This presentation was given to the staff of Connections on 12/9/11

1. Understanding the Drugs of Abuse
A general overview of the drug trends of today

2. A little about myself…
• Gyna Juarez, MPA ACPS
• 8 years substance abuse prevention
• PRC Coordinator
• Prevention Resource Center-Region 8
• San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse

3. Why is this important?
• Prevention is education.
• If you’re not talking about drugs and alcohol,
they are getting their messages from
elsewhere.
• Youth are bombarded with thousands of
messages each day.

4. The Drug of Abuse
• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Marijuana
• K2/ Spice
• Bath Salts
• Prescription Drugs
• Novelty Items

5. Alcohol
• Alcohol is the primary drug of abuse in Texas.1
• Intoxication can impair brain function and motor skills;
heavy use can increase risk of certain cancers, stroke, and
liver disease.
• In Bexar County Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis is the
third leading cause of death for 45 to 65 year olds.
http://www.utexas.edu/research/cswr/gcattc/documents/2011Trends.pdf

7. According to the U.S. Surgeon General
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44356/

8. Underage Drinking in Texas
• In 2010, 62 percent of Texas secondary school students (grades 7–
12) had ever used alcohol.
• The peak years of alcohol initiation are 7th and 8th grades.
• In 2010, 12 percent of all secondary students said that when they
drank, they usually drank five or more beers at one time.
• Among students in grades 4–6 in 2010, 22 percent had ever drunk
alcohol, and 14 percent had drunk alcohol in the past school year.
Eleven percent of fourth graders had used alcohol in the school
year, compared with 19 percent of sixth graders .
http://www.utexas.edu/research/cswr/gcattc/documents/2011Trends.pdf

9. Social Access
Most underage drinkers in Bexar County obtain alcohol
from social sources
Source: Circles of San Antonio Community Coalition Environmental Strategies Instrument, 2008

10. Minor In Possession
Attempt to
Purchase, Consumption, Purchase, Possession,
Misrepresentation of Age
PENALTIES
Community Loss of
Offense Fine Education Jail
Service License
1st Up to $500 8-12 hours 30 days Required None
Optional
2nd Up to $500 20-40 hours 60 days None
with judge
3rd or Optional Up to 180
$250-$2000 None 180 days
more with judge days
Deferred Disposition is conviction for enhancement.
No Deferred Disposition on 3rd or more.

11. Providing Alcohol
to a Minor
• Purchase for or giving alcohol to a
minor is illegal unless it is the minor’s
• Adult parent
• Adult guardian
• Adult spouse
• Adult court custodian
• Provider must be visibly present
Penalties
Up to $4,000 fine Up to 1 year in jail

12. Alcohol’s effect on the young body…
 Healthy Brain Activity  Drinker’s Brain Activity

13. What is Alcoholism?
• According to the NIAA, alcoholism is a disease that includes
the following four symptoms:
– Craving --A strong need, or urge, to drink.
– Loss of control --Not being able to stop drinking once drinking has
begun.
– Physical dependence --Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea,
sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking.
– Tolerance --The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol to get
"high."
Alcoholism is a disease. The craving that an alcoholic feels for alcohol can
be as strong as the need for food or water. An alcoholic will continue to
drink despite serious family, health, or legal problems.

14. Alcohol and Pregnancy
• Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of
conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank
alcohol during pregnancy.
• FASDs refer to the whole range of effects that can happen to a
person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy.
To diagnose FAS, doctors look for:
• Abnormal facial features (e.g., smooth ridge between nose and
upper lip)
• Lower-than-average height, weight, or both
• Central nervous system problems (e.g., small head
size, problems with attention and hyperactivity, poor
coordination)

15. Tobacco
• Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of
disease, disability, and death in the United States.
• Each year, almost 50,000 nonsmokers die from diseases caused
by secondhand smoke exposure.
• It’s the single most preventable cause of death in the United
States. Nicotine is only one of more than 4,000 chemicals, many
of which are poisonous, found in the smoke from tobacco
products. Smokeless tobacco products also contain many
toxins, as well as high levels of nicotine
• Tobacco causes about 440,000 deaths or 1 out of 6 deaths in the
U.S. each year.

