National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week
January 24, 2019
National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week
The week of January 22-27 serves as National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, an annual initiative started by scientists at the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) in 2010, then partnered with the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) in 2016; both are a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIHA). The week, which is themed “Shatter the Myths”, serves as a segue to connect students with scientists and other experts in the field to dispel myths about alcohol and drugs that are derivative of various avenues like television, movies, music, social media, internet, etc. Instead of relying on these aforementioned myths, the week aims to stimulate education surrounding drugs and alcohol and what science can teach us about drug use and addiction. To join in on the week, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler has compiled a concise list of interesting drug and alcohol information to give you the facts. Treat yourself to some fact-based knowledge and lead a healthy lifestyle.
FACTS
1. Marijuana is addictive.
The Chances of becoming addicted to marijuana or any drug are different for each person; however, approximately one in 11 people who use marijuana become addicted.
2. Marijuana use can lower your intelligence.
Frequent marijuana use as an adolescent can cause loss in IQ points that you may never be able to get back.
3. You’re surrounded by drugs and alcohol more than you think and it can have an effect.
In the age of product placement, you’re exposed to more than you think. While you may not be surrounded directly by drugs or alcohol, a study of popular music found that one in three songs mentioned drug, alcohol, or tobacco use; further, three in four rap songs mentioned drug, alcohol, or tobacco use. An extension of this study also found that of the top 100 movies over a nine-year period, seven in 10 movies maintained characters who smoked and one in three movies had people getting drunk. Research from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows teens who see a lot of smoking in movies are more likely to start smoking themselves. While sometimes characters smoke to portray and edgy and rebellious vibe, sometimes it’s just simply product placement trying to get into your head, and pockets, without regard for your health.
4. Smokeless tobacco causes cancer too.
Smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco and snuff, increases the risk of cancer, especially oral cancers.
5. More people die from prescription opioid overdoses than from heroin and cocaine combined.
Prescription opioids, such as Vicodin and OxyContin, are medications that serve as a severe pain reliever and can very effective when taken as prescribed. However, opioids are derivative from the same class of drugs as heroin and can be dangerous when abused and used recreationally. Common questions to help delineate abuse:
- Who were they prescribed for (you or someone else)?
- How are you taking them (as prescribed or not)?
- Why (to get well or to get high)?
- What else are you taking (mixing with alcohol or other drugs can be dangerous)?
6. Most people who smoke started before the age of 18.
Flavored tobacco and hookah tobacco are often sweet in nature and less harsh when smoking, which lends to these typically being one of the first tobaccos tried by teens. Nearly one in five 12th graders used a hookah pipe in the past year. The sweet flavor and smoothness frequently are confused for being less harmful than regular cigarettes; however, these tobaccos still pose many of the same health risks.
7. The jury is still out on e-cigarettes.
While e-cigarettes are marketed as the less harmful alternative to smoking, research has only just begun on the health risks associated with them. E-cigarettes still contain nicotine, the addictive drug found in tobacco cigarettes. Thus, when smoking e-cigarettes, one still inhales addictive nicotine and potentially other harmful chemicals.
8. Seeking a college degree could help you stay away from drugs.
With the exception of alcohol, drug usage is lower in college students than their non-degree seeking peers. Marijuana, synthetic drugs, nicotine, and prescription opioids all maintain a higher rate of use in college-aged students not pursuing higher education than those enrolled in an institution.
9. Drugs affect your brain’s wiring and signals.
Different drugs do different things, but they all affect the brain. Given the specific effect, that’s what gives the high, low, sped up, slowed down, or seeing things that aren’t there feelings and effects. Frequent repeated drug use can even reset the brain’s pleasure meter; in doing so, without the drug, you feel hopeless and sad. Therefore, typical everyday fun doesn’t produce happiness anymore. Eventually, this can lead to addiction, as well.
10. Treatment really works.
Often, people question the effectiveness of treatment due to relapses and reverting back to drug use and behavior. However, it takes time to recover from addiction. The brain has re-adjust and lifestyle changes to avoid drugs must be made, which can take time. Similar to weight loss diets, which can take multiple attempts to finally make lifestyle changes, it may take several rounds of treatment before it sticks.
Think that you’re well versed on drugs and alcohol? Take the 2019 National Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge to test your knowledge.
Quiz: https://teens.drugabuse.gov/quiz/national-drug-alcohol-facts-week/take-iq-challenge/2019