Drug Facts

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According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, alcohol is one of the most used drugs; thus, making
alcohol use disorder the most common type of substance use disorder in the U.S.

When consuming alcohol individuals should keep healthy drinking limits in mind. The limits are different
for men and women. Men should consume nor more than four drinks a day and no more than fourteen
drinks in a week. Woman should consume no more than three drinks a day and no more than seven in a
week.

Some people should not drink at all. These people include:

• Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.
• People taking certain medications or who have medical conditions.
• Individuals recovering from alcohol addiction.
• People who plan to drive or engage in activities which require alertness.

A standard drink is:

• 12 ounces of beer
•  1.5 ounces of liquor
• 5 ounces of wine

Drinking above the recommended amounts of alcohol puts individuals at an increased risk of health
problems, affecting various aspects of the body. Some effects of alcohol on the body include the
following: Poor coordination, low blood pressure, anxiety, memory loss, trembling hands, numbness in
the feet, cirrhosis of the liver, and malnutrition. Please refer to the VitAL brochure on alcohol for a
detailed list of its effects on the body.
Once an individual decides to reduce/stop alcohol use, we must remember that change takes time.
Seeking advice/guidance from a medical or behavioral health provider and acquiring support from
family/friends may also assist the individual with their efforts. Throughout the process, the individual
may experience some withdrawal symptoms.

Club Drugs

Club drugs are a group of psychoactive drugs that affect the mind, mood, behavior, and other mental processes. These drugs are most often used by teens and young adults at bars, nightclubs, concerts, and parties.  They are also slipped into food and drinks and used as date rape drugs.  Most club drugs are illegal and can cause serious illness, injury, or even death.  These dangers can occur from one-time use, repeated use, or use with other substances, such as alcohol.

It is hard to determine the effects of club drugs because many of them contain different amounts of chemicals and possible contaminants.

The most commonly used types of club drugs include:

• MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine), also called Ecstasy and Molly
• GHB (Gamma-hydroxybutyrate), also known as G and Liquid Ecstasy
• Ketamine, also known as Special K and K
• Rohypnol, also known as Roofies
• Methamphetamine, also known as Speed, Ice, and Meth
• LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide), also known as Acid

Once an individual decides to reduce/stop the use of club drugs, we must remember that change takes time.  Seeking advice/guidance from a medical or behavioral health provider and acquiring support from family/friends may also assist the individual with their efforts.  Throughout the process, the individual may experience withdrawal symptoms.  Individuals should always contact their healthcare provider with any medical concerns.

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Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug commonly referred to as Bump, Blow, Coke, Sniff, and Toot, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The use of cocaine has many potential short and long-term effects on the body.  Among others, short-term effects of use may include elevated heart rate and pressure, anxiety, violent and erratic behavior, headache, paranoia, and euphoria.  Long-term cocaine use can result in the following health conditions:

• nose bleeds
• loss of sense of smell
• infection/death of bowel tissue
• poor nutrition/weight loss

Cocaine use in pregnant women is not safe and can result in premature birth and low birth weight.

Once an individual decides to reduce/stop cocaine use, we must remember that change takes time.  Seeking advice/guidance from a medical or behavioral health provider and acquiring support from family/friends may also assist the individual with their efforts.  Throughout the process, the individual may experience some withdrawal symptoms.  The symptoms may include:  Insomnia, depression, tiredness, vivid unpleasant dreams, restlessness, or increased appetite, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.  Individuals should always contact their healthcare provider with any medical concerns.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is a prescription drug that is also made and used illegally. Like morphine, it is a medicine that is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, especially after surgery. It is also sometimes used to treat patients with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to other opioids. Tolerance occurs when you need a higher and/or more frequent amount of a drug to get the desired effects.

Fentanyl’s effects include the following:

• extreme happiness
• drowsiness
• nausea
• confusion
• constipation
• sedation
• problems breathing
• unconsciousness

Synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, are now the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States. In 2017, 59.8 percent of opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl compared to 14.3 percent in 2010.