16. The Negative Health Consequences
• More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor
vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.
• Smoking causes an estimated 90% of all lung cancer deaths in men and
80% of all lung cancer deaths in women.
• An estimated 90% of all deaths from chronic obstructive lung disease are
caused by smoking.
• Smoking causes coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the
United States.
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/

19. Smokeless Tobacco
• May contain more nicotine than a cigarette, depending on
the size of pinch.
• May cause oral, esophageal and pancreatic cancer.

20. Minors & Tobacco
 $250 fine if found with tobacco under the
age of 18
 8-40 hours of community service
 Tobacco Awareness classes
 Driver’s License revoked for 180 days
 1 pack a day for a year costs $2,555.00
 1 pack a day for 5 years = $12,775.00

21. Marijuana
• Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the
United States.
• The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-
tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
• THC can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination,
difficulty with thinking and problem solving, and problems
with learning and memory.
• Withdrawal symptoms including: irritability, sleeplessness,
decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug cravings.

22. Marijuana vs. Tobacco
• Marijuana has 4 times as much cancer causing tar than a
cigarette.
• Marinol is the pill form of THC. Prevents nausea and
vomiting after cancer chemotherapy and to increase
appetite in people with AIDS.
 Smoking marijuana = health risk: Increased risk of heart
attack, heightened risk of chronic cough and respiratory
infections.
• The risks of using marijuana far outweigh the benefits.
Marijuana is ILLEGAL in Texas.

23. Marijuana Paraphernalia

24. Treatment Center Admissions to DSHS
Funded Facilities, 2009
Youth Adult
Heroin 203 8215
Alcohol 203 6593
Cocaine 176 4002
Marijuana 3551 3889
Total 4133 22699

25. K2/Spice (fake weed)
• Since January 2010, approximately 600 calls were made to the Texas
Poison Center Network related to Spice/K2 exposure.
• Effects: delusions, hallucinations, loss of consciousness, paranoia, panic
attacks, increased aggravation, vomiting, dilated pupils,
• At least one case of JWH-018 dependence has been reported. On October
15, 2011, coroner reports released to the media reveal that the death of a
South Carolina college basketball player was attributed to "drug toxicity
and organ failure" caused by JWH-018. The user consumed JWH-018 daily
for eight months.
• Five chemicals, JWH -018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47,497, and
cannabicyclohexanol that are found in K2 were placed on the Schedule.
Legal penalties include up to a $4,000 fine and jail time.

27. Inhalants
• Inhalants are a diverse group of volatile substances whose chemical
vapors can be inhaled to produce psychoactive (mind-altering) effects.
• Among new users ages 12–15, the most commonly abused inhalants
are glue, shoe polish, spray paints, gasoline, and lighter fluid. Among
new users age 16 or 17, the most commonly abused products are
nitrous oxide or whippets. Nitrites are the class of inhalants most
commonly abused by adult.
• Inhalants can be breathed in through the nose or mouth in a variety
of ways (known as “huffing”), such as sniffing or snorting fumes from
a container, spraying aerosols directly into the nose or mouth, or
placing an inhalant-soaked rag in the mouth.
http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/inhalants.html

28. Inhalants and the Brain
• The effects of inhalants slurred speech, lack of
coordination, euphoria, and dizziness. Inhalant abusers may
also experience lightheadedness, hallucinations, and
delusions.
• Chemicals found in different types of inhaled products may
produce a variety of additional effects, such as
confusion, nausea, or vomiting.
• Depriving the brain of oxygen (Hypoxia) may lose the ability to
learn new things or may have a hard time carrying on simple
conversations.

