Page 14 - Table of Contents Chapter 1 Georgia’s Teenage and Adult Driver x Responsibility Act (TADRA) Chapter 2 Traffic Laws & Safe Driving x Chapter 3 Alcohol and Drug Awareness x Chapter 4 Summary and Discussion x Parent/Teen Driving Agreement x Messages

Horse, Smack, and Thunder, it enters the brain very experience dry mouth, increased sweating, dilated
quickly which tends to influence abuse, addiction, and pupils, headaches, disorientation, severe depression,
physical dependency. This opiate drug slows paranoia, fatigue, and, in some cases, hallucinations.
the thought process, reaction time, and memory Methamphetamine impairs decision making,
and affects the way the user acts and makes judgement and coordination. Repeated use can
decisions. Heroin abuse is associated with negatively impact the brain function and cause
serious health conditions. Chronic users may psychosis, mental disorders, and cardiovascular and
develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart renal dysfunction. The CDC reported a substantial
lining and valves, abscesses, and liver or kidney increase in methamphetamine related deaths in
disease. Pulmonary complications, including various 2020.
types of pneumonia, may result from the poor
health of a heroin user as well as from the PRESCRIPTION AND OVER-THE-
drug’s depressing effects on respiration. In COUNTER (OTC) DRUGS
addition to the effects of the drug itself, street heroin
often contains toxic contaminants or additives that Prescription and OTC medications are widely
can clog blood vessels leading to the lungs, liver, available, free or inexpensive, and falsely believed to
kidneys, or brain, causing permanent damage to be safer than illicit drugs. The rates of non-medical
vital organs. The CDC reports use of prescription and over the counter (OTC) drugs
8
increase in deaths mostly involve the use among high school students remain high.
of opioids like heroin and fentanyl. Prescription medications most commonly abused by
youth include pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants,
INHALANTS and depressants. These drugs include but are not
limited to Oxycontin, Percocet, Vicodin, Codeine,
Inhalants are regular products and substances with Adderall, Ritalin, Valium, and Xanax. Prescription or
invisible fumes or chemical vapors, like glue or paint, OTC medication misuse can cause serious health
that are misused to get an immediate high. Misuse effects, addiction, and death. Misuse of a drug can be
involves sniffing or “huffing” the fumes and vapors of defined as taking more than the amount prescribed or
the product which can cause irreversible physical and directed, taking it more often than prescribed or
mental damage. This damage can occur with the directed, taking it for non-medical reasons, and/or
initial use and before the user knows what is taking a drug prescribed or intended for someone
happening since it affects the brain with much greater else.
speed and force than many other substances.
Inhalants starve the body of oxygen and force the DESIGNER AND SYNTHETIC DRUGS
heart to beat irregularly and more rapidly; a loss of
consciousness or even asphyxiation can result. An The State of Georgia has strict laws (O.C.G.A.
inhalant user can experience disorientation, impaired §16-13-25) targeting the sale and possession of
coordination, nausea, and nosebleeds; develop liver, designer and synthetic drugs, which have
lung, and kidney problems; and lose their sense of the same physiological effects on the body as
hearing or smell. Chronic users can experience other controlled substances. These drugs include
muscle wasting, reduced muscle tone and strength, but are not limited to synthetic cannabinoids,
and damage to the nervous system. Inhalants are synthetic cathinones, and synthetic opioids.
mostly used by teens. NIDA reported an increase in Snorting, smoking, injecting, and/or orally ingesting

inhalant use in 2020 among high schoolers with the these synthetic drugs can lead to a stroke, heart
highest number of users being in 8 grade. attack, and even death.
th
METHAMPHETAMINE Synthetic cannabinoids, also known as synthetic/new
marijuana, K2/Spice and commonly marketed as
Methamphetamine is commonly called Meth or incense, are dangerous chemical compounds
Crystal Meth. It is a synthetic stimulant made from produced for a psychoactive effect. Synthetic
other drugs and chemicals and can be in the form of marijuana use can cause an elevated heart rate and
a powder, pill, or crystals. This highly addictive drug blood pressure, unconsciousness, seizures,
affects the central nervous system and dangerously vomiting, intense hallucinations, and paranoid
increases the body’s regulatory functions (i.e., heart delusions. It is considered more potent than
rate, breathing, and blood pressure). This, in turn, marijuana and likely to cause more severe side
increases the risk of a stroke or heart attack. Users

pg. 14