An overdose occurs when a drug produces serious adverse effects and life-threatening symptoms. When people overdose on fentanyl, their breathing can slow or stop. This can decrease the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain, a condition called hypoxia. Hypoxia can lead to a coma and permanent brain damage, and even death.

Once an individual decides to reduce/stop the use of fentanyl, we must remember that change takes time.  Seeking advice/guidance from a medical or behavioral health provider and acquiring support from family/friends may also assist the individual with their efforts.  Throughout the process, the individual may experience withdrawal symptoms.  Individuals should always contact their healthcare provider with any medical concerns.

For more information on opioid awareness, please visit https://vitalalabama.com/projects/current/project-freedom/

Heroin is a highly addictive narcotic drug which causes dependency.  It is made from morphine, a powerful pain killer.  When sold on the streets, heroin is rarely ever pure.  It is often cut with other drugs or substances, making it difficult to know the strength of each dose.  Overdose symptoms may include:  Slow or shallow breathing, clammy skin, blue lips or blue fingernails, convulsions or seizures, or coma.

Heroin is commonly found in the form of a white or brownish powder, or black sticky substance known as “black tar heroin.”  It is commonly referred to as Brown Sugar, Skag, or Smack according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

There are many potential short and long-term health effects associated with the use of heroin.  Short-term effects include euphoria, dry mouth, itching, nausea, vomiting and slowed breathing and heart rate.  Long-term effects of heroin use include collapsed veins, abscesses, infection of the lining and valves in the heart, constipation and stomach cramps, liver or kidney disease, and pneumonia.  Please refer to the VitAL brochure on heroin for a detailed list of its effects on the body.

Once an individual decides to reduce/stop heroin use, we must remember that change takes time.  Seeking advice/guidance from a medical or behavioral health provider and acquiring support from family/friends may also assist the individual with their efforts.  Throughout the process, the individual may experience withdrawal symptoms.  Common withdrawal symptoms can start as early as 6-12 hours from the last time of use.  Individuals should always contact their healthcare provider with any medical concerns.

Heroin brochure.

Although other substances that are misused can be inhaled, the term inhalants refers to the various substances that people typically take only by inhaling. People who use inhalants breathe in the fumes through their nose or mouth, usually by sniffing, snorting, bagging, or huffing. It’s called different names depending on the substance and equipment they use.  These substances include:

• solvents (liquids that become gas at room temperature)
• aerosol sprays
• gases
• nitrites (prescription medicines for chest pain)

Although the high that inhalants produce usually lasts just a few minutes, people often try to make it last by continuing to inhale again and again over several hours.

Most inhalants affect the central nervous system and slow down brain activity.  Short-term effects are similar to alcohol and include slurred or distorted speech, lack of coordination (control of body movement), euphoria (feeling high), and dizziness.

People may also feel light-headed or have hallucinations or delusions. With repeated inhalations, many people feel less self-conscious and less in control. Some may start vomiting, feel drowsy for several hours, or have a headache that lasts a while.

Long-term effects of inhalant use may include:

• liver and kidney damage
• hearing loss
• bone marrow damage
• loss of coordination and limb spasms (from nerve damage)
• delayed behavioral development (from brain problems)
• brain damage (from cut-off oxygen flow to the brain)

A person can overdose on inhalants. An overdose occurs when a person uses too much of a drug and has a toxic reaction that results in serious, harmful symptoms or death.  These symptoms can cause seizures and coma. They can even be deadly. Many solvents and aerosol sprays are highly concentrated, meaning they contain large amounts of chemicals with a lot of active ingredients.

Sniffing these products can cause the heart to stop within minutes. This condition, known as sudden sniffing death, can happen to otherwise healthy young people the first time they use an inhalant. Using inhalants with a paper or plastic bag or in a closed area may cause death from suffocation (being unable to breathe).

Once an individual decides to reduce or stop using inhalants, we must remember that change takes time.  Seeking advice/guidance from a medical or behavioral health provider and acquiring support from family/friends may also assist the individual with their efforts.  Throughout the process, the individual may experience withdrawal symptoms.  Individuals should always contact their healthcare provider with any medical concerns.

