Know the law. Marijuana,
hallucinogens, crack, cocaine, methamphetamine, and many other
substance are illegal. Depending on where you are caught, you could
face high fines and jail time. Alcohol is illegal to buy or possess if
you are under 21.
Be aware of the risks. Drinking or using drugs increases the risk of injury. Car
crashes, falls, burns, drowning, and suicide are all linked to drug
use.
Keep your edge. Drug use
can ruin your looks, make you depressed, and contribute to slipping
grades.
One incident of drug use could make you do something
that you will regret for a lifetime.
Do the smart thing. Using
drugs your health, education, family ties, and social life at
risk.
Get with the program. Doing drugs isn't "in" anymore.
Think twice about what
you're advertising when you buy and wear T-shirts, hats, pins, or
jewelry with a pot leaf, joint, blunt, beer can, or other drug
paraphernalia on them. Do you want to promote something that can cause
cancer? make you forget things? or make it difficult to drive a
car?
Face your problems. Using
drugs won't help you escape your problems, it will only create
more.
Be a real friend. If you
know someone with a drug problem, be part of the solution. Urge your
friend to get help.
Remember, you DON'T NEED
drugs or alcohol. If you think "everybody's doing it," you're wrong!
Over 86% of 12-17 year-olds have never tried marijuana; over 98% have
never used cocaine; only about half a percent of them have ever used
crack. Doing drugs won't make you happy or popular or help you to learn
the skills you need as you grow up. In fact, doing drugs can cause you
to fail at all of these things.
SOURCE:JUST THE FACTS from SAMHSA, Center for
Substance Abuse Prevention, RPO884
Tips for Teens About Alcohol*
People who are shy
in social situations who turn to alcohol to loosen up, frequently end
up making fools of themselves and doing things that they regret.
Alcohol blocks the messages going to your brain and
alters your perceptions and emotions, vision, hearing and
coordination.
Drinking can cause serious injuries and death - over
38% of drownings are alcohol-related.
Long-term effects of heavy alcohol use include loss
of appetite, vitamin deficiencies, stomach ailments, skin problems,
sexual impotence, liver damage, heart and central nervous system
damage, and memory loss.
Alcohol can give you bad breath and hangovers and
has lots of calories.
How do I know if
I have a drinking problem?
Chances are if you're even asking the
question, you have a drinking problem. But here are some other
factors:
inability to control your drinking - it seems that regardless of
what you decide beforehand, you frequently wind up drunk
using alcohol to escape your problems
changing from your usual reserved character into the
a change in personality - does drinking turn you from Dr. Jekyl to
Mr. Hyde?
a high tolerance level - you can drink just about everybody under
the table
blackouts - sometimes you don
problems at work or in school as a result of drinking
concern shown by your family and friends about your drinking
If you have a drinking problem, or if you suspect
you have a drinking problem, there are many others out there like you,
and there is help available. Talk to a school counselor, a friend or a
parent.
Quick Facts About
Alcohol:
Know the law. Alcohol is illegal
to buy or possess if you are under 21.
Get the facts right. One 12-ounce
beer has as much alcohol as a 1.5 ounce shot of whiskey or a 5-ounce
glass of wine.
Stay informed. Wine coolers look
like juice sparklers but they have just as much alcohol as a 12-ounce
beer.
Be aware of the risks. Drinking
increases the risk of injury. Car crashes, falls, burns, drowning, and
suicide are all linked to alcohol and other drug use.
Keep your edge. Alcohol can ruin
your looks, give you bad breath, and make you gain weight.
Play it safe. Drinking can lead to
intoxication and even death.
Do the smart thing. Drinking puts
your health, education, family ties, and social life at risk.
Be a real friend. If you know
someone with a drinking problem, be part of the solution. Urge your
friend to get help.
Remain alert. Stay clear on claims
that alcohol means glamour and adventure. Stay clear on what's real and
what's illusion.
Sweep away the myths. Having a
designated driver is no excuse to drink. Drinking only at home, or
sticking only to beer does not make drinking any "safer."
*SOURCE:Center for Substance Abuse Prevention,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration
Tips for Teens About Marijuana*
People who are shy in social
situations, who turn to marijuana to loosen up, frequently end up
making fools of themselves and doing things that they regret.
Myth: Marijuana enhances sexual pleasure.
Fact: Using marijuana can diminish or even extinguish
sexual pleasure.
Marijuana can increase your appetite and make you gorge yourself on
junk food, resulting in weight gain.
Marijuana blocks the messages going to your brain and
alters your perceptions and emotions, vision, hearing, and
coordination.
