Familiar Drugs

Alcohol

Oregon Laws that include Alcohol

People must be 21 or older to buy alcohol. Any person under 21 can drink in their homes, but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Anyone 18 years or older can sell alcohol in a bar or restaurant setting. No one under the age of 21 can drive with any amount of alcohol in their system. Driving under the influence is illegal even if results come back less than 0.08

Effects on the Body

How alcohol affects the body: Feelings of euphoria, lowers inhibitions, impairs judgment, perception, and reaction times. Alcohol use can also lead to vomiting, passing out, and shallow breathing.

Severe or long term use of alcohol can lead to: Liver damage, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. It can also lead to mental illness.

Classification

Depressant

Types of Alcohol

Beer, wine, hard liquor, etc.

How is Alcohol Used?

Alcohol is used recreationally for personal enjoyment like parties or social events. People also use alcohol to relax.

Alcohol is also used medically for within medicine as an antiseptic, disinfectant, and antidote.

How is Alcohol Absorbed?

Alcohol is first absorbed into the blood stream, then moves onto the stomach and small intestine. From there it moves onto the brain where physical effects can be felt.

https://alcohol.addictionblog.org/how-does-alcohol-work/

Routes of Adminstration

Consumed through drinking liquids.

Cannabis

Types of Cannabis

These forms of marijuana come from two different plant categories called: Indica or sativa plant.

Flower, Hashish, Hashish oil, Joints, Shatter, and Edibles

Classification

Depressant, hallucinogenic and stimulant properties.

Oregon Cannabis laws

As of July 1, 2015, Oregonians are allowed to grow up to four plants on their property,
possess up to eight ounces of usable marijuana in their homes and up to one ounce on their person.

The Oregon Board of Pharmacy has voted to ban sale and possession of synthetic marijuana.

Marijuana cannot be smoked or used in a public place

anyone at least 21 years of age can consume recreational marijuana in Oregon

Recreational use is only legal in 10 states.

Concerns

Addiction, brain health, cancer, lung health, use of other drugs (Gateway drugs)

Routes of Administration

Smoking (Joints, blunts, vaporizers, bongs) and Edibles (Ingesting different types of foods with extract)

Effects on the body

THC when smoked, goes into the lungs then onto the blood stream then from the blood stream into the brain. If eaten, this process can take a while longer going through stomach passage ways and linings.

People may feel: Changes in mood, impaired body movement, altered senses, etc.

How is Cannabis Used?

Medical Use: Cannabis is used to treat a number of conditions and diseases. Some will also use as a pain reliever as well. CBD and THC are most well known for their medical purposes.

Recreational Use: Any cannabis use that is not intended for medical purposes. Recreational use also generally carries a higher THC amount.

Caffeine

How Is Caffeine Used?

Caffeine, 1, 3, 7 trimethylxanthine, is a naturally occurring, defensive plant substance used by humans in food,beverages, substances, and medicine.

Classification

central nervous system stimulant

Regulation

No current regulation on Caffeine consumption. Caffeine above certain concentrations is banned in the NCCA. Most caffeine substances do have warning labels.

How Caffeine Impacts the Body

How Caffeine Works in the Brain

• Caffeine is active on the adenosine receptors in the brain, blocking adenosine from making us sleepy
• For every hour we are awake, adenosine rises in our brain, causing us to feel tired
• Adenosine works as an inhibitory transmitter in the brain acting as a central nervous system depressant

How Caffeine Affects the Body

• Increased blood pressure and heart rate
• Caffeine switches the energy substrate preference from glycogen to lipids by stimulating HSL (a lipid enzyme)
• Caffeine has a diuretic effect on the body
• Caffeine “mobilizes intracellular calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and can also inhibit its reuptake. Through these mechanisms, caffeine can increase contractility during submaximal contractions” (Cappelletti et al, 2015)

If you have too much caffeine...

• Migraine headache
• Insomnia
• Nervousness
• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Upset stomach
• Fast heartbeat

Common Forms

Coffee, tea, energy drinks, soda, chocolate, energy bars, etc.

Concerns

Dependence: Users of caffeine don't per say have a dependence. Instead those that tend to be dependent need large amounts of caffeine

"Excess consumption of caffeine can result in tachycardia, arrhythmia, hyperactivity, hypertension, anxiety, and increased blood sugar concentration".

Routes Of Adminstration

Food, drinks, medication, supplements

Tobacco

Common Forms

Cigarettes, Cigars (mini and regular), Smokeless Pipe, Hookah, E-cigarettes, Vape Pens, Dissolvable.

How Is it Used?

People can chew, smoke, or sniff tobacco

Regulations on Nationwide Scale

Nationwide regulations have been placed on e-cigarettes/liquid, cigars, hookah tobacco, and pipe tobacco. The regulation requires health warnings on all labels, new products have to show that they meet public health standards, and stricter polices for minor sales being zero tolerance.

