Other Substances
Alcohol Misuse
Alcohol misuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that results in one or more of the following situations within a 12-month period:
Failure to fulfill major work, school or home responsibilities
Drinking in situations that are physically dangerous, such as while driving a car or operating machinery
Having recurring alcohol-related legal problems, such as being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or for physically hurting someone while drunk
Continued drinking despite having ongoing relationship problems that are caused or worsened by the drinking
Binge drinking: in 2019, 29.6 percent of people ages 18 or older reported that they engaged in binge drinking in the past month
A new study finds Wisconsin ranks first in the US in binge drinking, and above the National average for percentage of underage drinkers. Wisconsin is ranked first for being the Drunkest State in America with a whopping 24.2% of its population drinking excessively - five percent higher than the national average. (2021)
Binge drinking
Binge drinking is defined as the consumption of large quantities of alcohol in a short time — usually five or more drinks for a man or four or more drinks for a woman. About 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 involves binge drinking. Why do young people drink? To get drunk, of course!
Binge drinking even once a week is worse for your body than having a drink once a day. Some popular drinking games include: Bottoms Up, Beer Pong, Quarters, Power Hour and Flip Cup. Parents: If you hear these games are being suggested for a youth party you are holding, be aware that drinking is part of the activities.
A study finds Wisconsin ranks first in the United States in binge drinking. The data shows 24 percent of Wisconsin adults engage in binge drinking, compared to 16% nationally. Binge Drinking costs almost $4 billion a year, which is approximately $700 per Wisconsin resident.
Alcohol effects on the mind and body:
In low doses, alcohol produces: a relaxing effect, reduces tension, lowers inhibitions, impairs concentration, slows reflexes, impairs reaction time and reduces coordination
In medium doses, alcohol produces: slurred speech, drowsiness and altered emotions
In high doses, alcohol produces: vomiting, breathing difficulties, unconsciousness and alcohol coma
Methamphetamines and
Other Simulants
Warning signs…
Stimulants, sometimes called uppers, temporarily increase alertness and energy. The most commonly used street drugs that fall into this category are methamphetamines, cocaine and amphetamines. Prescription stimulants come in tablets or capsules. When misused, they are swallowed, injected in liquid form or crushed and snorted.
Cocaine
Powdered cocaine is a fine, white powder that numbs the tongue when tasted. Crack cocaine comes in small off-white, irregularly shaped rocks. Powder cocaine is usually snorted but can be dissolved and injected. Crack cocaine is smoked for an instantaneous high. Where cocaine is used you may find tiny spoons or scoops, syringes or small glass pipes that look burnt and are coated with residue. You may also find tightly rolled dollar bills or straws used to snort cocaine.
Physical and mental effects of cocaine use:
Rapid onset of effects with a short duration
Excitement, stimulation
Increased sense of confidence and self-worth
Unusually increased energy
Loss of appetite
Awake for long periods
Unusually focused behavior
Dilated pupils
The effects of powder cocaine last a very short time, around a half-hour or a little longer. Crack cocaine lasts an even shorter time, between three to five minutes. Crack cravings are some of the strongest of any drug. Crack is highly addictive because the high happens so quickly. Becoming addicted to crack happens more frequently.
LOOK FOR SIGNS OF COCAINE USE: Tiny spoons or scoops, syringes, small glass pipes that look burnt and coated with residue, tightly rolled dollar bills or straws (used to snort cocaine).
Methamphetamines
Methamphetamine is one of the most addictive drugs in the world. Some people have become addicted after just one or two uses. It is a very strong stimulant “cooked” using extremely toxic chemicals. The damage to a person’s mind and body can be intense. When smoked, ingested or injected, methamphetamine provides a euphoria accompanied by high energy and confidence. A methamphetamine high will usually last for several hours, longer than most other stimulants.
A person’s body temperature goes up while they are high — pupils will be dilated and heart rate and blood pressure will be elevated.
Meth misuse results in the following adverse effects:
Degradation of appearance
Irregular heartbeat
Erratic, irrational moods
Aggressive or violent behavior
Severe paranoia
Confusion, disorientation
Insomnia
Damage to teeth
Rough skin with sores
Risky lifestyle
Neglect of basic needs of self or children
Amphetamine
Very closely related to methamphetamine, amphetamine is another strong stimulant. It is a prescription drug rather than an illicit drug. It is now being used for narcolepsy, a condition where people fall asleep suddenly. Amphetamine is ingested, injected or snorted.
