Alcohol and Drugs

Details: Category: Alcohol and Drugs

The fastest-growing drug problem in the United States isn’t cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamines. It is prescription drugs, and it is profoundly affecting the lives of teenagers.

Research shows that when parents talk openly about drugs and drinking, children have better self-control and develop more negative perceptions of these risky behaviors.

How To Explain to Your Teen
Why You Don’t Want Him
Drinking or Using Drugs

Don’t want your teen drinking or using drugs? Tell him how you feel and what you expect from him. Be warm but firm. For example, you might say:

I'm not trying to ruin your fun. I love you and I want you to stay healthy. The best way to do that is to stay completely away from drugs and alcohol. I need you to promise that you will.

I realize there's a lot of temptation out there. I also know you're a really smart, strong person. That's why I expect you to stay clean — no matter what your friends are doing. Agreed?

There's a lot of new science about teens, drugs and alcohol. It scares me to know how easily you could damage your brain www.drugfree.org/teenbrain or get addicted. I want your word that you'll steer clear of all that, and keep me in the loop on the kids you hang out with, too.

In addition, educating adolescents and their parents about the risks of drug misuse and abuse can play a role in combating the problem. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), created the website NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse to educate teens, their parents, and teachers on the science behind prescription drug misuse and abuse. Developed with the help of teens to ensure relevance, NIDA scientists created a site that delivers science-based facts about how drugs affect the brain and body so that young people will be armed with better information to make healthy decisions.

MY GENERATION RX

“My Generation Rx” includes resources designed to educate teens about the importance of using medications safely, as well as teaching teens key skills to turn down invitations to misuse and positive alternatives to cope with the demands of life. These materials could be delivered in formal classroom settings, after-school programming, youth organization meetings, or any other venue with teen audiences.

Download Toolkits

Rise in Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse Impacting Teens

According to National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) DrugFacts, prescription drug misuse and abuse is when someone takes a medication inappropriately (for example, without a prescription). Sadly, prescription drug misuse and abuse among young people is not an insignificant problem. According to National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data on youth and young adults, more than 5,700 youth in 2014 reported using prescription pain relievers without a doctor’s guidance for the first time.

A common misperception is that prescription drugs are safer or less harmful to one’s body than other kinds of drugs. However, there is a range of short- and long-term health consequences for each type of prescription drug used inappropriately:

Stimulants have side effects in common with cocaine, and may include paranoia, dangerously high body temperatures, and an irregular heartbeat, especially if stimulants are taken in large doses or in ways other than swallowing a pill.
Opioids, which act on the same parts of the brain as heroin, can cause drowsiness, nausea, constipation, and, depending on the amount taken, slowed breathing.
Depressants can cause slurred speech, shallow breathing, fatigue, disorientation, lack of coordination, and seizures upon withdrawal from chronic use.

These impacts can be particularly harmful to a developing adolescent brain and body. Our brains continue to develop until we reach our early- to mid-twenties. During adolescence, the pre-frontal cortex further develops to enable us to set priorities, formulate strategies, allocate attention, and control impulses. The outer mantle of the brain also experiences a burst of development, helping us to become more sophisticated at processing abstract information and understanding rules, laws, and codes of social conduct. Drug use impacts perception—a skill adolescent brains are actively trying to cultivate—and can fracture developing neural pathways. Additionally, as our brains are becoming hardwired during adolescence, the pathways being reinforced are the ones that stick. If those pathways include addiction, the impact may lead to life-long challenges.

As with any type of mind-altering drug, prescription drug misuse and abuse can affect judgment and inhibition, putting adolescents at heightened risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, misusing other kinds of drugs, and engaging in additional risky behaviors.

NIAAA recently launched the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator. This online tool helps you find the right treatment for you — and near you. It guides you through a step-by-step process to finding a highly qualified professional treatment provider. Learn more at alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov

Harm Reduction, Injecting Drug Use 101, Guide to Cleaning Used Syringes

Sharing needles, syringes, or other equipment (works) to inject drugs puts people at high risk for getting or transmitting HIV and other infections. People who inject drugs account for about 1 in 10 HIV diagnoses in the United States. The best way to reduce the risk of getting or transmitting HIV through injection drug use is to stop injecting drugs. Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) to find a treatment center. If you continue injecting drugs, never share needles or works.

