What Drugs Are Teens Using Today

What Drugs Are Teens Using Today?
1/14/2014
Glen Rock Schools’ Student Assistance Counselor Heather Wombough will discuss current drug
trends among teens on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Media Center. Learn what teens are
doing and how they are trying to hide it from parents. Substances discussed will include
“Molly,” LSD, Heroin, prescription medication, DXM, Salvia, marijuana, and alcohol. There
will be a short presentation followed by an (anonymous) question and answer session. The
meeting is free and open to the public.
Thank you to all parents that attended the Parent Forum on Current Drug Trends last night.
Below are some links that might be helpful, including the Powerpoint from the Parent
Forum. Please explore the website to find even more information.
Current Drug Trends
Heather Wombough, M.S., L.A.C., N.C.C.
What is Currently “Popular”
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Heroin
“Molly”
LSD
DXM
Prescription Drugs
Salvia
Marijuana
Alcohol
Heroin
• In 2011 and 2012 combined, the [Bergen County]
Prosecutor’s Office counted 130 heroin-related
overdoses, 38 of which were fatal. 1
• On the rise in suburban towns
• Injected or snorted
• Connected to pain medicine
• Withdrawal
1http://www.northjersey.com/news/Suburbia_s_deadly_secret_
A_rising_death_toll_offers_tragic_proof_of_heroin_s_reach_acr
oss_North_Jersey.html
“Molly”
MDMA/Ecstasy
Re-branding success story
Parties/Concerts
Suicide Tuesdays – serotonin
Teeth grinding, anxiety,
insomnia, loss of appetite,
seizures
• Danger of over hydration,
dehydration, or hyperthermia
•
•
•
•
•
LSD
• Hallucinogen
• Generally ingested through
tablets, on blotting paper
or a sugar cube
• Myth to cause a “good trip”
• Babysitting
DXM
Hallucinogen
Dextromethorphan
Mild disassociative state
As of 2008 – 10% of American
teenagers
• A.K.A. dex, red devils,
robo, skittles, tussin, syrup,
velvet
•
•
•
•
Prescription Drugs
• Opiates
o Morphine, Codeine, OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin
o Dreamy pleasant state of drowsiness
• Depressants
o Xanax, Valium, Ambien
o Mellow feeling, reduction of anxiety
• Stimulants
o Ritalin, Adderall, Focalin
o Performance enhancement, weight loss, euphoric high
drugabuse.gov
Salvia
Mint-Like Herb
Short, but intense, high
< 1 minute until effect
<30 minute high
Hallucinogenic
Salviadragon.com,
salviasupply.com,
salviacult.com
• “Smoke Shops”
•
•
•
•
•
•
Marijuana
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Legalization
Can be laced
THC
Addiction
Increased Potency
Bongs, Joints, Blunts
Brownies
Baggies
Alcohol
• Binge Drinking
• Drug combinations
• Dangers include:
o Blacking out
o Passing out
o Vomiting
• Drinking & Driving
Signs of Depressant Influence
• Includes Alcohol, and Prescription Depressants
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
reduced social inhibitions
divided attention impairment
slowed reflexes
impaired judgment and concentration
impaired vision and coordination
slurred, mumbled or incoherent speech
a wide variety of emotional effects, such as euphoria,
depression, suicidal tendencies, laughing or crying for no
apparent reason, etc.
Aboutdrugs.us
Signs of Stimulant Influence
• Includes Prescription Stimulants and “Molly”
o Increased alertness
o Hyperactivity
o Increased bodily functions (heart rate, blood pressure, and
breathing)
o Enlarged pupils
o Anxiety
o Irritability
o Increased energy
o Changes in eating and sleeping patterns
o Hot and cold flashes
o Respiratory problems
o Hallucinations
aboutdrugs.us
Signs of Hallucinogen Influence
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mood swings
Hallucinations
Jitteriness
Changes in heartbeat
Nausea
Chills
Numbness
Lack of coordination
Signs of Marijuana Influence
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Slow thinking
Slow reflexes
Reduced coordination
Problems concentrating
Reduced motivation
Dilated pupils
Bloodshot or glassy eyes
Dryness of the mouth
Increased appetite
Mood swings
Panic attacks
Anxiety and paranoia
Psychosis
Hallucinations
Delusions
Signs of Opiate Influence
• Includes Heroin and Prescription Painkillers
o
o
o
o
o
o
Slow breathing
Flushed skin
Pinpoint pupils
Drowsiness
Nausea and vomiting
“Nodding Off”
Why Teens Use Drugs?
