Healthy Family Tool Kit

Transcription

1 : How Did I Get Here? A scientific look at opiates, including heroin and prescription painkillers. Students will understand the dangers of the use and abuse of opiates, the chemical causes of addiction in the brain, and the relationship between prescription painkillers and heroin N. Cedar Crest Blvd., Ste. 100, Allentown, PA (610)

2 Dear Caregiver, Your child has participated in a program called : How Did I Get Here that was presented by the Weller Health Education Center. The abuse of prescription painkillers is currently on the rise in many areas of the country due to their increasing availability. Whereas other drugs are more difficult to obtain, these prescription painkillers are often available to adolescents and young adults through medical prescriptions, personal connections, or even found in their own homes. Many students may start taking these drugs because they might seem safer than other types of drugs since they can be prescribed by a doctor, but abuse of prescription painkillers can lead to many negative consequences, including addiction or overdose. Prescription painkiller abuse can also lead to heroin use. According to the CDC, 46 deaths occur every day in the United States from prescription painkiller overdoses. The rise in prescription painkiller abuse also coincides with a rise in heroin use, with approximately 80% of people who abused heroin reporting abusing prescription opioids before starting heroin use. Prescription painkillers and heroin are very closely related, both being considered opioids. Since they are chemically related, they both produce similar effects in the body and pose similar risks of addiction and overdose, even though prescription painkillers might seem very different from heroin. Because of this, it is important for students to understand the dangers of these types of drugs and how they can affect the body and mind. This program introduces students to the science behind prescription painkillers and heroin, as well as their potential short-term and long-term effects. Students also learn the pathology of addiction and withdrawal, as well as risk factors and the signs of an overdose. With this information, they can then make informed decisions regarding these drugs if they come across them. In this toolkit you will find some facts about opioid drugs, including prescription painkillers and heroin, as well as conversation starters to help you continue the message of today s program. For additional resources you are welcome to utilize the parent, teacher and student resource links found on our website at Yours in good health, Weller Health Education Center 2

3 Facts About Opioids: Opioids are a class of drug that includes common prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin, and Demerol, as well as heroin. Their medical purpose is to relieve pain, but they are commonly abused now for their euphoric effects. is more easily available and cheaper now than it was a decade ago. The cost of heroin has dropped about 66% in the past 10 years. Use of heroin by individuals 12 and older has almost doubled since Abuse of painkillers and heroin affects 1 in 4 families and has caused 3000 deaths in Pennsylvania in the last 5 years, which is the 3 rd highest rate in the country behind only Illinois and California. Prescription painkillers are becoming one of the most commonly abused drugs across the country because of their availability. One reason they have become so easily available is because so many prescriptions are being written for them. The CDC reported that health care providers wrote 259 million prescriptions for painkillers in 2012, enough for every adult in the United States to have a bottle. is mainly used in three ways: injected, inhaled or snorted, and smoked. Many people believe some methods may be safer or less addictive, but that isn t true. All methods of use pose the same risks of addiction, overdose, or other side effects. Opioids, such as heroin and prescription painkillers, act as depressants in some body systems. They slow down the central nervous system and the respiratory system. The main reason why so many prescription drug abusers eventually transition to heroin use is because heroin provides basically the same high but can be cheaper and easier to obtain than prescription pills. Many prescription pill users start using because they can be easy to find and are often obtained for free at the beginning. However, that free supply eventually runs out. When prescription pills have to be purchased, they can get very expensive. One single prescription pill can cost about 7 times more than a single bag of heroin. 3

4 and prescription painkillers have similar effects on the body because they have very similar chemical structures. Molecules in your body perform functions based on their shape. Their shape allows them to attach to specific receptors, which then cause their effects. It is very similar to how you need the correctly shaped key to open a lock. Below, you can see the similarities between heroin and other common opioids. When someone starts using a drug, they risk developing a tolerance. This means your body gets used to it and you need a higher dose to get the same effects If someone becomes addicted to opioids and then stops taking them, they will experience withdrawal. This happens when the body thinks it needs the drug and it no longer has it. They will experience many symptoms of being sick, but at very painful levels. These include: o Restlessness o Muscle and bone pain o Insomnia o Diarrhea o Vomiting o Cold flashes o Goose bumps When someone starts using opioids, they may experience a number of short-term effects, including: o Rush a sudden surge of warmth flooding the body o Slowing of heart rate and breathing o Euphoria ( high ) o Slurred speech o Sensation of heavy arms and legs o Alternating sleepiness with awareness, known as being on the nod o Pinpoint pupils o Droopy eyelids o Vomiting o Constipation 4

