Addiction

What is addiction?

• Uncontrollable, compulsive drug seeking and use, even in the face of negative health and social consequences

Two types

• Physical addiction

- body requires the addictive substance to feel normal

- used to relieve physiological symptoms of illness

• Psychological addiction- a person's need to use a drug out of desire for the effects it produces

Stages of addiction

1. Non use
2. Experimental use
3. Occasional
4. Regular
5. Abuse and problem use
6. Addiction or Dependency

Incidence of Addiction

• Alcohol addiction 5.5% or 1 in 18
• Other drugs 1.47% or 1 in 68
• 83 alcoholics in the school right now
• 22 drug addicts in the school right now

Relapse rates

• smoking 60-90%
• alcohol 65% +
• cocaine 80%+
• crystal meth 90%+

More addiction facts

• Percentage of canadians who are high risk drinkers: 13.6%
• Or 202 students in WVSS are high risk drinkers
• The amount the canadian economy loses per year due to substance abuse in the workplace: 18.6 billion

Some facts

• 90% of property and personal crimes are drug related

Marijuana (BC bud)

• 40-60% of Bc is laced with crystal meth
• not "all natural" heavily fertilized
• grown indoors hydroponically

Marijuana

• Active ingredient Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
• depressant
• has been linked to early onset schizophrenia
• has been linked to cancer
• effects short term memory
• effects motivation

Alcohol

• depressant
• very damaging to the teenage brain
• effects memory- hippocampus
• effects judgement- emigdulla
• effects every organ in the body
• considered a gateway drug
• When you pass out it is a sign your brain is shutting down (you are closer to death than you think)
• Mixing alcohol with other depressants is extremely dangerous
• Mixing alcohol with Tylenol can be deadly
• Never leave someone who has passed from drinking. Even better get them to hospital

Ecstasy

• Chemical name for Ecstasy- mthylenediozymethamphetamine
• Stimulant & Hallucinogen
• Heightens senses- heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature (hyperthermia)
• effects serotonin system
• can permanently damage brain & cause depression
• effects memory

Rohypnol & GHB

• Central nervous system depressant
• Mixed with alsohol they can cause unconsciousness and even death

Ketamine

• Anesthetic
• Can cause dream like states & hallucinations
• Used in veterinary clinics
• dangerous on its own but extremely dangerous when used with other depressants

Opiates

• From the opium plant
• used both legally and illegally
• opium, heroin, morphine, codeine
• central nercous system depressants
• extremely dangerous when mixed with other depressants
• highly addictive

Cocaine

• Effects the dopamine system in the brain (reward)
• Most powerful stimulant from a natural source
• Can permanently damage brain
• highly addictive

Crystal Meth

• Central nercous system stimulant
• active ingredient Psuedoephefrine
• highly addictive
• Severe withdrawal symptoms
• cooked with multiple chemicals
• permanently damages brain

Terms

• Poly drug use
• Hallucinogenic