National Service Training Program 1 • Dryness of the mouth and throat

Module 10: Drug Abuse and Prevention • Reddening of the eyes and reduction in ocular pressure.

• Drug abuse is a serious public health problem that affects
almost every community and family in some way. Each year
drug abuse results in around 40 million serious illnesses or
injuries among people in the United States.
• Drug Abuse also plays a role in many major social problems,
such as drugged driving, violence, stress and child abuse.
Drug Abuse can lead to homelessness, crime and missed
work or problems with keeping a job. It harms unborn babies
and destroys families. There are different types of treatment
for drug abuse. But the best is to prevent drug abuse in the
first place.
General Sign of Drug User
• Sudden change in behavior
• Mood swings; irritable and grumpy and then suddenly happy
and bright
• Withdrawal from family members
• Careless about personal grooming
• Loss of interest in hobbies, sports, and other favorite
activities
• Changed sleeping pattern; up at night and sleeps during the
day
• Red or glassy eyes
• Sniffly or runny nose
Reason for Drug Use
• Problems at school
• Drinking and driving
• Unplanned sexual activity and consequent pregnancy or
sexually transmitted disease.
• Emotional trauma over guilty feelings
• Criminal activity, often to support their habit
• Physical problems, including alcohol poisoning
• Death
Classification of Commonly Abused Drug (according to their
effects)
• Stimulants – drugs which increases alertness and physical
disposition.
• Examples: amphetamine, cocaine
• Hallucinogens – drugs which affect sensation, self-
awareness and emotion. Changes in time and spaces
perception may be mild or overwhelming depending on the
dosages.
• Examples: marijuana, mescaline
• Sedatives – drugs that reduce anxiety and excitement.
• Examples: barbiturates, tranquilizers, alcohol
• Narcotics – drugs that relieve pain and often induce sleep.
• Examples: morphine, heroin
Cocaine
• Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that directly
affects the brain. Cocaine is not a new drug. In fact, it is one
of the oldest known drugs. The pure chemical, Cocaine
Hydrochloride, has been an abused substance for more than
100 years, and coca leaves, the source of Cocaine, have
been ingested for thousands of years.
Effects of Cocaine Abuse
• May cause extreme anxiety and restlessness.
• Twitches, tremors, spasms, coordination problems.
• Chest pain, nausea, seizures.
• Respiratory arrest and cardiac arrest.
Methamphetamine
• Today, Methamphetamine is second only to alcohol and
marijuana as the drug used most frequently in many
Western and Midwestern states. Seizures of dangerous
laboratory materials have increased dramatically-in some
states, fivefold. In response, many special task forces and
local and federal initiatives have been developed to target
Methamphetamine production and use. Legislation and
negotiation with earlier source areas for precursor
substances have also reduced the availability of the raw
materials needed to make the drug.
Effects of Methamphetamine Abuse
• Increase wakefulness and physical activity.
• Decrease appetite.
• Interferes with the ability to differentiate intensities of light.
• Reduces ability to make decisions.
Heroin
• Heroin is an illegal addictive drug. It is both the most abused
and the most rapidly acting of the Opiates. Heroin is
processed from Morphine, a naturally occurring substance
extracted from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy
plants. It is typically sold as a white or brownish powder or
as the black sticky substance known on the streets as “Black
Tar Heroin.”
Effects of Heroin Abuse
• Surge of euphoria (“rush”) accompanied by a warm flushing
of the skin.
• Alternately wakeful and drowsy state
• Interferes with the ability to differentiate intensities of light.
• Impaired night vision, vomiting, constipation.

Commonly Drug Abuse & Their Effects

Alcohol
• Alcohol is of course the most commonly used and widely
abused psychoactive drug in the country. Street names/
slang terms are Booze, Juice and Sauce. It is ingested
orally. Types include beer, wine, and liquor. Narconon
provides effective treatment for alcohol abuse.
Effects of Alcohol Abuse
• Reduces sensitivity to pain.
• Narrows the visual field, reduces resistance to glare.
• Interferes with the ability to differentiate intensities of light.
• Reduces ability to make decisions.
Marijuana
• Marijuana is the most frequently used illicit drug in America
and has been linked to harming a developing fetus. It has
the same or similar effects as depressants, stimulants, and
hallucinogens. Marijuana cigarettes yield almost four times
as much tar as tobacco, creating a higher risk of lung
damage.
Effects of Marijuana Abuse
• Increases in heart rate, body temperature, and appetite.
• Drowsiness