Goldmines drugs booklet

Drugs destroy and ruin millions of lives every year.

What should YOU know about them?

Drugs are substances (legal or Illegal) that by their chemical nature can change the way the body functions and the way people think, feel and act.

Drug abuse has also been deďŹ ned as the self-administrations, of drugs for non-medical reasons, in quantities and frequencies which may impart inability to function eectively and which may result in physical, social and or emotional harm. You need to know the facts about drugs so as to avoid becoming addicted to them.

OUR DRUG CULTURE In Kenya, as elsewhere, drug abuse may be part of a powerful ‘CULTURE’ where drug use is considered to be ‘NORMAL’. Young people drink alcohol, smoke, marijuana (bhang) or chew khat (miraa) as a social activity despite negative effects that this habit has on their health and well-being.

Drug culture is popularized by music and mass media that invades the lives of young people.

For instance, some of the reggae artists are advocates of social, recreational and religiously justified marijuana (bhang) use. Many young people have deep affection and reverence to musicians who openly admit to the drug use giving them expectations and misconceptions about the effects of drug abuse.

The most commonly abused drugs here in Kenya are alcohol, marijuana (bhang), khat (miraa/mogoka), tobacco, inhalants among other drugs.

Young people today are exposed earlier than ever before to drugs.

Based on a survey by the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), Children as young as 5 years old are having their ďŹ rst experience with drugs as alcohol prevalence is more prevalent in teenagers. It is estimated that up to more than 55,000 children under the age of 14years are addicted to drugs and 45% of the youths in Kenya are abusing drugs. If we round it o to 50% it simply means that 1 out of every 2 youths is abusing drugs.

WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE DRUS? People take drugs for various reasons. Some of the reasons people give for taking drugs are: For pleasure; to enjoy the feeling one gets.

To satisfy curiosity; experimenting as a reason for drug abuse appears to be part of the adolescent “Rite of passage” To relieve stress; use of drugs as a way to escape reality, abuse or problems.

To do away with boredom.

Peer influence Family history of addiction To fit in and seem grown up

EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE When a young person gets into a regular pattern of drug abuse, the drugs take center stage of the person’s life. Drugs become the emotional and social focus at the expense of other interests and activities in their lives. There is a decline, in initiative, drive and interest in drug-free activities. This gradually leads to social, physiological, emotional and physical problems. Loss of control and the breakdown of close relationships may lead to feelings of self-doubt, poor self-esteem, guilt, anxiety, sadness and some even become suicidal all leading to further drug abuse as an escape. Tolerance and dependence accompany this process.

Tolerance:

The repeated use of a drug leads to changes in the brain and nervous system so that the user needs more of the drug in order to get the expected effect. This is the basis of drug tolerance.

Dependence:

Any dependence is an emotional and sometimes a physical need experienced by the drug abuser.

The person feels a compulsion to take the drug on a regular basis, to feel its effects and avoid the discomfort of its absence. Physical dependence on any drug can be treated in a detoxification program (Detox) However, psychological dependence is much harder to treat. This is the principal challenge for a counselor. I however believe one needs a much higher power (GOD) and a self-determined decision to generally get out of drug and alcohol dependency.

Withdrawal:

For a drug dependent person, it is necessary to take the drug in order to maintain normal body functions. When the drug is not taken, the person suffers from physical and mental discomforts as a result. The fear of suffering from withdrawal symptoms is like an emotional and physical prison which makes the addict feel trapped and controlled by the drugs. Initially, drugs are taken to experience sensations, in the later stages they are used to avoid suffering the unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal.

Addiction:

Addiction is a physical and physiological habit or feeling of need, which comes from repeated use of a drug. Drug abusers often continue to feel the need and desire for drugs after they have been treated (detoxification) for drug dependence.

CONSEQUENCES OF DRUG ABUSE The negative health consequences of any drug-abuse are many and varied, involving the body, mind and emotions.

A major and growing consideration is the contribution of drug abuse to the spread of HIV/AIDS. Intoxication with drugs leads to sexual risky behaviors that are a major contributing factor to the rapid spread of this condition. Infected drug abusers who share needles can also infect each other with HIV/AIDS (blood-to-blood).

Infections common to drug addicts include: Viral hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, chest, heart, lungs, kidney infections and abscesses. Other physical eects on women may include hormonal changes leading to menstrual irregularity, infertility, negative eects on fetal growth and negative development for the growing child.

Effects on the brain lead to emotional instability, poor impulse control and mental difficulties. E.g. regular use of marijuana (bhang) impairs fine memory functions. Habitual drug abuser saps both physical and mental vitality, causing the user to be less productive in all areas of life. It affects the senses in such a way that social and emotional cues are blunted. Drug addiction may lead to stunting social and emotional development in young people

CASE STUDIES OF MIKE AND ANN (Names are changed to protect the real people involved)

“I am an emotional child” says Mike a young man 24 years old. “At times I’m afraid and even intimidated by others my own age. I’ve even considered suicide.” “I had used drugs since I was 11 years old. When I stopped at the age of 22 years, I felt like a child.

