Are your children likely to be affected by drugs?

A DRUG IS ANY SUBSTANCE OTHER THAN FOOD WHICH CHANGES THE

WAY THE BODY OR MIND FUNCTIONS.

A drug is a substance you ingest, snort, shoot up, drink, smoke, etc. It changes the way you feel, oftentimes in a good way at first. It enters your bloodstream through either your stomach or your lungs, and gets taken up to your brain. It then changes your brain chemistry, causing a high or a numbness.

The brain is the organ that is MOST SENSITIVE to drugs.

The brain often gets the most exposure to a drug, because it gets

the most blood.

NATIONAL DRUG & ALCOHOL SCENE

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

5%7%

9%

11%

12%

13%

17%

23%

44%54%

Cocaine/Crack

Ecstasy

LSD

Heroin

Marijuana

Inhalants

Rx Drugs

Cough Medicine

Meth

Alcohol

The Partnership at Drugfree.org, PATS 2012

CANDY OR DRUGS?

WHAT DRUGS LOOK LIKE:

DRUG DEALERS WANT TO MAKE MORE MONEY, SO THEY BULK UP THE DRUGS

� Since drugs cost a lot of money, drug dealers may “cut” their drugs with sugar, baking soda, flour, paracetamol, lead, procaine, strychnine (rat poison) in the drugs to save on product cost

� Marijuana is MOST OFTEN cut with lead or glass (to increase weight)! Yikes!

WHY DO TEENAGERS TAKE DRUGS?

� To feel good � To feel better � To do better � Curiosity and “because others are doing it”

DRUG DEALERS KNOW THIS!

� They will say everything and anything to convince your child to buy the drug.

� “You’ll forget about your problems” � “You’ll feel more confident” � “You can’t get hooked on it if you just use it once” � Everyone’s doing it.

SPECIAL VULNERABILITIES

� Family history – predisposition to drug or alcohol problems

� Close friends who use drugs or alcohol � Early first use � Trauma � Diagnosed or undiagnosed depression/

other mental health disorders

Taking a medication that was not prescribed to you.

Purposefully taking the wrong dosage of a prescribed medication.

Taking a prescribed medication for something other than its intended purpose.

SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE?

the number one cause of accidental death is drug use.

Over half of teens (56%) do not see a great risk in trying prescription pain relievers without a doctor’s prescription.

Prescription drugs are much more difficult to detect than street drugs.

Prescription drugs are much easier to obtain than street drugs.

WHY ARE TEENS TURNING TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS?

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Lock up your medicine cabinet.

Monitor the quantities of medications kept in your home.

Dispose of expired and unused medications.

SAFEGUARD YOUR MEDICATIONS:

WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR?

Missing pills

Unfamiliar pills

Empty cough and cold medicine bottles or packages

HOW DO TEENS FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO?

Teens visit websites, chat rooms, and blogs to obtain dosage information, identify pills, and learn about drug interactions and effects.

What’s the most dangerous drug

amongst teenagers?

Why does it matter whether your teen is

experimenting with drugs and alcohol?

TEENS’ BRAINS ARE STILL UNDERDEVELOPED

�  Earlier development of the back of the brain and later development of the front of the brain

�  Less than optimal planning and judgment

�  More risky, impulsive behaviors

�  Minimal consideration of negative consequences

�  Because the brain is not fully formed, consequences to the brain can be more disastrous

DRUGS IMPACT PERFORMANCE

Alcohol and marijuana are the two most commonly found substances in the bodies of

drivers involved in fatal automobile accidents.

WHAT ARE THE DRUG PENALTIES IN THAILAND?

� Fines � Prison sentence � Death penalty

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR

AND SEXUAL TRAUMA

-  Increased risk of having sex with someone they wouldn’t have otherwise

-  Increased risk of being forced or coerced into sex

-  Increased risk of having unprotected sex (with risk of pregnancy or STD)

ROHYPNOL- DATE RAPE DRUG

� Makes user very relaxed, confused, “spaced-out” � Takes away all inhibitions, making people do things they

normally wouldn’t � Can make user pass out or slip into coma if taken in large

dose or mixed with other drugs � Affects your self-control - is used in “date rape” and other

assaults because it can make you unconscious and immobile

� Causes a kind of amnesia; user does not remember what they said or did while on the drug

� Comes in a form of a pill, or sometimes powder mixed with a drink, or put into someone’s drink

DRUGS IMPACT MOOD

�  I’ve consistently seen

Drugs are addictive

THE TRUTH ABOUT DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

� Some people will use drugs and alcohol and be okay. They’ll be able to stop when they decide to.

� Others, who have low serotonin or low dopamine, either from genes or from environment (trauma, neglect, abuse), will get “hooked” more easily on any behavior or substance that reinforces dopamine/serotonin (food, sex, marijuana, cigarettes) and will use the behavior or substance to medicate themselves.

DEFINITION OF ADDICTION:

� Using a substance (or compulsively doing a behavior)

…in spite of consequences.

Ø  Immediate effect of drug use is an increase in dopamine and

serotonin, which the brain experiences as very pleasurable

Ø  Continued use of drugs reduces the brain’s dopamine production

Ø  Because dopamine is part of the reward system, the brain is “fooled” that the drug has survival value for the organism.

