whats jimmy doing? adolescent drug trends

By Angie C. Anders

Southern University of Shreveport Louisiana

Human Services Department

WHAT ‘S JIMMY DOING IN THERE?

AN UPDATE ON TEEN DRUG TRENDS

EARLY TIMES OF ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE:

Drunkard Children (1780-1900)• Regularly consumed diluted alcohol

• No widespread misuse until early 1800s

• Particularly orphaned children

• Alcoholics between ages 15-20 counted as 10%

admissions into inebriated homes

• 12 year olds were being admitted for detoxification by 1890s

THROUGHOUT HISTORY…• Alcohol

• Marijuana

• Cocaine

• Sedatives

• Benzodiazepines

• Hallucinogens

TODAY’S TRENDS IN ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE:

• Common Cold Medications

• Nasal Decongestion Aids

• Household Cleaners

• Products sold for other uses and manipulated in order to achieve inebriation.

TRENDS…"There has always been fashion to drugs of the day ... Chasing the problem one drug at a time is a costly game of whack-a-mole where use of one drug is addressed only to see the problem pop up in a different form.“

~ Susan Foster, Vice President and Director of Policy Research and Analysis, at the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

SYNTHETICSSynthetic marijuana (MJ) often called “Spice” or “K2” has become the second most popular illegal drug among American young people.

DANGERS OF SYNTHETICS

~Emily Bauer (Damaged from Synthetics)

o High potential for abuse

o No medical benefit

o Illegal to sell, buy, or possess them.

BHO (SHATTER, WAX, HONEY COMB)

BHO – which costs between $25 and $100 a gram, depending on where you live – comes in a variety of consistencies: from hard, amber-like stuff ("shatter") to soft, golden goop ("budder" or "earwax"). The basic process is surpris ingly simple: Pack herb (often leftover parts after the buds have been removed) into a tube and force a solvent (usually butane) through it. The solvent is evaporated off, leaving just the plant's resins – which are chock-full of psychoactive chemicals, including astronomic levels of THC that can exceed 80 percent.

SHROOMSo Contain psilocin and psilocybin.

o Cause an effect similar to LSD

o Using “Shrooms/Magic Mushrooms” is not without dangers.

o You might pick a poisonous mushroom.

o Loss of reality o Severe anxiety o Paranoia o You may experience a bad trip.

WHO IS “MOLLY”?

Molly, short for molecule, is considered to be pure MDMA, unlike Ecstasy, which generally is laced with other ingredients, such as caffeine or methamphetamine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) considers MDMA to be a Schedule I controlled substance, which means it has a high potential for abuse, and no

accepted use in medical treatment.

THE DANGERS OF MOLLY…• Confusion, anxiety, depression, paranoia, sleep problems,

and drug craving, tremors, involuntary teeth clenching, muscle cramps, nausea, faintness, chills, sweating, and blurred vision.

• Interfere with the ability to regulate body temperature, resulting in a sharp increase in body temperature (hyperthermia), leading to liver, kidney and cardiovascular failure.

• Severe dehydration

LEAN, PURPLE DRANK…..SIZZUR

“Purple Drank” or Sizzur is a combination of Promethazine/Codeinemixed with Sprite and a few Jolly Ranchers or any other hard candy.With increased tolerance and/or subsequent addiction, as users chase the high from sizzurp, overdosing on these potentially lethal substances becomes more likely.

INHALANTS - HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS

The products are called inhalants and include glue, gasoline, nail polish remover, cleaning fluid, paint, lighter fluid, the air from whipped creamcans and hairspray.

Because they are easy to find, inhalants are more popular among younger children. Six percent of eighth-graders have admitted to using inhalants, according to a recent survey of young people.

can cause problems with attention, memory and problem-solving; muscle weakness; tremors; and mood changes. They also can change a person’s heart rate or oxygen in the body and lead to serious health problems and death. Children who abuse household products also are more likely to abuse or try other drugs.

TRIPLE C

Triple C is a slang term for the over-the-counter medication Coricidin

HBP Cough & Cold, which contains dextromethorphan, or DXM. Triple C ( Coricidin HBP Cough & Cold) is available as red tablets containing

30 milligrams of DXM. Law enforcement sources indicate that teenagers and young adults are the principal

abusers of Triple C.

While under the influence of

the drug, which can last for as

long as 6 hours, abusers risk

injuring themselves and others

Because of the drug’s effects on

visual perception and

cognitive processes.

ENERGY DRINKS & FOUR LOKOEnergy drinks (such as Red Bull, Monster, and Reload) are sold legally and advertised to boost energy. They contain stimulants, usually caffeine, and sometimes other stimulants, as well as sugar. In 2011 in answer to the question, "About how many [energy drinks] do you drink per day on average?" The proportions indicating any recent use were 35% of 8th graders and 29% of both 10th and 12th graders.

