The Family Guide To Drugs And Drug Abuse

The Family Guide To Drugs And Drug Abuse






If you're a parent or young adult, you know there's a drug
problem on this planet. Whether it's alcohol; the most abused
drug, or crack cocaine; one of the most psychologically
addictive and dangerous drugs, the problem affects us all.
Federal studies show that over 70 million people in U.S.
households have used illegal drugs! Drugs are responsible for
a great number of the crimes committed today! Thefts,
burglaries, robberies and murders a recommitted for the sole
purpose of financing drug habits!

This report is presented only as a source of general
information. Nothing in this report is to be considered as
legal or medical advice! Consult with legal and medical
professionals for the best advice on topics covered in this
report. Parents are encouraged to add their own views and
suggestions to each topic. This report is not intended to
replace a parent's instructions to their children.

Alcohol is the most abused of all drugs! It is believed that
almost three quarters of the U.S. population uses alcohol to
some extent.

Alcohol enters the bloodstream quickly and affects the
judgement and behavior of the user. It affects coordination
and response time.

Thousands of teenagers are killed each year in alcohol-related
traffic accidents!

Marijuana is the most abused of all the illegal drugs. It is
normally smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes, pipes, and other
suitable devices. It is also ingested by mixing in food and
drink.

Marijuana is a mind-altering drug that causes a state of
intoxication. It can affect thinking and judgement and can
cause anxiety attacks.

Marijuana use can cause tissue damage, panic attacks,
bronchitis, and changes in male hormones. It has more cancer
causing chemicals than tobacco!

Marijuana is made from the leaves and flowering tops of the
canabis sativa plant, which are harvested and dried. The
mind-altering component of Marijuana is called THC, for short.
The higher the THC content, the more potent the Marijuana.

Hashish is a resin that is extracted from the marijuana plant,
and is normally smoked.

Cocaine is a white powder that is snorted, sniffed, swallowed,
smoked, and injected. The most common method is sniffing or
snorting.

Cocaine may be found packaged in baggies, vials, and similar
containers. It is frequently layed out in "lines" on a smooth
surface to be inhaled into the nose with a small tube or straw.

Cocaine use may cause runny nose, paranoia, depression,
irritability, violent behavior, headaches, and trouble
sleeping.

Crack is a dangerous and deadly form of cocaine. It appears on
the street as small white, brown, or tan pellets, rocks, or
chips. It is inhaled through a pipe or similar device and is 5
to 10 times more potent than cocaine that is snorted through
the nose.

Crack provides a quick, intense, but short-lived "high", and
then results in a need for more of the drug.

Some of the effects of crack use are weight loss, hyperactivity,
hoarseness and heart attack. Crack can addict the user faster
than any other drug!

Inhalants such as gasoline, glue, spray paints, rubber cement,
and other chemicals can cause a "high" when inhaled. They can
also cause permanent damage to the nervous system, liver,
kidneys, and can lead to various psychological problems.

Some athletes inject anabolic steroids in order to improve their
physical ability and appearance. Steroid use can cause liver
damage, testicle atrophy, aggressive behavior, high cholesterol,
high risk for heart attack, enlarged prostate, baldness,
depression, and other problems.


- Appears intoxicated or drunk
- Wears sunglasses to hide red eyes
- Starts using incense or other deodorizers
- The smell of Marijuana (some say it smells like burnt rope)
- Presence of drug paraphernalia
- Mood swings
- Failing or dropping grades in school
- Reports of skipping or dropping classes
- Missing complete days in school
- Pays less attention to responsibilities
- Always needing money
- Arrests or tickets for vehicle incidents
- Selling personal items
- Valuables missing from the home
- Spending more time away from home
- Wants more privacy

There are many things that could be considered signs of drug use
and abuse. Some could indicate medical or other problems. Get
all the facts. Consult a professional.

Aids is a disease that attacks the body's immune system. As the
disease progresses, the body becomes unable to fight off
diseases such as cancer, pneumonia, and tuberculosis the way a
healthy body can. The major avenues of infection with the AIDS
virus are sharing needles used to inject drugs, intimate sexual
relations, and receiving AIDS contaminated blood, or allowing
AIDS contaminated blood or body fluids to enter your bloodstream.