Routes of Adminstration

Smoking, sniffing, or chewing fermented leaves of tobacco. enter the bloodstream and produce effects.

Classification

Tobacco can act as both a stimulant and depressant.

Concerns

Pregnancy complications, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, risk of heart disease, stroke, heart attack, various cancers. As well as addressing the issue of youth use of tobacco.

Effects of Tobacco

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. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/cigarettes-other-tobacco-products

How Tobacco Works

By smoking, chewing, or sniffing the fermented leaves that contain nicotine as well as an abundance of other chemicals

Meth

Common Forms

Powder: A white or off-white powder generally known as ‘speed’. Powder is the least potent form of methamphetamine, and is often mixed with other substances such as glucose. It can be snorted, injected, or swallowed. Powder is also sometimes pressed into pills.
Base: A damp or oily substance with a white, yellow, or brown color. Base has a higher potency and purity than powder. It can vary greatly in appearance and is known by various terms, including ‘pure’, ‘paste’, and ‘wax’. Base is typically injected and sometimes swallowed.
Crystal (‘ice’): A crystalline substance of translucent to white appearance. Crystal methamphetamine is the most potent form of methamphetamine, and is usually smoked or injected. https://nadk.flinders.edu.au/kb/methamphetamines/general-methamphetamine-information/are-there-different-forms-of-methamphetamine/

Classification

Stimulant

Can Meth Be Used Medically?

Methamphetamines are used today to treat ADHD and promote weight loss.
It’s known as Methamphetamine HCL or Desoxyn.
Desoxyn treats Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as well as also used with weight loss along side a reduced calorie diet.

Routes of Administration

Meth can be smoked, injected, snorted, taken as a pill, or ingested.

How Meth Works

No matter how it’s taken it ends up in the bloodstream where it’s circulated throughout the brain.

How Meth Affects the Body

Meth affects lots of brain structures, but affects the ones that contain dopamine the most.

Can cause premature delivery when pregnant, along with heart and brain problems, low birth weight and separation of the placenta from the uterus.
Severe dental problems (“meth mouth”), organ failure, death due to stroke.

Concerns

Short Term

Increased wakefulness and physical activity, heart rate, blood pressure, breathing. Decreased appetite.

Long Term

Anxiety, confusion, insomnia, hallucinations, violent behavior, weight loss, paranoia and delusions.

Concerns in Community

Meth is the leading cause of drug-related deaths in Oregon.

“According to the State Medical Examiner, between 2015 and 2017, there were 412 deaths from methamphetamine and psychostimulants, compared to 311 from heroin-related overdoses in the same period. ” (Pennelle, 2019).

According to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 1.2 million people reported using methamphetamine in the past year, and 440,000 reported using it in the past month.

Laws Surrounding Meth in Oregon

Regulation in Oregon:
ORS 475.886 Unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine.
ORS 475.888 Unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of school.
ORS 475.890 Unlawful delivery of methamphetamine.
ORS 475.892 Unlawful delivery of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of school.
ORS 475.894 Unlawful possession of methamphetamine.

Meth was deemed illegal in the United States in 1970.

Depressant and Inhalant Use

Most Common Depressants

1. Alcohol 2.Benzodiazepines
(Xanax, Valium, Ativan and Klonopin) 3. Barbiturates 4. Opiates (Codeine, Vicodin, OxyContin and Demerol, as well as illegal drugs such as heroin and opium).

Types of Inhalants

-- Volatile Solvents: Dry cleaning fluids, gasoline, lighter fluid, glue
--Aerosols: Spray paints, spray deodorants, computer cleaning sprays.
--Gases: Propane tanks, whipped cream aerosols, chloroform.
--Nitrites: Liquid aroma, leather cleaner, room odorizers.

Use on Teen Brains (Effect on Body/Brain)

Inhalants

--slurred or distorted speech, lack of coordination, the sense of euphoria , and dizziness.
--Inhalants starve the body and brain of oxygen. Inhalants effects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
--Inhalants slow down or stop nerve activity. This may happen in the frontal cortex of the brain. This will affect problem solving.
--Inhalants also can affect the cerebellum, this part of the brain controls movement and coordination.

Short-term effects are similar to alcohol and on the brain.

Depressant

--Interfere with neurotransmitters
--Damage connections within the brain
--Reduce the ability to experience pleasure
--Problems with memory
--Heightens learning potential
--Unhealthy habits common to brain circuitry
--Inhibits perceptual abilities

Concerns of Inhalants

Short Term

Slurred speech
Drunk, dizzy or dazed appearance
Inability to coordinate movement
Hallucinations and delusions
Impaired Judgements

Long Term

Muscle weakness
Disorientation
Lack of coordination
Irritability
Depression
irreversible damage to the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs and brain
Death from heart failure due to lack of oxygen

Concerns of Depressants

Short Term Problems

Disinhibition
Dizziness
Talkativeness
Slurred speech
Disrupted sleep
Nausea
Vomiting

Long Term Problems

Slowing down psychomotor skills
Sedating
Muscle relaxation
experience decreased anxiety