In addition to increased body temperature, euphoria and increased energy, amphetamine use results in:
Hostility and aggressiveness
Paranoia
Cardiovascular system failure
Headache
Lowered inhibitions
Nausea
Blurred vision
Chest pain
Convulsions
Psychosis
Ecstasy
Ecstasy’s nickname is MDMA. Ecstasy is a popular drug at music venues — often sold as a small colored pill, in a blister pack labeled with images of people dancing, or it may be distributed as a liquid.
It has long been known that few pills sold as Ecstasy are composed of pure MDMA (short for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine). Ecstasy pills may actually contain ketamine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, cocaine, pseudoephedrine, dextromethorphan or whatever synthetic drug the pill manufacturer had on hand.
Ecstasy is referred to as an empathogen or entactogen — drugs that cause a person to feel empathy for another person when no such feeling would logically exist.
FACT: An Ecstasy (MDMA) overdose can trigger body temperatures of 110 degrees Fahrenheit and higher.
Effects of Ecstasy:
Greater enjoyment of dancing
Distortions of perceptions, particularly light, music and touch
Artificial feelings of empathy and emotional warmth
Euphoria
Increased body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate
Threat of dehydration
Increased energy
Lack of appetite
Lack of fatigue
Jaw clenching and teeth grinding
Chills
Muscle cramping
After Ecstasy’s immediate effects have worn off, some people, especially heavy users, complain of:
Anxiety
Restlessness
Irritability
Sadness
Lack of appetite
Less interest in or pleasure from sex
Problems sleeping
Aggressive behavior
Difficulty focusing
Poor memory
Drug cravings
Paranoia
The tendency for a person to overheat after using Ecstasy can be dangerous or even fatal. Some nightclubs have cool rooms where cold water is sold, enabling a person to reduce their danger. A habitual Ecstasy user knows he has to keep his body heat under control.
Ecstasy kills by causing the body’s cooling mechanism to break down. Temperatures of 110 degrees Fahrenheit and higher have been seen when a person overdoses on MDMA. These high temperatures kill a person by causing generalized organ breakdown.
One of the common effects of Ecstasy is addiction.
Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine.
Fentanyl was originally developed for pain management treatment for cancer patients and for those who are in chronic pain and physically tolerant to other opioids. However, given its powerful opioid properties, fentanyl is diverted for misuse.
Fentanyl comes in various forms including powder, dropped onto blotter paper, put into eye droppers and/or pills.
Some drug dealers are mixing fentanyl with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana. This is dangerous when people taking drugs don’t realize they might contain fentanyl as a cheap but dangerous additive. They might be taking stronger opioids than their bodies are used to and can be more likely to overdose. In Wisconsin alone in 2020, 86% of opioid deaths were connected to a synthetic or manufactured opioid like fentanyl.
Short-Term Effects:
Pain Relief
Euphoria
Decreased Appetite
Slurred speech
Rash or skin reactions where the fentanyl patch is placed
Decreased blood pressure
Long-Term Effects:
Chronic and severe constipation, which may lead to serious health problems such as bowel obstruction
Breathing problems during sleep
Heart attack and heart failure
Immune system suppression
Hormonal and reproductive issues in both men and women
Anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders
Impact of Fentanyl
There have been hundreds of stories around the United States in the past year that has highlighted the growing issue of Fentanyl in this country. On February 3, 2022, a teenager in Connecticut suffered an apparent overdose from fentanyl-laced marijuana and it took “multiple doses” of Narcan to bring the teen back. The teen got lucky and survived. But some are not as lucky. A 13-year-old in the same state died, a month earlier from a suspected fentanyl overdose.
Prescription Pain Medication
In Wisconsin, more people die from prescription painkiller overdoses than all other drugs.
Prescription medications for pain such as Oxycontin (oxycodone) have been over prescribed and abused by people of all ages over the past few years. These medications have a high risk for addiction and dependence. For some, this dependence will lead to heroin misuse.
What can you do now to prevent misuse?
First, ask for non-narcotic pain medications when you see your doctor or dentist. There are alternatives. Next, if you take a narcotic, follow the doctors’ instructions as to how often to take the medication and the amount. Once the pain subsides, start cutting back on the narcotic and substitute with over-the-counter (OTC) medication such as Tylenol and Advil. Always have a plan. Discuss narcotics and non-narcotic medications with your doctor.
More than 70% of people who misuse prescription painkillers get them through friends or relatives. Let’s hope that statistic doesn’t include your children.
FACT: 4 out of 10 teens believe prescription drugs are less dangerous and less addictive than street drugs. In Wisconsin, the rate of prescription painkiller overdoses has increased 260% over the past recent years among young people ages 12–25.
Synthetic Drugs
The term “designer drug” in the context of drug misuse refers to substances chemically similar to and/or that mimic the drug-like effects of controlled substances. The term is often used synonymously with “club drugs,” “party drugs” and “synthetic drugs.”