• Common risk factors for teen drug abuse include:
o A family history of substance abuse
o A mental or behavioral health condition, such as depression, anxiety or
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
o Early aggressive or impulsive behavior
o A history of traumatic events, such as experiencing a car accident or
being a victim of abuse
o Low self-esteem or poor social coping skills
o Feelings of social rejection
o Lack of nurturing by parents or caregivers
o Academic failure
o Relationships with peers who abuse drugs
o Drug availability or belief that drug abuse is OK
http://www.mayoclinic.org/teendrug-abuse/art-20045921
What Parents Should Look For
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Smell like cologne or spray
Eye drops
Coming home in different clothes
Basement
Child goes straight to bathroom/takes a shower
Large sums of money
Always asking for money – not seeing any return
Bartering
What Should Parents Do?
•
•
•
•
•
Ask your teen's views. Avoid long, boring lectures. Instead, listen to your
teen's opinions and questions about drug use. Observe your teen's
nonverbal responses to see how he or she feels about the topic.
Encourage your teen to talk by making statements instead of asking
questions. For example, saying, "I'm curious about your point of view"
might work better than "What do you think?"
Discuss reasons not to abuse drugs. Avoid scare tactics. Emphasize how
drug use can affect things important to your teen — such as sports,
driving, health and appearance. Explain that even a teen can develop a
drug problem.
Consider media messages. Some television programs, movies, websites
or songs glamorize or trivialize drug use. Talk about what your teen has
seen or heard.
Discuss ways to resist peer pressure. Brainstorm with your teen about how
to turn down offers of drugs.
Be ready to discuss your own drug use. Think ahead about how you'll
respond if your teen asks about your own drug use. If you chose not to
use drugs, explain why. If you did use drugs, share what the experience
taught you.
Summary
•
•
•
•
Potential for addiction
Interactions with other substances
Remember: Communicate and Set Limits
Utilize Resources to Help Your Teen
Heather Wombough, M.S., L.A.C., N.C.C.
Student Assistance Counselor
(201) 445-7700 x. 6239
[email protected]
DRUG GUIDE FOR PARENTS: LEARN THE FACTS TO KEEP YOUR TEEN SAFE
Marijuana
Methamphetamine
Prescription Pain
Relievers
Prescription
Sedatives and/or
Tranquilizers
Blunt, Boom,
Dope, Grass,
Hash, Herb, Mary
Jane, Pot, Reefer,
Skunk, Weed
Ice, Chalk, Crank,
Crystal, Fire, Glass,
Meth, Speed
Codeine, OxyContin
(Oxy, O.C.), Percocet
(Percs), Vicodin
(Vike, Vitamin V)
Adderall, Dexedrine,
Mebaral,
Ritalin
Quaaludes, Xanax,
Valium
Paint thinners,
A green or gray
glues, nail polish mixture of dried,
remover, whipped
cream aerosal, air shredded flowers
conditioner fluid and leaves of the
hemp plant
(Freon) and more
White or slightly
yellow crystal-like
powder, large
rock-like chunks
Tablets and
capsules
Multi-colored
tablets and
capsules; some
can be in liquid
form
Smoked, brewed
into tea or mixed
into foods
Swallowed, injected,
snorted or smoked
Swallowed or
injected
Swallowed or
injected
A cheap,
20-minute high
Relaxing, not
dangerous and
often easier to
get than alcohol
Can keep you
going for days
A free high,
straight from the
medicine cabinet
A great release of
tension
Will guarantee a
spot on the
starting lineup
An oral fixation
and appetite
suppressant
Chronic exposure
can produce
significant
damage to the
heart, lungs,
liver and kidneys.
Can induce
death
Chronic long-term
Can cause
use, or high dosages,
memory and
can cause psychotic
learning
behavior (including
problems,
paranoia, delusions,
hallucinations,
hallucinations, violent
delusions and
behavior, insomnia
depersonalization
and strokes)
A large single
dose can cause
severe respiratory
depression that
can lead to death
Slows down the
Boys can develop
brain's activity and Taking high doses
breasts, girls
may result in
when a user stops
can develop
taking them, there dangerously high
facial hair and a
body
temperatures
can be a rebound
deepened voice.
