Stimulant

Stimulant (say: stim-yuh-lunt) - A stimulant speeds up a person's body and brain. Stimulants, such as methamphetamines and cocaine, have the opposite effect of depressants. Usually, stimulants make a person feel high and energized. When the effects of a stimulant wear off, the person will feel tired or sick.

Narcotic

Narcotic (say: nar-kah-tik) - A narcotic dulls the body's senses (leaving a person less aware and alert and feeling carefree) and relieves pain. Narcotics can cause a person to sleep, fall into a stupor, have convulsions, and even slip into a coma. Certain narcotics - such as codeine - are legal if given by doctors to treat pain. Heroin is an illegal narcotic because it is has dangerous side effects and is very addictive.

Inhalant

Inhalant (say: in-hay-lunt) - An inhalant, such as glue or gasoline, is sniffed or "huffed" to give the user an immediate rush. Inhalants produce a quick feeling of being drunk - followed by sleepiness, staggering, dizziness, and confusion.

High

High - A high is the feeling that drug users want to get when they take drugs. There are many types of highs, including a very happy or spacey feeling or a feeling that a person has special powers, such as the ability to fly or to see into the future.

Hallucinogen

Hallucinogen (say: huh-loo-sun-uh-jun) - A hallucinogen is a drug, such as LSD, that changes a person's mood and makes him or her see, hear, or think things that aren't really there.

Depressant

Depressant (say: dih-preh-sunt) - A depressant is a drug that slows a person down. Doctors prescribe depressants to help people be less angry, anxious, or tense. Depressants relax muscles and make people feel sleepy, less stressed out, or like their head is stuffed. Some people may use these drugs illegally to slow themselves down and help bring on sleep - especially after using various kinds of stimulants. (See below.)

Addiction (say: uh-dik-shun) - A person has an addiction when he or she becomes dependent on or craves a drug all of the time. "Addiction is defined as an overuse of any substance that changes the natural chemical balance of the brain. It is basicallygirl_face.jpg agreed upon that addiction encompasses both biological, psychological, and behavioral factors.
At 1800nodrugs.com we believe the best prevention and catalyst to recovery from addiction is education. We understand addiction and we can help you get the tools and information you need to help you or your loved one’s recovery from addition."

Why Do People Use Illegal Drugs?

Sometimes kids and teens try drugs to fit in with a group of friends. Or they might be curious or just bored. A person may use illegal drugs for many reasons, but often because they help the person escape from reality for a while. If a person is sad or upset, a drug can - temporarily - make the person feel better or forget about problems. But this escape lasts only until the drug wears off.
Drugs don't solve problems, of course. And using drugs often causes other problems on top of the problems the person had in the first place. A person who uses drugs can become dependent on them, or addicted. This means that the person's body becomes so accustomed to having this drug that he or she can't function well without it.
Once a person is addicted, it's very hard to stop taking drugs. Stopping can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as vomiting (throwing up), sweating, and tremors (shaking). These sick feelings continue until the person's body gets adjusted to being drug free again.

Illegal Drugs

When people talk about the "drug problem," they usually mean abusing legal drugs or using illegal drugs, such as marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, LSD, crystal meth and heroin. (Marijuana is generally an illegal drug, but some states allow doctors to prescribe it to adults for certain illnesses.)

Illegal Drugs

When people talk about the "drug problem," they usually mean abusing legal drugs or using illegal drugs, such as marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, LSD, crystal meth and heroin. (Marijuana is generally an illegal drug, but some states allow doctors to prescribe it to adults for certain illnesses.)

Cigarettes and Alcohol

Cigarettes and alcohol are two other kinds of legal drugs. (In the United States, adults 18 and over can buy cigarettes and those 21 and over can buy alcohol.) But smoking and excessive drinking are not healthy for adults and off limits for kids.

Medicines Are Legal Drugs

If you've ever been sick and had to take medicine, you already know about one kind of drugs. Medicines are legal drugs, meaning doctors are allowed to prescribe them for patients, stores can sell them, and people are allowed to buy them. But it's not legal, or safe, for people to use these medicines any way they want or to buy them from people who are selling them illegally.

Introduction

Drugs are chemicals that change the way a person's body works. You've probably heard that drugs are bad for you, but what does that mean and why are they bad?

Tips for using more safely

If you are new to LSD, or just want to be a bit sensible, check out these main points. They are just the basics though; you should fully read this whole article and visit our links page for all the info.
First timers - try taking a quarter or half a tab; as with all drugs, it's better to go easy than have a full on freak-out the first time you take it. Because LSD makes you very, very sensitive to your environment, you should always be in a safe, comfortable space, preferably with a friend you trust. The higher you fly, the softer the landing pad should be. Be in a nice place: No phone calls. No visitors. Sorry to sound like an old hippy, but see if you can be near nature, or surround yourself with nice plants, pictures, fruit etc. Have a selection of nice, cruisy music within reach. This will help you relax and bring on a good trip. Trip on an empty stomach. This will help you avoid feeling sick at the acid starts to take effect. Don't do it alone: An experienced and trusted friend should either be your tripping partner, or stay sober to help you if you get into black spider land. If you are taking with a group of friends, make sure you all take the same amount, at the same time, in full view of everyone else. This will decrease any chance of paranoia and ensure you are all on the same level. Wait - always hang back at least two hours before deciding a tab is not working. The come-up period can sometimes take this long. Do not take another tab as you may well end up in the asteroid belt. Remember, you really don't want to have a bad trip, so always try to follow this advice as much as possible. from:

Benefits

Apparently, LSD has been successfully used in some countries to treat serious drug addiction. Of course, the boffins don't just hand over a few tabs and say 'good luck'; like other experimental drug treatment programmes (including ecstasy), everything is strictly controlled and monitored with lots of counselling included.

Mixing

LSD is powerful and unpredictable, so it's not such a good idea to use it with other mind-altering drugs, especially if you're a newb, or far from home. But hey, if you still want to know what might happen, visit our mixing section for more info.

Tolerance

This builds up rapidly with LSD, so that the same amount the next day will be noticeably less interesting. This wears off after three to four days, but to be honest, you're not going to be that keen on tripping so soon again anyway.

Addiction

LSD has zero physical addiction potential. It's not physically addictive and it's not a drug that you will want to do again right away. But, as with any substance, people can and do become psychologically addicted to LSD, and it can become very hard to function if you are taking acid on a regular basis. That, by the way, is the understatement of the fucking century.

Problems

As an actual drug, LSD is amazingly safe. It has no known physical side-effects, other than fatigue and a lingering sensation that your head has been messed with. However, as you will have guessed by now, acid is a powerful mental amplifier. That means that if you are feeling bummed or uptight, or deeply pissed off with commercial radio thrashing the same songs over and over, you should probably stay away from acid.

Comedown

The trip wears off gradually after 8 to 12 hours, but you might continue to feel a bit messed up and weird until you get a full night's sleep. Physically, you can feel tired and drained right into the next day. Psychologically, any thoughts or feelings you had during your trip will stay with you. A positive experience can give you a kind of happiness lasting hours, days, or even weeks afterwards. A bad trip could freak you out for the same length of time.

How does it feel?

Taking acid is described as 'a trip' because it can last as long as 8 to 12 hours from start to finish. Kicking in anywhere between 20 minutes and two hours after taking, the first signs are a sense of euphoria and expectation, along with a tingling body. Once you start to feel these effects, you'll be peaking within half an hour to 45 minutes. At this stage it's pretty common to feel a bit sick.
The actual peak lasts anywhere from two to five hours. A lame tab might make you feel relaxed, laughing, a bit like being stoned but with super hero vision; colours may seem brighter, patterns on the surface of things more eye-grabbing. Take a better tab, and you'll have rich visual hallucinations; colours will seem more vibrant, flat surfaces may ripple and shimmer. You may notice tiny details on objects. Music sounds better and louder. At the same time, you might feel blissed out, have flashes of insight into yourself or the world, feel yourself dissolving, or see objects merging into one another.
LSD works by diddling with, or completely removing the normal filters your mind creates between it and the outside world. With these filters down, more information comes in: You sense more, think more, and feel more. At higher doses, the rush becomes a flood, and your senses actually begin to merge until you can see sounds or smell colours. The experts (a bunch of very experienced 'travellers') have recognised four levels of trip. The strength of the tab is the biggest factor, but how relaxed and comfortable you are also plays a big part.
+One: Strong visual hallucinations. Bright colours stand out, objects appear to ripple or breathe. Coloured patterns behind the eyes are vivid, more active. Moments of reflection and distractive thought patterns. Thoughts and thinking become enhanced. Creative urges. Euphoria. Connection with others, empathy. Sense of time distorted or lost.
+Two: Very obvious visual effects. Curved or warped patterns. Familiar objects appear strange as surface details distract the eye. Imagination and 'mind's eye' images become vivid and three dimensional. Some confusion of the senses. Some awareness of background mental processes such as balance systems or auditory visual perception. Old memories becomes accessible. Images or experiences may rise up. Music is powerful and can affect your mood. Sense of time lost.
+Three: Very strong hallucinations such as objects morphing into other objects. Intense depersonalisation - the barriers between you and the universe begin to break down. You feel you have connection with everything around you. You can experience contradictory feelings simultaneously. Some loss of reality. Time meaningless. Senses blend into one. Feeling of being born. Multiple splitting of the ego. Powerful awareness of your own mental processes and senses. Highly symbolic visions when eyes are closed.
+Four: A very rare experience. Total loss of visual connection with reality. The senses cease to function in the normal way. Total loss of self. Merging with space, other objects, or the universe. The loss of reality becomes so severe that it defies explanation. Pure white light.