29. What Types of Products Are Abused as Inhalants
• Volatile solvents—liquids that vaporize at room temperature; including paint
thinners or removers, degreasers, dry-cleaning fluids, gasoline, and lighter fluid,
Art or office supply solvents, including correction fluids, felt-tip marker fluid,
electronic contact cleaners, and glue.
• Aerosols—sprays that contain propellants and solvents; Household aerosol
propellants in items such as spray paints, hair or deodorant sprays, fabric protector
sprays, aerosol computer cleaning products, and vegetable oil sprays.
• Gases—found in household or commercial products and used as medical
anesthetics; including butane lighters and propane tanks, whipped cream aerosols
or dispensers (whippets), and refrigerant gases
• Nitrites—used primarily as sexual enhancers; When marketed for illicit use,
organic nitrites are often sold in small brown bottles labeled as “video head
cleaner,” “room odorizer,” “leather cleaner,” or “liquid aroma.”

30. Inhalant Paraphernalia

31. Heroin
• Heroin is a highly addictive drug derived from morphine, which is
obtained from the opium poppy. It is a “downer” or depressant that
affects the brain’s pleasure systems and interferes with the brain’s
ability to perceive pain.
What does it look like?
• White to dark brown powder or tar-like substance.

32. How Is It Used?
• Heroin can be injected into a vein (“mainlining”), injected into a muscle,
smoked in a water pipe or standard pipe, mixed in a marijuana joint or
regular cigarette, inhaled as smoke through a straw, known as “chasing
the dragon,” snorted as powder via the nose.
• What are its short-term effects? After an injection of heroin, the user
reports feeling a surge of euphoria (“rush”) accompanied by a warm flushing of
the skin, a dry mouth, and heavy extremities. Following this initial euphoria, the
user goes “on the nod,” an alternately wakeful and drowsy state.
• What are its long-term effects? Chronic users may develop collapsed
veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulites, and liver
disease. Pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia, may
result from the poor health condition of the abuser, as well as from heroin’s
depressing effects on respiration.
http://www.drugfree.org/drug-guide/heroin

33. Cocaine
• Three routes of administration are commonly used for cocaine: snorting,
injecting, and smoking. Crack is the street name given to the form of cocaine that has
been processed to make a rock crystal, which, when heated, produces vapors that are
smoked
• The intensity and duration of cocaine’s effects—which include increased
energy, reduced fatigue, and mental alertness—depend on the route of drug
administration. The faster cocaine is absorbed into the bloodstream and
delivered to the brain, the more intense the high.
• Abusing cocaine has a variety of adverse effects on the body. For example,
cocaine constricts blood vessels, dilates pupils, and increases body
temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. It can also cause headaches and
gastrointestinal complications such as abdominal pain and nausea. Because
cocaine tends to decrease appetite, chronic users can become malnourished as
well.
http://drugabuse.gov/infofacts/cocaine.html

34. Cocaine and the Brain
• Normally, once dopamine has attached to a nerve cell’s receptor and
caused a change in the cell, it’s pumped back to the neuron that released
it. But cocaine blocks the pump, called the dopamine transporter.
• That’s why someone who uses cocaine feels an extra sense of pleasure for
a short time.
• If a long-term user of cocaine stops taking the drug, the person feels tired
and sad, and experiences strong craving for the drug. These feelings can
last for a long time, until the brain (and the person) recovers from
addiction.
http://teens.drugabuse.gov/mom/mom_stim3.php

35. Prescription Drug Abuse
• According to the CDC, More people die in America every year from
prescription drug abuse than die from heroin and cocaine
combined.
• According to NIDA, most commonly abused PD are the opiates
(OxyContin, Darvon, Vicodin ), depressants (Nembutal, Valium and
Xanax), and stimulants (Dexedrine, Ritalin and Adderall) .
• Among those who abuse prescription drugs, high rates of other
risky behaviors, including abuse of other drugs and alcohol, have
also been reported.
http://www.nida.nih.gov/tib/prescription.html
National Institute of Drug Abuse