There have been no reported cases of the AIDS virus being
transmitted by shaking hands, hugging, or from toilet seats.

However, using alcohol or other drugs can ruin your judgement
about activities that lead to AIDS!

The number of street gangs and the incidence of violence
involving them is definitely on the rise. If you live in a
large city, you know this already. If you live in a smaller or
medium size city, you have probably read about it or are
beginning to experience the problem locally.

Gangs probably formed out of the feeling for a need to band
together for protection against other groups with conflicting
interests or intentions.

It is generally believed that gangs are made up of members of
society who fit a certain mold. People who join gangs are
usually "followers" who are not able to get respect without
their "gang identity". They probably had no one in their lives
to provide a positive influence on them. They were probably
left home alone a lot due to various circumstances. They may
have been involved in minor crimes and possibly drug use. They
lack any feeling of importance or power. They have no real
self-esteem. They feel there is no excitement in their lives.

Gang-related graffiti is one sure sign of the presence of or the
impending emergence of gang activity in your area. Gangs mark
their turf with gang symbols which can be found on building
walls, fences, sidewalks, and on just about anything else in the
neighborhood. These gang symbols and other markings can contain
very complicated codes.

- Some gangs and/or members are very well armed.
- Change in attitude about society, authority, etc.
- Riding around in cars filled with people.
- School work suffering and class attendance dropping.
- Gang graffiti near or at your home.
- Use of alcohol or drugs.
- Being secretive about their activities.
- Wearing a different style of clothing and hanging out with
others who dress the same.
- Strange or threatening phone calls, possibly from rival gang
members, to your home.


Tips

Drugs do absolutely NOTHING for you! Those who use or sell
drugs will end up with nothing but a sick, broken body, a police
record, no real job, or DEAD! You can do better than that!

Graduating from high school can make it possible for you to earn
several hundred thousand dollars MORE during your working life
than someone who only finished the eighth grade or dropped out
of high school.

Are you thinking of being a teacher, airline pilot, nurse,
doctor, lawyer, psychologist, dentist, veterinarian, optometrist,
or fighter pilot? Don't even think about dropping out. These are
all college graduates.

Many jobs that only required a high school diploma a few years
ago are now going to people with a college background. With so
many people looking for work, employers can now pick from only
the best.

Don't pick up hypodermic needles or syringes you see on the
ground or in the trash. They can carry viruses that cause
diseases including hepatitis and AIDS.

Check with your police agency about Law Enforcement Exploring.
You'll have a great time and you'll learn a lot, too. If your
agency doesn't have a post ask them to start one.

Some drugs can kill you the first time you try them!

Be very alert around strangers. The sad truth is that there are
people in the world who will hurt you for no reason. Be aware
of where you are and who is around you at all times.

Your mom and dad said it. Your teacher said it. Now here it is
again: NEVER GET INTO A CAR WITH A STRANGER! You may never be
seen again! Run away from anyone who tries to get you into a
car. Scream, yell, and RUN!

You come home from school and find the door to your house open.
No one is supposed to be at home. STOP right there and go to a
responsible neighbor's house, the nearest pay phone, or other
location designated by your parents, and call the police! Do
not go into the house! Do not walk around the house to check
other windows and doors! If you walk in on a burglar, you could
be injured, kidnapped, or killed! Let the police check the
house!

Never tell strangers, in person or over the phone, how many
people are in your family, when your mom and dad go to work or
come home, or anything else that will let someone know when it's
a good time to break into your home.

Always wear a seatbelt when travelling in a car. Many accidents
can injure or kill you, and many will make you crack the
windshield with your face and make you ugly for the rest of your
life! Or paralyzed!

Don't let your friends talk you into doing something dangerous
or against the law. Don't ruin your day or your life on a dare.
Stop and think... then decide.

Don't play with guns! Don't hang around someone else who is
playing with a gun. Get away as fast as you can and tell your
parents! Bullets can travel over a mile, and through walls, and
injure or kill you!

Don't use steroids! You don't need them. Steroids can't
replace a hard workout!

