Health Heroin, Fentanyl, & Marijuana
sign of heroin overdose
- slow breathing - blue lips and fingernails - cold damp skin - vomiting or gurgling noise
how people misuse opioids
- taking a prescription in a way or dose other than instructed - taking someone else's prescription - taking prescription drugs only to get high - mixing prescription opioids with alcohol or other drugs - crushing pills or opening capsules, then: snorting the powder or dissolving the powder in water then injecting the liquid into a vein
begin your detoxification & rehabilitation program
- withdrawal periods during detoxification may be severe and, in some cases, deadly, depending on the drug(s) and should not be done without professional and medical supervision - rehabilitation can be done as in-patient or out-patient - follow-up and follow-through (support meetings and check-ups) in order to maintain your sobriety
substance abuse and addition recovery
1. acknowledge your addiction 2. consider the need for help 3. research treatment options 4. begin your detoxification & rehabilitation program
age restrictions of marijuana
18 years or older - for prescribed medicinal use in most states 21 years or older - for recreational use
The Fentanyl Crisis
Americans are suffering from accidental fentanyl overdoses in record numbers
opioids
a broad group of pain-relieving drugs that work by limiting pain and coughs and boost feelings of pleasure
heroin
a highly addictive drug derived from morphine, a depressant that affects the brain's pleasure systems; mixed with water and injected with a needle, can be injected, smoked, or inhaled in powder form; made into pills, gel caps, and tablets to be swallowed
Narcan
a nasal spray delivered as emergency treatment for a suspected heroin or opioid overdose
what heroin causes
a surge of euphoria accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin and heavy limbs, following this, a person goes into an alternately wakeful and drowsy state ("on the nod")
marijuana (cannabis)
an atypical drug; can act as a stimulant, depressant, and in some cases a hallucinogen; psychoactive drug that can alter mental functioning; will be an age restricted drug
illegal drug market vaping products
been found to be laced with fentanyl and have been the cause of many overdoses
smoking marijuana
can injure the lung tissue and may have more carcinogenic potential than tobacco; creates an increased risk for developing lung cancer (greater than cigarette smokers)
low doses of opioids
can make a person feel sleepy and block pain
high doses of opioids
can slow breathing and heart rate, cause respiratory arrest, coma, and death
opioid dependence
characterized by nausea, mental confusion, drowsiness and severe sweats
short term effects of heroin
clouded thinking, nausea, vomiting, coma, slowed or stopped breathing which can lead to an overdose death
more adults ages 18-45
died of fentanyl overdoses than Covid-19, motor vehicle accidents, cancer, and suicide combined, in 2020
vaping THC
directly connected to EVALI, lung failure, and death caused by vaping
50 to 100 times
fentanyl is _________ more potent than heroin or prescription opioids
80 to 100 times
fentanyl is _________ more powerful than morphine
consider the need for help
from medical professionals, family and friends - build a support team
sale of recreational-use marijuana
has still not been established in NYS
fentanyl powder
has the power to kill with the ingestion, inhalation, or skin absorption
marijuana intoxication
hinders attention, the ability to store long-term memory, and inhibits psychomotor skills
carry across state lines
illegal to buy and/or sell marijuana and is illegal to . . .
long term effects of heroin
infection of the heart, constipation, liver and kidney disease, mental health problems like depression
in March of 2021
marijuana became legalized for adult recreational use in NYS
higher risk of psychological dependence
marijuana may be less physically addictive, making it more difficult to quit using, causing a . . .
the Commissioner
must approve any form of medical marijuana
morphine
opioid created from the poppy plant
fentanyl
opioid created in a lab
some opioids
prescribed by doctors, but many are also considered illegal drugs
chronic use of marijuana
produces irreversible damage to the mind or brain areas, makes you more prone to anxiety, clinical depression, and even schizophrenia
occur when sharing needles
serious health conditions, including fatal overdose and infectious diseases like hepatitis and HIV
approved forms of medical marijuana
solid or semi-solid dosage forms (such as capsules, tablets, and lozenges), metered liquid or oil preparations (for vaporization or oral administration), creams and patches
acknowledge your addiction
sometimes an intervention is needed to help a person come to this revelation
THC
the active drug in marijuana
prescribed medicinal uses for marijuana
used as an alternative to opioid use or substance use disorder
fentanyl
used as an end-of-life sedative or anesthesia during operations ; often secretly laced into other drugs; appear in counterfeit tablets, pills, and gel capsules to mimic prescription pills
overdose deaths regarding fentanyl
usually the user believes they purchase heroin or prescription pills
research treatment options
with the assistance of medical professionals
