SUBSTANCE ABUSE TOBACCO ALCOHOL DRUG USE Teen Tobacco

SUBSTANCE ABUSE: TOBACCO ALCOHOL DRUG USE

Teen Tobacco • Define: • Nicotine: Addictive drug found in tobacco leaves • Stimulant: A drug increasing the action of the central nervous system • Carcinogen: Any cancer causing substance/ Tobacco contains: • TAR (sticky fluid) and CARBON MONOXIDE (colorless and poisonous gas): also compounds found in paint, rat poison, toilet cleaner……. . all carcinogens

Why teens use Tobacco • • • Several reasons: 1. Belief that smoking controls weight 2. Smoking helps deal with stress 3. Smoking makes them look mature TRUTH: 1. 90% adults smoking started as teen and are addicted typically for life • 2. Reduces ability to exercise so weight gain occurs • 3. Nicotine makes you dependent so increases your stress levels

LESS TEENS ARE USING TOBACCO • 77% of all high school students do not use tobacco • Why the change? • 1. 1998 legislation banned smoking companies from advertising to young people • 2. No smoking policy: Legislation is now limiting smoking in public places • 3. Family: Teens without smoking parents, tend to not smoke • 4. Health risks and peer pressure: Teens are understanding the risks and when one the majority avoid it, peers avoid it • ***NICOTINE WITHDRAWAL—a painful process that occurs in the body when nicotine or any addictive drug is no longer used

CREATING A SMOKE FREE ENVIRONMENT • Environmental smoke/Secondhand smoke: Air contaminated by tobacco smoke (combination of the following 2) • Mainstream smoke: Smoke exhaled from the lungs of a smoker • Sidestream smoke: Smoke from the burning end of a cigarette or cigar

YOUNG CHILDREN AND THE UNBORN CHILD • What are the health risks to the young and unborn? • A. Smoking seriously harms the fetus • B. Carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen level in the fetus • C. Babies are at a lower birth weight (also true of alcohol and drug use) • D. Babies are born with deformities and stillbirths • E. Twice as likely to die, after birth, from SIDS (suddent infant death syndrome) (even from Environmental smoke) • F. Typically have issues after birth with ear infections, asthma attacks and respiratory infections

CREATING A SMOKE FREE SOCIETY • Fact: In most states, it is illegal to sell tobacco to teens under the age of 18 and it is illegal to smoke in public places • Fact: When a person decides to smoke , they not only make a decision that affects their health but the health of those around them • Fact: The U. S. Surgeon General claims—the only way to fully protect people from ETS is to prohibit smoking in public places • Fact: Creating a smoke free society reduces teens use of tobacco

Alcohol/Short & Long Term Effects • Short Term • Memory is dulled • Connections to learning can be permanently damaged • Judgment and coordination is altered • Increases stomach acid and causes nausea and vomiting • Large amounts consumed causes the pancreas to have acute pain

Long Term Effects • Permanent damage to brain cells and reduction in brain size • Heart attacks and/or strokes due to increases in blood prssure and the heart muscle becoming weakened • Fats build up in the liver and cannot break down leading to cell death • Swelling of the pancreas and affect digestion leading to swelling and potential death • Damage to stomach/ ulcers and stomach cancer

Alcohol Use • Psychological Dependence: • A condition in which a person believes that a drug is needed in order to feel normal • Physiological Dependence: A condition in which the user has a chemical need for a drug • Teens and Alcohol: • Fact: Teens who drink are more likely to be a victim or participate in a violent crime like rape, assault or robbery • Fact: Teens who drink are twice as likely to contract an STD as teens who do not drink

Alcohol and Driving • BAC (blood alcohol concentration): • Define: The amount of alcohol in a person’s blood, expressed as a percentage • DUI (driving under the influence): • DWI (driving while intoxicated): • Define: anyone driving with a. 08% will be charged with drunk driving • Anyone driving under the age of 21 with any limit of alcohol—zero tolerance…. no acceptable limit of alcohol can be in your system

Consequences of Drinking and Driving • Facts: • Drinking and driving is unacceptable • Riding with someone who has been drinking is just as dangerous • If someone has been drinking, find another ride or call home • Legal consequences: • Responsible for any deaths involved in an accident • Potential arrests, jail time, police records, lawsuits • Loss of driver’s license • High automobile insurance rates or policy canceled