What is it?

Mostly known as acid, LSD (d-lysergic acid diethylamide) is the most powerful mind-altering substance known to man. Normally only used for having fun, this psychedelic drug comes from a very bizarro fungus called ergot. Measured in micrograms (millionths of a gram), it would only take a half a kilo to send every single man, woman and child in the country off to the land of vibrating rainbows.
LSD is colourless, tasteless and odourless, that's why it comes soaked into little squares (tabs) of paper with with lame hippy designs like sunflowers, strawberries or rockets on them.
Street LSD varies massively in quality (anywhere between 40 and 150 micrograms). Heat, air and light all degrade the tiny amounts involved, so you can never be sure how much you are actually taking until it's too late, and like it or not, you're on your trip.
As you might expect, this powerful and often unpredictable drug is against the law in New Zealand. What you might not know is that it is a Class A. That means that if you are caught using, selling or giving it to friends you could end up in the big, bad High Court instead of the usual District Court.

HIV/AIDS Prevention

At the end of 2002, an estimated 42 million people around the world were living with HIV/AIDS. During the same year, five million new infections were reported, while the epidemic claimed and estimated 3.1 million lives. One third of the people living with HIV/AIDS are between 15 and 24 years old. Injecting drug abuse is among the major forces driving the epidemic, attributing to around five per cent of HIV transmission. UNODC, a cosponsor of UNAIDS since 1999, has been mainstreaming HIV/AIDS prevention into its demand reduction activities globally, with an emphasis on promoting skills development and helping young people live a healthy, drug-free life. UNODC also supports prevention activities to limit the spread of HIV/AIDS among injecting drug abusers, and through them, to their spouses, children and the general population.

Global Youth Network

The Global Youth Network project is creating a network of participatory youth organizations that work for drug abuse prevention. Our activities include experience-sharing meetings, how-to guides on innovative techniques on drug abuse prevention written for and by young people and an active e-mail listserv. The Youth Network web site also provides an on-line resource for groups who want to improve their projects or who want to start new drug abuse prevention programmes.HIV/AIDS Prevention At the end of 2002, an estimated 42 million people around the world were living with HIV/AIDS. During the same year, five million new infections were reported, while the epidemic claimed and estimated 3.1 million lives. One third of the people living with HIV/AIDS are between 15 and 24 years old. Injecting drug abuse is among the major forces driving the epidemic, attributing to around five per cent of HIV transmission. UNODC, a cosponsor of UNAIDS since 1999, has been mainstreaming HIV/AIDS prevention into its demand reduction activities globally, with an emphasis on promoting skills development and helping young people live a healthy, drug-free life. UNODC also supports prevention activities to limit the spread of HIV/AIDS among injecting drug abusers, and through them, to their spouses, children and the general population.

Access to Treatment and Rehabilitation

People with drug abuse problems have different needs. Women, the young, the poor, refugees and ethnic and religious minorities need easier access to early intervention and services. Once in treatment, drug abusers may need job training and referral, assistance in finding housing and reintegrating into society. Drug abusers who commit crimes require alternative treatment in order to break the cycle of drug abuse and crime.

Access to Treatment and Rehabilitation

People with drug abuse problems have different needs. Women, the young, the poor, refugees and ethnic and religious minorities need easier access to early intervention and services. Once in treatment, drug abusers may need job training and referral, assistance in finding housing and reintegrating into society. Drug abusers who commit crimes require alternative treatment in order to break the cycle of drug abuse and crime.

Partners in Prevention

Drug abuse cuts across age, class, ethnic and gender lines. By working with grass-roots groups, private businesses and other community partners, UNODC supports projects addressing the needs of specific populations, such as street children and those trying to cope with neglect, violence and sexual abuse. These strategies help disadvantaged groups to avoid high-risk behaviour and settings that give rise to a range of problems, including the use of illicit drugs and alcohol.

Global Assessment Programme on Drug Abuse

To reduce or eliminate drug abuse, governments and UNODC need up-to-date statistics on who is taking drugs and why. The Global Assessment Programme on Drug Abuse (GAP) was launched in 1998. GAP has established one global and nine regional systems to collect reliable and internationally comparable drug abuse data and to assess the magnitude and patterns of drug abuse at the country, regional and global levels.

Drugs of Abuse: the Facts

Reliable and up-to-date information on selected drugs of abuse, including drug histories, how they are ingested, effects on the mind and body and medical uses, if any.

Drug Abuse & Demand Reduction

Drug abuse is a global phenomenon. It effects almost every country, although its extent and characteristics differ from region to region. Drug abuse trends around the world, especially among youth, have started to converge over the last few decades.The most widely consumed drug worldwide is cannabis. Three-quarters of all countries report abuse of heroin and two-thirds report abuse of cocaine. Drug-related problems include increased rates of crime and violence, susceptibility to HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, demand for treatment and emergency room visits and a breakdown in social behaviour.Demand reduction strategies seek to prevent the onset of drug use, help drug users break the habit and provide treatment through rehabilitation and social reintegration.At the 1998 UN General Assembly special session on the world drug problem, Member States recognized that reducing the demand for drugs was an essential pillar in the stepped-up global effort to fight drug abuse and trafficking. They committed themselves to reduce significantly both the supply of and demand for drugs by 2008, as expressed in the Political Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction

Marijuana Brain Scans Prove Damage

Marijuana Brain Scans Prove Damage Anti-Marijuana Video PSA. The effects on the brain from substances like alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana are shown in brain scans. Studying the effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain has clearly been one of the most informative and fascinating parts of my work. I had a sense growing up that drugs and alcohol weren't helpful to my overall health. I might add, this notion was helped along by getting drunk on a six pack of Michelob and half a bottle of champagne when I was sixteen years old - I was sick for three days. After that, I've been lucky enough to stay away from drugs and alcohol. After doing this work there's no way you could get me to do marijuana, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, PCP, inhalants or any more than a glass or two of wine or beer. These substances damage the patterns in your brain, and without your brain you are not you. There is really quite a bit of scientific literature on the physiological effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain. SPECT has demonstrated a number of abnormalities in substance abusers in brain areas known to be involved in behavior, such as the frontal and temporal lobes. There are some SPECT similarities and differences between the damage we see caused by the different substances of abuse. There tends to be several similarities seen among classes of abused drugs. The most common similarity among drug and alcohol abusers is that the brain has an overall toxic look to it. In general, the SPECT studies look less active, more shriveled, and overall less healthy. A "scalloping effect" is common amongst drug abusing brains. Normal brain patterns show smooth activity across the cortical surface. Scalloping is a wavy, rough sea-like look on the brain's surface. I also see this pattern in patients who have been exposed to toxic fumes or oxygen deprivation. My research assistant says that the drug brains she has seen look like someone poured acid on the brain. Not a pretty site. SPECT can be helpful in evaluating the effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain. On 3D surface images several substances of abuse appear to show consistent patterns. For example, cocaine and methamphetamine abuse appear as multiple small holes across the cortical surface; heroin abuse appears as marked decreased activity across the whole cortical surface; heavy marijuana abuse shows decreased activity in the temporal lobes bilaterally and heavy alcohol abuse shows marked decreased activity throughout the brain. These findings tend to improve with abstinence, although long term use has been associated with continued SPECT deficits seen years after abstinence. SPECT can be helpful in several ways in drug and alcohol abuse. First, 3D surface SPECT images of drug and alcohol abusers can be used in drug prevention education. Second, SPECT studies can help break though the denial that often accompanies substance abuse. When one is faced with their own abnormal cerebral perfusion it is hard to remain in denial. Third, SPECT may help evaluate if there is an underlying neuropsychiatric condition that needs treatment. Marijuana usage typically causes decreased activity in the posterior temporal lobes bilaterally. The damage can be mild or severe, depending on how long a person used, how much use occurred, what other substances were used (nicotine is a powerful vasoconstrictor) and how vulnerable a particular brain is. For more information see Dr. Amen's article High Resolution Brain SPECT Imaging in Marijuana Smokers with AD/HD, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, Volume 30, No. 2 April-June 1998. Pgs 1-13. Producer: AEGIS; Production Company: AEGIS; Keywords: drug addiction, substances abuse, alcoholism; Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs from

