long periods of time to become addicted. But we heard in meetings that NA describes addiction as affecting us in 3 main ways: mind, body and spirit. The problem was less about what the drugs were doing to us and more about how we were using the drugs. The drugs didn't have to be habit-forming or physically addictive for us to develop a problem. Our use of drugs was wrapped up in obsession, compulsion, and self-centeredness. We thought obsessively about drugs and the using lifestyle. We used compulsively when we didn't want to or told ourselves we wouldn't, and we couldnt' stop once we started. In total self-centeredness, we sacrificed anything to feel different, even if it meant hurting ourselves and the people who loved us. Most of the time we were left feeling resentment, anger and fear. Quote: "When I hard the reading, 'an addict is a man or woman,' I wondered if I had to be an adult to hit bottom and get clean." We related to members who shared those types of feelings, even if their drug use was very different from ours. We realized that types of drugs didn't matter. It didn't matter if we only used on weekends or if we used before, after and during school. We lost control of our drug use and did things we weren't proud of in order to keep using. We ended up feeling alone and ashamed. For addicts, using any drug leads us to the same loss of control and feelings of hopelessness. Just because we're young doesn't mean that addiction is any less deadly for us. We can make a decision to stay clean whenever we're ready. When we hear members share about hitting bottom, we know that our bottom is whenever we stop digging. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using, so anyone who finds NA, young or old, can have a change for a new way of life. SponsorshipSponsorship teaches us how to tell somebody what's really going on with us. We learn how to reveal what goes on inside of us and begin taking suggestions and practicing the Twelve Steps in our lives. The most important quality in a sponsor is that the person is someone we can trust and is an example of what we want in our lives. Working the steps with a sponsor can help us address the ways addiction shows up in our lives even after we're not using drugs. Obsession and compulsion can affect the ways we approach sex, food, money, relationships, video games, the internet, and countless other areas. Addiction can distort any behaviour or feeling to be a replacement for the way we used drugs. Many of us have also experienced depression, anxiety, rage, self-mutilation, and eating disorders. A sponsor is often the first person we trust enough to talk to about these problems. When we open up, our sponsors can help us look for solutions. Sex, Drugs, And...As young members, coming to terms with our sexuality in recovery can be difficult. Our experiences with sex can include anything from our sexual orientation to break-ups, pregnancy, unmanageability, confusion, and shame or guild about thigns we've done or thigns that happened to us. We'll hear lots of opinions and suggestions about sex and relationships in recovery. We may not always listen to what others have to say, but we can make an effort to talk openly with our sponsor and other members we trust. Sometimes our feelings about sex and relationships make drugs start to seem like a solution again. Instead, we share what we're going through and ask for guidance and support. Recovery will help us get through our feelings clean. When we share honestly about ourselves, we're an example for others. I Was UnderageIf our decisions have to be approved by a parents, guarding, or another adult, we may not always be allowed to go to NA meetings or make other changes suggested by the program. Our choice we can make for ourselves is to stay clean. It might be awhile before we're free to live the way we want to, but we can hold onto our choice of recovery, even when it's tough. When we can make it to meetings, members tell us they believe in us and that we can stay clean if we hold on, ask for help, and take suggesstions. The People in My Life Kept Using DrugsWhen we get clean, we may hear other recovering addicts tell us to give up "old playmakes, playgrounds, and playthings," but sometimes we don't have a choice. We can't get people out of our lives if we live with them, go to school with them, or are locked up with them. Our friends and family members might use in front of us. This makes it tough to focus on recovery. We know we never have to use again, but it's hard to get drugs out of our head if we see them in our lives every day. If we have using thoughts, we reach out to people in NA. If we can't reach out to other addicts, we can read NA literature, write in a journal, strive for contact with a Higher Power, or talk to friends or family members who don't use. We stay clean no matter what. Thoughts of using come and go, but they lose power when we ask for help. Quote: "I was really excited about recovery after my first NA meeting. But I still had to go home at night and be around my family. They partied loud and late. I could lock myself in my room, but the sounds and smells still got in." Our parents and guardians may require us to stay involved with their religion until we're old enough to choose for ourselves. They may wonder if NA will teach us things that contradict their religious beliefs, or if we'll be pressured into getting involved in some other religion. We can remember that NA is not in competition or conflict with religion, nor do we have to become religious to stay clean. The Twelve Steps encourage us to get in touch with our own beliefs. We can let our parents know that Narcotics Anonymous does not endorse or oppose any religion. We may simply have