Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Education

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Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Education

• Stephen A. Landers, M.D.
• 2009 Circle Ten University of Scouting

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Second Class Scout Requirement 8a States

• Participate in a school, community, or troop
  program on the dangers of using drugs, alcohol,
  and tobacco, and other practices that could be
  harmful to your health. Discuss your
  participation in the program with your family.

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Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction

• Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain
  disease.
• Abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure
  and function of the brain.
• The initial decision to take drugs is voluntary.
• Over time, changes in the can affect the persons
  self control and ability to make sound decision,
  and at the same time send intense impulses to
  take drugs.

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What happens to your brain when you take drugs?

• Drugs are chemicals that tap into the brains
  communication system and disrupt the way nerve
  cells normally send, receive, and process
  information.
• 1. Imitate the brains natural chemical
  messengers.
• (examples marijuana and heroin)
• 2. Over stimulate the reward circuit of the
  brain.
• (examples cocaine and methamphetamine)

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Mechanism of Action for Drugs

• Nearly all drugs, directly or indirectly, target
  the brains reward system by flooding the circuit
  with dopamine.
• Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in the
  regions of the brain that control movement,
  emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure.
• As the person continues to abuse drugs, the brain
  adapts to the overwhelming surges in dopamine by
  producing less dopamine or by reducing the number
  of dopamine receptors in the reward circuit.

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Mechanism of Action for Drugs

• As dopamines impact on the reward circuit is
  lessened, it compels those addicted to drugs to
  keep abusing drugs in order to attempt to bring
  their dopamine function back to normal.
• Tolerance is the effect that an individual
  requires larger amount of the drug than they
  first did to achieve the dopamine high.

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Long-term Abuse Changes

• Long-term abuse causes changes in the brain
  chemical and circuits.
• Glutamate is a neurotransmitter which is altered
  by long-term abuse.
• Altered concentrations of glutamate cause
  impaired cognitive functions.
• Brain-imaging studies of drug-addicted
  individuals show changes in areas of the brain
  that are critical to judgment, decision-making,
  learning, memory, and behavior control.

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Why do some people become addicted and others do
not?

• No single factor can predict whether or not a
  person will become addicted to drugs.
• Risks for addiction is influenced by a persons
• Biology genetic factors account for about half
  of their addiction-vulnerability.
• Environment socioeconomic status, influence of
  friends and family, peer pressure, physical and
  sexual abuse, stress, and parental involvement
  influence the course of drug abuse and addiction
  in a persons life.
• Development adolescents brains are still
  developing in the areas that govern
  decision-making, judgment, and self-control.
  They are especially prone to risk-taking
  behaviors, including trying drugs of abuse.

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Prevention is the Key

• Drug addiction is a preventable disease.
• National Institute of Health-funded research has
  shown that prevention programs that involve
  families, schools, communities, and the media are
  effective in reducing drug abuse.
• Although many events and cultural factors affect
  drug abuse trends, when youths perceive drug
  abuse as harmful, they reduce their drug taking.
• The initial decision to take drugs is voluntary.

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Drugged Driving

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  reports that more than 17,000 people were killed
  in alcohol-related crashes in 2006.
• Studies have also found that drugs are used by 10
  to 22 percent of the drivers involved in crashes.
• An estimated 7.3 of youth 16 years of age have
  driven under the influence.
• A peak incidence of 31.8 of adults 22 years of
  age have driven under the influence.
• Rates show a general decline with increasing age.

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Cigarettes and Tobacco Products

• Center for Disease Control indicate that tobacco
  use remains the leading preventable cause of
  death.
• 440,000 premature deaths annually in the U.S.
  from tobacco use.
• Over the past 4 decades, cigarette smoking has
  caused an estimated 12 million deaths.
• 4.1 million deaths from cancer
• 5.5 million deaths from cardiovascular
  disease
• 2.1 million deaths from respiratory
  disease
• 94,000 infant deaths related to
  mothers smoking

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Second Hand Smoke

• Environmental tobacco smoke is a complex mixture
  containing many chemicals such as formaldehyde,
  cyanide, carbon monoxide, ammonia, and nicotine.
• Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at home or
  work increase their risk of developing heart
  disease by 25-30 and lung cancer by 20-30.
• Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at
  increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome,
  acute respiratory and ear infections, and asthma.

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Nicotine

• Nicotine is an addictive drug.
• Nicotine provides an almost immediate kick
  because it causes a discharge of epinephrine from
  the adrenal cortex. This stimulates the central
  nervous system and endocrine glands causing a
  sudden release of glucose.
• Stimulation is then followed by depression and
  fatigue, leading the user to seek more nicotine.
• Daily tobacco users accumulate nicotine in the
  body.
• Nicotine, like cocaine, heroin, and marijuana,
  increases the level of dopamine which affects the
  brain pathways that control reward and pleasure.

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Performance - Enhancing Drugs

• Anabolic steroids have two main effects
• Anabolic effect promotes muscle building
• Androgenic effects are responsible for
  male traits
• Side effects include
• baldness and acne liver
  abnormalities tumors
• prominent breasts increase in LDL
  cholesterol
• shrunken testicles aggressive
  behavior and rage
• higher voices in males depression
• infertility drug
  dependence

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Performance Enhancing Drugs

• Androstenedione (andro) is a hormone produced by
  the adrenal glands, testes, and ovaries.
• Andro is a precursor hormone that is normally
  converted to testosterone and estrogen in both
  men and women.
• Recent studies have shown that supplemental andro
  can actually decrease the level of testosterone
  and increase the level of estrogen in males.
• Creatine is a compound produce by the body to
  help release energy in the muscles (ATP)
• High doses of creatine may potentially damage the
  kidneys, liver, and heart.

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Alcohol Facts and Fiction

• Myth White wine is a good choice for a person
  who wants a light drink with less alcohol.
• Fact A standard drink equivalent is
• 12-ounce bottle or can of regular
  beer
• 5-ounce glass of wine
• 1 ½ -ounce of 80 proof distilled
  spirits

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Alcohol Facts and Fiction

• Myth Switching between beer, wine, and spirits
  will lead to intoxication more quickly than
  sticking to one type of alcoholic beverage.
• Fact The level of alcohol content is what
  determines sobriety or intoxication. A standard
  drink of beer, wine, or spirits, contain
  equivalent amounts of alcohol.
• Alcohol is alcohol.
• A drink is a drink.

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Alcohol Facts and Fiction

• Myth Alcohol is an increasing problem among
  young people.
• Fact Heavy alcohol use among people in the U.S.
  17 years of age or younger actually dropped by an
  amazing two-thirds (65.9) between 1985 and 1997
  according to federal government research. Deaths
  associated with young drinking drivers age 16
  24 decreased almost half (47) in a recent
  15-year period.

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Alcohol Facts and Fiction

• Myth Bottles of tequila contain a worm.
• Fact There is no worm in tequila. Its mescal,
  a spirit beverage distilled from a different
  plant. Its not actually a worm, but a butterfly
  caterpillar (Hipopta agavis) called a gurano.

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Alcohol Facts and Fiction

• Myth A beer belly is caused by drinking beer.
• Fact A beer belly is caused by eating too
  much food. No beer or other alcoholic beverage
  is necessary.