Say NO TO DRUGS berour ti's too late

teens try alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, but using these substances is not safe or legal. Some teens try these substances only a few times and stop. Others can't control their cravings for them. This is substance abuse.
Teens may try a number of substances, including cigarettes, alcohol, household chemicals (inhalants), prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and illegal drugs. Marijuana is the illegal drug that teens use most often.
Why do teens abuse drugs and alcohol?
Teens use alcohol and other drugs for many reasons. They may do it because they want to fit in with friends or certain groups. They may also take a drug or drink alcohol because they like the way it makes them feel. Or they may believe that it makes them more grown up. Teens tend to try new things and take risks, and they may take drugs or drink alcohol because it seems exciting.
Teens with family members who have problems with alcohol or other drugs are more likely to have serious substance abuse problems. Also, teens who feel that they are not connected to or valued by their parents are at greater risk. Teens with poor self-esteem or emotional or mental health problems, such as depression, also are at increased risk.
What problems can teen substance abuse cause?
Substance abuse can lead to"

T-Cell Infusion Therapy Boosts Melanoma Survival

Melanoma patients treated with a special tumor-fighting T-cell have a greater chance to survive the disease without relapse, a new study says.
A French research team, led by Nathalie Labarriere, used adoptive immunotherapy, a process in which natural cancer-fighting T-cells are removed from the tumor of a patient with late-stage melanoma. The T-cells are put in culture dishes and allowed to expand in number, and then re-infused into the patient.
This strategy, detailed online Oct. 20 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, caused tumor regression in about half the patients treated, some of whom survived for years without relapse.
Those in the study, who received adoptive immunotherapy between 1994 and 1998, and remained tumor-free for more than a decade, had naturally arising T-cells in their systems that recognized a new protein, called "meloe-1." Meloe-1, the researchers found, is highly expressed in melanoma cells but not in normal skin cells or in other types of cancer.
Meloe-1-specific T-cells were found in five of the nine relapse-free patients but not in any of the 21 patients who relapsed. This suggests that amplifying these meloe-1-specific T-cells in a lab setting may be one way to improve the success of adoptive immunotherapy, the researchers said.

Most Youths Tried as Adults Had Psychiatric Disorders

The majority of youths who are tried in criminal courts as adults have a psychiatric disorder, researchers report.
Juveniles who are transferred to adult court, known as "transferred youths," are a growing population. Between 1983 and 1998, the number of transferred youths in the United States almost quadrupled.
In a study in the September issue of Psychiatric Services, Jason J. Washburn of Chicago's Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and colleagues examined the cases of 1,715 youths, aged 13 to 18, who were processed in the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Chicago. Of the youths, 275 were transferred to adult court.
The researchers found that more than two-thirds (68 percent) of the transferred youths had a psychiatric disorder, and almost half (43 percent) had two or more types of disorders. The transferred youths who were eventually sentenced to prison had even higher rates of psychiatric disorders.
Another finding was that black and Hispanic males were more likely than non-Hispanic whites to be transferred, even when the researchers controlled for violent crime. This is important, since there is evidence that males from minority groups are among the least likely to receive mental health treatment, either in the community or in prison.
"This finding suggests an urgent situation in which the largest numbers of transferred youths in need of psychiatric services are also the least likely to receive them," the study authors wrote

Gardasil, the two-year-old vaccine that's designed to prevent cervical cancer, is safe, U.S. officials said Wednesday.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Immunization Safety Office said a study of 370,000 doses given to girls and young women over the past two years found no evidence that the vaccine causes an increased risk of blood clots or other serious conditions, Bloomberg News reported.
The CDC, which recommends the vaccine for girls starting at ages 11 and 12, based its findings on statistics from the Vaccine Safety Datalink, which uses medical data to test hypotheses about vaccine safety, the news service said.
"There were no associations found that suggested an elevated risk," said John Iskander, acting director for the Immunization Safety Office, told Bloomberg.
Critics of the vaccine, including some groups that worry that the inoculation could promote promiscuity, have contended that Gardasil may not be safe and could give women a false sense of security about sexually transmitted diseases.
Gardasil protects against four types of genital human papillomavirus, HPV, which is spread through sexual contact and can cause cervical cancer in women.
The U.S. study covered 190,000 girls and young women who received at least one dose of the vaccine's three-shot regimen. The CDC researchers compared medical data on those girls who got the vaccine with data for girls and young women who received other vaccines or none.
"The results are really reassuring," said Dr. Paul Offit, chief of the infectious diseases division at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "There's a public perception that the vaccine is not safe. This is important for countering negative information."
CDC officials had announced earlier this month that an estimated 25 percent of girls aged 11 to 17 have gotten the vaccine.
"This is very good for a first-year measurement of a new vaccine," Dr. Lance Rodewald, director of the Division of Immunization Services at the CDC' National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a Oct. 9 teleconference announcing the survey. "It usually takes six to nine years to achieve the desired 90 percent coverage."
Rodewald noted that because the survey covered only young teens, many more young women have probably received the vaccine. The vaccine has been very well-tolerated, and its protection, especially when given at a younger age, is expected to last at least six years, he noted. Whether a booster shot will be needed isn't known yet.
The hope for the vaccine is that it will reduce the almost 4,000 cervical cancer deaths each year in the United States. Barriers to getting the vaccine include cost, which is about $375, although it is covered under many health insurance plans.
One side effect associated with the vaccine, fainting, resulted in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month requiring that vaccine manufacturer Merck & Co. add a warning to the package insert, advising doctors to watch patients for 15 minutes after the shot to be sure they don't faint.
In July, news stories said that almost 8,000 reports of adverse reactions to Gardasil -- including injection site pain and nausea -- had been filed with the CDC.
The reactions included 15 reports of death and 10 confirmed deaths, but none of the deaths has been tied to the vaccine, according to a CNN report.
After the CDC study results were released Wednesday, Merck issued the following statement: "Gardasil is an important tool to help prevent cervical cancer caused by HPV types 16 and 18 for girls and young women. About 30 women every day are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the United States. An estimated 8 out of 10 women will become infected with HPV in their lifetime. For most people, HPV clears on its own. But for some women who don't clear certain types of the virus, cervical cancer can develop. And there's no way to predict who will or won't clear the virus."

When do people first start using cannabis?

The average age for starting to use cannabis in Western countries seems to be around 14-15 years of age. It appears that the average age of first use in developing countries may be a bit older, but it's hard to tell because there's not much information. The idea that cannabis is a gateway drug that leads to other drug use has been proposed for years. It remains a controversial idea, because while it is true that most users of other illegal drugs (e.g. cocaine, heroin) have used cannabis, the vast majority of young cannabis users do not use any other illegal substance.
Some other points:
Age makes a difference: In the higher-use Western countries, recent use increases from under 5% in Grade 7 to 30-40% by the later grades. Gender makes a difference: Boys are generally much more likely to use cannabis than girls, although as with tobacco and alcohol, the gap in several countries is closing. Boys are more likely to use frequently and heavily and (according to one study) in public places. Social and economic status makes a difference: Street youth are more likely to use cannabis and to use it heavily than are "mainstream" youth. But even among mainstream youth, heavy, risky use is not unusual. One study in North America showed that one-third of youth between 14 and 17 years of age had used an illegal substance (mostly cannabis) more than five times, and among them:

Cannabis:

A Few IssuesCannabis (including marijuana, hash, hash oil) continues to be a controversial drug in many countries as people try to figure out the place that the drug has in their society. In the Western world, marijuana smoking by young people has become a very common activity - in some countries even more common than tobacco smoking. The UN's international conventions require countries to treat cannabis and other drug offences as criminal offences. However, these conventions leave the door open for countries to establish alternative measures as a substitute for criminal prosecution. Consequently, much of the debate about cannabis is around the legal status of the drug.
These questions are not simple. For that reason through the month of November, the Global Youth Network is going to review what is known about cannabis use and young people in a four- part series dealing with: (i) the level of use worldwide; (ii) why some young people use cannabis/why some have problems; (iii) the harms associated with cannabis use; and (iv) the effect of cannabis laws.

