Substance abuse training for school system employees

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Purpose

The Mountain Brook Schools system is providing information on substance abuse. Our hope is that this information will help our employees be aware of the impact of substance abuse on our lives, our students’ lives, and the lives of our family members.

This training…

To complete the training, move through these slides. There is no audio—just the slides.

The last slide will direct you to a very brief test and survey. When that is completed, your participation in the training will noted by the school system and professional development credit entered.

Substance abuse affects all ages and cuts across all social, racial, and religious groups. No person, family, school, or community is immune.

In fact, substance abuse affects an estimated 25 million Americans directly and an additional 40 million indirectly.

People who have substance abuse problems usually deny they have problems for as long as they can. Usually, they continue to avoid dealing with the problem until they, or the people around them, start to experience the most negative aspects of the substance abuse problem.

Denial

Family, friends, coworkers…

A complicated aspect of substance abuse is the way people in the lives of the substance abuser relate to them and behave toward them.

For example, enabling behavior includes making excuses for and “covering for” the substance abuser. This kind of behavior, even though well-meaning, enables the person with the problem to continue abusing, doing harm in the long run.

Substances of abuse

The variety of substances which can be abused is too great to list. However….

We believe three major substance abuse problems in this community are:AlcoholMarijuanaAbuse of prescription and non-

prescription medications

Alcohol

Alcohol

For most people, alcohol is a pleasant accompaniment to social activity. Moderate alcohol use is not harmful for most adults.

Alcohol

However, a large number of people have serious trouble with their drinking. About 14 million Americans -- 1 in every 13 adults -- abuse alcohol or are alcoholic.

Alcohol

Several million more adults engage in risky drinking patterns that could lead to alcohol problems.

In addition, about half of men and women in the United States report that one or more of their close relatives have a drinking problem.

Alcohol

The consequences of alcohol misuse are serious--in many cases, life-threatening. Heavy drinking can increase the risk for certain cancers. It can also cause liver cirrhosis, immune system problems, brain damage, and harm to the fetus during pregnancy.

Alcohol

In addition, drinking increases the risk of death from automobile accidents, recreational accidents, and on-the-job accidents. Excess alcohol use can also increase the likelihood of violence and suicide.

Binge Drinking…is usually defined as drinking five

or more drinks at one time.This is a particularly dangerous

drinking pattern among young people

Word games

A lot of words & phrases are used to describe someone who might have issues related to alcohol use

“need to cut down”“drinking problem”“alcoholic”“alcohol dependence”“alcohol addiction”

Word games

The problem with these is that they sometimes distract us from the real issue.

The bottom line?

Has a person’s use of alcohol caused him or her significant problems in some area of life?

•Work•Family•Health•Legal

Even if not alcoholic, abusing alcohol can have negative results, such as failure to meet major responsibilities because of drinking; alcohol-related legal trouble; automobile crashes due to drinking; and a variety of alcohol-related medical problems.

“Cutting down”

Can problem drinkers “cut down”? Studies show that nearly all alcoholics who try to merely cut down on drinking are NOT able to do so indefinitely. Instead, cutting out alcohol (that is, abstaining) is nearly always necessary for successful recovery.

Underage drinking

Alcohol use is particularly dangerous among young people, and is a problem in all communities, including ours.

It is, of course, illegal. Research indicates that it takes longer for the human brain to develop than previously believed. When the maturing brain is exposed to alcohol, it is more vulnerable to damage.

Underage drinking

Younger people, when they drink, are more likely to become impaired by the alcohol, which increases their risk of serious accidents and highly risky behavior.

Underage drinking

An unacceptable number of teenagers and young adults die every year from binge drinking. Sometimes this occurs through acute alcohol poisoning.

Marijuana

Marijuana use…

Has been shown in studies to affect motivation, learning & academic performance.

Has an impact on short-term and long-term health.

Causes memory, speed-of-thinking, and other cognitive problems.

Doubles the risk of fatal highway accidents.

Signs

Warning signs of marijuana use include: Bloodshot eyes or clothes that smell

of smoke Isolation, depression, fatigue or

anxiety A decline in school performance or

attendance A change in sleeping or eating habits Use of incense or room deodorizer

Pipes & Bongs

Abuse of prescription drugs

Abuse of prescription drugs Common in our community. These drugs are abused either for

their stimulant properties or depressant properties.

Most commonly abused:• Pain medications• Stimulant meds used to treat

attention deficit disorder• Anti-anxiety medications

Prescription drugs…

When abused, can lead to addiction.

Other issues to watch…

Inhalants Any number of chemicals are inhaled for

mind-altering effects. This is seen in younger adolescents and children who find it hard to get other substances of abuse• Examples: aerosols, adhesives,

deodorants, perfumes, hair spray, air fresheners, gasoline, lighter fluid, paint.

• These are some of the most dangerous substances that can be abused, and can cause serious damage to the brain and central nervous system.

DXM

Dextromethorphan (DM or DXM) is a medication that is found in many over-the-counter cold and cough medicines. It is also used as a recreational drug. The most common street name is “DXM.” When the medication is an ingredient in medication, the medication often includes “DM” in its name.

DXM

In low recreational doses, DXM is often described as having a buoyant, hallucinatory effect similar to a mixture of alcohol, opiates, and marijuana. With very high doses users often report out of body experiences or temporary psychosis. Multi-symptom cold medicines contain other active ingredients that can cause permanent bodily damage, or even death, if taken in the common recreational doses.

Help

Help is available. And it works. Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at 1-800-

662-HELP for information about treatment programs in your local community and to speak to someone about an alcohol problem.

Many people also benefit from support groups. For information on local support meetings run by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), call your local AA chapter (check your local phone directory under "Alcoholism") or call 212-870-3400.

For meetings of Al-Anon (for friends and family members in an alcoholic person's life) and Alateen (for children of alcoholics), call your local Al-Anon chapter or call the following toll-free number: 1-888-4AL-ANON.

Employee Assistance Program WHAT IS AN EAP?      Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are

employer-sponsored programs designed to provide problem identification, short-term counseling referrals and crisis intervention for employees and their family members who experience personal or behavioral problems that impact the employees' work performance.

     Employees may voluntarily choose to take advantage of this confidential service to resolve personal problems. Supervisors may use the EAP as a management tool by referring employees whose work proficiency has dropped below acceptable standards and where regular corrective procedures fail to restore acceptable performance.

EAP Our EAP offers complete assessments

and referral to the most appropriate resource. Our services include supervisor orientation to aid in the recognition and intervention of impaired employees.

     EAP services are free to employees, spouses and dependent children. Call 205-879-7957 within the greater Birmingham, Alabama area or 800-925-5327 outside the local area. All calls are strictly confidential and you have access to a competent staff with 24-hour availability for crisis and non-crisis issues.

That completes this training. Please go to the following web page to complete a brief post-test and survey.

Click here for the test and survey.

Thank you!