What are the short-term
effects of using marijuana?
sleepiness and increased hunger
difficulty keeping track of time, impaired or reduced short-term
memory
reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and
coordination, such as driving a car
increased heart rate
potential cardiac dangers for those with preexisting heart
disease
bloodshot eyes
dry mouth and throat
decreased social inhibitions
paranoia, hallucinations
What are the long-term
effects of using marijuana?
enhanced cancer risk
decrease in testosterone levels for men
increase in testosterone levels for women
lower sperm counts and difficulty having children in men
increased risk of infertility in women
diminished or extinguished sexual pleasure
psychological dependence requiring more of the drug to get the same
effect
Quick Facts About
Marijuana:
Know the law. Marijuana is an
illegal substance. Depending on where you are caught, you could face
heavy-duty fine and jail time.
Get the facts right.You do not
function normally and cannot do things which require concentration
under the influence of marijuana.
Stay informed. Marijuana has been
shown to lower sperm counts in men and increase the risk of infertility
in women.
Be aware of the risks. Using drugs
increases the risk of injury. Car crashes, falls, burns, drowning, and
suicide are linked to drug use.
Keep your edge. Drug use can ruin
your looks, make you depressed, and contribute to slipping grades.
Play it safe. One incident of drug
use could make you do something that you will regret for a
lifetime.
Do the smart thing. Using drugs
puts your health, education, family ties, and social life at risk.
Get with the program. Doing drugs
isn't "in" anymore.
Face your problems. Using drugs
won't help you escape your problems, it will only create more.
Be a real friend. If you know
someone with a drug problem, be part of the solution. Urge your friend
to get help.
*SOURCE:Center for Substance Abuse Prevention,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration
Tips for Teens About Hallucinogens*
Using hallucinogens can affect learning and
memory.
Everyone reacts differently to hallucinogens-there is
no way to predict if you can avoid a "bad trip."
The effect of hallucinogens can last 12 hours - do you
really want to lose control your body and mind for that long?
People under the influence of hallucinogens frequently
cause themselves physical harm or exhibit violent behavior toward
others.
What are the physical risks associated
with using hallucinogens?
increased heart rate and blood pressure
sleeplessness and tremors
lack of muscular coordination
sparse, mangled, and incoherent speech
decreased awareness of touch and pain that can result in
self-inflicted injuries
convulsions
coma
heart and lung failure
What are the psychological
risks associated with using hallucinogens?
a sense of distance and estrangement
depression, anxiety, and paranoia
violent behavior
confusion, suspicion, and loss of control
flashbacks
behavior similar to schizophrenic psychosis
catatonic syndrome whereby the user becomes mute, lethargic,
disoriented, and makes meaningless repetitive movements
Quick Facts About
Hallucinogens:
Is there any way to predict how I will
react to taking LSD?
The effects of LSD are unpredictable. They
depend on the amount taken, the user's personality, mood and
expectations, and the surroundings in which the drug is used. Usually,
the user feels the first effects of the drug 30-90 minutes after taking
it. These effects include diluted pupils, higher body temperature,
increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite,
sleeplessness, dry mouth, and tremors. Sensations and feelings change
much more dramatically than the physical signs. The user may feel
several different emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to
another. Depending on the dose, the drug can produce delusions and
visual hallucinations, which can be frightening and cause panic. Users
refer to their experience with these acute adverse reactions as a "bad
trip", and the effects typically last for about twelve hours.
Terrifying thoughts and feelings, fear of insanity and death, injuries,
and fatal accidents have occurred during states of LSD intoxication.
Anyone can experience a bad trip and there is no way to predict what
your own experience will be.
I've heard that hallucinogens aren't even addictive.
So what's the big deal?
LSD does not produce compulsive drug seeking
behavior like cocaine, alcohol, or nicotine, but LSD produces
tolerance, so that users who take the drug repeatedly must take
progressively higher and higher doses in order to achieve the same
state of intoxication. This is an extremely dangerous practice, given
the unpredictability of the drug, and can result in increased risk of
convulsions, coma, heart and lung failure, and even death.
*SOURCE:Center for Substance Abuse Prevention,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration
Tips for
Teens About Inhalants*
Inhalants are a
diverse group of chemicals that are found in consumer products such as
aerosols and cleaning solvents. Across the United States, the National
Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that 1.2 million people abused
inhalants in 1990, with the number of young people making up 65 percent
of that total. Inhalant use can cause a number of physical and
emotional problems, and even one-time use can result in death. It is
frequently a "gateway" drug to more addictive and dangerous drugs such
as crack and cocaine.
People using inhalants frequently do risky or
humiliating things they later regret.
Using inhalants, even one time, can kill you.
Short-term effects of inhalants include heart
palpitations, breathing difficulty, dizziness, and headache.
What are the
possible effects of inhalants?
headache, muscle weakness, abdominal pain
visual hallucinations and severe mood swings
numbness and tingling of the hands and feet
nausea and nosebleeds
hepatitis
violent behavior
irregular heartbeat
sudden death
suffocation
liver, lung, and kidney impairment
brain damage
nervous system damage
dangerous chemical imbalances in the body
involuntary passing of urine and feces
Quick Facts About
Inhalants:
How can you possibly die from using
inhalants?
The Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse
reports that death can occur in at least five ways:
asphyxia - solvent gases can significantly limit available oxygen
in the air, causing breathing to stop;
suffocation - typically seen with inhalant users who use bags;
choking on vomitus;
careless and dangerous behavior in potentially dangerous settings
(one study showed that suicide, homicide, and injuries were responsible
for 77 percent of the deaths of inhalant users); and
sudden sniffing death syndrome, presumably from cardiac
arrest.
Are inhalants addictive?
When inhalant use continues over a period of time, a
user will probably develop a tolerance to inhalants. This means that
the user will need more frequent use and greater amounts of a substance
to achieve the effect desired. This, in turn, leaves a user at much
greater risk of suffering from possible negative effects of drug, such
as liver, lung, and kidney impairment, brain damage, nervous system
damage, and even death.
Physical dependence can also result, and when a user
tries to give up the inhalant habit, withdrawal symptoms such as
hallucinations, headaches, chills, delirium tremors, and stomach cramps
may occur.
*SOURCE:Center for Substance Abuse Prevention,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration
Tips for Teens About Smoking*
Addiction to cigarettes
frequently leads to other forms of drug addiction.
Nearly one in five high school males uses spit
tobacco. Continuous intake of spit tobacco leads to cancers and a whole
host of other diseases.
Cigarettes are
highly addictive. One-third of young people who are just
"experimenting" end up being addicted by the time they are 20.
Although many people smoke because they believe
cigarettes calm their nerves, smoking releases epinephrine, a hormone
which creates physiological stress in the smoker, rather than
relaxation. The addictive quality of the drug makes the user feel he
must smoke more to calm down, when in effect the smoking itself is
causing the agitation. The use of tobacco is addictive. Most users
develop tolerance for nicotine and need greater amounts to produce a
desired effect. Smokers became physically and psychologically dependent
and will suffer withdrawal symptoms when use is stopped. Physical
withdrawal symptoms include: changes in body temperature, heart rate,
digestion, muscle tone, and appetite. Psychological symptoms include:
irritability, anxiety, sleep disturbances, nervousness, headaches,
fatigue, nausea, and cravings for tobacco that can last days, weeks,
months, years, or an entire lifetime.
Quick Facts About
Smoking:
Use your head. Smoking is
responsible for close to 420,000 deaths each year.
Stay active. Exercising and
participating in sports is nearly impossible if you smoke
cigarettes.
Stay informed. Young smokers are
100 times more likely to smoke pot and become addicted to other illicit
substances such as heroin and cocaine.
Be aware of the risks. Smoking can
lead to many physical problems, including emphysema, heart disease,
stroke, and cancer.
Keep your edge. Smoking makes you
smell bad, gives you bad breath, makes your finger turn yellow, and
gives you premature wrinkles.
Play it safe. Experimenting with
smoking could lead to full-fledged addiction and a lifetime of trying
to quit.
Do the smart thing. Smoking puts
your health and the health of those around you at risk.
Get with the program. Smoking
isn't "in" anymore.
Find ways to reduce anxiety.
Smoking may actually contribute to your state of agitation.
Be a real friend. If you know
someone who smokes, be part of the solution. Urge your friend to get
help and quit.
*SOURCE:Center for Substance Abuse Prevention,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration
Tips for
Teens About Steroids*
Steroids do more than pump
you up. They damage your body.
You have enough to worry
about in life without adding the complications of steroids.
Side
Effects: Numerous health hazards are associated with
short-term use of steroids, many of which are reversible. Long-term
effects are largely unknown, but there is growing concern over possible
psychiatric effects. Researchers report that steroid use can cause
severe mood swings which can lead to violent behaviors. Users may also
suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and
impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility. Fatalities
due to suicides, homicides, liver disease, heart attacks, and cancer
have been reported among illicit users. Further, because the true
quality of "off the street" steroids is not known, users place
themselves at even greater risk for harm if they choose to use
these.
Major side effects include:
Liver tumors
Jaundice
Fluid retention
High blood pressure
Severe acne
Yellowing of skin and eyes
Trembling
Weakening of tendons which may result in tearing or rupture
Males: Females:
Testicular shrinkage - Facial Hair
Reduced sperm count - Irregular menstrual cycle
Infertility - Enlargement of the clitoris
Baldness - Deepened voice
Development of breasts
Adolescents:
Stunted growth due to damaged growth areas on ends of bones
Quick Facts About
Steroids:
Anabolic steroids make the tendons weak, and that may result in
tearing or rupture of the tendon.
According to a recent survey, perception of the
harmfulness of steroid use has decreased among both 12th graders and
8th graders. This fact is particularly disturbing because a person's
usage of any substance is highly dependent on his or her understanding
of how harmful it is.
Many professional athletes have ruined their careers
and lives due to steroid use. Do you want to make that same
mistake?
*SOURCE:Center for Substance Abuse Prevention,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration
Hawaii Department of Health
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division
601 Kamokila Blvd. Room 360
Kapolei, Hawai'i, 96707
(808) 692-7506