If you continue injecting drugs, never share needles or works. Many communities have syringe services programs (SSPs) where you can get free sterile needles and syringes and safely dispose of used ones. They can also refer you to substance use disorder treatment and help you get tested for HIV and hepatitis. Contact your local health department or North American Syringe Exchange Network (NASEN) to find an SSP. Also, some pharmacies may sell needles without a prescription.

Clean Syringe Access Database

US Syringe Exchange Program Database

NASEN is dedicated to the creation, expansion and continued existence of syringe exchange programs as a proven method of stopping the transmission of blood-borne pathogens in the injecting drug using community.

The following is a list by state/province/territory of those syringe exchange programs in North America that have given us permission to make their contact information public. This is not a definitive list of all syringe exchange programs.

Locations

Exchange Program

A Disinfected Syringe is NOT a Sterile Syringe If it is done carefully and thoroughly, disinfection can reduce the amount of live HIV, HBV, and HCV in a syringe.

However, even the best disinfection procedure cannot guarantee that all viruses have been killed. The plastic syringes usually used by IDUs are designed for one-time use. They are not designed to be cleaned and used again.

Disinfected syringes do NOT meet the standards that are applied in all other settings in which people use syringes (such as hospitals, other health care settings, and insulin injections by people with diabetes). In these settings, people must use a new, sterile syringe for every injection.

For these reasons, a disinfected syringe is NOT as safe as a new, sterile syringe. Recommendations about disinfecting syringes with bleach or others agents apply ONLY to situations in which IDUs do not have sterile syringes.

Substance abuse treatment and access to sterile syringes through pharmacies, physician prescription, and syringe exchange programs are essential components of HIV prevention efforts among injection drug users.

NASEN

Other things you can do to lower your risk of getting or transmitting HIV, if you continue to inject drugs, include:

Cleaning used needles with bleach. This may reduce the risk of HIV but doesn’t eliminate it.
Using sterile water to fix drugs.
Cleaning your skin with a new alcohol swab before you inject.
Being careful not to get someone else’s blood on your hands or your needle or works.
Disposing of needles safely after one use. Use a sharps container, or keep used needles away from other people.
Getting tested for HIV at least once a year.
Asking your doctor about taking daily medicine to prevent HIV (called pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP).
Using a condom the right way every time you have anal or vaginal sex. Learn the right way to use a male condom.

Learn more about how to protect yourself, and get information tailored to meet your needs from CDC’s HIV Risk Reduction Tool

Getting Help Resources from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Finding and Getting Help

Treatment for Alcohol Problems: Finding and Getting Help
This guide from NIAAA is written for individuals, and their family and friends, who are looking for options to address alcohol problems. It is intended as a resource to understand what treatment choices are available and what to consider when selecting among them.

Rethinking Drinking: Alcohol and Your Health
For anyone who drinks, this site and booklet from NIAAA offers valuable, research-based information to help people to take a look at their drinking habits and how they may affect their health, and find ways to make a change.

Professional help

Your doctor. Primary care and mental health practitioners can provide effective alcoholism treatment by combining new medications with brief counseling visits. To aid clinicians, NIAAA has developed two guides: Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much, and for younger patients, Alcohol Screening and Brief Interventions for Youth: A Practitioner’s Guide. Both are available at www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/clinical-guides-and-manuals.

Specialists in alcohol use disorders. For specialty addiction treatment options, contact your doctor, health insurance plan, local health department, or employee assistance program. Other resources include:

Medical and non-medical addiction specialists

American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
www.aaap.org
401–524–3076

American Psychological Association
www.apa.org
1–800–964–2000 (ask for your State’s referral number to find psychologists with addiction specialties)

American Society of Addiction Medicine
www.asam.org
301–656–3920 (ask for the phone number of your State’s chapter)

NAADAC Substance Abuse Professionals
www.naadac.org
1–800–548–0497

National Association of Social Workers
www.helpstartshere.org (search for social workers with addiction specialties)

Treatment facilities

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator
findtreatment.samhsa.gov
1–800–662–HELP (1-800-662-4357)

Mutual-support groups

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
www.aa.org
212–870–3400 or check your local phone directory under “Alcoholism”