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Methamphetamine, often referred to as “meth,” is a man-made, stimulant drug usually used as a white, bitter-tasting powder or a pill.  Crystal methamphetamine is a form of the drug that looks like glass fragments or shiny, bluish-white rocks.  According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse, methamphetamine is chemically like amphetamine.

Meth is a powerful stimulant that affects every part of the body.  It causes the heart to race and the blood vessels to tighten.  In the beginning, a person using meth may feel extra energy.  The energy-filled high can stop a person from sleeping for several days.  Individuals losing sleep may experience: paranoia, hallucinations, irritability, and anxiety. Meth damages the part of the brain that helps us feel pleasure, and if used in high doses for a long period, the brain may not recover.  Other effects of Meth on the body include the following:  dilated pupils, inflammation of the heart lining, loss of coordination, confusion, trouble breathing, and kidney damage.  Please refer to the VitAL brochure on methamphetamines for a detailed list of its effects on the body.

Once an individual decides to reduce/stop methamphetamine use, we must remember that change takes time.  Seeking advice/guidance from a medical or behavioral health provider and acquiring support from family/friends may also assist the individual with their efforts.  Withdrawal symptoms can include:  feelings of fatigue, lethargy, and excessive sleepiness, increased appetite, dry mouth, and some episodes of jitteriness generally occur, depression, apathy, feelings of hopelessness, and thoughts of suicide, extreme cravings for more meth, and psychotic symptoms such as paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions.  According to the American Addiction Centers, extreme cravings for methamphetamine also occur during the withdrawal process but have been noted to decline rapidly.  Individuals should always contact their healthcare provider with any medical concerns.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines can be sold directly to people without a prescription. OTC medicines treat a variety of illnesses and their symptoms including pain, coughs and colds, diarrhea, constipation, acne, and others. Some OTC medicines have active ingredients with the potential for misuse at higher-than-recommended dosages.

Misuse of an OTC medicine means:

• taking medicine in a way or dose other than directed on the package
• taking medicine for the effect it causes (to get high)
• mixing OTC medicines together to create new products

There are two OTC medicines that are most commonly misused:

• Dextromethorphan (DXM) – a cough suppressant found in many OTC cold medicines
• Loperamide – an anti-diarrheal that is available in tablet, capsule, or liquid form

Short-term effects of DXM misuse can range from mild stimulation to alcohol- or marijuana-like intoxication. At high doses, a person may have hallucinations or feelings of physical distortion, extreme panic, paranoia, anxiety, and aggression.  Misuse of DXM products containing acetaminophen can also cause liver damage.

In the short-term, loperamide is sometimes misused to lessen cravings and withdrawal symptoms; however, it can cause euphoria, similar to other opioids.  Loperamide misuse can also lead to fainting, stomach pain, constipation, eye changes, and loss of consciousness. It can also cause the heart to beat erratically or rapidly, or cause kidney problems. These effects may increase if taken with other medicines that interact with loperamide.

A person can overdose on cold medicines containing DXM or loperamide. An overdose occurs when a person uses enough of the drug to produce a life-threatening reaction or death.

As with other opioids, when people overdose on DXM or loperamide, their breathing often slows or stops. This can decrease the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain, a condition called hypoxia. Hypoxia can have short- and long-term mental effects and effects on the nervous system, including coma and permanent brain damage and death.

A person who has overdosed needs immediate medical attention. Call 911. If the person has stopped breathing or if breathing is weak, begin CPR. Overdoses can be treated with naloxone.

Once an individual decides to stop the misusing over-the-counter medications, we must remember that change takes time.  Seeking advice/guidance from a medical or behavioral health provider and acquiring support from family/friends may also assist the individual with their efforts.  Individuals may experience withdrawal symptoms when attempting to cut back or quit.  Individuals should always contact their healthcare provider with any medical concerns.

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According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, when prescribed by a doctor, prescription medicines can be helpful in treating many illnesses. When these medicines are misused, they can have serious effects on the body.

