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Bringing the Pieces Together to Build a Safer More Sustainable Community |
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Information on substance abuse, where to find help, street gangs, intel updates on the Mexican Drug Cartels, the most recent research and documents on multiple subjects as well as links to outside organizations and our partners along with much more.
Watch the Meth in San Juan County documentary here. Download the Drug Guide for Parents Letter From Stephen J. Pasierb
I want to update you on some of the ways your support of The Partnership for a Drug-Free America is providing urgent help to families in crisis and keeping millions of young people healthy and drug-free:
The Partnership is creating the first-ever Adolescent and Young Adult Treatment Network to help 8 ½ million people under 25 suffering from the disease of addiction find the quality medical care they need and deserve. Currently less than 10% get treatment. We are leading the way in educating parents, teens, and medical professionals about the dangers of abusing prescription medicines, which continues to receive broad coverage throughout the media.
With Time To Talk we are creating a new community of parents who share tools and tips on talking to their kids about the risks of drugs and alcohol. Five million parents and caregivers have visited www.timetotalk.org and 60,000 have fully joined this new network of support. Twenty-three million Americans struggle with addiction. For these individuals and their loved ones, it's a life and death issue. This year, 4.2 million teens will use an illicit drug or alcohol, and over 100,000 Americans will die drug- and alcohol-related deaths. We know that it doesn't have to be that way. The Partnership has proven again and again that we can make a difference in people's lives. Here are the facts confirmed by numerous national studies: teen drug use has fallen by half since we started in 1987; over-all illicit drug use is down by a third; and in this decade youth drug use is in a continual significant decline for cocaine, LSD and other hallucinogens, Ecstasy, methamphetamine and marijuana. We share our successes with you, our valued donors and supporters. We can't do it without you. Working together is the best hope for keeping our young people healthy and drug-free. We need you with us now more than ever. Thank you again for your help in creating a better future and healthier families across America. Sincerely, Stephen J. Pasierb Working with parents to prevent and get help for teen drug and alcohol abuse. Substance Abuse
Substance abuse is the overindulgence in and dependence of a drug or other chemical leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual's physical and mental health, or the welfare of others.[2]
The disorder is characterized by a pattern of continued pathological use of a medication, non-medically indicated drug or toxin, that results in repeated adverse social consequences related to drug use, such as failure to meet work, family, or school obligations, interpersonal conflicts, or legal problems. There are on-going debates as to the exact distinctions between substance abuse and substance dependence, but current practice standard distinguishes between the two by defining substance dependence in terms of physiological and behavioral symptoms of substance use, and substance abuse in terms of the social consequences of substance use.[3] Substance abuse may lead to addiction or substance dependence. Medically, physiologic dependence requires the development of tolerance leading to withdrawal symptoms. Both abuse and dependence are distinct from addiction which involves a compulsion to continue using the substance despite the negative consequences, and may or may not involve chemical dependency. Dependence almost always implies abuse, but abuse frequently occurs without dependence, particularly when an individual first begins to abuse a substance. Dependence involves physiological processes while substance abuse reflects a complex interaction between the individual, the abused substance and society.[4]
Source: Wikipedia
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Alcohol
Alcoholism, also known as “alcohol dependence,” is a disease that includes four symptoms:
People who are not alcoholic sometimes do not understand why an alcoholic can’t just “use a little willpower” to stop drinking. However, alcoholism has little to do with willpower. Alcoholics are in the grip of a powerful “craving,” or uncontrollable need, for alcohol that overrides their ability to stop drinking. This need can be as strong as the need for food or water. Although some people are able to recover from alcoholism without help, the majority of alcoholics need assistance. With treatment and support, many individuals are able to stop drinking and rebuild their lives. Many people wonder why some individuals can use alcohol without problems but others cannot. One important reason has to do with genetics. Scientists have found that having an alcoholic family member makes it more likely that if you choose to drink you too may develop alcoholism. Genes, however, are not the whole story. In fact, scientists now believe that certain factors in a person’s environment influence whether a person with a genetic risk for alcoholism ever develops the disease. A person’s risk for developing alcoholism can increase based on the person’s environment, including where and how he or she lives; family, friends, and culture; peer pressure; and even how easy it is to get alcohol. Club Drugs
Brief Description
Typically used by teenagers and young adults at bars, clubs, concerts, and parties. The most common club drugs include Ecstasy (MDMA), GHB, Rohypnol, ketamine, methamphetamine, and acid (LSD).
