DFYIT
West Texas:
Drug Free Youth In Texas
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DFYIT
West Texas:
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What is your Drug I.Q.?Answer True or False 1. Wine coolers are "softer" and therefore not as harmful as "hard" liquor, like whiskey or vodka. There is no such thing as "hard" or "soft" liquor. A 12-ounce wine cooler contains just as much alcohol as a 12-ounce can of beer, a five ounce glass of wine, or one ounce of whiskey. No matter what form or flavor, alcohol is a powerful depressant drug that leads to heart disease, liver damage, respiratory depression and death. 2. Alcohol is more dangerous for young people than it is for adults. Due to the fact that their brains and body systems are still growing, adolescents are more vulnerable to the toxic effects of alcohol. Underdeveloped bodies, immaturity and poor nutrition increase the risk of alcoholism. Because alcohol inhibits good judgment and control - consequences such as auto crashes, unwanted pregnancies, rape and sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, become very real likelihoods for teens. In addition, alcohol is illegal for people under the age of 21. 3. The dangers of smoking marijuana in the 1960's were much greater than today. Levels of THC (Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol), the principal psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana, are seven to ten times higher today than THC levels of the 1960's. More THC means stronger side effects like panic reactions, tremors, fainting, chest pains and respiratory problems. Because THC is stored in the fatty tissues, a single dose of THC may take up to 30 days to be eliminated by the body. 4. Smoking a marijuana joint is just as dangerous as smoking tobacco cigarettes. Many of the toxic elements contained in tobacco are also found in marijuana. In terms of cancer-causing agents, one joint can cause as much damage to the lungs as five tobacco cigarettes. Those who smoke marijuana have exhibited the same pre-cancerous lesions as those who smoke tobacco. Marijuana smokers tend to inhale more deeply and hold in smoke longer, causing chronic lung damage in some abusers. 5. LSD is identical to a natural substance already present in the brain. LSD tricks the brain by mimicking some of its natural chemicals called endorphins. Our brains know exactly how much of an endorphin we need to feel good, but people using LSD have no way of knowing the strength of the dose or how their bodies will react. Even a small "hit" of LSD can cause paranoia, panic, confusion, nightmares, and frightening hallucinations. 6. Cocaine can cause immediate addiction. Considered one of the most highly addictive of the drugs of abuse, cocaine is a very powerful central nervous system stimulant that can produce both physical and psychological dependence. When smoked in its altered form - crack - large amounts of cocaine reach the brain instantly resulting in such powerful effects that the smoker can become addicted after the first use. 7. Occasional cocaine use can kill a person. No matter what form - powder, freebase, crack - there is no safe way to use cocaine. Even first-time abusers can experience seizures and breathing problems. Cocaine tightens blood vessels, making the heart work harder and faster. This can lead to heart attacks and sudden death, even in young healthy people. Behavioral changes brought on by cocaine, can lead to depression and suicidal tendencies. A single dose of cocaine can prove fatal. 8. Heroine is just as dangerous and addictive as cocaine. Heroine can cause lung congestion, collapsed blood vessels and infected heart valves. It targets the areas of the brain most responsible for addiction. Abusers must take more of the drug more often to get the same effects. As the effects of the drug wear off, the abuser needs more heroine to prevent painful withdrawal symptoms. And because heroine is primarily taken by injection, IV drug users are greatly adding to the number of AIDS cases. 9. Heroine is used most often by people from lower socioeconomic levels. Heroine is used by people in all social and economic classes. Dealers who sell heroine want to keep people hooked, no matter what their age, race or income level. Dealers will sometime give away free doses to first-time abusers. By getting people addicted, they keep a steady supply of customers. 10. Inhalants are legal to use because many are common household products. There are hundreds of household products that can be abused as inhalants. Although most products used as inhalants are legal to purchase, it is against the law to breathe them for the purpose of getting high. Many states have strict laws regarding inhalant abuse, which include punishments ranging from fines to imprisonment. 11. Breathing inhalants can cause "sudden sniffing death." Some of the volatile substances contained in inhalants can produce fatal effects. Known as "sudden sniffing death," this term is used to explain the condition in which the heart rate increases erratically resulting in cardiac arrest and death. Inhalants also cause damage to the lungs, brain, liver, kidneys, blood, hearing, and eyesight. In addition, an abuser who "huffs" inhalants from a plastic bag is in danger of death by suffocation. What's in a name?Familiarizing yourself with the slang terms below will help you identify these six harmful drugs. Each letter next to the drug is related to a common street name. Each answer will be used more than once.
(Answers: 1. e; 2. f; 3.
b; 4. c; 5. b; 6. d; 7. a; 8. a; 9. e; 10. d; 11. c; 12. a; 13. e; 14. d; 15. c;
16. a; 17. b; 18. f; 19. e; 20. d; 21. c; 22. f; 23. a; 24. d) Improving your drug I.Q. is as easy as a, b, c, or d.Circle the best answer.
Be a Know-It-All!!!
Information provided in collaboration with the Permian Basin Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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