Harm Reduction Strategies
This harm reduction strategy is the safest method to avoid harms from substance abuse.
Abstinence/Non-Use
This drug is now legal in many states for recreational use, and legal in even more for medicinal use.
Cannabis
Is addiction considered a choice or a disease by the medical community?
A disease. Classified as Substance Abuse Disorder, a mental health condition.
Your friend wants to try cannabis, saying that it's okay because it is natural and you cannot get addicted to it. What advice would you give them?
Psychological addiction is very common, and everything natural is not safe.
What is the recovery position?
Lay person on side, rest head on arm, open the airway.
This hard reduction strategy involves deciding whether a place or group of people is safe to use with/around.
Set and Setting
This drug is one of the most addictive substances on Earth, is sold legally around the world, and works as a form of stimulant AND depressant.
Nicotine (Tobacco, Vape, Chew)
What are drug withdrawals?
A negative reaction produced by the body when a consistent user stops using a substance.
Maria had a few drinks at a party and plans to drink some coffee to sober up before driving home. Is she practicing harm reduction?
No, caffeine does not sober a person up, and drinking and driving is NEVER a good idea.
Name 3 possible signs of an opioid overdose.
Unresponsive, cold/clammy skin, blue lips, gurgling/snoring, vomiting, slow breathing, slow heart rate, small pupils, limp
Something that should always be avoided and involves two or more substances.
Never Mix Substances
This class of drugs speeds up brain activity and the central nervous system, can elevate breathing and heart rates, causes increased energy, and can trigger anxiety and paranoia sometimes.
Stimulants
What is drug tolerance and how does it increase the risk of overdose in certain drugs?
Drug tolerance is a condition where the body develops a resistance to a drug/medicine, requiring more of the substance to produce the same effect.
This increases the risk of OD because it requires uses to use larger amounts of substances as their tolerance builds.
Robby is going to a party with friends that he knows very well. He is considering drinking alcohol, but he isn't sure how it will affect him. What advice (harm reduction strategy) should you give him?
-Start Low, Go Slow
-Consider moderation
-Dose and Dosage
If someone is unresponsive after using a substance, what are three steps you should take to ensure their safety?
Check breathing/pulse, recovery position, call 911
What advice would you give someone who is considering trying a substance but doesn't know much about the substance?
Develop Drug Knowledge
This class of drugs slows down brain activity and the central nervous system, causes a reduction in anxiety, feelings of calm, reduces decision making, causes sleepiness.
Depressants
Describe 2 physical symptoms and 2 mental symptoms that someone going through opioid withdrawals may experience.
Physical - Flu-like symptoms, lack of appetite, runny nose, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, sleep changes, no energy, shakes, seizures, restless leg, joint/muscle pain, aches.
Mental - Depression, anxiety, lack of motivation, mood swings, delusions, hallucinations, severe cravings, confusion, social withdrawal.
Matt paces himself by drinking one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage he drinks. Is he practicing harm reduction?
Yes, by staying hydrated and mixing in water in between drinks, he is practicing moderation as well.
What is a good samaritan law?
A law that protects underage teens from getting in trouble for reporting alcohol poisoning or overdoses to 911.
Fentanyl is a dangerous opioid that has recently leaked into the illegal drug market and drug supply. What specific harm reduction strategy should some one using any kind of drug keep in mind to avoid ingesting a substance like fentanyl on accident?
Check the substances, know how to respond in an emergency.
This class of drugs works by mimicking the bodies natural pain relief system, can impair judgement and physical actions, are extremely addictive, and carry a very high risk of overdose.
Opioids.
Explain how tolerance, withdrawal, and addiction intertwine with each-other.
Tolerance leads to more use, leading to withdrawal when stopping, which leads to addiction.
Roger is at a party and under the influence of alcohol, and he notices a girl coming onto him that is also under the influence. He wants to make his move, what advice would you want to make sure Roger is aware of?
No one can give consent under the influence, taking advantage of someone under the influence is a form of rape.
What is the lifesaving opioid overdose reversal drug called and how is it typically administered?
Naloxone, nasal spray (narcan)