Synthetic drugs affect the central nervous system (CNS) and can display stimulant, depressant, and/or hallucinogenic properties.
As recent reports indicate, a large number of new unregulated substances are being misused for their psychoactive properties, often resulting in violent and unpredictable behavior. This growing phenomenon is particularly challenging for two reasons: (1) because of the speed with which rogue chemists can modify existing drugs and market them, and (2) because of the ease with which the Internet allows for the sharing of information about these products and the purchase of products such as “Spice” and “bath salts.”
Synthetic Marijuana
Synthetic marijuana, also called Spice or K2, is a chemically modified herbal substance that produces mind-altering effects similar to — or more potent than — marijuana. The chemicals in synthetic marijuana are manufactured to be similar to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Spice is most commonly smoked, though it may also be prepared in drinks or edibles.
Sold in gas stations, head shops, and on the internet, this drug is promoted as a “safe” and legal alternative to marijuana despite significant evidence to the contrary. Synthetic marijuana is marketed as incense or potpourri and labeled as “not for human consumption.” This marketing loophole allows the substance to be sold legally.
The packaging, name and ingredients of synthetic marijuana are inconsistent and vary based on the seller. Because of this, the drug is a moving target for both health officials and police enforcement hoping to cut down on its negative effects.
If someone you know or care about is misusing synthetic marijuana, get help today.
Synthetic marijuana misuse and effects:
Because synthetic marijuana is not officially intended to be smoked or ingested, using it in this way is considered misuse.
Many teenagers and young adults are drawn to synthetic marijuana because they inaccurately believe it is safer than marijuana — or that they won’t get in trouble for using it because it can be purchased legally. Synthetic marijuana doesn’t show up on most drug tests, making the drug an attractive choice for those worried about getting caught.
Side effects of synthetic marijuana may include:
High blood pressure
Anxiety
Nausea/vomiting
Paranoia
Seizures
Rapid heart rate
Profuse sweating
Confusion
Hallucinations
Heart attacks
Kidney damage
Very little is known about both the short-and long-term health effects of consuming synthetic marijuana and Spice products, but we have reason to think that their potential health risks may be even more serious than those associated with marijuana use. Indeed, Poison Control Centers have reported a wide range of adverse effects related to Spice misuse.
Bath Salts
There is also growing evidence demonstrating the misuse of another class of substances, generically referred to as “bath salts” or “plant foods.” Some of the active ingredients most commonly encountered in seized samples of these products are synthetic cathinone derivatives like methylone, mephedrone, MDPV, and butylone — which, when ingested, snorted, smoked, inhaled or injected — produce stimulant and other psychoactive effects. These synthetic stimulants are derived from a variety of compounds and purported to be alternatives to the controlled substances cocaine, amphetamine and Ecstasy (MDMA).
According to Poison Control Centers’ data, these products seem to be most popular with people who are between 20 and 29 years old. However, poison centers have seen bath-salts exposures in a wide range of ages, from children younger than 6 years old to seniors older than 59.
The synthetic stimulants present in bath salts are powerful drugs. For example MDPV, one of the most common and best characterized cathinones in “bath salts,” is similar to cocaine in that it can enhance the activity of the brain chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine, albeit with significantly greater potency and selectivity.
A serious public health risk
Obviously, manufacturers and retailers of these products, which are clearly and disingenuously labeled as “not for human consumption,” do not disclose the synthetic drug contents. And for a good reason: neither the products nor their active ingredients have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for human consumption or use in legitimate medical treatment.
FACT: Poison centers have seen bath-salts exposures in a wide range of ages, from children younger than 6 to seniors older than 59.
Many of these synthetic substances were initially developed as research tools and later co-opted by unscrupulous individuals. Therefore, anyone purchasing such a product at a gas station, head shop or over the Internet has no way of knowing what he or she is actually putting into their body. In addition to potentially harming themselves, synthetic drug abusers are also a risk to others. Some become violent when under the influence and abusers who operate motor vehicles after using synthetic drugs likely present similar dangers as those people who are under the influence of other misused substances.
Be vigilant
Finally, it is critical to recognize that we are facing a new kind of challenge that goes beyond the health and social consequences of specific products such as “bath salts” or “Spice.” Technological advances, market globalization and the ubiquitous nature of the Internet is likely to generate a continuous flow of cheap psychoactive synthetic drugs for years to come. Researchers are only beginning to chip away at the tip of the synthetic drug iceberg, but it is paramount that we continue to support their efforts to better understand its causes, scope and consequences to inform the smartest and most effective prevention policies.