The level of use by young people

The level of use by young people around the worldInformation is sketchy in many countries, particularly in developing regions, but it's clear that while cannabis is not as popular as alcohol and tobacco in most countries, it is usually the first illegal drug used and is the most commonly used illegal drug by youth around the world.
Worldwide it accounts for the vast majority of illicit drug use by young people (for example, cannabis use represents about 90% of all illicit drug use among students in the US and Australia and almost 95% in Europe). In the highest using countries (Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, UK and the US), cannabis use is quite common, with more than 25% of all high school students reporting use in the past year. In Europe past year rates for Grade 10 students range from 1% in Romania to 35% in France. In sub-Saharan Africa cannabis is considered the main illicit drug of concern, with increasing use by young people being cited in several countries. In Asia, there are few studies, but two showed lifetime prevalence of 4.5% and 6% among youth populations.
Lifetime use of cannabis among 15-16-year-old (Gr. 10) students in 1999: Asia 4.5-6% Europe - low (Romania) 1% Europe - high (France) 35% USA 40.9% Australia 42.8% Ontario, Canada 42.7%
In the last couple of years, use of cannabis and other illegal drugs in "high-use" countries (i.e., the US, Canada, Australia and certain countries in Western Europe) has levelled off - and in some cases declined - after rising through the mid- to late-'90s. At the same time, use rates in lower-use European countries (particularly in Central and Eastern Europe) have continued to increase, so patterns in all countries are merging to an extent. For example, while cannabis use increased among lower-use countries (e.g., Finland and Norway), it decreased in higher-use countries (e.g., the UK and Ireland).

Why do some young people use cannabis?

When looking at why young people might use any drug, the first thing to keep in mind is that today's young people - more than in any other period in history - are growing up in an environment that encourages various forms of substance use, both medical and non-medical. The pharmaceutical and alternative medicine industries are huge and use their "mega" presence in the market-place to promote a climate of "solution by ingestion".
Another huge factor is the big $$ that the tobacco and alcohol industries put into marketing their products - much of which is aimed at young people. Add to these factors a Western dominated pop culture that young people around the world "consume" and that mostly tolerates drug use. We also need to remember that people have used a wide variety of substances throughout history to satisfy some need or another (ranging from enhancing pleasure, to stress relief, to helping with working longer hours). Young people use substances for many of the same reasons as adults. But when we look at a list of the tasks that young people need to take on to develop their identity, tasks that are a normal part of adolescent development, such as ...
showing independence; developing their own values (apart from parental and societal authority); developing strong peer connections; seeking new and exciting experiences; and taking risks and satisfying curiosity
... we begin to see why cannabis might be popular with young people today. Couple this with the spirit of the times, which one person describes as "a runaway world" filled with uncertainty and a lack of direction, and the importance of substances to some young people is even more understandable.
As with most drug use, the reasons young people give for using cannabis are a mixture of the symbolic and reasons related to cannabis' drug effects. Young people are most often introduced to cannabis by friends. Most use cannabis for the first time out of curiosity and to be sociable. Reasons they report for continuing to use include to relax, feel good, enjoy music and movies, and to be sociable. Those who do not choose to use say they're just not interested or that they fear the adverse health effects. They do not tend to mention the penalties associated with use. Only about 50% of users report that they liked their first experience - many don't feel anything - while some experience unpleasant psychological effects (see next week).
Why some have problems with cannabis use. The reasons for a person developing problems as a result of cannabis use usually stems from a combination of personal, family and school-related factors (for example, having mental health issues, poor family life and/or doing poorly in school). An indicator of likely problems is daily use. A small but important percentage of students report using cannabis daily, and in one survey, over half of all cannabis users reported that they had experienced at least one of three indicators of dependence. Heavy use of cannabis is more likely among street youth. A review of studies shows that frequent use and cannabis use problems are linked with*:

Youth Against Drugs

YAD (Youth Against Drugs) is a Finnish preventive anti-drug organisation, founded in 1988. YAD has activities in over 20 locations, from the south in Hanko to the north in Tornio, and from the east in Joensuu to the west in Kalajoki.

The activities of the organisation rely on young volunteers, who want to participate in preventing youngster’s drug habit and supporting clean living. YAD’s purpose is to support a healthy lifestyle, providing more options, new social contacts, increasing people’s knowledge in relation to questions of drugs, and to affect decision-making. YAD is politically and religiously neutral.



INFORMATION

YAD works in centres of young peoples attention - in the summertime in music festivals, in the winter in discos and raves. YAD volunteers visit schools to raise awareness about drug-related issues. The purpose of this is to offer new viewpoints to the question of drug usage and have discussions with equal peers. Appearing sober in different social occasions sets an example, that it is possible to have fun without being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In the last couple of years YAD has raised awareness of the negative effect of the drug trade on the world economy. Drug trade leads to a widening gap between the rich and the poor in socio-economic terms. To provide information YAD use leaflets, books and five times a year an ENo magazine that is aimed at young people.




SUPPORT

The members of YAD support each other. Support is available also for those that need it. Family- and small group activity aims to form support groups, where families and youngsters are provided with new ways of thinking and new ways to occupy their spare time. This is carried out in co-operation with local community, church, or with other such organisations. Family- and small groups are run by YAD trained volunteers who are over the age of 18.



VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY

YAD provides various spare time activities for its members: Annual camps, hikes, concerts and other social occasions. Members can arrange their own events, such as discos, concerts, even writing competitions to pupils according to their own interest.



PROJECTS

At the moment YAD is managing two preventive anti-drug projects. In 1999 started a preventive co-ordination project consisting of six southern and central Finnish locations. The idea is to look for socially challenged children and arrange activities that develop their social skills. ?Keetu? -cultural experience helping in life management, is a project whereby the young people trying to kick the drug habit go to the theatre, cinema or art exhibitions etc with their support friends. This project takes place in the Helsinki region.



LOCAL DIVISIONS

Local division are formed out of the local youngsters’ initiatives and interests. Local divisions function in terms of the members’ interests. These interests can include concerts, camps or drug-awareness training in the location of the division. Maybe you could start a new YAD local division where you live? New local sections are welcomed with open arms. YAD’s work is nationally recognised. In 2002 The Finnish Medical Association awarded YAD for distributing accurate information.

A Brief History

MDMA was developed in Germany in the early 1900s as a parent compound to be used to synthesize other pharmaceuticals. During the 1970s, in the United States, some psychiatrists began using MDMA as a psychotherapeutic tool, despite the fact that the drug had never undergone formal clinical trials nor received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in humans. In fact, it was only in late 2000 that the FDA approved the first small clinical trial for MDMA that will determine if the drug can be used safely with 2 sessions of ongoing psychotherapy under carefully monitored conditions to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Nevertheless, the drug gained a small following among psychiatrists in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with some even calling it "penicillin for the soul" because it was perceived to enhance communication in patient sessions and reportedly allowed users to achieve insights about their problems. It was also during this time that MDMA first started becoming available on the street. In 1985, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) banned the drug, placing it on its list of Schedule I drugs, corresponding to those substances with no proven therapeutic value.2

What is MDMA?

MDMA is an illegal drug that acts as both a stimulant and psychedelic, producing an energizing effect, as well as distortions in time and perception and enhanced enjoyment from tactile experiences.Typically, MDMA (an acronym for its chemical name 3,4 -methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is taken orally, usually in a tablet or capsule, and its effects last approximately 3 to 6 hours. The average reported dose is one to two tablets, with each tablet typically containing between 60 and 120 milligrams of MDMA.1 It is not uncommon for users to take a second dose of the drug as the effects of the first dose begin to fade.
MDMA can affect the brain by altering the activity of chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters, which enable nerve cells in the brain to communicate with one another. Research in animals has shown that MDMA in moderate to high doses can be toxic to nerve cells that contain serotonin and can cause long-lasting damage to them. Furthermore, MDMA raises body temperature. On rare but largely unpredictable occasions, this has led to severe medical consequences, including death. Also, MDMA causes the release of another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, which is likely the cause of the increase in heart rate and blood pressure that often accompanies MDMA use.

Although MDMA is known universally among users as ecstasy, researchers have determined that many ecstasy tablets contain not only MDMA but also a number of other drugs or drug combinations that can be harmful as well. Adulterants found in MDMA tablets purchased on the street include methamphetamine, caffeine, the over-the-counter cough suppressant dextromethorphan, the diet drug ephedrine, and cocaine.7,8 Also, as with many other drugs of abuse, MDMA is rarely used alone. It is not uncommon for users to mix MDMA with other substances, such as alcohol and marijuana.