36. According to a report from the Office of National
Drug Control Policy
• Teens are turning away from using street drugs to get
high and using prescription drugs.
• Prescription drugs are the most commonly abused drug
among 12-13 yrs olds. (NSDUH, 2006)
• Teen (12-17) and young adults (18-25) were more likely
than older adults to start abusing prescription drugs in
the past year (SAMHSA, 2006)
“Teens and Prescription Drugs: An Analysis of Recent Trends of the Emerging Drug Threat”, 2007

37. Prescription Drug Abuse
• Painkiller abuse can be dangerous, even deadly, with too high a dose or
when taken with other drugs, like alcohol. Short-term effects of painkiller
abuse may include lack of energy, inability to concentrate, nausea and
vomiting, and apathy. Significant doses of painkillers can cause breathing
problems. When abused, painkillers can be addictive.
Brand names include: Vicodin, Tylenol with Codeine, OxyContin, and
Percocet

38. Prescription Drug Abuse
• Depressants, or downers, are prescribed to treat a variety of health
conditions including anxiety and panic attacks, tension, severe stress
reactions, and sleep disorders. Also referred to as sedatives and
tranquilizers, depressants can slow normal brain function.
• Health risks related to depressant abuse include loss of coordination,
respiratory depression, dizziness due to lowered blood pressure, slurred
speech, poor concentration, feelings of confusion, and in extreme cases,
coma and possible death.
Brand names include: Klonopin, Nembutal, Soma, Ambien, Valium, and Xanax.

39. Prescription Drug Abuse
• Stimulants or uppers, are most commonly prescribed for attention
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but they are also used to treat a
variety of conditions such as asthma, respiratory problems, obesity, and
sleep disorders such as narcolepsy.
• Health risks related to stimulant abuse include increased heart and
respiratory rates, excessive sweating, vomiting, tremors, anxiety, hostility
and aggression, and in severe abuse, suicidal/homicidal tendencies,
convulsions, and cardiovascular collapse.
Brand names include: Concerta, Dexedrine, and Ritalin.

40. Over the Counter - Cough Syrup
• Effects
confusion, dizziness, double or • DXM abusers describe different
blurred vision, slurred speech, "plateaus" ranging from mild
impaired physical coordination, distortions of color and sound
abdominal pain, nausea to visual hallucinations and
vomiting, rapid heart beat, • "out-of-body," dissociative,
drowsiness, numbness of sensations, and loss of motor
fingers and toes, and control.
disorientation
http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/drug_guide/DXM

41. Over the Counter - Cough Syrup
Dextromethorphan (DXM)
Skittles
http://www.dextroverse.org/sources.html

42. Over the Counter – Cough Syrup
• Signs of Abuse
• Empty cough syrup bottles, or boxes
• Visiting pro drug websites
• http://www.third-plateau.org/index.htm
• Change in friends, physical appearance
• Hostile uncooperative
• Lost interest in hobbies, school
• Missing money
http://www.fivemoms.com/signs-of-couh-medicine-abuse/

44. These bath salts are not drugs

45. Dangerous Bath Salts

46. 3, 4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone - MDPV

47. What is MDPV (bath salts)
– The term „bath salts‟ refer to commercially available products
containing the legal stimulant called 3, 4-
Methylenedioxypyrovalerone, or MDPV.
– While they have become popular under the guise of selling as
„ bath salts ‟, they are sometimes sold as other products such as
insect repellant , or plant food with names like “Bonsai Grow”
among others.
– Much like the marketing of Synthetic Cannabinoids (Spice/K2)
as incense, MDPV has been market as “bath salts” and just
like Spice/K2 MDPV is specifically labeled “ not for human
consumption.”

