Where'd you come from?
What is the difference between MDMA, Ecstacy and Molly?
MDMA = stimulant + psychedelic
Ecstacy is street name for MDMA and can be found mixed with other substances. Molly is a nickname for "purest MDMA" but can also be found mixed with other substances
Researchers have found that many tablets of esctasy also contain substances like meth, ketamine, cocaine, cathinones (bath salts) and caffeine which can increase the danger of the substance.
This drug is the most lethal to withdrawal from
Alcohol
Name one brain chemical that is involved with the good feelings drugs can give
Bonus: Name one drug that affects that brain chemical
Dopamine - pleasure and reward
eg Cocaine prevents reuptake of dopamine
Serotonin - mood and emotions
eg Meth enhances the release of dopamine, seratonin and norepinephrine
Name 2 types of inhalents people abuse.
Bonus: what makes inhalents dangerous?
Nitrous oxide ( whipped cream aerosols (whip-its), anaesthetics), paint thinners, fuels, air fresheners
Bonus: no way to predict how much of an inhalent will damage/kill someone. Nitrous oxide can cause heart attacks/ sudden asphyxiation, brain damage reduced availability of B12 - impacts nerves.
What do you mix into cocaine to make crack?
What do you mix in crack to make in injectable?
Cocaine + baking soda = crack
crack + vit C = injectable
Morphine is named after the Greek god Morpheus who is the god of
Dreams due to its tendency to cause sleep
What drug is the mose misued psychoactive drug in the world?
What drug is the most used psychoactive drug?
Most misused: Alcohol
Most used: Caffeine
This drug gives the user 12X the amount of dopamine than eating your favourite food or engaging in sexual activity.
Meth - no known behaviour that humans engage with can release this much dopamine.
What does OAT stand for?
Bonus: what are some examples of OAT medications?
Opioid Agonist Therapy
Bonus: suboxone (partial agonist), kadian ( slow release morphine), methadone ( full agonist), sublocade
Name 3 drugs that when mixed with Ketamine can be dangerous/life threatening
Alcohol, GHB, Opioids
Ketamine is a depressant, mixing it with any other depressant will increase likelihood of overdose or side effects.
What drug act was racially driven in Canada towards Chinese people?
Bonus: What year did this act get put in place?
Opium Act ( 1908)
Later became the Drug and Opium Act in 1911.
Started in Vancouver - the birthplace of prohibition in Canada driven by anti-chinese racism and threat to the white mans middle class.
What is the difference in high between cocaine/crack and meth?
cocaine - prevents reuptake of dopamine = pronounces euphoria BUT just as pronounces crash. Rapid metabolization, shortest half life of any psychoactive drug or one hour.
Crack has a rapid absorption and can be felt within 8 seconds.
Meth - enhance the release of dopamine, seratonin and norepinephrine. Half life of 10-12hrs but can be found in system 1-4 days later. Can last up to 6-12hrs.
What stimulant is linked to tooth decay
Meth
Combination of dry mouth, jaw cleching, sugar cravings can cause this.
What is the difference between decriminalization and legalization of a substance?
Decriminalization: substance still illegal to buy/sell but you won't face criminal charges or arrest for just having them or using them, drug wont be confiscated.
Legalization: You can legally buy it from a licensed seller. Laws in place to control the substance to be safe for the public. Taxes apply :(
What affect can marijuana have on other substances when mixed?
Marijuana can have depressant effects but can also act as a sitmulant or hallucinogen. Mixing marijuana with depressants and sitmulants can increase the side effects of those drugs ( increase overdose, increase anxiety/heart rate, hallucinations)
What brand of drug skyrocketed the opioid crisis
Bonus: How is is different than Oxycodone
OxyContin - specific brand name of oxycodone from Purdue Pharma
Bonus: Oxycontin is a long acting version of oxycodone
What does a GHB overdose look like?
Bonus: How can we support someone in this overdose?
GHB (Gamma-hydroxybutrate): central nervous system depressant
Overdose: loss of consciousness/unresponsive, profuse sweating, slowed respiratory depression, loss of gag reflex/body control, shaking, tremors, seizures, vomitting.
Overdose response: manage breathing, call 911.
Some people who use opioid long term can feel more of this, even though the drug is suppose to reduce it
Pain
opioid induced hyperalgesia – the body adapts to pain being blocked by turning the pain system up in the background, the nervouse system adjust and becomes more sensitive
This class of drugs does not primarily give the feeling of euphoria but instead disrupts the mesages being percieved in the brain/body. Give one example of this drug.
Hallucinogens eg LSD, psilocybin (mushrooms), DMT, MDMA (ecstasy), marijuana
This new vet tranquilizer is being mixed into the drug supplie with Fentanyl, causing prologned sedation and is stronger than xylazine.
Bonus: Name two side effects of this drug other than sedation/slowed breathing
Medetomidine
Bonus: low/no heart rate, changes in blood pressure, agression post overdose
What drug swap in 2014 put 18,000 people in BC at risk for engaging with street drugs?
Methadone / Methadose swap
Rank these opioids from weakest to strongest opioids:
fentanyl, percocets, morphine, dilaudid (dillys), heroin
Bonus: what is the different between an opiate and an opioid?
morphine - baseline
Percocet(oxycodone) - 1.5-2x stronger than morphine
Heroin: 2-3x stronger than morphine
Dilaudid: 5-10x stronger than morphine
fentanyl: 50-100x stronger than morphine
Bonus: opiates are natural ( morphine, heroin, codeine), opioids refers to all natural, synthetic/ semi synthetic opioids.
This class of drugs strongly increases dopamine in the brains rewards system and can lead to people feeling less interested in everyday activites over time
Stimulants
Dopamine system disruption: When the brain gets a lot of stimluation from drugs, it tries to balance itself out and turns the dopamine sensitivity down. After a while things dont feel as rewarding.
What method of drug use produces the fastest onset of psychoactive effects
Smoking
Although IV use delivers drugs directly into the blood stream, the blood still needs to circulate before getting to the brain. Smoking a substance offers the quickest route to the brain to feel its effect.
Smoking (10 sec), IV (10-30sec), snorting (1-5mins), oral ( 10-60mins)
Mixing these two substances creates a new chemical in your liver called cocaethylene - this chemical stays in your body longer, is more toxic to your organs, but can also give you a greater perceived euphoric effect.
Cocaine + Alcohol