Marijuana
What is the legal age to buy/use Marijuana?
21+ for recreational
18+ for medical use only
What is Nicotine?
Nicotine is addictive and the main psychoactive substance in tobacco, which means it alters how the brain works. According to the NIDA, most people who smoke use tobacco or vape regularly due to nicotine addiction.
How does Cocaine effect the brain?
Drugs like cocaine powerfully activate reward and reinforcement mechanisms in the brain. Reward refers to the euphoria or high produced when taking the drug (equivalent to “liking”); reinforcement refers to the desire to take the drug again (“wanting”).
How potent is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is fifty times stronger than heroin and one hundred times stronger than morphine.
What is alcohol?
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. This means that it is a drug that slows down brain activity. It can change your mood, behavior, and self-control. It can cause problems with memory and thinking clearly.
Who is at greater risk of developing Cannabis Use Disorder?
The risk of developing cannabis use disorder is even greater for people who begin to use it before age 18.
Additionally, infants, children, and teens (who still have developing brains) are especially susceptible to the adverse effects of cannabis.
Are e-cigarettes and vaporizers safe?
Researchers still do not know the safety and long-term health effects of using e-cigarettes and other vaping products. In September 2019, federal and state health authorities began investigating an outbreak of a severe lung disease associated with e-cigarettes and other vaping products. (Short answer, no they're not "safe.")
What are ways people use Cocaine?
Cocaine can be snorted through the nose, rubbed into gums, injected into the bloodstream, or smoked.
What are signs of a fentanyl overdose?
Signs of fentanyl overdose may include, slow breathing or no breathing, drowsiness, disorientation, sedation, pinpoint pupils, skin rash, or clammy skin. Symptoms usually occur within minutes of exposure or ingestion. Fentanyl overdose lowers the heart rate and depresses the respiratory system.
Can alcohol affect your mental health?
Yes! Alcohol affects the part of your brain that controls inhibition, so you may feel relaxed, less anxious, and more confident after a drink. But these effects quickly wear off. The chemical changes in your brain can soon lead to more negative feelings, such as anger, depression or anxiety, regardless of your mood.
What percentage of people who use Marijuana develop Cannabis Use Disorder?
Recent research estimated that approximately 3 in 10 people who use cannabis have cannabis use disorder. So about 30% of users!
How is Nicotine addictive?
Nicotine releases a chemical called dopamine in the same regions of the brain as other addictive drugs. It causes mood-altering changes that make the person temporarily feel good. Inhaled smoke delivers nicotine to the brain within 20 seconds, which makes it very addictive—comparable to opioids, alcohol and cocaine. This "rush" is a major part of the addictive process.
Yes! Due to high potency, availability, and low cost to produce, fentanyl is being used as a cutting agent in heroin and other illicit drugs (cocaine and even marijuana!).
Fentanyl is also being used in the production of counterfeit pharmaceutical medication, including pills. There is no way to know how much fentanyl is contained in each counterfeit pill.
Yes! Alcohol withdrawal can lead to seizures, DT's or Delirium Tremens (which can be life threatening), hallucinations, or even cardiovascular complications. One should never try to detox from alcohol without professional help.
What are some short-term side effects of Marijuana use?
Cannabis use directly affects the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, attention, decision-making, coordination, emotion, and reaction time.
What are some short-term side effects of Nicotine use?
• increased blood pressure
• changes in heart rhythm and rate
• shortness of breath
• dizziness and lightheadedness
• sleep disturbances
• headaches
What are some short-term side effects of Cocaine use?
Short-term physiological effects of cocaine use include constricted blood vessels; dilated pupils; and increased body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. Large amounts of cocaine may intensify the high but can also lead to bizarre, erratic, and violent behavior. Some people who use cocaine report feelings of restlessness, irritability, anxiety, panic, and paranoia. They may also experience tremors, vertigo, and muscle twitches
What are some overall side effects of fentanyl use?
What are some short-term side effects of alcohol use?
Short-term effects include lowered inhibitions, interpersonal conflict, falls and accidents, altered behavior, hangovers, and alcohol poisoning.
What are some long-term side effects of Marijuana use?
Long-term or frequent cannabis use has been linked to increased risk of psychosis or schizophrenia in some users.
What are some long-term side effects of Nicotine use?
Smoking is the most common preventable cause of death in the United States. It causes damage to almost every organ in the body and increases the risk of severe health problems, including heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.
What are some long-term side effects of Cocaine use?
Cocaine damages many other organs in the body. It reduces blood flow in the gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to tears and ulcerations. Many people who use cocaine chronically lose their appetite and experience significant weight loss and malnourishment. Cocaine has significant and well-recognized toxic effects on the heart and cardiovascular system. Chest pain that feels like a heart attack is common and sends many people who use cocaine to the emergency room. Cocaine use is linked with increased risk of stroke, as well as inflammation of the heart muscle, deterioration of the ability of the heart to contract, and aortic ruptures.
What is Narcan/Naloxone?
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist. Instead of counterbalancing symptoms like Epinephrine (EpiPen) to overcome the effects of an extreme allergic reaction, naloxone blocks the brain’s uptake of opioids by replacing them. Think of your brain cells like a toddler’s shape sorter toy — the one with the different shaped holes and blocks. Naloxone comes along and replaces the opioid. It can boot it out or fill the hole before the heroin comes along.
What are some long-term side effects of alcohol use?
Long-term effects can include high blood pressure, stroke, liver disease, liver cancer, pancreatitis, and other certain cancers.