Street Names
XTC, X (MDMA); Special K, Vitamin K (ketamine); liquid ecstasy, soap (GHB); roofies (Rohypnol).
Effects
Chronic use of MDMA may lead to changes in brain function. GHB abuse can cause coma and seizures. High doses of ketamine can cause delirium, amnesia, and other problems. Mixed with alcohol, Rohypnol can incapacitate users and cause amnesia.
Statistics and Trends
The NIDA-funded 2007 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 0.7% of 8th graders, 0.7% of 10th graders, and 1.0% of 12th graders had abused Rohypnol; 0.7% of 8th graders, 0.6% of 10th graders, and 0.9% of 12th graders had abused GHB; and 1.0% of 8th graders, 0.8% of 10th graders, and 1.3% of 12th graders had abused ketamine at least once in the year prior to their being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future
Cocaine
Brief Description
A powerfully addictive drug that is snorted, sniffed, injected, or smoked. Crack is cocaine that has been processed from cocaine hydrochloride to a free base for smoking.
Street Name
Big C, Blow, Coke, Flake, Freebase, Lady, Nose Candy, Rock, Snow, Snowbirds, White Crack.
Short Term Effects
Short-term effects of cocaine/crack include constricted peripheral blood vessels, dilated pupils, increased temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, insomnia, loss of appetite, feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. Duration of cocaine's immediate euphoric effects, which include energy, reduced fatigue, and mental clarity, depends on how it is used. The faster the absorption, the more intense the high. However, the faster the absorption, the shorter the high lasts.The high from snorting may last 15 to 30 minutes, while that from smoking crack cocaine may last 5 to 10 minutes. Cocaine's effects are short lived, and once the drug leaves the brain, the user experiences a "coke crash" that includes depression, irritability, and fatigue.
Long Term Effects
High doses of cocaine and/or prolonged use can trigger paranoia. Smoking crack cocaine can produce a particularly aggressive paranoid behavior in users. When addicted individuals stop using cocaine, they often become depressed. Prolonged cocaine snorting can result in ulceration of the mucous membrane of the nose.
Federal Classification
Schedule II
Statistics and Trends
In 2006, 6 million Americans age 12 and older had abused cocaine in any form and 1.5 million had abused crack at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health;
The NIDA-funded 2007 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 2.0% of 8th graders, 3.4% of 10th graders, and 5.2% of 12th graders had abused cocaine in any form and 1.3% of 8th graders, 1.3% of 10th graders, and 1.9% of 12th graders had abused crack at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future Heroin
Brief Description
An addictive drug that is processed from morphine and usually appears as a white or brown powder.
Street Name
Smack, H, ska, junk, and many others.
Short Term Effects
The short-term effects of heroin abuse appear soon after a single dose and disappear in a few hours. After an injection of heroin, the user reports feeling a surge of euphoria ("rush") accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, a dry mouth, and heavy extremities. Following this initial euphoria, the user goes "on the nod," an alternately wakeful and drowsy state. Mental functioning becomes clouded due to the depression of the central nervous system. Other effects included slowed and slurred speech, slow gait, constricted pupils, droopy eyelids, impaired night vision, vomiting, constipation.
Long Term Effects
Long-term effects of heroin appear after repeated use for some period of time. Chronic users may develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulite's, and liver disease. Pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia, may result from the poor health condition of the abuser, as well as from heroin's depressing effects on respiration.In addition to the effects of the drug itself, street heroin may have additives that do not really dissolve and result in clogging the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain. This can cause infection or even death of small patches of cells in vital organs. With regular heroin use, tolerance develops. This means the abuser must use more heroin to achieve the same intensity or effect.
