CRACK COCAINE BY REINA VALENZUELA HEALTH 1050 WHAT

CRACK COCAINE BY: REINA VALENZUELA HEALTH 1050

WHAT IS CRACK COCAINE? CRACK COCAINE IS A HIGHLY ADDICTIVE AND POWERFUL STIMULANT THAT IS DERIVED FROM POWDERED COCAINE USING A SIMPLE CONVERSION PROCESS

CRACK EMERGED AS A DRUG OF ABUSE IN THE MID 1980’S. IT IS ABUSE BECAUSE IT PRODUCES AND IMMEDIATE HIGH AND BECAUSE IT IS EASY AND INEXPENSIVE TO PRODUCE RENDERING IT READILY AVAILABLE AND AFFORDABLE.

WHO USES CRACK? Individuals of all ages use crack cocaine. Data reported in the NHS on Drug Abuse indicated that an estimated 66, 222, 00 U. S residents aged 21 and older used crack at least once in their lifetime. The survey also revealed that hundreds of thousands of teenagers and young adults use crack cocaine. 150, 000 individuals aged 12 -17, and 1, 003, 000 individuals aged 18 -25 used the drug at least once.

WHO USES CRACK? Crack cocaine among high school students is a particular problem. Nearly 4% of high school seniors in the United States used the drug at least once in their lifetime, and more than 1% use the drug in the past month according to surveys.

How is Crack Made? Crack is produced by dissolving powdered cocaine in a mixture of water and ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). The mixture is boiled until the a solid substance forms. The solid is removed from the liquid, dried, and then broken into the chunks (rocks) that are sold as crack cocaine.

Effects of Crack Cocaine • • Increased Alertness Excitation Euphoria (followed by a crash) Increased Blood Pressure Increased Pulse Rate Insomnia Loss of Appetite

CRACK IS…………… • • • High potential for abuse. Willing to give up everything you have to support your habit. Physically addictive therefore relapse rates are extremely high. Schedule II illegal substance drug. Crates feelings of anxiety, depression, nervousness, paranoia, and low self-worth. Highly prosecutable. Increases violence in individuals. Will produce serious physical and emotional short and long- term side effects. CRACK IS DEADLY.

SOCIETAL IMPACT Crack makes people violent and produces aggressive paranoid behavior such as hallucinations and delusions. Due to the cause of serious mental disorders individuals whom take crack are unable to control their behavior and lash out. Crack contributes to an increase in gang related activity, violent crimes such as murders, and prostitution.

Four Facts About Crack Cocaine: 1. Only 3% of young people aged 11 -15 think it’s OK to try cocaine. 2. From age 14 -15 years the number of pupils using cocaine doubles in England more the triples in Scotland. 3. The most common age for first time use is between 17 and 18 years old. 4. Cocaine dependence is more likely when first use is under 21 years old.

KEEP IT REAL……………. . • REFUSE – JUST SAY NO • EXPLAIN – “I DON’T WANT TO, IT MAKES ME SICK” • AVOID – PLAN ON HOW TO AVOID • LEAVE – OR SUGGEST A DRUG FREE ACTIVITY

WHY EDUCATE? COCAINE IN ANY FORM IS A POWERFULLY ADDICTIVE DRUG, AND ADDICTION SEEMS TO DEVELOP MORE QUICKLY WHEN THE DRUG IS SMOKED THAN SNORTED.

RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH COCAINE USE ARE: • • • CONSTRICTED BLOOD VESSELS INCREASED TEMPERATURE INCREASED HEART RATE INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE RISK OF CARDIAC ARREST AND SEIZURE ACUTE RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS COUGHING SHORTNESS OF BREATH LUNG TRAUMA AND BLEEDING AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR PARANOID BEHAVIOR

CONSEQUENCES OF DOING DRUGS: • CONSEQUENCES OF TEEN DRUG USE FREQUENTLY MENTIOND LEGAL AND HEALTH PROBLEMS AS WELL AS POOR FAMILY OR SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP (ARRESTS, VIOLENCE, EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS, PREGNANCY, SUICIDES, CRIMINAL ACTIVITY). • THE MOST COMMONLY REPORTED OCNSEQUENCE WAS POOR SCHOOL PERFORMANCE COMPRISING TRUANCY, CHEATING, POOR GRADES, DISCIPLINARY PROBLEMS, AND EXPULSIONS AND DROPOUTS.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES • DRUG INFORMATION KIDS ARE DOING A LOT MORE THAN YOU THINK AND AT AN EARLIER AGE. RECENT STUDIES SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE CHILD BEGINS TO DRINK AND SMOKE CIGARETTES AT AGE 13. THIS MEANS THAT ABOUT HALF BEGIN YOUNGER THAN THAT. PARENTS ARE RARELY AWARE OF THIS UNTIL THEIR KIDS ARE SEVERAL YEARS OLDER. BY THEN THE DIDS HAVE GEJUN OTHER EVEN MORE DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES SUCH AS DRUG USE AND UNDERAGE SEXUAL ACTIVITY. SCIENCE TELLS US THAT THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING DRUG ADDICTION LIES IN THE RECOGNITION THAT KIDS ARE INDULGING IN ADULT ACTIVITES MUCH YOUNGER AND TO A MUCH LARGER DEGREE THAN THEIR PARENTS REALIZE.

REBUTTALS ON STEREOTYPES CRACK COCAINE IS NOT ONLY FOUND IN POOR INNER CITY URBAN COMMUNITIES BUT HAS BECAME A NATIONWIDE EPIDEMIC. CRACK CAN BE FOUND IN A LOT OF YOUR MIDDLE TO UPPER CLASS COMMUNITIES AS WELL. CRACK HAS DRAMATICALLY LOWERED THE COST OF THE COCAINE HIGH. ON THE STREETS IT BECAME KNOWN AS THE CHEAPER AND BETTER HIGH THUS MAKING IT HIGHLY ADDICTING. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE’S GETTING HIGH, IN FACT THERE ARE MAN OLDER ADULTS ADDICTED TO SMOKING CRACK THAN WE COULD IMAGINE. CRACK IS DESTROYING LIVES AT AN ALARMING RATE.

CONCLUSION…………. . • WHEN CHILDREN ARE SMALL THEIR MINDS ARE LIKE SPONGES, AND THEY TAKE IN EVERYTHING AND ACTUALLY LISTEN AND LEARN. • WHEN THEY BECOME TEENAGERS IS WHEN THEY BEGAN TO REBEL AND PLACE BARRIERS BETWEEN TEHM, THEIR PARENTS AND OTHER ADULTS. • IT WOULD BE TOO LATE TO START TEACHING THEM AS TEENS. • WE NEED TO START TEACHING THEM THE RECOGNITION OF DRUGS, WHAT DRUGS CAN DO TO THE BODY, HOW TO AVOID PEER PRESSURE, WHAT TRUE FRIENDSHIP IS , PRGANIZATIONS FOR SUPPORT, WHICH DISEASES ARE REALTED TO DRUG USE AND HOW IT CAN EVENTUALLY ISOLATE THE PERSON AND CAUSE TROUBLE IN THEIR LIFE.

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