NIDA InfoFacts: High School and Youth Trends

Since 1975, the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey has been administered annually to study the extent of and beliefs about drug use among 12th-graders. The survey was expanded in 1991 to include 8th- and 10th-graders. It is funded by NIDA and is conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. The goal of the survey is to collect data on past month, past year, and lifetime (1) drug use among students in these grade levels. The 33rd annual study was conducted during 2007.Decreases or stability in abuse patterns were noted for most drugs from 2006 to 2007. Below are the key findings, based on data from the 2007 MTF survey. For individual drugs, a decrease or increase is noted only if statistically significant; other trends are considered stable and are not highlighted below.
Positive Trends
Any illicit drug – From 2006 to 2007, 8th-graders reporting lifetime use of any illicit drug declined from 20.9 percent to 19.0 percent, and past year use declined from 14.8 percent to 13.2 percent. Since 2001, annual prevalence has fallen by 32 percent among 8th-graders, nearly 25 percent among 10th-graders, and 13 percent among 12th-graders. Since the peak year in 1996, past year prevalence has fallen by 44 percent among 8th-graders. The peak year for past year abuse among 10th- and 12th-graders was 1997; since then, past year prevalence has fallen by 27 percent among 10th-graders and by 15 percent among 12th-graders. Marijuana – Past year use of marijuana among 8th graders significantly declined from 11.7 percent in 2006 to 10.3 percent in 2007, and is down from its 1996 peak of 18.3 percent. Annual prevalence of marijuana use has fallen by 33 percent among 8th-graders, 25 percent among 10th-graders, and 14 percent among 12th-graders since 2001. Disapproval of trying marijuana “once or twice,” smoking marijuana “occasionally,” or smoking marijuana “regularly” (3) increased significantly among 8th-graders from 2006 to 2007, and remained stable for 10th- and 12th-graders for the same period.Methamphetamine – Lifetime and past year methamphetamine use decreased among 8th- and 12th-graders between 2006 and 2007; lifetime use among 8th-graders declined from 2.7 percent to 1.8 percent, and lifetime use among 12th-graders declined from 4.4 percent to 3.0 percent. Past year methamphetamine use was reported by 1.1 percent of 8th-graders in 2007 (a decline from 1.8 percent in 2006), 1.6 percent of 10th-graders, and 1.7 percent of 12th-graders (a decline from 2.5 percent in 2006). Sedatives/Barbiturates – There has been a decline in the lifetime use of sedatives from a peak of 10.5 percent in 2005 to 9.3 percent in 2007. Past year use of sedatives/barbiturates declined from a peak of 7.2 percent in 2005 to 6.2 percent in 2007. (This question is asked only of 12th-graders.) Inhalants – After some increases in recent years, there were no significant changes from 2006 to 2007 in the proportion of students in the 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grades reporting lifetime, past year, or past month abuse of inhalants. Cigarettes/Nicotine – Among 8th-graders, cigarette use declined between 2006 and 2007 in most categories; lifetime use dropped from 24.6 percent to 22.1 percent, and past month use fell from 8.7 percent to 7.1 percent. Daily cigarette smoking among 8th-graders dropped from 4.0 percent to 3.0 percent, down from its 10.4 percent peak in 1996. Lifetime cigarette use was reported by 34.6 percent of 10th graders, and 46.2 percent of 12th graders, and smoking half a pack or more a day was reported by 1.1 percent of 8th-graders, 2.7 percent of 10th-graders, and 5.7 percent of 12th-graders in 2007. Crack/Cocaine – Past month abuse of crack among 10th-graders declined from 0.7 percent in 2006 to 0.5 percent in 2007. From 2001 to 2007, students in 8th and 10th grades showed declines of crack use of 29.6 percent and 58.0 percent, respectively. Past month abuse of cocaine (powder) among 12th-graders declined from 2.4 percent in 2006 to 1.7 percent in 2007. Disapproval of trying cocaine “once or twice” increased among 8th-graders from 86.5 percent in 2006 to 88.2 percent in 2007, and disapproval of trying crack “once or twice” increased from 87.2 percent to 88.6 percent. Disapproval did not change among 10th- or 12th-graders for the same period. Anabolic Steroids – Perceived availability of steroids dropped among 10th-graders, from 30.2 percent in 2006 to 27.7 percent in 2007, but remained stable among 8th- and 12th-graders. Steroid use in all three grade levels remained unchanged from 2006 to 2007. Alcohol – Tenth-graders reported a modest decline in past year use of flavored alcoholic beverages, from 48.8 percent in 2006 to 45.9 percent in 2007. Eighth-graders reporting disapproval of trying “one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage” increased from 51.3 percent in 2006 to 54.0 percent in 2007. Disapproval of having “five or more drinks once or twice each weekend” increased from 82.0 percent in 2006 to 83.8 percent in 2007.(4)
Negative Trends
Prescription Drugs – Prescription drug use remains unacceptably high with virtually no drop in nonmedical use of most individual prescription drugs. This year, for the first time, researchers pulled together data for all prescription drugs as a measurable group (including amphetamines, sedatives/barbiturates, tranquilizers, and opiates other than heroin such as Vicodin and OxyContin) and found that 15.4 percent of high school seniors reported nonmedical use of at least one prescription medication within the past year.(5) MDMA (Ecstasy) – The 2007 results represent the third year in a row showing a weakening of attitudes among the youngest students regarding MDMA. Among 8th-graders, the perceived harmfulness of taking MDMA “occasionally” decreased from 52.0 percent to 48.6 percent from 2006 to 2007. Among 10th-graders, the perceived harmfulness decreased from 71.3 percent to 68.2 percent. Perceived risk of MDMA use remained unchanged for 12th-graders from 2006 to 2007. Concurrently, between 2004 and 2007 past year use of MDMA increased in 10th-graders from 2.4 to 3.5 percent, and between 2005 and 2007 past year use of MDMA increased among 12th-graders, going from 3.0 to 4.5 percent. Hallucinogens – Among 10th-graders, the perceived harmfulness of taking LSD “once or twice” decreased from 38.8 percent in 2006 to 35.4 percent in 2007. The perceived harm of taking LSD “regularly” decreased from 60.7 percent in 2006 to 56.8 percent in 2007. Disapproval of using LSD “once or twice” significantly decreased for 10th-graders from 71.2 percent in 2006 to 67.7 percent in 2007; disapproval of taking LSD “regularly” dropped from 74.9 percent in 2006 to 71.5 percent in 2007. Heroin/Opiates – Among 8th-graders, past month use of injecting heroin increased from 0.2 percent in 2006 to 0.3 percent in 2007. Past year heroin use without a needle increased among 12th-graders from 0.6 percent in 2006 to 1.0 percent in 2007. OxyContin use in the past year was reported by 1.8 percent of 8th-graders, 3.9 percent of 10th-graders, and 5.2 percent of 12th- graders. Vicodin use in the past year was reported by 2.7 percent of 8th-graders, 7.2 percent of 10th-graders, and 9.6 percent of 12th-graders, remaining stable at relatively high levels for each grade.

The dangers of drug abuse among youths

The issue of drug abuse among youths has become so worrying that if nothing urgent is done about it our future as a nation may be shattered, because the youths of today are the leaders of tomorrow.
The manifestation of the dangers of drug abuse among us, the youth, is not for fetched, as it can clearly be seen in the alarming rates of crime perpetrated by young people. Quite often, we the youth prove to be gentle but when we use such drugs as Cannabis, Cocaine or Indian hemp, to mention but a few, we are transformed into brutal beasts, with the inability to control ourselves, which makes us stop at anything to get what we want.
As we all know, charity begins at home, what ever a child learns from home is most likely to stick in his/her mind. If a child sees his/her parents or any members of his/her family smoke, drink or take hard drugs, the child will most likely follow suite. This has the effect of posing great problems. The child’s school mates and authorities may become the victims because of the influence of drugs on them.
There are many cases where children receive good home training, as well as sensitization on the evils of drug abuse, but on moving out of the home, the influence of their peers cause them to indulge in drug abuse. The foundation that was built at home was destroyed.
Therefore, I am making a clerion call on my fellow youth to desist from drug abuse and there by save themselves and the society.

Drugs

What are Drugs?

Understanding what drugs are is fundamental to understanding their potential abuse.
A psychoactive substance is something that people take to change the way they feel, think or behave. Some of these substances are called drugs, and others, like alcohol and tobacco, are considered dangerous but are not called drugs. The term drugs also covers a number of substances that must be used under medical supervision to treat illnesses.
For our purposes then, we will talk about drugs as those man-made or naturally occurring substances used without medical supervision basically to change the way a person feels, thinks or behaves so that they "can have fun."
In the past, most drugs were made from plants. That is, plants were grown and then converted into drugs such as coca paste, opium and marijuana. Over the years, these crude products were further processed to yield drugs like cocaine and heroin, and finally, in the 20th century, people found out how to make drugs from chemicals. These are called man-made, or synthetic, drugs and include speed, ecstasy, LSD, etc. These were initially manufactured for largely experimental reasons and only later were used for recreational purposes. Now, however, with the increased size and scope of the drug trade, people set out to invent drugs especially for recreational human consumption.
Designer drug cocktails appear and disappear with astonishing regularity. For the first time in human history, a whole industrial complex creates and produces drugs that are meant to be used outside and in defiance of social conventions for the sole purpose of ?having fun.?