Ø  The reward system responds with “drug seeking behaviors”

Ø  Craving occurs and, eventually, if there’s long-term use of a drug, dependence.

UNFORTUNATELY

� It is impossible to tell who has low serotonin or low dopamine

� …before symptoms start.

How do you know if your child may be under the influence?

Here are some of the warning

signs to look for:

PHYSICAL AND HEALTH SIGNS OF DRUG ABUSE

� Eyes that are bloodshot or pupils that are smaller or

larger than normal. � Frequent nosebleeds could be related to snorted drugs

(meth or cocaine). � Changes in appetite or sleep patterns.  Sudden weight

loss or weight gain. � Seizures without a history of epilepsy. � Unusual smells on breath, body, or clothing. � Shakes, tremors, incoherent or slurred speech, impaired

or unstable coordination.

BEHAVIORAL SIGNS �  Drop in attendance and performance at school--loss of interest in

extracurricular activities, hobbies, sports or exercise--decreased motivation. �  Missing money, valuables, prescription or prescription drugs, borrowing or

stealing money. �  Acting isolated, silent, withdrawn, engaging in secretive or suspicious behaviors. �  Irritability �  Sudden mood changes, irritability, angry outbursts or laughing at nothing. �  Periods of unusual hyperactivity or agitation. �  Sleeping in class �  Lack of motivation; inability to focus, appears lethargic or “spaced out.” �  Appears fearful, withdrawn, anxious, or paranoid, with no apparent reason. �  Using incense, perfume, air freshener to hide smell of smoke or drugs. �  Using eyedrops to mask bloodshot eyes and dilated pupils.

*Note! Many of these behaviors are “typical” teen behavior and may have nothing to do with drug use; but the suddenness of changes, or the occurrence of several changes at once, should alert you to the possibility of a problem.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED EXCUSES OF DRUG ABUSE

�  I was keeping/holding it for a friend.

�  A drink got spilled on me

�  I just took a sip - I didn't know it had alcohol in it.

�  That smell is my new incense.

�  It's only alcohol - at least I don't smoke dope.

�  It's only marijuana - at least I don't do hard drugs.

�  I just tried it once and I'll never do it again.

�  It's normal to experiment when you're a teenager.

�  Weed is natural!

�  My eyes are bothering me - I probably have allergies.

�  I'm just tired.

�  If you think I am bad, you should see what my friends do.

WHAT CAN YOU DO AS A PARENT? �  Lock your liquor cabinet.

Brandon started on his course with alcohol and drugs at about the age of 13 when his parents went out of town and he decided to raid their liquor cabinet. He chose the clear liquor because it was the easiest to replace with water.

�  Look closely at your child. To cover up the physical signs that he was using drugs, Brandon would pull his hat down over his eyes, put gum in his mouth, and put Visine in his eyes to take away any redness. When he came home, he would avoid conversation by giving his parents short yes or no answers.

�  Don't think your child is too young to be exposed to drugs. The first time Brandon smoked marijuana, he was 16, and knew a lot of people who were already smoking it. By the time he was 18, he was smoking and drinking on a daily basis.

�  Know who your child's friends are. �  Are you paying for your child's drugs?

Brandon's parents would give him money to buy clothes or eat out, and he'd save that money to spend on drugs.

�  Check their bedrooms. Good places to look for drugs: under mattresses, under dressers, under cabinets, or even attached to the back of the drawers. Brandon's favorite place was in his closet, inside pockets of clothes and jeans he never wore.

DO NOT TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT DRUGS WHEN:

� You’re angry � They’re drunk or high � You aren’t prepared

HAVE A CONVERSATION, NOT A CONFRONTATION:

�  Talk to them when they’re young! �  Give lots of praise and positive feedback; if your children have good self-

esteem, they’ll be more likely to resist peer influences �  Ask open-ended questions: “what do your friends say about drugs?” �  Show your concern if you suspect drug use: “You haven’t been yourself

lately” �  Watch your tone- even though you may want to scream and yell, you

are more likely to be heard if you stay calm and relaxed. �  Show your love; physical connection can play an important role. �  Talk about your own memories of being a teen and the mistakes you

made.

WHAT WILL YOUR CHILD NEED TO DO IF THEY SHOW SIGNS OF ADDICTION?

�  Reducing consumption will not work, they will need to stop using the substance entirely. Half-measures do not work.

�  Research ways of boosting serotonin and dopamine levels naturally (getting sunlight, sharing about your feelings with someone you trust, doing sports, getting massages, etc)

�  Consult with a counsellor and a psychiatrist. If your child have a chemical imbalance, they may benefit from getting on a medication that raises serotonin (SSRI). If they’ve suffered from trauma, they may benefit from speaking to a counsellor.

�  Attend 12-step fellowship meetings (AA, NA). These groups are for individuals who are wanting to stop using/drinking or want to stay stopped.

�  Go into rehab. This will enable your child to detox and access therapy, but since there is no cure for addiction, rehab will have to be followed up with other recovery-based strategies (ie: 12 steps, counselling, psychiatry).