As higher doses are used over time, physical dependence and addiction develop. With physical dependence, the body has adapted to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms may occur if use is reduced or stopped. Withdrawal, which in regular abusers may occur as early as a few hours after the last administration, produces drug craving, restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps ("cold turkey"), kicking movements ("kicking the habit"), and other symptoms. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last does and subside after about a week. Sudden withdrawal by heavily dependent users who are in poor health can be fatal. Federal Classification
Schedule I
Statistics and Trends
In 2006, 560,000 Americans age 12 and older had abused heroin at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health;
The NIDA-funded 2007 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 0.8% of 8th graders, 0.8% of 10th graders, and 0.9% of 12th graders had abused heroin at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future Inhalants
Brief Description
Breathable chemical vapors that users intentionally inhale because of the chemicals' mind-altering effects. The substances inhaled are often common household products that contain volatile solvents or aerosols.
Street Name
Whippets, poppers, snappers.
Short Term Effects
Within seconds of inhalation, the user experiences intoxication along with other effects similar to those produced by alcohol. Alcohol-like effects may include slurred speech, an inability to coordinate movements, dizziness, confusion and delirium. Nausea and vomiting are other common side effects. In addition, users may experience lightheadedness, hallucinations, and delusions.
Long Term Effects
Compulsive use and a mild withdrawal syndrome can occur with long-term inhalant abuse. Additional symptoms exhibited by long-term inhalant abusers include weight loss, muscle weakness, disorientation, inattentiveness, lack of coordination, irritability, and depression.
After heavy use of inhalants, abusers may feel drowsy for several hours and experience a lingering headache. Because intoxication lasts only a few minutes, abusers frequently seek to prolong their high by continuing to inhale repeatedly over the course of several hours. By doing this, abusers can suffer loss of consciousness and death. Federal Classification
N/A
Statistics and Trends
The NIDA-funded 2007 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 8.3% of 8th graders, 6.6% of 10th graders, and 3.7% of 12th graders had abused inhalants at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future
LSD (Acid)
Brief Description
One of the strongest mood-changing drugs. It is sold as tablets, capsules, liquid, or on absorbent paper.
Street Name
Acid, Doses, Hits, Microdot, Sugar cubes, Tabs, Trips
Short Term Effects
The effects of LSD are unpredictable. They depend on the amount taken, the user's personality, mood, and expectations, and the surroundings in which the drug is used. The physical effects include dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth, and tremors. Sensations and feelings change much more dramatically than the physical signs. The user may feel several different emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to another. If taken in a large enough dose, the drug produces delusions and visual hallucinations. The user's sense of time and self changes. Sensations may seem to "cross over," giving the user the feeling of hearing colors and seeing sounds. These changes can be frightening and can cause panic.
Long Term Effects
Some LSD users experience flashbacks, recurrence of certain aspects of a person's experience without the user having taken the drug again. A flashback occurs suddenly, often without warning, and may occur within a few days or more than a year after LSD use.Most users of LSD voluntarily decrease or stop its use over time. LSD is not considered to be an addicting drug because it does not produce compulsive drug-seeking behavior like cocaine, amphetamines, heroin, alcohol, or nicotine.
Federal Classification
Schedule I
Statistics and Trends
In 2006, 666,000 Americans age 12 and older had abused LSD at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health;
The NIDA-funded 2007 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 1.1% of 8th graders, 1.9% of 10th graders, and 2.1% of 12th graders had abused LSD at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future Marijuana
Brief Description
The most commonly used illegal drug in the U.S. The main active chemical is THC.
Street Name
Aunt Mary, Boom, Chronic (Marijuana alone or with crack), Dope, Gangster, Ganja, Grass, Hash, Herb, Kif, Mary Jane, Pot, Reefer, Sinsemilla, Skunk, Weed.
Short Term Effects
Short-term effects of marijuana include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch), trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor coordination, increased heart rate, and anxiety. These effects are even greater when other drugs are mixed with weed. A user may also experience dry mouth and throat.
Long Term Effects
Marijuana smoke contains some of the same cancer-causing compounds as tobacco, sometimes in higher concentrations. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day.