FOUR LOKO: In its original form, the drink is the equivalent of four beers and one cup of Starbucks coffee - a dangerous combination that can fool partygoers into thinking they're not that drunk - while packing a potent punch of alcohol.

HUFFING FREON• It destroys cells, lining in the nose and esophagus. It’s very toxic and not easy to control

the dose,” says Lynn Pimentel a Director at West Care in Fresno. Her facility has treated teens who have abused the drug. She says they’re turning to Freon because it’s easy to access.

• “It’s free at times because it’s in the garage it’s at home and it’s under the sink. It’s abundant and it’s legal.”

HAND SANITIZER

Teens have ended up in emergency rooms after drinking alcohol that had been extracted fromhand sanitizer. Througha distillation process, the kids were able to create a moonshine with a whopping

60 percent alcohol content.

BENZEDREX (PROPYLHEXEDRINE)

The Benzedrex inhaler is typically used for nasal congestion

and gives the stimulating effect of amphetamines. The cotton

inside the inhaler can be ingested or the substance inside

combined with soda pop. Intravenous abuse of Propylhexedrine

(Benzedrex) presents a high risk of brainstem dysfunction in

young adults. This agent is called "stove-top speed". In a study

reported by Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 7 patients

had transient diplopia (double vision) , within seconds after

injection.

BATH SALTS

Bath Salts are products containing designer drugs—synthetic cathinones, which are stimulants that have effects something like amphetamines. Questions on the use of these powerful and dangerous drugs were included in the survey for the first time in 2012. Fortunately, a relatively small proportion of teens indicate having used bath salts in the prior 12 months. The annual prevalence rates were 0.8%, 0.6%, and 1.3% for grades 8, 10, and 12, respectively.

“SPEED”…o Developed solely for those properly

diagnosed with the disorder ADHD

o Used recreationally by those whom admit to not having ADHD

o Perform better with its aid or simply enjoy the high

o Experience a heightened sense of motivation, focus, and concentration.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE

Benzodiazepines & OpiatesThe survey continues to

show that most teens obtain

prescription drugs like

amphetamines, tranquilizers,

or narcotics other than heroin,

for free from friends

and family; roughly 68%

of 12th graders, for example,

report getting prescription Adderall pain relievers this way.

VODKA TAMPONS Absorbing alcohol through a mucous membrane allows for the alcohol to be absorbed directly to the bloodstream, leading to a more rapid intoxication.

Since the alcohol is not being absorbed through the stomach, a person cannot vomit if they have too much to drink. And once alcohol enters the bloodstream, you can’t get it back out. This significantly increases the risk for alcohol poisoning.

The use of vodka-soaked tampons to get drunk faster and without having booze on your breath,

is known as "slimming”.This is definitely not just girls.

Guys will also use it.

FAINTING GAMEWhen teens apply pressure around a friend’s neck to make them faint, they’re constricting the windpipe and cutting off the brain’s supply of oxygen. After the fainting, the pressure around the neck is released, and oxygen rushes back to the brain, resulting in a brief, euphoric high. They may think it’s fun, but it’s deadly.

JENKEM

Human excreta is scooped up from the edges of the sewer ponds in old cans and containers which are covered with a polyethylene bag and left to stew or ferment for a week.

THE DAMAGE…• Memory loss • Procrastination• Physical Health• Grades plummet • Nutritional deficits • Long-term addiction • Difficulty concentrating• Ability to get along with others • Empties your bank account• Difficulty coping with everyday stressors• Judgment: unable to make good decisions, to make them

quickly, or to be realistic when you make them

TODAYS DRUG TRENDS

MONITORING THE FUTURE (MTF)

Monitoring the Future (MTF) is an ongoing study of the behaviors, attitudes, and values of American secondary school students, college students, and young adults.

Each year, a total of approximately 50,000 8th, 10th and 12th grade students are surveyed. It has been conducted annually by the University of Michigan’s Institute for

Social Research since its inception in 1975.

-Annual follow-up questionnaires are mailed for a number of years after their initial participation.

LEVELS OF CARE:

Early Intervention Outpatient Intensive Outpatient Residential/Inpatient Medically managed intensive inpatient

TREATMENT APPROACHES

• Harm Reduction

• Brief Intervention (B.I.)

• Individual Sessions

• Medically Assisted Therapies

• Parental contracts

REFERENCES

• www.erowid.com

• www.cps.ca/documents/position/harm-reduction-risky-health-behaviours

• www.nih.gov/news/health/dec2011/nida-14.htp

• www.drugfreeworld.org

• www.monitoringthefuture.org

• http://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/inhalants

QUESTIONS???