to respect our parents' wishes until we're able to choose for ourselves. I Was the Only Young NA MemberSome of us feel a different sort of isolation because we're the only young people in NA where we live. We can get together with members after meetings, but sometimes we just feel like spending time with people our own age. It can be very hard to fight off the feelings of being different or unique when we're the youngest person in the group. We can look for chances to travel to NA events where there might be opportunities to meet other recovering addicts our age. There are young people getting and staying clean all over the world. We can also connect to young NA members in other places through technology and the internet. Recovery-related online chat groups, e-mail lists, and social networking sites make it possible to stay in touch with members all over the world. These can't replace real-life meeting attendance, but they give us a chance to relate to other young members about our experiences getting clean. Quote: "My first NA conventino was a real turning point for me. I met young members from all over. When I went to another convention months later, people who live far away still remembered my name. I knew I was really a part of NA." When we stay clean, we have the opportunity to be the one young addict who can welcome other young people to our meetings and let them know what we needed to know: that it's okay to be young in NA. We tell them that NA works, even for young people. We are living proof - we are staying clean one day at a time. RelapseAs young people in recovery, we may have friends in NA who go back to using once they get out of trouble. It hurts to see people to leave NA, especially people we've gotten close to. Recovery has done so much for us that we hate to imagine our friends suffering in active addiction. No matter how much we may want to, we can't make anyone want to stop using. We simply try to be a living example of what recovery has to offer. We share freely what we've been given. Some addicts will not want what we have. We share our hope so they'll know where to find it when they're ready to try something different. We can remember that our literature says, "There may be times when relapse lays the groundwork for complete freedom." We stay close to members with clean time who can relate to the pain and frustration of seeing people come and go. We remember that although we're young, we can stay clean for the rest of our lives by doing it one day at a time. Our literature and experience affirm that "we have never seen a person who lives the Narcotics Anonymous program relapse." For more information about relapse, see Chapter 7 in the Basic Text, Narcotics Anonymous, titled "Recovery and Relapse" or the Recovery and Relapse international pamphlet. Members Helped Me Feel Safe in NANarcotics Anonymous is not immune to the dangers found in the rest of society. The people we trust in NA can help us avoid getting involved in financial, romantic or sexual situations with those who may not have our best interests at heart. We build trust with other members by getting to know them slowly. We begin with a sponsor, who can help us get to know other members. We get to know people in public places until we're comfortable with them. If we do find ourselves in uncomfortable situations, we talk to other members we trust - we don't have to keep anything to ourselves. People who care about our well-being will be patient earning our trust and won't pressure us into uncomfortable situations. It doesn't take long at all for us to build a network out of close people with whom we feel safe. Facing Life Events Without DrugsBecause we are young, we usually have major life events and milestones ahead of us. Facing events such as graduations, reaching the legal age to drink, birthdays and other celebrations may seem impossible without using. Our friends and family won't always understand our reasons for staying clean, especially in situations where it's common to drink alcohol. We ask the people in our lives to support our decisions, and we need to rely on support from our sponsor and friends in recovery in these situations. We can ask NA members to be there with us if we're uncomfortable on our own. They help us remember that we can get through anything clean. Quote: "When I first got clean, I wondered how I would celebrate my graduation or my birthdays. What would happen when I could get into bars and buy alcohol? what if I ever got married, would we be able to toast? What would we serve the guests?" No matter how old, most people who come to NA have a lot of growing up to do. The core of our disease is self-obsession. That means that all newcomers struggle with the same childness, regardless of their age. We learn to work a program of recovery alongsie our fellow members, helping them when we can and accepting their help with it applies. We may look or feel different from older members, but we're all staying clean just for today. When we open up to other members, we learn that we have a lot more in common than we thought. Narcotics Anonymous makes it possible for addicts of any age to grow up and grow older, clean in recovery. Just for today, we have our whole lives ahead of us. By staying clean, we're free to become who we want to be. ~ The information in this post belongs to Narcotics Anonymous. I do not claim to own any of this information, nor am I trying to profit from it.
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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 7:21 am
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Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 7:23 am
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Reply