Federal Classification
Schedule I
Statistics and Trends
In 2006, 25 million Americans age 12 and older had abused marijuana at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health;
The NIDA-funded 2007 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 10.3% of 8th graders, 24.6% of 10th graders, and 31.7% of 12th graders had abused marijuana at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future MDMA (Ecstasy)
Brief Description
A drug that has stimulant and psychedelic properties. It is taken orally as a capsule or tablet.
Street Name
XTC, X, Adam, hug, beans, love drug.
Short Term Effects
Users report that Ecstasy produces intensely pleasurable effects – including an enhanced sense of self-confidence and energy. Effects include feelings of peacefulness, acceptance and empathy. Users say they experience feelings of closeness with others and a desire to touch others. Other effects can include involuntary teeth clenching, a loss of inhibitions, transfixion on sights and sounds, nausea, blurred vision, chills and/or sweating. Increases in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as seizures, are also possible. The stimulant effects of the drug enable users to dance for extended periods, which when combined with the hot crowded conditions usually found at raves, can lead to severe dehydration and hyperthermia or dramatic increases in body temperature. This can lead to muscle breakdown and kidney, liver and cardiovascular failure. Cardiovascular failure has been reported in some of the Ecstasy-related fatalities.
After-effects can include sleep problems, anxiety and depression. Long Term Effects
Repeated use of Ecstasy ultimately may damage the cells that produce serotonin, which has an important role in the regulation of mood, appetite, pain, learning and memory. There already is research suggesting Ecstasy use can disrupt or interfere with memory.
Federal Classification
Schedule I
Statistics and Trends
In 2006, 2.1 million Americans age 12 and older had abused MDMA at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health;
The NIDA-funded 2007 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 1.5% of 8th graders, 3.5% of 10th graders, and 4.5% of 12th graders had abused MDMA at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future Methamphetamine
What Is Meth?
Methampthetamine(meth) is a highly additive drug that is easily produced by combining a number of chemicals, which can be extracted from readily available products. These products include over the counter cold medicines, diet pills, and household products such as lithium batteries, matches, tincture of iodine and hydrogen peroxide. Flammable household products, including charcoal lighter fluid, gasoline, kerosene, paint thinner, rubbing alcohol, and mineral spirits may be used in the mix.
Originally confined to the west coast and certain rural mid-western areas, methamphetamine abuse and trafficking have been spreading eastward over the past decade, and the number of methamphetamine laboraties seized by U.S. law enforcement agencies increased by 25 percent between 2001 and 2004. In fact, an estimated 10 million Americans have tried meth at some point in their lives. Among young adults age 18 to 25, there are nearly 200,000 current meth users. A recent study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse showed that the drug is associated with risky behavior, particularly among women. What Are "Precursors"?
Meth is made using readily available products obtained from retail, convenience, grocery, granges, automotive, and veterinary supply stores. Over-the-counter cold and allergy medications often contain ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, the most critical ingredient in the production of methamphetamine. The manufacturing process also uses ingredients such as lithium batteries, acetone, starter fluid, drain cleaner, rock or table salt, lye, matchbooks, rubbing alcohol, muriatic acid, and gasoline additives. As you can see, these items are available in many stores and most are probably found in your house or garage.
Anhydrous ammonia is another precursor commonly used in the meth process. It is usually stolen from tanks located on farms and ag dealer distribution facilities. Anhydrous ammonia is an extremely dangerous chemical, venting to a gas at -28° F. Thieves will commonly damage the valves or hose on the tanks, which can cause a life-threatening situation. If an unsuspecting employee or grower is unaware of the damage to the hose and opens the valve, escaping anhydrous could cause chemical and temperature burns and even result in fatal injury. The availability of the products needed for producing meth contributes to the growing meth problem in our state. Because meth users become their own drug suppliers by becoming meth “cooks”, the dangers associated with the labs themselves increase the urgency of a retailer assistance program. What Are the "Meth Ingredients & Equipment"?
Brief Description
An addictive stimulant that is closely related to amphetamine, but has longer lasting and more toxic effects on the central nervous system. It has a high potential for abuse and addiction.