and an irregular
effect, possibly
Can cause heart
leading to seizures heartbeat. Potential
attacks and
and other harmful for heart attacks or
strokes
lethal
seizures
consequences
Cigarette
smoking harms
every organ in
the body and
causes coronary
heart disease,
and stroke, as
well as many
forms of cancer
Alcohol
Cocaine/Crack
Cough
Medicine/DXM
Street Names /
Commercial
Booze
Big C, Blow,
Bump, Coke, Nose
Candy, Rock, Snow
Dex, Red Devils,
Robo, Triple C,
Tussin, Skittles,
Syrup
Looks Like
Liquid (types
include beer, wine,
liquor)
White crystalline
powder, chips,
chunks or white
rocks
Liquid, pills,
powder, gel caps
How It's
Used/Abused
Alcohol is drunk
Cocaine can be
snorted or
injected; crack
can be smoked
Swallowed
Swallowed
Injected,
smoked,
freebased or
snorted
Inhaled through
nose or mouth
What Teens
Have Heard
Makes a boring
night fun
Keeps you amped
up; you'll be the
life of the party
Causes a trippy
high with various
plateaus
Enhances the
senses and you'll
love everyone
Full-on
euphoria, but
super risky
Dangerous
Because
Impairs reasoning,
clouds judgement.
Long-term heavy
drinking can lead
to alcoholism and
liver and heart
disease
Can cause heart
attacks, strokes
and seizures. In
rare cases,
sudden death on
the first use
Can cause
abdominal pain,
extreme nausea,
liver damage
Teen Usage
(Grades 9-12)
1 in 9 teens has
1 in 2 teens drank
abused cocaine or
alcohol in the last
crack in their
year
lifetime
1 in 8 teens has
abused cough
medicine in their
lifetime
1 in 8 teens
has abused
Ecstasy in their
lifetime
1 in 20 teens
has abused
heroin in their
lifetime
1 in 6 teens has
1 in 3 teens has
abused inhalants abused marijuana
in their lifetime
in their lifetime
Signs of
Abuse
Slurred speech,
Nervous behavior,
lack of
restlessness,
coordination,
nausea, vomiting, bloody noses, high
energy
hangovers
Slurred speech,
loss of
coordination,
disorientation,
vomiting
Teeth clenching,
chills, sweating,
dehydration,
anxiety, unusual
displays of
affection
Track marks on
arms, slowed
and slurred
speech,
vomiting
Missing
household
products, a
drunk, dazed or
dizzy appearance
The "high" from Can be addictive. Heroin overdose
cough medicine is A popular club
is a particular
risk on the
Cocaine is one of caused by ingesting drug because of
a large amount of
its stimulant
street, where
the most
dextromethorphan properties which the purity of the
powerfully
(DXM), a common
allow users to
drug cannot be
addictive drugs
active ingredient
dance for long
accurately
periods of time
known
More than 1000
common
products are
potential
inhalants that
can kill on the
first use or any
time thereafter
Important
to Know
Being a child of
an alcoholic
places children at
greater risk for
developing
alcohol problems
Ecstasy/MDMA
Adam, Bean, E,
Roll, X, XTC
Heroin
Inhalants
Whippets,
Big H, Black Tar,
Bagging,
Dope, Junk,
Huffing, Poppers,
Skunk, Smack
Snappers,
Dusting
White to dark
Branded tablets
(Playboy bunnies, brown powder or
Nike swoosh)
tar-like
substance
Can cause severe Chronic heroin
dehydration, liver users risk death
and heart failure
by overdose
and even death
Slowed thinking
and reaction
time, impaired
coordination,
paranoia
Contrary to
popular belief,
marijuana can be
addictive
1 in 14 teens
has abused
methamphetamine
in their lifetime
Tablets and
capsules
Abusing
prescription
painkillers is just
as dangerous,
addictive and
deadly as using
heroin
Steroids
Tobacco
Juice, Rhoids,
Stackers,
Pumpers, Gym
Candy
Cancer Sticks,
Chew, Cigarettes,
Dip, Fags, Smokes
Tablet, liquid or
skin application
Brown, cut up
leaves
Swallowed,
Swallowed, injected
applied to skin or
or snorted
injected
Keeps you
attentive and
focused
1 in 11 12th graders 1 in 10 teens has
1 in 5 teens has
abused prescription has abused sedaabused Ritalin or
pain relievers in tives and/or tranquil- Adderall in their
izers in their lifetime
their lifetime
lifetime
Medicine bottles
Nervous physical
present without
activity, scabs and
illness, Rx bottles
open sores, decreased missing, disrupted
appetite, inability to eating and sleeping
sleep
patterns
Meth has a high
potential for abuse
and addiction,
putting children at
risk, increasing
crime and causing
environmental harm
Prescription
Stimulants
1 in 20 teens
has abused
steroids in
their lifetime
Smoked or chewed
1 in 4 teens
smoked cigarettes
in the last 30 days
Slurred speech,
shallow breathing,
sluggishness,
disorientation,
lack of
coordination
Lack of appetite,
Rapid growth of Smell on clothes
increased
muscles, opposite
and hair,
alertness,
sex characteris- yellowing of teeth
attention span and tics and extreme and fingers that
energy
irritability
hold cigarettes
Using prescription
sedatives and
tranquilizers with
alcohol can slow
both the heart and
respiration and
possibly lead to
death
Teens who abuse
Secondhand
Many teens abuse steroids before the
typical adolescent smoke contributes
this prescribed
to more than
medication to help growth spurt risk
35,000 deaths
staying short and
them cram for
related to
exams or suppress never reaching
cardiovascular
their full adult
their appetite
disease
height
Thanks to Endo Pharmaceuticals, National Supporter, Parent Resources | Find more tools and tips at www.timetotalk.org.