Ann 36 years old describes herself as “emotionally very young” Having low self-esteem, she adds. “I find it very difficult to live a normal life.”

Ann who used drugs as an escape confesses,

“For 14 years I haven’t dealt with my problems. I have latched onto others, trying to find security. I came to realize that my emotional development stopped when I started using drugs.”

Mike and Ann are reaping the consequences of a decision they made when they were quite young to experiment with drugs.

If we want to help drug abusers avoid all these real dangers, we need to understand what they want to get from drugs and help them to fulfill these needs in healthier ways.

TOBACCO Tobacco comes in many forms, cigarette being the most common. Tobacco can be chewed or smoked. It has been recognized that 90% of cigarette smoke is made up of tiny poisonous gases or chemicals said to be up to 4000 in number. The chemical substances can be classiďŹ ed into three categories.

1. Pollutants 2. Poisonous chemicals 3. Cancer causing and promoting agents Nicotine, one of the poisonous chemical agent, has a powerful addicting substance that sustains the wide spread of tobacco.

EFFECTS

Dental problems such as yellow teeth, gum disease, tooth decay etc. Respiratory problems such as increased coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath cause serious ailments such as bronchitis, heart attacks, pneumonia, impotence e.t.c STATISTICS Tobacco is highly addictive. It is the number one cause of death. At present, smoking accounts for 90% of lung cancer, which is 30% of all cancers put together. Over 80% of chronic bronchitis cases are caused by smoking as well as 20-25 % of all coronary heart disease and strokes.

Researchers estimated that 50% of smokers who started smoking at a young age will eventually die of a smoking related illness.

Tobacco kills about 1,200 people a day.

BHANG

The plant Cannabis Sativa is the source of bhang. The leaves, flowers and twigs of the plant are crushed to produce marijuana.

The active ingredient in bhang is delta-9-tetrahydro cannabinol or THC. It is said that the ingredient contains more than 400 chemicals of which are harmful. The chemicals can remain in the body for up to a month.

EFFECTS

span, euphoria, drowsiness, lowering inhibition and loss of judgment. When used over a long period of time, it can cause changes in the brain, i.e it has been found that the brains of young heavy users reduce in size. Progressive 1.Effects on the central nervous brain damage may explain the psychic changes that occur systems after heavy long term use.

Bhang affects the perception of time, distance and speed. It upsets coordination causing unsteady hands, a change in gait, uncontrolled laughter, and a lag between thought and facial expressions. One may suffer illusions and hallucinations, difficulty in recalling events in the immediate past, slowed thinking and narrowed attention

2. Effects on the respiratory system Individuals who smoke bhang for long periods show a tendency towards bronchitis. The lungs of a bhang user are more blackened than those of tobacco smokers because, to get an effect, cannabis smoke must be inhaled deeper and held longer in the lungs. The Concentration of THC in the lungs is much higher compared to the body as whole.

3.Effects on the hormonal system Studies have shown that testosterone, the most potent of the male sex hormones, is depressed in the blood of bhang users, and the reproductive function is inhibited. Sperm counts are lower and there is a decrease in sperm mobility and increase in number of abnormal sperm. Bhang is antandrogenic and the effects may translate into decreased libido and impaired fertility. In female, bhang causes hormonal disruption of female reproductive cycle, a suppression of ovarian function and disorders of menstruation.

4. Effects on cell Function Normal human cells except the reproductive cells contain 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs. Long term users of psychotropic substances have a higher number of broken chromosomes hence leading to birth of malformed off springs. Another serious implication of the damage to cells is the suppression of immune results through the interference with genes that regulate the defense cells.

KHAT Khat is a natural stimulant from the Catha Edulis plant. It contains a number of psychoactive chemicals among which two are controlled substances, Cathinone and Cathine.

Khat is chewed and then retained in the cheek and chewed intermittently to release the active drug.

EFFECTS 1. It can lead to increased blood pressure, insomnia, anorexia, constipation and general malaise.

2. Compulsive use may result in aggressive behavior with grandiose delusions, sperm diarrhea etc 3. Withdrawal symptoms include lethargy, depression, nightmares and tremors.

ALCOHOL Alcohol is a psychoactive substance that depresses your central nervous system.

(Brain and spinal cord) In chemical terminology, alcohol is a large group of organic compounds derived from hydrocarbons and contain one or more hydroxyl group. Ethanol (C2H5OH ethyl alcohol) is one of these classes of compounds and is the main psychoactive ingredient in alcoholic drinks.

Alcohol has greater impact on young people’s physical and mental well-being than older people because their bodies are still growing.

EFFECTS 1. Acute episodes of drinking can bring about short-term memory impairment, lack of coordination, slurred speech, loss of control in the individual, and may lead to violence, physical disorder, peptic ulcers and poor concentration.

2. Prolonged use and abuse of alcohol can lead to a deteriorating physical condition that can include liver damage, increase the risk of heart disease and brain cell death.

3. Other medical problems associated with alcoholism are sexual dysfunction in both male and females such as impotence in male and low sexual libido in female.