What's Wrong with Drug Abuse?

Substance abuse has many negative physiological health effects, ranging from minor issues like digestion problems or respiratory infections, to potentially fatal diseases, like AIDS and hepatitis C. Of course, the effects depend on the drug and on the amount, method and frequency of use. Some drugs are very addictive, like heroin, while others are less so. But the upshot is that regular drug abuse or sustained exposure to a drug - even for a short period of time - can cause physiological dependence, which means that when the person stops taking drugs, he/she experiences physical withdrawal symptoms and a craving for the drug.
Drug abuse also causes brain damage. Again, depending on the drug, the strength and character of this damage varies. But one thing is clear, drug abuse affects the way the brain functions and alters its responses to the world. That is what psychoactive means, after all, something that acts on your brain. How drug abuse will affect your behaviour, actions, feelings and motivations is unpredictable. By meddling in the natural ways the brain functions, abusers exposes themselves to risks they may not even have imagined.
Finally, drug abuse damages the ability of people to act as free and conscious beings, capable of taking action to fulfill their needs. How free drug abusers are when they have no control over their actions or reactions is debatable. What is unarguable is that by giving in to bio-chemical processes that are deviant, a drug abuser loses what makes humans admirable and unique.

When People Have Been Using Drugs for Centuries, What is Wrong with Occasional Drug Use?

In the past, drugs were not as strong and potent as they are now. Even so-called "natural" or soft drugs like marijuana or "skunk" are many times more powerful than they were in the 1960's. Over the years, these drugs have been modified either biologically or chemically to create higher concentrations of the active ingredient - the thing that produces the "high". The argument for historical use doesn't justify drug abuse, because no one 200 years ago could have dreamed of the potency of the drugs that are available today. Further, when psychotropic substances were used in the past, it was within a fairly well structured social space that regulated use and behaviour. In today's social conditions, this structured space has been lost. Moreover, the very strength of modern chemicals is such that it renders social control ineffective.
Additionally, there are some drugs like heroin and crack cocaine that are highly addictive. This means that even if they are used recreationally, they tend to induce physical dependence, leading to an increased need for the drug. Even those drugs that people think they can take occasionally, the so-called party drugs (like Ecstasy, GHB and speed), tend to produce a craving to repeat the sensations again and again.
The effects of most drugs are not very well known. Even when they are, their influences are dependent on an individual's physical and psychological make up, and even occasional drug use can lead to unforeseen complications and reactions.

Drug TrendsWhile it is difficult to give an accurate picture of the extent of drug abuse among youth because of the severe lack of information, we can look at smaller samples of young people in developed countries for some indication of the direction youth culture is taking. Since youth culture is increasingly global and emanates from the West, studying target groups in these countries can provide some hints about the new trends in drug abuse.
The Global Youth Network project runs an e-mail listserv for its members (membership application). We send out weekly messages about new trends in substance abuse and good practice examples for drug abuse prevention.

Smoking

When your parents were young, people could buy cigarettes and smoke pretty much anywhere — even in hospitals! Ads for cigarettes were all over the place. Today we're more aware about how bad smoking is for our health. Smoking is restricted or banned in almost all public places and cigarette companies are no longer allowed to advertise on TV, radio, and in many magazines.
Almost everyone knows that smoking causes cancer, emphysema, and heart disease; that it can shorten your life by 10 years or more; and that the habit can cost a smoker thousands of dollars a year. So how come people are still lighting up? The answer, in a word, is addiction.
Once You Start, It's Hard to StopSmoking is a hard habit to break because tobacco contains nicotine, which is highly addictive. Like heroin or other addictive drugs, the body and mind quickly become so used to the nicotine in cigarettes that a person needs to have it just to feel normal.
People start smoking for a variety of different reasons. Some think it looks cool. Others start because their family members or friends smoke. Statistics show that about 9 out of 10 tobacco users start before they're 18 years old. Most adults who started smoking in their teens never expected to become addicted. That's why people say it's just so much easier to not start smoking at all.
How Smoking Affects Your HealthThere are no physical reasons to start smoking. The body doesn't need tobacco the way it needs food, water, sleep, and exercise. In fact, many of the chemicals in cigarettes, like nicotine and cyanide, are actually poisons that can kill in high enough doses.
The body is smart. It goes on the defense when it's being poisoned. For this reason, many people find it takes several tries to get started smoking: First-time smokers often feel pain or burning in the throat and lungs, and some people feel sick or even throw up the first few times they try tobacco.

The consequences of this poisoning happen gradually. Over the long term, smoking leads people to develop health problems like cancer, emphysema (breakdown of lung tissue), organ damage, and heart disease. These diseases limit a person's ability to be normally active — and can be fatal. Each time a smoker lights up, that single cigarette takes about 5 to 20 minutes off the person's life.

Smokers not only develop wrinkles and yellow teeth, they also lose bone density, which increases their risk of osteoporosis (pronounced: ahs-tee-o-puh-row-sus), a condition that causes older people to become bent over and their bones to break more easily. Smokers also tend to be less active than nonsmokers because smoking affects lung power.
Smoking can also cause fertility problems and can impact sexual health in both men and women. Girls who are on the pill or other hormone-based methods of birth control (like the patch or the ring) increase their risk of serious health problems, such as heart attacks, if they smoke.
The consequences of smoking may seem very far off, but long-term health problems aren't the only hazard of smoking. Nicotine and the other toxins in cigarettes, cigars, and pipes can affect a person's body quickly, which means that teen smokers experience many of these problems:
Bad skin. Because smoking restricts blood vessels, it can prevent oxygen and nutrients from getting to the skin — which is why smokers often appear pale and unhealthy. An Italian study also linked smoking to an increased risk of getting a type of skin rash called psoriasis. Bad breath. Cigarettes leave smokers with a condition called halitosis, or persistent bad breath. Bad-smelling clothes and hair. The smell of stale smoke tends to linger — not just on people's clothing, but on their hair, furniture, and cars. And it's often hard to get the smell of smoke out. Reduced athletic performance. People who smoke usually can't compete with nonsmoking peers because the physical effects of smoking (like rapid heartbeat, decreased circulation, and shortness of breath) impair sports performance. Greater risk of injury and slower healing time. Smoking affects the body's ability to produce collagen, so common sports injuries, such as damage to tendons and ligaments, will heal more slowly in smokers than nonsmokers. Increased risk of illness. Studies show that smokers get more colds, flu, bronchitis, and pneumonia than nonsmokers. And people with certain health conditions, like asthma, become more sick if they smoke (and often if they're just around people who smoke). Because teens who smoke as a way to manage weight often light up instead of eating, their bodies lack the nutrients they need to grow, develop, and fight off illness properly. Kicking Butts and Staying Smoke FreeAll forms of tobacco — cigarettes, pipes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco — are hazardous. It doesn't help to substitute products that seem like they're better for you than regular cigarettes, such as filtered or low-tar cigarettes.
The only thing that really helps a person avoid the problems associated with smoking is staying smoke free. This isn't always easy, especially if everyone around you is smoking and offering you cigarettes. It may help to have your reasons for not smoking ready for times you may feel the pressure, such as "I just don't like it" or "I want to stay in shape for soccer" (or football, basketball, or other sport).
The good news for people who don't smoke or who want to quit is that studies show that the number of teens who smoke has dropped dramatically. Today, about 23% of high school students smoke.
If you do smoke and want to quit, you have lots of information and support available. Different approaches to quitting work for different people. For some, quitting cold turkey is best. Others find that a slower approach is the way to go. Some people find that it helps to go to a support group especially for teens. These are sometimes sponsored by local hospitals or organizations like the American Cancer Society. The Internet offers a number of good resources to help people quit smoking.
When quitting, it can be helpful to realize that the first few days are the hardest. So don’t give up. Some people find they have a few relapses before they manage to quit for good.
Staying smoke free will give you a whole lot more of everything — more energy, better performance, better looks, more money in your pocket, and, in the long run, more life to live!