CNS depressants slow the individuals brain activity. These medications include Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines, and sleep medications. Long-term effects of prescription depressants are unknown; however, short-term effects include: vision problems, memory loss, breathing problems, paranoia, depression, and restlessness. Please refer to the VitAL brochure for a detailed list of its effects on the body.

Once an individual decides to stop misusing prescription medications, we must remember that change takes time. Seeking advice/guidance from a medical or behavioral health provider and acquiring support from family/friends may also assist the individual with their efforts. Individuals may experience withdrawal symptoms when attempting to cut back

Stimulant Brochure 

Anabolic steroids are synthetic, or human-made, variations of the male sex hormone testosterone. The proper term for these compounds is anabolic-androgenic steroids. “Anabolic” refers to muscle building, and “androgenic” refers to increased male sex characteristics.

Health care providers can prescribe steroids to treat hormonal issues, such as delayed puberty. Steroids can also treat diseases that cause muscle loss, such as cancer and AIDS. But some athletes and bodybuilders misuse these drugs in an attempt to boost performance or improve their physical appearance.

The majority of people who misuse steroids are male weightlifters in their 20s or 30s. Anabolic steroid misuse is much less common in women. It is difficult to measure steroid misuse in the United States because many national surveys do not measure it. However, use among teens is generally minimal.

People who misuse anabolic steroids usually take them orally, inject them into muscles, or apply them to the skin as a gel or cream. These doses may be 10 to 100 times higher than doses prescribed to treat medical conditions.

Commons patterns for misusing steroids include:

• cycling—taking multiple doses for a period of time, stopping for a time, and then restarting
• stacking—combining two or more different steroids and mixing oral and/or injectable types
• pyramiding—slowly increasing the dose or frequency of steroid misuse, reaching a peak amount, and then gradually tapering off to zero
• plateauing—alternating, overlapping, or substituting with another steroid to avoid developing a tolerance

Anabolic steroids work differently from other drugs of abuse; they do not have the same short-term effects on the brain. The most important difference is that steroids do not directly activate the reward system to cause a “high”; they also do not trigger rapid increases in the brain chemical dopamine, which reinforces most other types of drug taking behavior.

Misuse of anabolic steroids might lead to negative mental effects, such as:

• paranoid (extreme, unreasonable) jealousy
• extreme irritability and aggression (“roid rage”)
• delusions—false beliefs or ideas
• impaired judgment
• mania

Once an individual decides to reduce/stop the use of steroids, we must remember that change takes time.  Seeking advice/guidance from a medical or behavioral health provider and acquiring support from family/friends may also assist the individual with their efforts.  Throughout the process, the individual may experience withdrawal symptoms.  Individuals should always contact their healthcare provider with any medical concerns.

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Synthetic cannabinoids are human-made, mind-altering chemicals that are either sprayed on dried, shredded plant material so they can be smoked or sold as liquids to be vaporized and inhaled in e-cigarettes and other devices.   Synthetic marijuana is also called K2 or Spice.  The substance is illegally sold in gas stations, tobacco shops, or online as potpourri or incense with names like Blaze or Mad Hatter. 

Synthetic cannabinoids have numerous effects on the body including:  altered perception, memory loss, seizures, nausea, kidney failure, muscle cramping, heart attack, dry mouth, and pale appearance. Please refer to the VitAL brochure for a detailed list of its effects on the body.

Once an individual decides to reduce/stop use of synthetic cannabinoids, we must remember that change takes time.  Seeking advice/guidance from a medical or behavioral health provider and acquiring support from family/friends may also assist the individual with their efforts.  According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, individuals may experience headaches, anxiety, depression, and/or irritability when attempting to cut back or quit.  Individuals should always contact their healthcare provider with any medical concerns.

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Tobacco is a plant that is dried and fermented before being put in tobacco products. Tobacco contains nicotine, an ingredient that can lead to addiction, which is why so many people who use tobacco find it difficult to quit. There are also many other potentially harmful chemicals found in tobacco or created by burning it.

