Alcohol and other drugs

Alcohol is the most widely used and abused drug in America.

Here are some facts about Alcohol:

·        Alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive drug in this country

·        Alcohol is a depressant (slows your body down)

·        Short-term effects include lowered self-control and inhibition, dulled senses and memory, impaired muscular coordination and impaired judgment.

·        Long-term effects include damage to organs such as the liver, heart, and brain, and death.

·        Effects of overdose include shallow breathing, cold and clammy skin, weak and rapid pulse, coma and possible death. Some effects of withdrawal can include anxiety, insomnia tremors, delirium, hallucinations, convulsions and possible death.

·        Woman get drunk faster because of the way alcohol works in their bodies. In addition, people who weigh more need more alcohol to be drunk.

·        The more alcohol, the stronger the effects. A person may drink beer, wine, or whiskey; what matters is the amount of alcohol that is consumed.  (1 drink= 12oz beer=4oz wine=1oz liquor)

When does drinking become a problem?
( Statistics come from the Center for Disease Control )

The consequences of excessive and underage drinking affect virtually all college campuses, college communities, and college students, whether they choose to drink or not.

·        Death: 1,400 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes

·        Injury: 500,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are unintentionally injured under the influence of alcohol

·        Assault: More than 600,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.

·        Sexual Abuse: More than 70,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape.

·        Unsafe Sex: 400,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 had unprotected sex and more than 100,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 report having been too intoxicated to know if they consented to having sex.

·        Academic Problems: About 25 percent of college students report academic consequences of their drinking including missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall.

·        Health Problems/Suicide Attempts: More than 150,000 students develop an alcohol-related health problem and between 1.2 and 1.5 percent of students indicate that they tried to commit suicide within the past year due to drinking or drug use.

·        Drunk Driving: 2.1 million students between the ages of 18 and 24 drove under the influence of alcohol last year.

·        Vandalism: About 11 percent of college student drinkers report that they have damaged property while under the influence of alcohol.

·        Property Damage: More than 25 percent of administrators from schools with relatively low drinking levels and over 50 percent from schools with high drinking levels say their campuses have a "moderate" or "major" problem with alcohol-related property damage.

·        Police Involvement: About 5 percent of 4-year college students are involved with the police or campus security as a result of their drinking and an estimated 110,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are arrested for an alcohol-related violation such as public drunkenness or driving under the influence.

·        Alcohol Abuse and Dependence: 31 percent of college students met criteria for diagnosis of alcohol abuse and 6 percent for a diagnosis of alcohol dependence in the past 12 months, according to questionnaire-based self-reports about their drinking.

DRUG ABUSE

 From time to time most individuals have needed to take some form of drug prescribed by a physician or have used some over the counter medication. However, even THESE can be abused if taken improperly or taken in excess. Take only what the instructions on the box or bottle tell you to take and stay away from other types of “feel good” type drugs meant to obtain a “buzz” or “high”. 

Here are some common drugs that college students’ abuse:

Alcohol- is a depressant and the most commonly used psychoactive drug in this country.

Cocaine- is a central nervous system stimulant that is extracted from the leaves of the coca plant. It can produce a false surge in energy, a feeling of intense pleasure, and an increased confidence.  Heavy use or overdose use may produce hallucinations, agitation, convulsions, paranoia, aggression, insomnia, depression and death. Some effects of with drawl can include severely depressed mood and prolonged sleep. Cocaine’s effects are short lived (approximately 20 minutes). Once the drug leaves the brain, the user often experiences a “coke crash,” with effects that include depression, irritability, and fatigue.  The drug resembles a white crystalline powder and is most often snorted or injected.

Ecstasy-  is a synthetic drug that acts simultaneously as a stimulant and a hallucinogen. The effects of MDMA include euphoria, sensory distortions, and increased energy and empathy  for others. When you use MDMA/Ecstasy to get high, you sometimes feel confused, paranoid, or nauseous.  MDMA/Ecstasy has been shown to cause brain damage in animals. It is believed to temporarily deplete the brain’s serotonin levels, which may result in depression. MDMA/Ecstasy is sold in tablet and pill form. It is most often taken orally, but may also be snorted. MDMA/Ecstasy often come in the shape of aspirin and can have images like hearts imprinted on it.  It can also tend to make the person using MDMA/Ecstasy feel emotionally close to the people around him/her, however, it has also been shown to hamper sexual function.  

Marijuana (pot, weed, chronic, grass, reefer, etc.)- is a green or gray mixture of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant (Cannabis). The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The effects of marijuana include euphoria, giddiness, distorted sense of time, fatigue, impairments of attention and memory, and impairments of complex visual and motor skills. Most people also get bloodshot eyes when they smoke marijuana. Some effects of with drawl can be hyperactivity and insomnia. Some research has shown that chronic use of marijuana can lead to decreased sperm count in men.  Marijuana can be psychologically addictive. Marijuana is usually smoked, but some users mix it into foods or brew it with tea. Marijuana (THC in a pill form) is used medically in some places for chemotherapy patients and for treatment of asthma. There’s a big debate right now in the U.S. over the medical use of marijuana.

 Methamphetamine (speed, crystal meth, ice)- is similar in structure to amphetamine and is a central nervous system stimulant. Users report increased energy and motivation, often coupled with a sense of invincibility. Users also report feelings of paranoia and depression and sometimes aggression. Chronic use can lead to feelings similar to those of long-term cocaine use, including hallucinations, depression, confusion, aggressiveness, and death. Methamphetamine is a crystal-like powdered substance that sometimes comes in large rock-like chunks and varies in color from white to yellow. Methamphetamine can be snorted, swallowed, injected, or smoked.

Rohypnol (roofies, roach, roof)- is the brand name for the drug flunitrazepam, which is a sedative nearly 10 times more powerful than Valium. Rohypnol is not legally available for prescription in the United States, but is legal in over 60 countries worldwide.  The drug, which comes in pill form, creates a sleepy, relaxed, drunken feeling that lasts two to eight hours.  Rohypnol has gained the reputation as a “date rape” drug. Women around the country have reported being raped after having Rohypnol involuntarily slipped into their drink by an attacker.

TREATMENT RESOURCES IN INDIANA

http://www.hopelinks.net/addiction/index.html

http://www.hopelinks.net/treatment-centers/indiana/index-1.html

http://www.hopelinks.net/zip-codes/indiana.html