Don't drink. When you drink it's hard to make the right
decisions.

Addictive

The property of a drug that can cause a psychological or
physical dependence.

AIDS

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. A fatal disease that
attacks and destroys the body's immune system. This disease
makes the body unable to fight off infections and other disease.
As the condition progresses and the body becomes weaker,
diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis and pneumonia take hold
and cause the death of the victim. AIDS is found frequently in
people who have shared needles with other people while injecting
intravenous drugs.

Angel Dust

Another name for the hallucinogen PCP.

Atom Bomb

A name for the mixture of heroin and marijuana.

Barbiturates

A class of depressants often prescribed by doctors to help
people sleep. Barbiturates are taken orally and are sold on the
illegal drug market. Phenobarbital is a widely known
barbiturate.

Clandestine (clandestine laboratories)

Describes secret, or hidden, laboratories where illegal drugs
are manufactured.

Cocaine

Made from the leaf of the coca plant that is grown in South
America. It stimulates the nervous system and has mind-altering
effects. Cocaine can constrict the blood vessels which causes
the heart to strain in order to do its work. Repeated cocaine
use can cause a psychological dependence that becomes the most
important thing in the user's life. Cocaine use during
pregnancy can cause miscarriages and even stillbirth.

Colors

The colored insignia, flags, bandanas, or other items that
indicate specific gang or club affiliation.

Crack

A very dangerous form of cocaine that is sometimes called "rock"
because it resembles small rock or stone chips, rock salt,
soapchips or crystals. It is white or tan in color. It is
normally smoked. Crack use can cause a very high heart rate and
possible heart attack. This can happen even with the first use!
It causes a very strong "high" and then a very devastating
"crash"!

Crank

A name given to the mixture of cocaine and heroin that is
usually injected. Since the arrival of crack, this name also
applies to the mixture of crack and the smokable form of heroin.
These mixtures are also known as "speedball".

Depressants

Drugs that cause a relaxing, intoxicating effect. Often called
tranquilizers. Some common types are Tuinal, Seconal, Miltown,
Librium, Valium, and Chloral Hydrate.

DWI

Driving while intoxicated. This is the charge filed against a
person arrested for drunk driving. In many states a driver is
presumed to be intoxicated to a degree where he is a danger to
himself or others when his blood alcohol level is 0.10% or more.
Some states call the offense DUI, or "driving under the
influence". Some states have a separate charge for driving
under the influence of drugs, or DUID. Some states make no
distinction.

Dusted

Under the influence of PCP.

Dusting

Adding PCP or other drugs to marijuana.

Ecstasy

The most popular of the "designer drugs". It is sometimes taken
as an aphrodisiac, but its effects can be the opposite of what
the user intended or expected. This drug can cause blurred
vision, blood pressure changes, and even brain damage.

Euphoria

A feeling of well-being. In this presentation it is used to
describe an effect of a particular drug.

Freebasing

A term used to describe the smoking of cocaine after its active
ingredient has been separated from its salt base. It is usually
smoked in water-filled pipes. Heat applied to the bowl causes
the "freebase" to vaporize. There is a risk of fire during this
process due to the dangerous chemicals that must be used.

Goofball

A term for the mixture of cocaine and heroin.

Hallucination

An imagined seeing of visions or hearing of sounds.

Hallucinogens PCP LSD

As the name implies, hallucinogens cause the user to experience
hallucinations. All the person's senses may become distorted
and totally unreliable and unpredictable. They may lose all
sense of reality.

Hashish

A dark brown, but sometimes green or black, resin that is
derived from the marijuana plant. Hashish is smoked in pipes or
similardevices. Hashish oil is usually smoked by putting it on
regular cigarettes or marijuana cigarettes.

Herb and Al

A name for marijuana and alcohol.

Hyperactivity

Abnormally high level of activity.

Hypodermic Needle/Syringe

The syringe is a hollow barrel containing a plunger inside. It
is tipped with a hollow needle. It is used to inject drugs
under the skin. Hypodermic means "under the skin".

