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