Street Names
Chalk, Crank, Croak, Crypto, Crystal, Fire, Glass, Meth, Tweek , White Cross.
Short Term Effects
Immediately after smoking or injection, the user experiences an intense sensation, called a "rush" or "flash," that lasts only a few minutes and is described as extremely pleasurable. Snorting or swallowing meth produces euphoria - a high, but not a rush. After the initial "rush," there is typically a state of high agitation that in some individuals can lead to violent behavior. Other possible immediate effects include increased wakefulness and insomnia, decreased appetite, irritability/aggression, anxiety, nervousness, convulsions and heart attack.
Long Term Effects
Methamphetamine is addictive, and users can develop a tolerance quickly, needing larger amounts to get high. In some cases, users forego food and sleep and take more meth every few hours for days, 'binging' until they run out of the drug or become too disorganized to continue. Chronic use can cause paranoia, hallucinations, repetitive behavior (such as compulsively cleaning, grooming or disassembling and assembling objects), and delusions of parasites or insects crawling under the skin. Users can obsessively scratch their skin to get rid of these imagined insects. Long-term use, high dosages, or both can bring on full-blown toxic psychosis (often exhibited as violent, aggressive behavior). This violent, aggressive behavior is usually coupled with extreme paranoia. Methamphetamine use can also cause strokes and death.
Federal Classification
Schedule II
Statistics and Trends
In 2006, 1.9 million Americans age 12 and older had abused methamphetamine at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health;
The NIDA-funded 2007 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 1.1% of 8th graders, 1.6% of 10th graders, and 1.7% of 12th graders had abused methamphetamine at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future Signs & Symptoms of Meth Use
Signs / Symptoms of Early Meth Use:
Signs / Symptoms of Continued Meth Use:
Signs / Symptoms of Advanced Meth Use:
Nicotine
Brief Description
One of the most heavily used addictive drugs in the U.S.
Short Term Effects
When a person smokes a cigarette, the body responds immediately to the chemical nicotine in the smoke. Nicotine causes a short-term increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and the flow of blood from the heart. It also causes the arteries to narrow. Carbon monoxide reduces the amount of oxygen the blood can carry. This, combined with the effects produced by nicotine, creates an imbalance in the demand for oxygen by the cells and the amount of oxygen the blood is able to supply.
Long Term Effects
It is now well documented that smoking can cause chronic lung disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke, as well as cancer of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, mouth, and bladder. In addition, smoking is known to contribute to cancer of the cervix, pancreas, and kidneys. Researchers have identified more than 40 chemicals in tobacco smoke that cause cancer in humans and animals. Smokeless tobacco and cigars also have deadly consequences, including lung, larynx, esophageal, and oral cancer. The harmful effects of smoking do not end with the smoker. Women who use tobacco during pregnancy are more likely to have adverse birth outcomes, including babies with low birth weight, which is linked with an increased risk of infant death and with a variety of infant health disorders. The health of nonsmokers is adversely affected by environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Each year, exposure to ETS causes an estimated 3,000 non-smoking Americans to die of lung cancer and causes up to 300,000 children to suffer from lower respiratory-tract infections. Evidence also indicates that exposure to ETS increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
Federal Classification
N/A
Statistics and Trends
In 2006, nearly 73 million Americans age 12 and older had used a tobacco product at least once in the month prior to being surveyed. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health;
The NIDA-funded 2007 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 7.1% of 8th graders, 14.0% of 10th graders, and 21.6% of 12th graders had used cigarettes and 3.2% of 8th graders, 6.1% of 10th graders, and 6.6% of 12th graders had used smokeless tobacco at least once in the month prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future PCP/Phencyclidine
Brief Description
Illegally manufactured in labs and sold as tablets, capsules, or colored powder. It can be snorted, smoked, or eaten. Developed in the 1950s as an IV anesthetic, PCP was never approved for human use because of problems during clinical studies, including intensely negative psychological effects.
Street Name
Angel Dust, Embalming Fluid, Killer Weed, Rocket Fuel, Supergrass.