Ice

A very dangerous, crystallized form of methamphetamine. It is
believed that ICE originated in Hawaii. It looks like rock
candy or rock salt. ICE is made into its solid or crystallized
form by cooking it. ICE can be even more dangerous and
addictive than cocaine or crack. ICE is virtually odorless when
smoked.

Illicit (illicit drug use - illicit drugs)

Used in this presentation to describe the illegal use of
prescription drugs or the use of illegal drugs.

Inhalants

Chemicals that are introduced into the body by breathing
or inhaling them. Common inhalants are spray paints, glue, felt
markers, polishes, and gasoline. These are legal, easily
obtained items, but contains poisons that cause a "high" when
purposely inhaled in concentrated amounts. Spray paints (gold
and silver are popular) are sprayed into paper or plastic sacks.
The sack is then placed over the mouth and nose and the
concentrated fumes inhaled. The chemicals can also be poured or
sprayed onto rags and held against the face. The effects range
from lightheadedness to intoxication to coma. "Sniffing"
("huffing") causes brain damage (usually irreversible)! It also
damages other vital organs such asthe liver, kidneys, and lungs.

Intoxication

Being under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other chemical.
Being drunk.


Intravenous

Injected or introduced directly into the vein.

Junkie

A person who is addicted to drugs.

Mescaline

A white, crystalline substance derived from the tops of a
species of cactus. It can cause hallucinations.

Methamphetamines

The most popular stimulant. Sometimes called "speed", "uppers",
"crank", or "crystal". Methamphetamines are taken due to their
effect of causing increased alertness and euphoria. An overdose
can cause a stroke or heart attack.

Nicotine

A very poisonous chemical found in tobacco.

Opium

A poisonous and addictive chemical derived from the poppy plant.
Morphine and codeine are derived from it.

Paraphernalia (drug)

Equipment or apparatus used to assist in the smoking or
injection of drugs. Syringes, needles, roach clips, spoons,
etc.

Paranoia

A mental condition describing a feeling of persecution. This
condition is brought on by the use of certain drugs.

PCP (Phencyclidine)

Considered to be the most dangerous of the hallucinogens. PCP
has many different street names including, angel dust and
supergrass. PCP was first produced as an anesthetic, but is now
made only in clandestine labs.

Roach Clip

Any device used to hold the short butt (roach) of a marijuana
cigarette. Small "alligator" clips are very common.


Speed

See "Methamphetamine".

Speedball

A term used for the mixture of cocaine and heroin. Since the
arrival of crack, the term now more frequently applies to the
mixture of crack and heroin in its smokable form.

Steroids

Drugs used to enhance physical ability, strength, and appearance
of the user. It is generally thought that the hazards
associated with steroid use far outweigh any possible benefit.

Stimulants
A class of drugs that causes an increase in energy, alertness,
and possibly activity. Some examples are Benzedrine, Preludin,
Fastin, Ritlan and amphetamines. Continued use of stimulants
can cause weight loss, mood changes, tremors, and palpitations.

Tragic Magic

A term for the mixture of PCP and crack.

Zoom

A mixture of PCP and marijuana.

If you have a friend who is using drugs of any type, talk to him
or her and let them know you care about what may happen to their
life because of their actions. Don't just point your finger at
them and talk down to them. Really show them you care and are
willing to help them get the help they need. But remember not
to let yourself be caught in suspicious places or circumstances
with someone who may have drugs on them. It is possible that
you could be arrested, depending on the situation, if you are
with someone who is caught with drugs!

If your friend does not listen to you, ask your parents for
advice on how to handle the situation. Your parents can be your
best source of guidance if you give them a chance.

Your friend may need medical attention or counselling for the
problem. You can also get information and advice from your
school, religious, or professional substance abuse counselors.

National Federation of Parents For A Drug-Free Youth 8730
Georgia Ave, Suite 200 Silver Springs,MD 20910

Cocaine Hotline 1-800-262-2463
Referral 1-800-544-5437


Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Help Line
ADCARE Hospital
107 Lincoln
Worcester, MA 01605
1-800-252-6465

National Clearinghouse For Drug/Alcohol Abuse Information
P.O. Box 2345
Rockville, MD 20851
1-800-729-6686




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