Sources: Partnership Attitude Tracking Study 2009, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Monitoring the Future, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. © 2010 The Partnership at Drugfree.org
How to Hold
Crucial Conversations about Drugs
with Your Teenager
Our research shows that better skills can decrease conflict, increase influence, and
produce more successful conversations with your teen around important issues like drug and alcohol use.
And better conversations mean better outcomes.
Here are some specific skills parents can implement when tackling the topic of drug use with their teens:
Keep Your Best Motives in Mind. When we feel upset, we become angry or fearful, and as a result our
motives change. Without realizing it, we begin to focus on punishing, being right, or keeping the peace
rather than healthy problem solving. Before talking to your teenager about drugs, pause for a moment and
ask the focusing question: What do I really want? This pause can help you get your motives in check and
move from simply “keeping the peace” through silence to being a powerful influence on your teen.
Confront with Facts, Not Judgments. When you present the facts, you obligate your teen to
respond to the information. When you use judgments or accusatory language, it appears you intend
simply to humiliate or punish, and your teen feels no obligation to engage in the conversation.
Replace, “You’re a liar, and I won’t stand for this,” with “Over the past week I’ve noticed alcohol
missing from the garage refrigerator. Your dad and I haven’t moved it or drunk it. I just looked there
a few days ago, so it must have disappeared recently. As far as I know you are the only one who has
been at home.”
Visit www.TheAntiDrug.com
© 2006 VitalSmarts. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks are the property of VitalSmarts, L.C.
Five Tips for
Talking about Drugs
with Your Teenager
Make It Safe. Teens may become defensive during your crucial conversations less because
of what you’re saying than because of why they think you’re saying it.
State what you don’t intend and what you do intend. “I want to reassure you that I have no
desire to make your decisions for you, or to cut you off from having a happy life. I want to be
supportive of you, and I want to influence choices you might make that I believe will hurt you.”
Be flexible about when you talk, but not about whether you talk. Control is a huge issue for
teens. Sometimes parents provoke unnecessary conflict by demanding conversations be on
their terms. It’s best to try to engage your teen in dialogue by respecting his or her preferences
about when to talk. For example, “I’d like to talk openly with you about your concerns and
mine. I’m interested in hearing your views even if we disagree. Is now a good time to do that or
would it be better later? And if later, when would be good for you?”
Respecting your teen’s timetable for talking does not mean you are no longer the parent. If he
or she doesn’t want to talk now, show respect by being flexible—within reason. If your teen
just doesn’t want to talk at all, help him or her understand why talking is required. For example,
“I understand that you don’t want to talk right now. I also know that you intend to go to a party
tonight where I have reason to believe there might be bad influences. If we can’t talk before
then, I’ll need to decide how to deal with the party tonight on my own. If we can talk before
then, it will give me a chance to hear your point of view. What would you prefer we do?”
Create a “safety reserve” by creating safety even when there are no problems. Communicating
respect, praising small positive signs, “catching” them when they are being good, and showing
an interest in your teen’s life will help him or her feel safer talking to you when problems emerge.
Discuss, Agree On, and Stick With Boundaries. If you talk about rules around curfews, choice of
friends, and your expectations of knowing where your teen is before he or she is tempted to make
bad choices, it is much easier to enforce them later. Then when boundaries are violated, hold your
teen accountable consistently. If it’s a boundary, it should always be a boundary.
Evaluate the Dialogue. You’re aiming for a two-way, face-to-face conversation that gives your teen
room to disagree with you and communicate a different point of view. After the conversation, ask
yourself who did most of the talking. If your teen didn’t do at least 25 percent of it, you didn’t ask
enough questions—or you didn’t create enough safety to allow your teen to participate fully.
For more information on the National Youth
Anti-Drug Media Campaign, visit
www.theantidrug.com
or call 1-800-788-2800.
For more information on how to hold crucial
conversations about drugs with your teen, visit
www.crucialconversations.com/anti-drug