Name that Drug
This stimulant is an illegal white powder that can cause increased energy, alertness, heart rate, and blood pressure.
Cocaine
True or False: Stimulants generally speed up activity in the central nervous system.
True
You can always tell whether a pill contains fentanyl just by looking at it.
Myth. Illegally manufactured pills can resemble legitimate medications, and fentanyl cannot reliably be identified by appearance.
A friend offers you a pill at a party and says, “It's just one of my prescription pills.” What's the safest decision?
Don't take it. Medication should only be taken when prescribed to that individual and obtained from a legitimate pharmacy.
Which is more dangerous: taking medication prescribed specifically for you exactly as directed or taking a pill bought from an unknown person?
Taking the unknown pill.
This powerful opioid can be legally prescribed for severe pain but is also illegally manufactured and sometimes found in counterfeit pills or mixed with other drugs.
Fentanyl
What vital body function can opioids dangerously slow during an overdose?
Breathing/Respiration
Someone can develop a substance use disorder even if they did not originally intend to become addicted.
Fact. Repeated drug use can produce changes involving reward, stress, self-control, and decision-making.
Your friend is being pressured to try a drug because everyone else supposedly has. Give one way your friend could respond.
Accept reasonable responses such as saying no directly, leaving the situation, changing activities, contacting someone they trust, or staying with friends who support their decision.
Why can buying pills through social media or from an unofficial source be especially dangerous?
You cannot reliably know what the pill contains, its strength, or whether it is counterfeit.
This stimulant is often called meth or crystal meth and can cause extreme energy, decreased appetite, and increased heart rate.
Methamphetamine
Cocaine and methamphetamine can dangerously increase these two cardiovascular measurements. Name at least one.
Heart rate and blood pressure
If two people take the same drug and the same amount, they will always have the same reaction.
Myth. Effects can vary because of factors such as body size, tolerance, health, other substances taken, dose, and the actual contents of the drug.
Someone takes an unknown substance and becomes extremely sleepy, is difficult to wake, and is breathing very slowly. What should you do?
Treat it as a possible overdose and call 911 immediately. Administer naloxone if opioid overdose is suspected and naloxone is available, and follow emergency instructions.
Why can mixing opioids with alcohol or other depressants be especially dangerous?
Their effects can combine to dangerously suppress breathing and increase overdose risk.
This hallucinogenic drug is commonly called acid and can dramatically change a person's perception of reality.
LSD
What organ is especially vulnerable when drugs are swallowed because it helps metabolize many substances?
The liver
Mixing drugs can make their effects more dangerous and unpredictable.
Fact. Combining substances can increase the risk of serious reactions and overdose.
Someone says, “Don't call 911. They'll probably wake up eventually.” What's wrong with that advice?
An overdose can be fatal, and slowed or stopped breathing can deprive the brain of oxygen. Emergency help should not be delayed.
Someone hasn't used an opioid for a while and then returns to the amount they previously used. Why could this be especially dangerous?
Their tolerance may have decreased, meaning an amount they previously tolerated could now cause an overdose.
This opioid is usually sold illegally as a powder and can produce intense euphoria followed by drowsiness and slowed breathing.
Heroin
What brain chemical involved in reward and motivation is strongly affected by many addictive drugs?
Dopamine
A counterfeit pill that looks like a prescription medication is safe as long as the person taking it knows what it is supposed to be.
Myth. Counterfeit pills may contain unexpected ingredients or different amounts than expected.
You don't know whether someone overdosed on an opioid, but naloxone is available. Should narcan still be given if an opioid overdose is suspected?
Yes. Narcan can reverse an opioid overdose, and giving it to someone who is not experiencing an opioid overdose generally will not harm them. Still call 911.
Your friend says, “I'll only try a drug once, so there's really no risk.” Give three reasons why even one-time use of an unknown illegal drug can still be dangerous.
Accepting answers including unknown potency/dose, unexpected fentanyl or other substances, overdose, dangerous interactions with other substances, impaired judgment leading to injury, allergic/adverse reactions, or individual differences in how someone responds.