Alcohol and Effects on Children • Pregnancy: • A female drinking can seriously harm the fetus • Alcohol passes directly from the bloodstream to the fetus • A fetus processes slowly so the alchol stays for a much longer time • FAS—fetal alcohol syndrome • Birth defects that happen to a baby from the mother drinking/ both physical and mental problems

Effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome • • The Are Severe and Lasting! Small head and facial, hand, feet deformities Heart, liver, kidney defects Vision and hearing problems Physical and mental impairment Difficult learning and short attention span Hyper, anxiety issues, social withdrawal ***FAS is the LEADING preventable cause of mental retardation in children • ***Females who are pregnant should not drink ANY alcohol

Effects of Alcoholism on Children • • • Define Alcoholic: An addict who is dependent on alcohol How does this affect their children? 1. 4 more times likely to become an alcoholic 2. There is more availability of alcohol in the home for the child to use • 3. Children are typically neglected • 4. Family and children become enablers to the alcoholic • 5. Higher risk at becoming addicted with use at a young age

STAGES OF ALCOHOLISM • Stage 1: Abuse • Begins with social drinking and may experience memory loss/ blackouts • Stage 2: Dependence • The person cannot stop drinking/ typically try to hide the problem/ performance on the job, home and school suffers • Stage 3: Addiction • The liver becomes damaged, less alcohol required to cause drunkenness/ if they stopped, extreme symptoms of withdrawal

Effects on the Family and Society • Facts: • U. S. is home to 15 million alcoholics • 4 th leading cause of accidental deaths (car accidents and drownings, violent crimes, house fires are at the top) • Codependency: Emotional and physical needs of self and others are ignored in order to focus on the alcoholic • Codependents lose self-esteem and trust

Steps to Recovery and Treatment • • • Step 1: Admission Admit they have a drinking problem and need help Step 2: Detoxification Body goes through withdrawal and adjusts to functioning without alcohol Step 3: Counseling Learn to change the behaviors in order to live without alcohol Step 4: Recovery Person takes responsibility for his/her life ***Alcoholics cannot be CURED, only treated ***Recovery is a process of learning to live alcohol free

DRUG USE • • • Health Risks: A. Physical Health 1. Overdose—fatal reaction to a drug 2. Hepatitis B, HIV, Tuberculosis—Injecting a substance with a needle increase the risk of all these diseases B. Mental Health 1. Impairs a teens ability to reason & think 2. Causes behavior to do things illegal or dangerous 3. Alters the brains structure and function C. Social Health 1. Loss of friendships and other relationships 2. Future affected from poor choices (crime, injury, …)

Consequences of Drug Use • A. for the individual • Psychological Dependence that develops over time and causes a person to believe they need the drug (same as alchohol) • Leading cause in teen depression and suicide/ leads to higher level of crime and jail time • B. for others • Fetus again born with defects the same as in alcohol use • C. for society • Lost wages, health care costs rise, accidents, jail time, law enforcement costs, etc.

MARIJUANA, STEROIDS • • • Marijuana Facts: Same risks as tobacco smokers Marijuana has even higher levels of cancer causing chemicals In males/ lowers testosterone In females/ raises testosterone (leads to infertility—inability to have children) Steroid Facts: Anabolic Steroids—synthetic substance of the hormone testosterone Results in unnatural muscle growth Causes violent behavior, legal blindness, extreme mood swings, depression and paranoia Non medical steroids are illegal/ athletes who use them gain unfair advantages and can face expulsion from a team or event/ get fined/ ruin their reputation and spend time in jail

PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS • Define: • Chemicals that affect the central nervous system and alter brain activity • A. Stimulants (speeds it up): Cocaine Ex. • B. Depressants (slows it down): Tranquilizer Ex. • C. Opiates: (derived from opium plant used to relieve pain): Heroine Ex. Slows breathing and pulse rate • D. Hallucinogens (serious alterations in the mind and thoughts): Mushrooms Ex. Causes flashbacks • ***Cocaine and Heroine are injected and cause user to have a high risk of HIV/ Hepatitis B from infected needles and overdosing

THE DRUG FREE LIFE • Steps to help you or a family member to become drug free: • 1. Recognize the warning signs (p. 614) • 2. Identify community help sources • 3. Express your affection and concern without being judgmental • 4. Listen to the response/ be prepared for anger and denial • 5. Offer to go with the person to a counselor or support group