INHALANTS In the class of Inhalants are substances that are not usually considered drugs such as; 1. Glue 2. Paint thinner 3. Aerosol (gasoline) 4. Petroleum fluids 5. Cleaning fluids etc These are chemical vapors that produce psychoactive (mind-altering) effects. Young people are likely to abuse inhalants in part because inhalants are readily available and affordable.

EFFECTS

1. Nearly all abused inhalants produce effects similar to anesthetics, which act to slow down the body’s functions. When inhaled via the nose or mouth into the lungs in sufficient concentrations, inhalants can cause intoxicating effects.

2. Intoxication can last only a few minutes or several hours if inhalants are taken repeatedly. Initially, users feel slightly stimulated; with successive inhalations, they may feel less inhibited and less in control. Finally users can lose consciousness.

3. High concentrations of inhalants also can cause death from suffocation by displacing oxygen in the lungs and then in the central nervous system so that breathing ceases.

4. A habitual user of solvents may have persistent cough from inflammation of their respiratory tract. Certain inhalants such as paint thinner, aeroplane fuel, glue, and nitrous oxide can choke the user of freeze the vocal codes.

5. Sniffing inhalants can impair vision, judgment, muscle and reflex control.

GOLDMINES FOUNDATION

HALLUCINOGENS These are chemicals substances that induced alternation in perception, thinking and feeling. They are not used medically in most countries except occasionally in treatment of dying patients and people with mental illness.

Among the hallucinogens that are widely abused are LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) LSD is sold in tablets, capsules or in liquid form. It is commonly added to absorbent paper and divided into small decorated squares. Each Square is a dose.

EFFECTS

1. Thinking disorder, poor perception of distance, time, space and body.

2. Dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite and dry mouth.

3. Can cause anxiety, illusions, hallucinations, panic reactions, violence and psychosis.

COCAINE Cocaine is a purified extract from the leaves of erythroxylum coca bush. Different chemical process produces the two main forms of cocaine.

Powdered Cocaine: Commonly known as “Coke”dissolves in water and users can snort or inject the cocaine.

Crack Cocaine- Commonly known as “Crack” is made by a chemical process that leaves it in “it’s free base” or “crystal” form which can be smoked.

Smoking or injecting cocaine results in a nearly instantaneous effect. Whatever the method of taking it, cocaine quickly enters the blood stream and travels to the brain.

Deep in the brain, cocaine interferes with chemical messages- neurotransmitters that nerves use to communicate with each other.

EFFECTS

1. Cocaine increases heart rate and blood pressure. It also leads to muscle spasms and convulsions.

2. It causes a short- lived intense high that is immediately followed by the opposite- intense feelings of depression and edginess and a craving for more of the drug.

3. The drug can make people feel paranoid, anger, hostile and anxious, even when they are not high.

4. It can drive an addict to commit suicide.

HEROIN

This drug is usually injected, snorted or smoked.

It is highly addictive. Heroin enters the brain rapidly but makes people think and react slowly, imparting their decision making ability. The drug can cause diďŹƒculty in remembering things.

Injecting the drug can create a risk of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis (liver disease) and other diseases caused by infected needles.

EFFECTS

1. It suppresses the awareness of pain. Abusers can also experience clouded mental functioning, nausea and vomiting.

2. Cardiac (heart) functions slow down and breathing is severely slowed, sometimes to the point of death.

3. Scarred and /or collapsed veins, bacterial infections of the blood vessels, heart valves and other soft-tissue infections, and liver or kidney disease.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

The abuse of prescription drugs has become a more serious problem than most street drugs.

Depressants, for example are substances that generally decrease the activity of the central nervous system.

EFFECTS

1. Barbiturates, benzodiazepines and other depressants can cause disorientation, slurred speech, and memory impairment.

2. An overdose of depressants can lead to shallow breathing, clammy skin, dilated, pupils, weak and rapid pulse, coma and death.

NOTE

Barbiturates such as phenobarbitone are used to treat anxiety, tension and sleeping disorders.

Benzodiazepine such as diazepam is commonly known as Roche 5 can be prescribed to treat anxiety, acute stress reactions and panic attacks.

MAKING POSITIVE CHOICE(S) Making positive choices is important. Negative choices increase your chances of suering bad consequences. The best choice you’ll ever make in life is to live a DRUG FREE LIFE.

REFRENCES 1. National Authority for Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse survey 2013 2. Use of Drug Kits in Schools 15th April 2014 3. Foundation for a Drug-Free World.

4. Drug counselors Handbook (A practical guide for everyday use)

Insight is a mentorship program that aims at educating young people on prevention and risks of alcohol and drug abuse. This booklet is a series of publications that cover the facts about tobacco, bhang, khat, alcohol, inhalants, hallucinogens, cocaine and prescription drugs. Armed with this information, the reader can make the right decision to live a drug free life.

Goldmines Foundation P.O Box 4901-00506 Nairobi, Kenya Email: goldminesfoundation@gmail.com Phone: +254 721 983 070

2014 Goldmines Foundation. All rights reserved. The Foundation logo is a trade mark owned by Goldmines Foundation