Understanding Substances
What is the most commonly used illicit drug in Canada?
What is cocaine?
This is an intense desire or urge to use substances that can be triggered by various factors
What is a craving?
This medication helps reduce cravings for opioids.
What is Suboxone (or Methadone)?
What is one healthy way to cope with stress in recovery?
What is exercise, art, journaling, meditation, etc.?
True or false: Alcohol is a stimulant.
What is false? It is a depressant
What is the fasting acting drug?
What is nicotine?
This brain chemical is closely linked to the mind’s reward system and is commonly associated with pleasure and reinforcement.
What is dopamine?
This life-saving medication can reverse an opioid overdose.
Naloxone, narcan
Why is having a support system important in recovery?
What is it provides accountability, encouragement, and understanding?
True or false: Fentanyl is only 5 times more potent then heroin.
What is false? It is 50 times more fentanyl
Which age demographic in Canada experiences the highest rate of opioid-related deaths?
A. Youth 12–17
B. Young adults 18–24
C. Adults 25–44
D. Seniors 65+
What term describes needing more of a substance over time to achieve the same effect?
What is tolerance?
This is the safe process of clearing a substance from the body, often supervised by medical staff.
What is detoxification (detox)
Name one internal trigger.
What is sadness, anger, stress, boredom, anxiety, etc.
True or False: Does cocaine sober you up?
What is false? Only time can sober you up!
Which substance leads to the most hospitalizations in Ontario?
What is alcohol?
According to a report, alcohol use is responsible for around 22,009 hospitalizations annually among people aged 15 and older in Ontario
Opioid use can cause the pupils to do this.
Constrict. (Pinned)
What is the goal of harm reduction?
What is to minimize the negative health, social, and legal consequences associated with high-risk behaviors, particularly substance use, without necessarily requiring abstinence.
What does the acronym HALT remind people to check in with?
What is Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired?
True or False: Naloxone works on benzodiazepine overdoses
What is false? Only opiates
Which substance, if mixed with benzodiazepines, can be fatal due to slowing down the central nervous system?
Opioid use can slow down this essential bodily function that is needed for survival, sometimes leading to overdose.
Breathing
What is the difference between a lapse and relapse?
What is Relapse - a sustained return to the old behaviour), Lapse - Sometimes called a slip. Its a brief return to old behaviour.)
Which substance is most strongly linked to crimes that lead to admissions in correctional facilities in Canada?
Alcohol
What is the legal blood‑alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for fully licensed drivers? *Bonus 100 points if you know Ontario's warn range limit*
What is 0.08% (Canada)
What is 0.05% - 0.079% (Ontario) warn range