48. Common names of Bath Salts
They are sold mostly on the internet, but can also be
found in select shops locally.
• “Red Dove,” “Blue Silk,” “Zoom,” “Bloom,” “Cloud
Nine,” “Ocean Snow,” “Lunar Wave,” “Vanilla Sky,”
“Ivory Wave,” “White Lightning,” “Scarface” “Purple
Wave,” “Blizzard,” “Star Dust,” “Lovey, Dovey,” “Snow
Leopard,” “Aura,” and
• “Hurricane Charlie.”

49. The Effects of MDPV
• Mental: euphoria, increases in alertness & awareness, increased
wakefulness and arousal, anxiety, agitation, perception of a diminished
requirement for food and sleep.
• MDPV reportedly has four times the potency of Ritalin and Concerta.
• The effects have a duration of roughly 3 to 4 hours, with after effects such
as tachycardia, hypertension, and mild stimulation lasting from 6 to 8
hours.
• High doses have been observed to cause intense, prolonged panic attacks
in stimulant-intolerant users, and there are anecdotal reports of psychosis
from sleep withdrawal and addiction at higher doses or more frequent
dosing intervals

50. The Anti-Energy Drink
• Mimics the "purple drank"
cough syrup drink
• The contains the hormone
melatonin and the herb
valerian root, and the can
carries this warning: "This
product may cause drowsiness.
• Not recommended more than
2 servings within a 24 hour
period."

51. The Lazy Cake
• The “faux” pot brownie.
• Infused with 3.9 mg of
melatonin, compared to the
0.3mg our bodies make
naturally.
• Warning label on the back,
“recommended for adults
only”.

52. Drunk Gummies

53. What are they?
• Gummy candies being soaked in vodka or rum , candies
absorb the alcohol.
• When gummies are soaked in alcohol, they appear larger and
have a very sticky, tacky texture and have the odor of the
alcohol.
• With very small volumes of ethanol being absorbed per
individual gummy would likely take such a large volume of
candy to get a decent ethanol concentration that people
would likely first get GI symptoms JUST from the volume of
candy.

54. Do You Know Where To Look?
http://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com/identify/your_home.html

55. SACADA Program Services
• The Prevention Resource Center
• Youth Prevention Programs
• Circles of San Antonio Coalition (COSA)
• Veterans Intervention Program (VIPS)
• First Friday Workshops
• MIP Tobacco/Alcohol Awareness/DWI
Classes
• HYPE Productions/HYPE Youth Coalition

56. Resources
Partnership for a Drug Free America
http://www.drugfree.org/
• Dept. of State Health Services
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/
• Street Drugs
www.streetdrugs.org
• National Institute on Drug Abuse
http://www.nida.nih.gov/

57. Resources
• Office of National Drug Control Policy
http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp
• Partnership Drug Free America-DXM Stories
http://www.dxmstories.com/
• United Way – 211
http://www.unitedwaysatx.org/

58. Question #1
• Of of the six drugs of abuse we
talked about today, can
someone name 4 of those
topics?

59. Question #2
• What are the 4 symptoms
of alcoholism?

60. Question #3
•What are the 4
categories types of
inhalants?

61. Question #4
• What is the name of the
pill form of THC?

62. Question #5
• How many milligrams of
melatonin are in Lazy Cakes?

63. Question #6
• Name 3 of the program
services provided by
SACADA?

64. Thank you for you time!
SACADA
7500 Hwy 90 W, Ste. 100
San antonio, TX 78227
Phone (210) 225-4741
Follow us online!
www.sacada.org
Twitter.com/SACADATex
Facebook.com/SACADATex

65. Sources
• http://www.cdc.gov/
• http://healthliteracy.worlded.org
• http://www.cancer.gov/
• http://drugabuse.gov/
• http://quitoncechicago.com/marijuana-vs-
tobacco-consider-the-facts/
• http://www.utexas.edu/research/cswr/gcat
tc/documents/2011Trends.pdf