National Drug Facts Week: Did You Know?

This week is National Drug Facts Week, a week to share the facts about drug abuse. Here are the facts, concise and to the point. Please send this post on to anyone suffering from substance abuse or addiction, and to a teen that you love.

“About a third of high school seniors report using an illicit drug sometime in the past year, and more than ten percent report non-medical use of a narcotic painkiller. More than 20 percent of high school seniors report smoking marijuana in the past month. While drugs can put a teenager’s health and life in jeopardy, many teens are not aware of the risks. Even for those teens who do not abuse drugs, many have friends or family who do, and they are often looking for ways to help them. When teens are given the scientific facts about drugs, they can be better prepared to make good decisions for themselves and they can share this information with others. [National Institute on Drug Abuse, (NIDA) National Drug Facts Week]”

DID YOU KNOW?

Marijuana is addictive: The chances of becoming addicted to marijuana or an drug are different for each person. For marijuana, around 1 in 11 could be become addicted.

“Spice” (also know as K-2):

• Is considered to be a “fake marijuana”
• Has put people in emergency rooms with vomiting, confusion, and hallucinations.
• Is abused mainly by smoking

Why Do People Smoke? (When they know it’s so bad for them?)

They may be addicted to nicotine….

DID YOU KNOW?

Research says that teens who see a lot of smoking in movies are more likely to start smoking themselves. Sometimes characters smoke to look edgy and rebellious; but sometimes it’s just about “product placement” — the tobacco industry trying to get into your head and your pockets.

FACT: Most people who start smoking in their teens become regular smokers before they’re 18.

Smokeless tobacco DOES cause cancer.

440,000 Americans die from disease associated with tobacco use each year.

DID YOU KNOW?

Drinking and driving can add up to tragic endings. In the U.S., about 5,000 people under age 21 die each year from injuries caused by underage drinking, nearly 40 percent (1,900) from car accidents.

FACT: More than 4 in 10 people who begin drinking before age 15 eventually become alcoholics.

DID YOU KNOW?

Meth reduces the amount of protective saliva around the teeth. People who use meth also tend to drink a log of sugary soda, neglect personal hygiene, grind their teeth, and clench their jaws – all of which can cause what’s known as “meth mouth.”

Meth users sometimes hallucinate that insects are creeping on top of or underneath their skin. The person will pick or scratch their skin, trying to get rid of the imaginary “crank bugs”…soon their face and arms are covered with open sores that can get infected.

DID YOU KNOW?

• 1 in 3 songs said something about drug, alcohol, or tobacco use.  
• 3 in 4 rap songs said something about drug, alcohol, or tobacco use.  
• 7 in 10 movies showed characters smoking.  
• 1 in 3 movies showed people getting drunk  

FACT: Tobacco causes wrinkles, bad breath, yellow teeth, wheezing, stinky clothes

Tobacco affects the:

• brain with addiction  
• skin with skin damage and wrinkles  
• eyes with cataracts  
• mouth with mouth cancers  
• throat with throat cancer  
• heart with heart disease  
• lung with lung disease  

DID YOU KNOW?

In 2007, prescription pain medications like Vicodin and OxyContin were involved in more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.

RX drug abuse is drug abuse.

It is safe to use prescription medications when they are prescribed to you by a doctor for a current problem.

Mixing pills with other drugs or with alcohol really increases your risk of death from accidental overdose.

Abuse of prescription stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall can cause serious health problems, including panic attacks, seizures, and heart attacks.

Sedatives, however, can also cause a number of health problems when taken in excess. A bigger problem presents itself when sedatives become addictive later on.

DID YOU KNOW?

Repeated drug use can reset the brain’s pleasure meter, so that without the drug, you feel hopeless and sad. Eventually, everyday fun stuff like spending time with friends or playing with your dog doesn’t make you happy anymore.

Drugs mess with your brain’s wiring and signals.

What about REHAB?

Does treatment really work – why do people come and go so much?

It takes time to recover from addiction – not only for the brain to re-adjust, but to make lifestyle changes to avoid drugs. Think how hard it is for people trying to lose weight – they try different diets, exercise for a while, lose a few pounds only to gain them back…until they can make lasting changes to keep the weight off. Same with quitting drugs – it may take several rounds of treatment before it sticks.

FACT:  There is treatment and it works.

A person who is addicted to drugs can be helped with treatment!

Do you know someone who needs help with drug or alcohol addiction. You are not alone. Help is available.

1-800-622-HELP  is a confidential hotline where you can get referrals to treatment programs, or go here.

The Parents Toll-Free Helpline – 1-855-DRUGFREE, sponsored by The Partnership at Drugfree.org is staffed Monday-Friday from 10:00 am-6:00 pm EST.

These facts are from the Shatter the Myths Brochure by NIDA, National Institute on Drug Abuse. Download their brochure here for a full color version with more information go here.

What can you do? Forward this message to a teen or family that you love. 

Please share on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, so we can continue to spread awareness. . Thank you!