Short Term Effects
At low to moderate doses, PCP can cause distinct changes in body awareness, similar to those associated with alcohol intoxication. Other effects can include shallow breathing, flushing, profuse sweating, generalized numbness of the extremities and poor muscular coordination. Use of PCP among adolescents may interfere with hormones related to normal growth and development as well as with the learning process.
At high doses, PCP can cause hallucinations as well as seizures, coma, and death (though death more often results from accidental injury or suicide during PCP intoxication). Other effects that can occur at high doses are nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, flicking up and down of the eyes, drooling, loss of balance, and dizziness. High doses can also cause effects similar to symptoms of schizophrenia, such as delusions, paranoia, disordered thinking, a sensation of distance from one's environment, and catatonia. Speech is often sparse and garbled. PCP has sedative effects, and interactions with other central nervous system depressants, such as alcohol and benzodiazepines, can lead to coma or accidental overdose. Many PCP users are brought to emergency rooms because of PCP's unpleasant psychological effects or because of overdoses. In a hospital or detention setting, they often become violent or suicidal, and are very dangerous to themselves and to others. They should be kept in a calm setting and should not be left alone. Long Term Effects
PCP is addicting; that is, its use often leads to psychological dependence, craving, and compulsive PCP-seeking behavior.
People who use PCP for long periods report memory loss, difficulties with speech and thinking, depression, and weight loss. These symptoms can persist up to a year after cessation of PCP use. Mood disorders also have been reported. Federal Classification
Schedule II
Statistics and Trends
In 2006, 187,000 Americans age 12 and older had abused PCP at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health;
The NIDA-funded 2007 Monitoring the Future Study does not measure PCP use among 8th and 10th graders but showed that 0.9% of 12th graders had abused PCP at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future Prescription Medications
Brief Description
Prescription drugs that are abused or used for nonmedical reasons can alter brain activity and lead to dependence. Commonly abused classes of prescription drugs include opioids (often prescribed to treat pain), central nervous system depressants (often prescribed to treat anxiety and sleep disorders), and stimulants (prescribed to treat narcolepsy, ADHD, and obesity).
Street Name
Commonly used opioids include oxycodone (OxyContin), propoxyphene (Darvon), hydrocodone (Vicodin), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), meperidine (Demerol), and diphenoxylate (Lomotil). Common central nervous system depressants include barbiturates such as pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal), and benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax). Stimulants include dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) and methylphenidate (Ritalin).
Effects
Long-term use of opioids or central nervous system depressants can lead to physical dependence and addiction. Taken in high doses, stimulants can lead to compulsive use, paranoia, dangerously high body temperatures, and irregular heartbeat.
Statistics and Trends
In 2006, 16.2 million Americans age 12 and older had taken a prescription pain reliever, tranquilizer, stimulant, or sedative for nonmedical purposes at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health;
The NIDA-funded 2007 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 2.7% of 8th graders, 7.2% of 10th graders, and 9.6% of 12th graders had abused Vicodin and 1.8% of 8th graders, 3.9% of 10th graders, and 5.2% of 12th graders had abused OxyContin for nonmedical purposes at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future Steroids (Anabolic)
Brief Description
Mostly synthetic substances similar to the male sex hormone testosterone. Some people, especially athletes, abuse anabolic steroids to enhance performance and appearance. Abuse of anabolic steroids can lead to serious health problems, some of which are irreversible.
Street Name
Juice, Rhoids, Roids
Long Term Effects
Reports indicate that use of anabolic steroids produces increases in lean muscle mass, strength, and ability to train longer and harder. Many health hazards of short-term effects are reversible. The major effects of anabolic steroid use include liver tumors, jaundice, fluid retention, and high blood pressure. Additional side effects include the following: for men shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts; for women growth of facial hair, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle, deepened voice; for adolescents growth halted prematurely through premature skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty changes. Researchers report that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.
Federal Classification
Schedule III
Statistics and Trends
The NIDA-funded 2007 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 0.8% of 8th graders, 1.1% of 10th graders, and 1.4% of 12th graders had abused anabolic steroids at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future
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