Classification(Inhalant)

Not currently under any classification

Classification (Depressant)

Depressant

How Depressants are used

When used as prescribed by a doctor, depressants can calm nerves and relax muscles. Larger or improperly used doses of depressant drugs can cause confusion, lack of coordination, low blood pressure, and slowed heart rate and breathing. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/depressants.html

They are swallowed

How Inhalants are Used/ Routes of Administration

These are inhaled directly from the container (called sniffing or snorting), from a plastic bag (called bagging), or by holding an inhalant-soaked rag in the mouth (called huffing). https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/inhalants.html?ref=search

Regulations

Inhalants (Oregon)

Prohibited Substances: Glue, cement or other substance that can cause intoxication and that contains one or more specified chemical compounds.

Penalties:

● Fine up to $300 for 1st violation; Juvenile Court can send minors for treatment and counseling

● Fine up to $2,500, up to 6 months in prison, or both for subsequent offense; Juvenile court must send minors for treatment and counseling

● Driver's license suspension for driving under influence of inhalant

https://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/rpt/2009-R-0251.htm

Prescription Opioids

Common Forms

morphine, heroin, codeine, oxycodone, methadon

Typically Used in a number of medical procedures

How It's Used

Prescription opioids are used mostly to treat moderate to severe pain, though some opioids can be used to treat coughing and diarrhea.

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/prescription-opioids

Classification

Depressant

Regulation

"Prior to 1890, laws concerning opiates were strictly imposed on a local city or state-by-state basis. One of the first was in San Francisco in 1875 where it became illegal to smoke opium only in opium dens. It did not ban the sale, import or use otherwise. In the next 25 years different states enacted opium laws ranging from outlawing opium dens altogether to making possession of opium, morphine and heroin without a physician’s prescription illegal".

http://www.naabt.org/laws.cfm

Pertaining to today, obtaining or selling prescription opium without a prescription from a doctor is illegal.

How It Works

"Opioids bind to and activate opioid receptors on cells located in many areas of the brain, spinal cord, and other organs in the body, especially those involved in feelings of pain and pleasure.

When opioids attach to these receptors, they block pain signals sent from the brain to the body and release large amounts of dopamine throughout the body.

This release can strongly reinforce the act of taking the drug, making the user want to repeat the experience".

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/prescription-opioids

Effects

Short Term

Physiological effects:
-Analgesic (pain relief)
-Antitussive (cough suppressant)
-Counters diarrhea
-Slowed breathing (can lead to hypoxia with significant dose)
-Drowsiness (varies, usually with higher than therapeutic dose)
-Pupil dilation
-Nausea (with large dose)
Psychological effects:
-Euphoric
-Relaxed

Long Term

Physiological effects:
-Tolerance: Higher dose required to attain desired effect
-Physical dependence
-Cross-dependence: dependence can occur for other opioids from using just one, since they have similar effects, other opioids may relieve withdrawal symptoms than the one initially used
-Chronic toxicity
-Only seen as a result of street heroin administration: sharing needles, HIV transmission, infection. No known physical or mental complications from the opioids themselves
Psychological effects:
-Withdrawal
-Anxiety, insomnia, craving drugs

Concerns

Misuse of Prescription

Most people can easily misuse prescription opium by snorting, injecting, or swallowing the drugs. Misuse happens when a person takes the drug in a way that wasn't prescribed by a doctor.

Overdose

Very easy to overdose on this because of pain relief and feeling of euphoria.

Routes of Administration

Swallowing, snorting, or inject

Psychedelics

How It Used

Psychedelic drugs produce a temporary conscious state that typically causes intense sensory experiences, usually visual and somatosensory (touch)

Common Forms

Acid, DMT, Mescaline, Mushrooms, MDMA, PCP, and Ketamine

Classification

Psychoactive (Schedule 1)

Regulations

ORS 475.866 = A Felony:Unlawful manufacture of MDMA / Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine).
ORS 475.868 = A Felony:Unlawful manufacture of MDMA / Ecstasy within 1000 feet of a school.
ORS 475.870 = A FelonyUnlawful delivery of MDMA / Ecstasy.
ORS 475.872 = A FelonyUnlawful delivery of MDMA / Ecstasy within 1000 feet of a school.

Psychedelics become illegal in 1966 with the first drug being LSD
Other hallucinogens such as MDMA, acid DMT are still illegal

Concerns

There is a possibility of toxicity and overdose
Can result in physical harm because of your changed perception/ judgment
Serious mental health issues that can damage brain if you experience a bad trip
Can also get flashbacks

Effects on the Brain

There are multiple kinds of hallucinogens, they basically all affect one of two pathways in the brain. The first is the serotonin pathway, and the second is the glutamate system.

Changes in ➔Sleep patterns➔Digestion➔Cognitive abilities➔Perception of sensory input or time➔Heart rate

Routes of Administration

Orally, snorting, smoking, and injecting