People can smoke, chew, or sniff tobacco. Smoked tobacco products include cigarettes, cigars, bidis, and kreteks. Some people also smoke loose tobacco in a pipe or hookah (water pipe). Chewed tobacco products include chewing tobacco, snuff, dip, and snus; snuff can also be sniffed.

The nicotine in any tobacco product readily absorbs into the blood when a person uses it. Upon entering the blood, nicotine immediately stimulates the adrenal glands to release the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline). Epinephrine stimulates the central nervous system and increases blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate. As with drugs such as cocaine and heroin, nicotine activates the brain’s reward circuits and also increases levels of the chemical messenger dopamine, which reinforces rewarding behaviors. Studies suggest that other chemicals in tobacco smoke, such as acetaldehyde, may enhance nicotine’s effects on the brain.

Although nicotine is addictive, most of the severe health effects of tobacco use comes from other chemicals. Tobacco smoking can lead to lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. It increases the risk of heart disease, which can lead to stroke or heart attack. Smoking has also been linked to other cancers, leukemia, cataracts, Type 2 Diabetes, and pneumonia. All of these risks apply to use of any smoked product, including hookah tobacco. Smokeless tobacco increases the risk of cancer, especially mouth cancers.

For many who use tobacco, brain changes brought on by continued nicotine exposure result in addiction. When a person tries to quit, he or she may have withdrawal symptoms, including:

• irritability
• problems paying attention
• trouble sleeping
• increased appetite
• powerful cravings for tobacco

Once an individual decides to reduce/stop the use of tobacco or nicotine products, we must remember that change takes time.  Seeking advice/guidance from a medical or behavioral health provider and acquiring support from family/friends may also assist the individual with their efforts.  Throughout the process, the individual may experience withdrawal symptoms.  Individuals should always contact their healthcare provider with any medical concerns.

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Vaping devices are battery-operated devices that people use to inhale an aerosol, which typically contains nicotine (though not always), flavorings, and other chemicals. They can resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes, cigars, or pipes, or even everyday items like pens or USB memory sticks. Other devices, such as those with fillable tanks, may look different. Regardless of their design and appearance, these devices generally operate in a similar manner and are made of similar components. More than 460 different e-cigarette brands are currently on the market.

Most e-cigarettes consist of four different components, including:

• a cartridge or reservoir or pod, which holds a liquid solution (e-liquid or e-juice) containing varying amounts of nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals
• a heating element (atomizer)
• a power source (usually a battery)
• a mouthpiece that the person uses to inhale

In many e-cigarettes, puffing activates the battery-powered heating device, which vaporizes the liquid in the cartridge. The person then inhales the resulting aerosol or vapor (called vaping).

Vaping devices are popular among teens and are now the most commonly used form of nicotine among youth in the United States. Some research shows that many teens do not even realize that vaping cartridges contain nicotine, and assume the pods contain only flavoring. The easy availability of these devices, alluring advertisements, various e-liquid flavors, and the belief that they’re safer than cigarettes have helped make them appealing to this age group.

The teen years are critical for brain development, which continues into young adulthood. Young people who use nicotine products in any form, including e-cigarettes, are uniquely at risk for long-lasting effects. Because nicotine affects the development of the brain’s reward system, continued nicotine vaping can not only lead to nicotine addiction, but it also can make other drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine more pleasurable to a teen’s developing brain.

Nicotine also affects the development of brain circuits that control attention and learning. Other risks include mood disorders and permanent problems with impulse control—failure to fight an urge or impulse that may harm oneself or others.

Some people believe e-cigarettes may help lower nicotine cravings in those who are trying to quit smoking. However, e-cigarettes are not an FDA-approved quit aid, and there is no conclusive scientific evidence on the effectiveness of vaping for long-term smoking cessation. It should be noted that there are seven FDA-approved quit aids that are proven safe and can be effective when used as directed.

Once an individual decides to reduce/stop the use of electronic vaping devices, we must remember that change takes time.  Seeking advice/guidance from a medical or behavioral health provider and acquiring support from family/friends may also assist the individual with their efforts.  Throughout the process, the individual may experience withdrawal symptoms.  Individuals should always contact their healthcare provider with any medical concerns.