Heroin

Trends and HarmsHeroin is a powerful drug that numbs pain and produces strong feelings of euphoria and well-being. It also slows down breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to drowsiness, coma, respiratory failure and even death. People who use heroin are at great risk of becoming dependent on it.
While heroin is often associated with the opium poppy, it is not derived directly from the poppy. Rather, heroin is made by chemically changing morphine, a drug present in a gummy substance extracted from the seed pod of the opium poppy. Heroin and morphine belong to a group of drugs known as opiate analgesics, which are used to treat extreme pain. The heroin sold on the street is a white or brownish powder. It is often diluted or 'cut' with substances like starch, powdered sugar, talcum powder or more toxic substances such as quinine. Heroin can also include other contaminants produced through crude preparation methods that use toxic substances such as gasoline, industrial solvents or sulphuric acid.
While heroin use by young people is relatively low, it is generally higher among vulnerable groups like the homeless and young offenders. The following summary provides information on trends in heroin use by young people worldwide as well as the associated harms.
Trends in UseLimited information is available concerning trends in heroin use by young people; however, a 1999 United Nations report summarizes various studies conducted in countries around the world between 1990 and 1997 and provides an indication of use worldwide. (It is important to note that samples and survey methods differ, and comparisons between countries should be made with great caution.) According to the report, the highest rate of heroin use among youth is in Europe. In Denmark, Greece, Ireland and Italy, 2 per cent of youth (age 15-16) report having used heroin at lease once in their lives. The report also states that some countries in Western Europe are experiencing an increase in heroin smoking. Heroin injection increased during the 1990s in Eastern Europe and this trend has also touched youth. Other figures provided by the report include 1.4 per cent of youth age 14-24 in Australia and 1.2 per cent of youth age 13-22 in the United States have used heroin. A more recent survey conducted in 2002 in the United States by the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that 1.8 per cent of students in grade 10 (ages 15-16) have used heroin at least once.
Even though the number of youth who report using heroin is relatively low, there is still a need to closely monitor levels of use. Recent reports point to concerns with heroin use by some groups of young people, including young offenders, school dropouts and homeless young people. For example, 22 per cent of a sample of 11-17-year-olds detained by police in Australia between 1999 and 2002 reported having used opiates (including heroin); 22 per cent also reported using cocaine.
Another concern is related to indications that heroin Is being used in areas where use was previously thought to be nonexistent. A recent study found that, for the first time, young people living in small cities and towns in several regions in the United Kingdom are using heroin.
Harms Associated with UseHeroin is usually injected directly into a vein, however, some people inject it under the skin, smoke or sniff it. Another method involves inhaling the fumes that are released when the heroin is heated ('chasing the dragon'). The immediate effects of heroin are felt soon after the drug is injected or smoked and last a few hours. If heroin is injected into a vein, the person feels a surge of intense pleasure, a 'rush', lasting 30 to 60 seconds, followed by a warm, relaxed, and detached feeling. People who use heroin for the first time usually feel nauseous and vomit. Other immediate effects include a dry mouth and a heavy feeling in the arms and legs. If larger amounts are used, the person can feel drowsy and sedated, or slip into a coma, or die from respiratory failure.
The effects of long-term heroin use are related to the drug itself and the way it is used (i.e. injected or smoked). Lung problems due to the effects of heroin on respiration are common, as is constipation, decreased sexual drive and menstrual irregularities. Sharing needles can lead to hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and tetanus. Dirty needles can cause infections at the injection site or infections in the lining and valves of the heart (endocarditis). Regular injecting can result in problems such as collapsed veins and abscesses, and smoking heroin can lead to pneumonia and other lung conditions. Lifestyle is also a factor. If heroin use leads to financial or legal problems, the above effects can be made worse by issues such as poor nutrition and bad housing.
OverdoseBoth fatal and non-fatal overdose can occur among heroin users. Non-fatal overdose occurs when there is loss of consciousness and respiration is depressed, but the person does not die. Fatal overdose is usually due to respiratory failure.
While it is commonly believed that high potency heroin causes overdose, the research on this is inconclusive. A report prepared by the World Health Organization sees heroin purity as a contributing factor to overdose but not as the sole factor. Similarly, a report on heroin overdose by the Australian National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre concludes that the evidence to support heroin purity as a factor in overdose is sparse. Another factor often cited, but again lacking conclusive evidence, is the role of additives or contaminants in overdose death. Quinine has been associated with overdose deaths, however in general the evidence connecting contaminants and adulterants with overdose death is unclear and varies between regions.
While the role of heroin purity and contaminants in overdoses is unclear, there is evidence that overdose risk increases when regular heroin use is stopped and then started again. During the break from use, tolerance is reduced, and if use starts again, there is an increased risk of overdose. Also, long-term, regular use of heroin is a risk factor for overdose. This can be explained, at least partially, by differences in how tolerance develops to the effects of heroin. Tolerance means the body gets used to the presence of the drug and higher doses become necessary to maintain the intensity of effects. When a person uses heroin on a regular basis, tolerance to the respiratory depressive effects of heroin increases at a slower rate than tolerance to the euphoric effects. This can lead to a heroin user injecting higher doses to achieve the warm, relaxed or 'high' effects of the drug, with increased risk of respiratory depression.
Another important risk factor for overdose is using heroin with other central nervous system depressant drugs such as alcohol and tranquilizers. Drugs such as alcohol and tranquilizers can have synergistic interactions with heroin, increasing their respiratory depressant effects and, as a result, increasing overdose risk.
Tolerance, Dependence and WithdrawalWith regular use, tolerance as well as physical and psychological dependence to heroin develops fairly rapidly. As tolerance develops and the user gradually increases the amount to achieve the desired effects, a plateau is reached where no amount of the drug is sufficient to produce the desired intense effects. At this stage, dependent users continue to use largely for the purpose of delaying withdrawal sickness.
Withdrawal sickness usually starts six to 12 hours after heroin is last used, reaches peak intensity after about 36 to 72 hours, and is usually over within seven to 10 days. Withdrawal symptoms include severe anxiety, insomnia, vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, profuse sweating, muscle spasms, bone pain, chills, shivering, tremors, and strong craving. Feelings of weakness and illness may last longer, and it may be six months or longer before total recovery from withdrawal occurs. While many people successfully stop using heroin after long-term use, withdrawal and not using heroin again can be very difficult

Anabolic steroids

Anabolic steroids are synthetically produced variants of the naturally occurring male hormone testosterone. Both males and females have testosterone produced in their bodies: males in the testes, and females in the ovaries and other tissues. The full name for this class of drugs is androgenic (promoting masculine characteristics) anabolic (tissue building) steroids (the class of drugs). Some of the common street (slang) names for anabolic steroids include arnolds, gym candy, pumpers, roids, stackers, weight trainers, and juice.(1)
Currently, there are more than 100 different types of anabolic steroids that have been developed, and each requires a prescription to be used legally in the United States.(2)
Anabolic steroids can be taken orally, injected intramuscularly, or rubbed on the skin when in the form of gels or creams.(3) These drugs are often used in patterns called cycling, which involves taking multiple doses of steroids over a specific period of time, stopping for a period, and starting again. Users also frequently combine several different types of steroids in a process known as stacking.(4) By doing this, users believe that the different steroids will interact to produce an effect on muscle size that is greater than the effects of using each drug individually.(5)
Another mode of steroid use is called "pyramiding." With this method users slowly escalate steroid use (increasing the number of drugs used at one time and/or the dose and frequency of one or more steroids), reach a peak amount at mid-cycle and gradually taper the dose toward the end of the cycle. The escalation of steroid use can vary with different types of training. Body builders and weight lifters tend to escalate their dose to a much higher level than do long distance runners or swimmers.(6)
CONTROL STATUS
Federal law placed anabolic steroids in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) as of February 27, 1991.
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STREET NAMES
Arnolds, gym candy, pumpers, roids, stackers, weight trainers, gear, and juice.
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS
Anabolic steroid abuse has been associated with a wide range of adverse side effects ranging from some that are physically unattractive, such as acne and breast development in men, to others that are life threatening. Most of the effects are reversible if the abuser stops taking the drug, but some can be permanent. In addition to the physical effects, anabolic steroids can also cause increased irritability and aggression.(7)
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LONG-TERM EFFECTS
Most data on the long-term effects of anabolic steroids on humans come from case reports rather than formal epidemiological studies. From the case reports, the incidence of life-threatening effects appears to be low, but serious adverse effects may be under-recognized or under-reported. Data from animal studies seem to support this possibility. One study found that exposing male mice for one-fifth of their lifespan to steroid doses comparable to those taken by human athletes caused a high percentage of premature deaths.(8)
Steroid abuse has been associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart attacks and strokes, even in athletes younger than 30. Steroids contribute to the development of CVD, partly by changing the levels of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol in the blood. Steroids, particularly the oral types, increase the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and decrease the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). High LDL and low HDL levels increase the risk of atherosclerosis, a condition in which fatty substances are deposited inside arteries and disrupt blood flow. If blood is prevented from reaching the heart, the result can be a heart attack. If blood is prevented from reaching the brain, the result can be a stroke.(9)
Steroids also increase the risk that blood clots will form in blood vessels, potentially disrupting blood flow and damaging the heart muscle so that it does not pump blood effectively.(10)
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TRAFFICKING TRENDS
For purposes of illegal use there are several sources; the most common illegal source is from smuggling steroids into the United States from other countries such as Mexico and European countries. Smuggling from these areas is easier because a prescription is not required for the purchase of steroids. Less often steroids found in the illicit market are diverted from legitimate sources (e.g. thefts or inappropriate prescribing) or produced in clandestine laboratories.(11)
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USE/USER POPULATION
Results from the 2005 Monitoring the Future Study, which surveys students in eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades, show that 1.7% of eighth graders, 2.0% of tenth graders, and 2.6% of twelfth graders reported using steroids at least once in their lifetimes.(12)
Regarding the ease by which one can obtain steroids, 18.1% of eighth graders, 29.7% of tenth graders, and 39.7% of twelfth graders surveyed in 2005 reported that steroids were "fairly easy" or "very easy" to obtain. During 2005 56.8% of twelfth graders surveyed reported that using steroids was a "great risk."(13)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also conducts a survey of high school students throughout the United States, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) 4.8% of all high school students surveyed by CDC in 2005 reported lifetime use of steroid pills/shots without a doctor's prescription.(14)
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ARRESTS/SENTENCING
In December 2005, DEA led the largest steroid bust in history. Operation Gear Grinder was a 21-month investigation that targeted eight major steroid manufacturing companies, their owners, and their trafficking associates. To learn more about the operation, click here.
LEGISLATION
Federal law placed anabolic steroids in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) as of February 27, 1991. The possession or sale of anabolic steroids without a valid prescription is illegal. Simple possession of illicitly obtained anabolic steroids carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a minimum $1,000 fine if this is an individual’s first drug offense. The maximum penalty for trafficking is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if this is the individual’s first felony drug offense. If this is the second felony drug offense, the maximum period of imprisonment and the maximum fine both double. While the above listed penalties are for federal offenses, individual states have also implemented fines and penalties for illegal use of anabolic steroids.(15)
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and many professional sports leagues (e.g. Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League (NFL), and National Hockey League) have banned the use of steroids by athletes, both because of their potential dangerous side effects and because they give the user an unfair advantage. The IOC, NCAA, and NFL have also banned the use of steroid precursors (e.g. androstenedione) by athletes for the same reason steroids were banned. The IOC and professional sports leagues use urine testing to detect steroid use both in and out of competition.(16)
The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 - placed 32 additional steroids in Schedule III and expanded DEA’s regulatory and enforcement authority regarding steroids.