Moderation Management
www.moderation.org
212–871–0974

Secular Organizations for Sobriety
www.sossobriety.org
323–666–4295

SMART Recovery
www.smartrecovery.org
440–951–5357

Women for Sobriety
www.womenforsobriety.org
215–536–8026

Groups for family and friends

Al-Anon Family Groups
al-anon.org
1–888–425–2666 for meetings

Adult Children of Alcoholics
adultchildren.org
310–534–1815

Information resources

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
www.niaaa.nih.gov
301–443–3860

National Institute on Drug Abuse
www.drugabuse.gov
301–443–1124

National Institute of Mental Health
www.nimh.nih.gov
1–866–615–6464

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
www.samhsa.gov
1–800–729–6686

Use Condom the Right Way, Condom Size Calculator, Lubricant, Barebacking and Resources

The Condom Size Calculator

Why Condoms Break

Using a personal lubricant

What's the best kind of condom?

Male Condom Use, Fact Sheets and Condom Shopping Guide

The Female Condom and Facts

The Female Condom:

The female condom, like the male condom, is a barrier contraceptive made of latex or polyurethane. The condom has a ring on each end. The ring that is placed inside the vagina fits over the cervix, while the other ring, which is open, rests outside of the vagina and covers the vulva. The female condom is sold over-the-counter.

The Female Health Company - The Female Health Company is the only developer and manufacturer of the female condom. Their website provides information regarding the product, strategic introduction of the female condom, resources and other information.

The FC2 female condom, the second generation female condom, is now available in the United States. The FC2 female condom is a strong, thin, nitrile sheath that is about 6.5 inches long (about the same length as a male condom) with a flexible "ring" at each end. It is inserted into the vagina prior to sexual intercourse and provides protection against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV. The inner ring aids insertion and helps keep the female condom in place during intercourse while the softer outer ring remains outside the vagina.

Provides both men and women with an additional choice to prevent unintended pregnancies and protect themselves from STDs including HIV.
Is the only female-initiated barrier method alternative to the male condom.
Forms a barrier between the penis and the vagina, cervix and external genitalia, thereby providing additional protection.
Is made from nitrile, a synthetic latex, and causes no allergic reactions and, unlike latex, may be used with both oil and water based lubricants.
Can be inserted up to 8 hours before intercourse so it will not interrupt sexual spontaneity. It is not dependent on the male erection and does not require immediate withdrawal after ejaculation.
Conducts/retains heat, so sexual intercourse can feel natural.
Is not tight or constricting

The female condom is not difficult to use, but it may take practice to become comfortable using it. It is recommended that women practice inserting and removing the female condom, before using it for the first time during sexual intercourse. The female condom should not be used together with a male condom.

Female Condom Use

The Right Way To Use A Female Condom

The Female Condom Guide

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The Female Condom Guide Spanish

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Female Condom Dos and Don’ts

DO use a female condom from start to finish, every time you have vaginal sex.*
DO read the condom package insert and check the expiration date.
DO make sure there are no tears or defects.
DO use lubricant to help prevent the condom from slipping and tearing.
DO store female condoms in a cool, dry place.

*Female condoms can also be used for anal sex.

DON’T use a male condom with a female condom, as this can cause tearing.
DON’T reuse a female condom.
DON’T flush female condoms as they may clog the toilet.

How To Insert and Remove a Female Condom

Carefully open and remove female condom from package to prevent tearing.

The thick, inner ring with closed end is used for placing in the vagina and holds condom in place. The thin, outer ring remains outside of body, covering vaginal opening.

Find a comfortable position. While holding outside of condom at closed end, squeeze sides of inner ring together with your thumb and forefinger and insert into vagina. It is similar to inserting a tampon.

Using your finger, push inner ring as far up as it will go until it rests against cervix. The condom will expand naturally and you may not feel it.

Be sure condom is not twisted. The thin, outer ring should remain outside vagina.

Guide partner’s penis into opening of female condom. Stop intercourse if you feel penis slip between condom and walls of vagina or if outer ring is pushed into vagina.

To remove, gently twist outer ring and pull female condom out of vagina.

Throw away female condom in trash after using it one time. Do not reuse.

Semen Leakage

Withdrawal (Pull Out Method)

The truth about barebacking

The Gift (2003 film) 62 minutes

Subject

It's important to use condoms (rubbers, prophylactics) to help reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). These diseases include the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), chlamydia, genital herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, and syphilis. You can get them through having sex -- vaginal, anal, or oral.