1. Drug Awareness
Lulwa Al Bakri, Dalia Al Jared, Ashwag Al Arnous, Ghada Al Omran, Wardah Shahid Ali
2. What Is Drug
Addiction?
• Addiction is defined as a chronic,
relapsing brain disease that is
characterized by compulsive
drug seeking and use, despite
harmful consequences. It is
considered a brain disease
because drugs change the brain;
they change its structure and
how it works. These brain
changes can be long-lasting, and
can lead to the harmful
behaviors seen in people who
abuse drugs. Therefore, an
addictive drug is a drug which is
both rewarding and reinforcing.
3. Types of Drugs:
• There two main types of drugs:
1. Stimulants
2. Depressants
• Stimulants and depressants are drugs
that alter natural function of the
brain. Generally, stimulants intensify
mental and physical functions, such
as alertness and heart rate.
Depressants have a relaxing effect
and might slow physical functions,
such as breathing.
4. Stimulants:
• Stimulants, sometimes called “uppers,” temporarily increase
alertness and energy. The most commonly used street drugs that fall
into this category are cocaine and amphetamines.
• SHORT-TERM EFFECTS
• Exhaustion, apathy and depression—the “down” that follows the “up.”
It is this immediate and lasting exhaustion that quickly leads the
stimulant user to want the drug again. Soon he is not trying to get
“high,” he is only trying to get “well”—to feel any energy at all.
• LONG-TERM EFFECTS:
• Stimulants can be addictive. Repeated high doses of some stimulants
over a short period can lead to feelings of hostility or paranoia. Such
doses may also result in dangerously high body temperatures and an
irregular heartbeat.
5. Depressants:
• They depress or reduce arousal or stimulation, in various areas of the brain. Depressants are also
occasionally referred to as "downers" as they lower the level of arousal when taken.
• SHORT-TERM EFFECTS:
• Slow brain function
• Slowed pulse and breathing
• Lowered blood pressure
• Poor concentration
• Confusion
• LONG-TERM EFFECTS
• Long-term use of depressants can produce depression, chronic fatigue, breathing difficulties, sexual
problems and sleep problems. As a dependency on the drug increases, cravings, anxiety or panic are
common if the user is unable to get more.
6. TOLERANCE, DEPENDENCE AND WITHDRAWAL
• With regular use, tolerance to and
dependence on drugs can develop.
Withdrawal symptoms may also be
experienced if the drug is reduced
or stopped.
7. Tolerance:
A person needs more of a drug in order to achieve the same effects they felt previously with smaller
amounts.
Types of tolerance:
• Behavioral
Experienced drug users demonstrate behavioral tolerance when they adjust their appearance, mannerisms and
behavior in order to mask their drug use.
• Dispositional
the brain cannot dispose the drugs on its own. Dispositional tolerance refers to the body essentially taking this task
over by speeding up the metabolism so that the blood can circulate the foreign substances quickly for removal by the
liver.
8. • Inverse
Change in the brain and central nervous system concerning the way chemicals are
processed.
• Reverse
the increased sensitivity one experiences toward a particular drug as a result of the
breakdown of the body’s ability to process the substance.
• Select
refers to the fact that in some cases the brain will selectively mitigate some effects of
a substance, but not others.
9. Dependence:
Use of the drug becomes central to a person's life, and they may experience withdrawal
symptoms if they stop using the drug.
Withdrawal:
Describes a series of symptoms that may appear when a
drug on which a user is physically dependent is stopped
or significantly reduced.
10. CRYSTAL METH
Crystal meth is a synthetic (man-made) chemical, it is an illegal drug in the same
class as cocaine and other powerful street drugs. It has many nicknames—meth,
crank, chalk or speed being the most common.
It is a dangerous and potent chemical and, as with all drugs, a poison that first acts
as a stimulant but then begins to systematically destroy the body. Thus it is
associated with serious health conditions, including memory loss, aggression,
psychotic behavior and potential heart and brain damage.
Popular kinds of drugs;
11. “When I gave my three-year-old son
some cheese to eat, I did not know that
I was giving him poisoned food. I was
too stoned on meth to notice, until
twelve hours later, that my son was
deathly ill. But then I was so stoned it
took me two hours to figure out how to
get him to the hospital five miles
away. By the time I got to the
emergency room my boy was
pronounced dead of a lethal dose of
ammonia hydroxide—one of the
chemicals used to make meth.”
—Melanie
12. Heroin:
Heroin is an opioid drug made from morphine, a
natural substance taken from the seed pod of the poppy plant. Heroin can be a
white or
brown powder, or a black sticky substance. Other common names for heroin
include dope and smack.
Heroin enters the brain rapidly and changes back into morphine. It binds to
opioid receptors on cells located in many areas of the brain, especially those
involved in feelings of pain and pleasure.
13. Why do people use drugs?
1“Everyone is doing it.”
2. People think drugs will help relieve stress
3. People get physically injured and unintentionally get hooked on prescribed drugs.
4. People chase the high they once experienced.
14. • Sudden change in behaviour
• Mood swings; irritable and grumpy and then suddenly happy and bright
• Withdrawal from family members
• Loss of interest in hobbies, sports and other favourite
activities
• Changed sleeping pattern; up at night and sleeping
during the day
Signs that someone is using:
Some of these signs are hard to read, but once you do, it’s
never late to be involved.
15. HOW TO GET CLEAN FROM DRUGS:
Whether you are trying to get off drugs yourself, or helping a friend do so, its important to know
that getting clean is a hard process. There are various methods of getting clean, but it’s important
that the addict has support, since it is very difficult to do this alone.
There are some tips of overcoming teen drugs addictions, such as:
•Committing to quitting
•Determining and setting goals
•Seek professional help
•Get support from your family and friends
•Planning to live an addiction-free life
16. Treatment
•Drug treatment is intended to help addicted
individuals stop compulsive drug seeking and use.
•Treatment can occur in a variety of settings, take
many different forms, and last for different
lengths of time.
•Drug addiction is a chronic disorder with
occasional relapses so a short-term, one-time
treatment is not sufficient. Treatment is a long-
term process involving multiple interventions and
regular monitoring.
17. Treatment
•Drug addiction treatment can include medications,
behavioural therapies, or their combination.
•Successful treatment has several steps:
➢detoxification (the process by which the body rids itself of a
drug)
➢behavioural counselling
➢medication (for opioid, tobacco, or alcohol addiction)
➢evaluation and treatment for co-occurring mental health
issues such as depression and anxiety
➢long-term follow-up to prevent relapse
18. Medications Used For Treatment
•Withdrawal: Medications help suppress withdrawal symptoms during detoxification.
•Relapse prevention: Patients can use medications to help re-establish normal brain
function and decrease cravings.
•Co-occurring conditions: Other medications are available to treat possible mental
health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, that may be contributing to the
person’s addiction.
19. Drug Rehabilitation Centers
DARA Drug Treatment Center Helpline:
+66871407788
Centers in KSA:
Al Eshriqiyah Center
Amal Hospital