Page 14 - ADAP Book 2022 2023

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
physical dependency. This opiate drug slows depression, paranoia, fatigue, and, in some cases,
the thought process, reaction time, and memory hallucinations. Methamphetamine impairs decision
and affects the way the user acts and makes making, judgement and coordination. Repeated use
decisions. Heroin abuse is associated with can 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 the same
lung, and kidney problems; and lose their sense of physiological effects on the body as other controlled
hearing or smell. Chronic users can experience substances. These drugs include but are not limited
muscle wasting, reduced muscle tone and strength, to synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, and
and damage to the nervous system. Inhalants are synthetic opioids. Snorting, smoking, injecting, and/
mostly used by teens. NIDA reported an increase in or orally ingesting these synthetic drugs can lead to
inhalant use in 2020 among high schoolers with the a stroke, heart attack, and even death.
highest number of users being in 8 grade. Synthetic cannabinoids, also known as synthetic/new
th
METHAMPHETAMINE marijuana, K2/Spice and commonly marketed as
incense, are dangerous chemical compounds
Methamphetamine is commonly called Meth or produced for a psychoactive effect. Synthetic
Crystal Meth. It is a synthetic stimulant made from marijuana use can cause an elevated heart rate and
other drugs and chemicals and can be in the form of blood pressure, unconsciousness, seizures,
a powder, pill, or crystals. This highly addictive drug vomiting, intense hallucinations, and paranoid
affects the central nervous system and dangerously delusions. It is considered more potent than
increases the body’s regulatory functions (i.e., heart marijuana and likely to cause more severe side
rate, breathing, and blood pressure). This, in turn, effects. K2 use has increased in the high schools at
increases the risk of a stroke or heart attack. Users an alarming rate.

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