Narcotics

Narcotics
The term "narcotic," derived from the Greek word for stupor, originally referred to a variety of substances that dulled the senses and relieved pain. Today, the term is used in a number of ways. Some individuals define narcotics as those substances that bind at opiate receptors (cellular membrane proteins activated by substances like heroin or morphine) while others refer to any illicit substance as a narcotic. In a legal context, narcotic refers to opium, opium derivitives, and their semi-synthetic substitutes. Cocaine and coca leaves, which are also classified as "narcotics" in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), neither bind opiate receptors nor produce morphine-like effects, and are discussed in the section on stimulants. For the purposes of this discussion, the term narcotic refers to drugs that produce morphine-like effects.
Narcotics are used therapeutically to treat pain, suppress cough, alleviate diarrhea, and induce anesthesia. Narcotics are administered in a variety of ways. Some are taken orally, transdermally (skin patches), or injected. They are also available in suppositories. As drugs of abuse, they are often smoked, sniffed, or injected. Drug effects depend heavily on the dose, route of administration, and previous exposure to the drug. Aside from their medical use, narcotics produce a general sense of well-being by reducing tension, anxiety, and aggression. These effects are helpful in a therapeutic setting but con tribute to their abuse.
Narcotic use is associated with a variety of unwanted effects including drowsiness, inability to concentrate, apathy, lessened physical activity, constriction of the pupils, dilation of the subcutaneous blood vessels causing flushing of the face and neck, constipation, nausea and vomiting, and most significantly, respiratory depression. As the dose is increased, the subjective, analgesic (pain relief), and toxic effect become more pronounced. Except in cases of acute intoxication, there is no loss of motor coordination or slurred speech as occurs with many depressants.
Among the hazards of illicit drug use is the ever-increasing risk of infection, disease, and overdose. While pharmaceutical products have a known concentration and purity, clandestinely produced street drugs have unknown compositions. Medical complications common among narcotic abusers arise primarily from adulterants found in street drugs and in the non-sterile practices of injecting. Skin, lung, and brain abscesses, endocarditis (inflammation (the fining of the heart), hepatitis, and AIDS are commonly found among narcotic abusers. Since there is no simple way to determine the purity of a drug that is sold on the street, the effects of illicit narcotic use are unpredictable and can be fatal. Physical signs of narcotic overdose include constricted (pinpoint) pupils, cold clammy skin, confusion, convulsions, severe drowsiness, and respiratory depression (slow or troubled breathing).
With repeated use of narcotics, tolerance and dependence develop. The development of tolerance is characterized by a shortened duration and a decreased intensity of analgesia, euphoria, and sedation, which creates the need to consume progressively larger doses to attain the desired effect. Tolerance does not develop uniformly for all actions of these drugs, giving rise to a number of toxic effects. Although tolerant users can consume doses far in excess of the dose they took, physical dependence refers to an alteration of normal body functions that necessitates the continued presence of a drug in order to prevent a withdrawal or abstinence syndrome. The intensity and character of the physical symptoms experienced during withdrawal are directly related to the particular drug of abuse, the total daily dose, the interval between doses, the duration of use, and the health and personality of the user. In general, shorter acting narcotics tend to produce shorter; more intense withdrawal symptoms, while longer acting narcotics produce a withdrawal syndrome that is protracted but tends to be less severe. Although unpleasant, withdrawal from narcotics is rarely life threatening.
The withdrawal symptoms associated with heroin/morphine addiction are usually experienced shortly before the time of the next scheduled dose. Early symptoms include watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, and sweating. Restlessness, irritability, loss of appetite, nausea, tremors, and drug craving appear as the syndrome progresses. Severe depression and vomiting are common. The heart rate and blood pressure are elevated. Chills alternating with flushing and excessive sweating are also characteristic symptoms. Pains in the bones and muscles of the back and extremities occur, as do muscle spasms. At any point during this process, a suitable narcotic can be administered that will dramatically reverse the withdrawal symptoms. Without intervention, the syndrome will run its course, and most of the overt physical symptoms will disappear within 7 to 10 days.
The psychological dependence associated with narcotic addiction is complex and protracted. Long after the physical need for the drug has passed, the addict may continue to think and talk about the use of drugs and feel strange or overwhelmed coping with daily activities without being under the influence of drugs. There is a high probability that relapse will occur after narcotic withdrawal when neither the physical environment nor the behavioral motivators that contributed to the abuse have been altered.
There are two major patterns of narcotic abuse or dependence seen in the United States. One involves individuals whose drug use was initiated within the context of medical treatment who escalate their dose by obtaining the drug through fraudulent prescriptions and "doctor shopping" or branching out to illicit drugs. The other; more common, pattern of abuse is initiated outside the therapeutic setting with experimental or recreational use of narcotics. The majority of individuals in this category may abuse narcotics sporadically for months or even years. Although they may not become addicts, the social, medical, and legal consequences of their behavior is very serious. Some experimental users will escalate their narcotic use and will eventually become dependent, both physically and psychologically. The younger an individual is when drug use is initiated, the more likely the drug use will progress to dependence and addiction.
Narcotics of Natural Origin
The poppy Papaver somniferum is the source for non-synthetic narcotics. It was grown in the Mediterranean region as early as 5000 B.C., and has since been cultivated in a number of countries throughout the world. The milky fluid that seeps from incisions in the unripe seedpod of this poppy has, since ancient times, been scraped by hand and air-dried to produce what is known as opium. A more modern method of harvesting is by the industrial poppy straw process of extracting alkaloids from the mature dried plant. The extract may be in liquid, solid, or powder form, although most poppy straw concentrate available commercially is a fine brownish powder. More than 500 tons of opium or its equivalent in poppy straw concentrate are legally imported into the United States annually for legitimate medical use.
Synthetic Narcotics
In contrast to the pharmaceutical products derived from opium, synthetic narcotics are produced entirely within the laboratory. The continuing search for products that retain the analgesic properties of morphine without the consequent dangers of tolerance and dependence has yet to yield a product that is not susceptible to abuse. A number of clandestinely produced drugs, as well as drugs that have accepted medical uses, fall within this category.