Substance Facts
What does addiction mean?
A condition involving difficulty controlling substance use despite harmful consequences.
How can alcohol affect the brain?
It can impair judgment, coordination, memory, and reaction time.
Myth or Fact: Nicotine can reach the brain in about 10 seconds after inhalation.
FACT.
What is peer pressure?
Influence from other people to act a certain way.
Genetics, environment, stress, and experiences can all influence a person's risk of developing a substance use disorder.
TRUE.
Risk is influenced by a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.
How quickly can nicotine reach the brain after inhaling it?
How can smoking or vaping affect the lungs?
It can irritate and damage the respiratory system and make breathing harder.
Myth or Fact: Addiction can develop after just one use of any drug.
MYTH — Risk varies by substance and circumstances.
Name one way to refuse a substance you do not want.
Say no clearly, change the subject, or leave the situation.
If a medication is prescribed by a doctor, taking any amount of it is safe.
FALSE.
Taking too much or using it differently than directed can be dangerous.
What is it called when someone needs to take more of a substance to feel the same effect as before?
Tolerance.
How can substance misuse affect school performance?
It can affect attention, memory, attendance, and learning.
Myth or Fact: Alcohol leaves the body in just one hour, no matter how much a person drinks.
MYTH — Processing time varies.
What can you say if a friend pressures you to try a substance?
No thanks, that's not for me.
Addiction can affect the brain systems involved in judgment, decision-making, and self-control.
TRUE.
Repeated substance use can affect brain functions involved in these processes.
Which brain chemical is involved in the reward system that addictive substances can affect?
Dopamine.
Why can mixing medications or substances be dangerous?
They can interact unpredictably and cause serious health problems, including breathing difficulties.
Myth or Fact: can always tell if someone is misusing substances just by looking at them.
Myth. You cannot reliably tell from appearance alone.
What should you do if friends keep pressuring you after you say no?
Set a firm boundary and seek support from a trusted adult if needed.
Mixing alcohol with certain medications can cause dangerous interactions, even when each substance is taken as directed.
TRUE.
Some combinations can cause serious side effects, including extreme drowsiness or breathing problems
Why can some drugs remain detectable in the body even after their effects have worn off?
The body may take much longer to break down and eliminate a substance than it takes for its noticeable effects to disappear.
What organ helps remove many harmful substances from the blood?
The liver.
Myth or Fact: Some withdrawal symptoms can begin within hours of stopping certain substances.
FACT.
How can you help a friend who is being pressured to use substances?
Support their decision to say no, help them leave, and involve a trusted adult if necessary
A person who stops feeling the effects of a substance as strongly has developed immunity to its harmful effects.
FALSE.
This may be tolerance, which does not mean the substance has become safe.