5 Long-term effects can include: o Collapsed veins o Infections in the heart lining, lungs, kidneys, liver, and brain o Various types of pneumonia Another major risk that many overlook is other toxic additives that are found in street heroin. Most heroin currently sold on the streets is usually only around 30% pure. That means most of it is other additives, which can include sugars, starch, powdered milk, quinine, or ketamine. is also often mixed with methamphetamine or cocaine or co-administered with alprazolam, MDMA, or diphenhydramine. There are many risk factors that might make adolescents more likely to try or become addicted to these types of drugs, including: o Family history of addiction o Impulsive personality o Stress o Having a mental health condition o Lack of parental supervision or involvement o Having friends who do drugs o Childhood trauma o Perceptions about drugs o School problems o Lack of community support The signs of an opioid overdose include: o Extreme sleepiness; inability to awaken verbally or when touched o Slow or shallow breathing o Fingernails or lips turning blue or purple o Extremely small pinpoint pupils o Slow heartbeat and/or low blood pressure If you see these signs, contact 911 immediately Any extra prescription medications need to be disposed of properly to avoid abuse. Follow any specific disposal instructions on the prescription drug label. If there are no instructions, try to find a prescription drug disposal program in your local community. If none is available, remove the pills from their original containers and mix them with an undesirable substance such as coffee grounds or cat litter. Place the mixture in a sealable bag, empty can, or other container to prevent the drug from leaking or breaking out of a garbage bag. Tips for Parents: Familiarize yourself with current information so that you have knowledge of the subject before talking with your teen. Build trust and confidence by being sincere. When teens don t feel comfortable talking to parents, they re likely to seek answers elsewhere, even if their sources are unreliable 5

6 Listen to your teen. This is one way to help build trust between you. At this age, many teenagers feel ready to take on a more adult role, so make sure it is a conversation with equal parts speaking and listening to each other. This will help them feel more respected and comfortable being part of the conversation rather than being lectured. Try to ask open-ended questions to give them chances to respond rather than being lectured. Identify with your teen. You may feel just as uncomfortable as they might, so admit it to them honestly. Assure them that it is natural to feel uncomfortable when talking about such serious issues. Tell your teen what your position is on drugs. Make your position clear and always remain consistent. Don t waiver. Set rules and defined consequences for breaking these rules. Consistency with respect to enforcing rules and consequences is a key factor in shaping behavior. Rewards for honoring rules are a good way to reinforce good decision-making. Lock up or dispose of your unused or expired prescription medications. Don t allow your prescription medications to fall into the hands of your teen or their friends. If you need to keep your medications for a long period of time, keep them locked up. If you have extra medication that you no longer need, find a prescription drug disposal location near you that will allow you to safely dispose of them. Play an active role in your teen s life. The more you get to know them, the better you can help them solve problems or deal with issues in their life and the more comfortable they will feel confiding in you. Creating a warm, open family environment where all family members are encouraged to talk about their feelings and share their accomplishments and worries encourages them to come forward with their questions and concerns. Make family time part of your daily schedule. Finding time to do things you enjoy together as a family helps everyone stay connected and maintain open communication. Use daily events, such as television shows and news reports, as conversation starters. It s often hard to start the conversation with your teen, so try to find a situation where you can bring up the topic naturally. Be Patient. When you initiate the discussions, express patience and show that you are really listening to what is happening in their lives, what may have happened already, and what they have to say about it. Stay calm. If your teen confides in you, try not to react in a way that will turn them off from telling you things in the future. Calmly search for a solution that works for everyone involved. If you find out they have been using drugs, explain to them your feelings, along with the dangers and risks, and work together to help break the pattern of use. 6

7 Don t assume it couldn t happen to your teen. Opioid abuse can affect anyone, no matter the location, socioeconomic status, race, etc. and is becoming more common in well-off suburban neighborhoods as well as cities. Remember that teenagers are likely better informed than you were 30 years ago due to the internet and open communication. Although, the information they get from these sources may not always be accurate. Respect the knowledge your teen does have and correct the information that they are incorrect about in a respectful way. If your teen displays some of the risk factors listed above, it doesn t necessarily mean they are using drugs, but you might want to keep an eye out. VOCABULARY Addiction compulsive physiological need for and use of a habit-forming substance Dependence the body becomes so used to a drug that it thinks the drug is necessary. A person needs the drug then to function normally. a highly-addictive opioid drug derived from the poppy Opioids family of drugs including heroin and prescription painkillers whose effects include pain relief Overdose an excessive and dangerous dose of a drug Prescription Painkillers medications prescribed by a doctor to relieve pain. They are often drugs in the opioid family, including Oxycontin, Vicodin, or Demerol. Tolerance a person s diminished response to a drug, which occurs when the drug is used repeatedly and the body adapts to the presence of the drug Withdrawal abnormal physical or psychological features that follow the abrupt discontinuation of a drug that has the capability of producing physical dependence 7