What To Do About . . .

Alcohol Poisoning

If you are with someone who has been drinking heavily, don't hesitate or worry about what the person will think when they sober up. It's your call. If you think he/she has suffered alcohol poisoning, then do something!

Call for HELP. Dial 911 or 211. If you are near a hospital get him/her to an  emergency room as soon as possible. DO NOT LEAVE THE PERSON ALONE, and carefully watch his/her breathing. If it  stops, administer CPR. Stand by your decision. Even if the person ends up not suffering from  alcohol poisoning, stand up for your act of friendship. You did the right thing  based on your best judgment. Remember, your friend was not able to make the  decision about what is good for him/her, and the judgment call has been put into your hands.

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine, a derivative of amphetamine, is a powerful stimulant that affects the central nervous system. You can not sober up a methamphetamine high.  Coffee, eating, or a cold shower does nothing.  Call 911 or 211 for help if you or a friend experience any of these symptoms: convulsions, dangerously high body temperature, stroke, cardiac arrhythmia, stomach cramps, and shaking.  Hypothermia and convulsions can occur when a user overdoses and, if not treated immediately, can result in death. Research has shown that as much as 50% of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain can be damaged by prolonged exposure to relatively low levels of methamphetamine and that serotonin- containing nerve cells may be damaged even more extensively.

Chronic methamphetamine abuse can result in inflammation of the heart lining and, for injecting drug users, damaged blood vessels and skin abscesses. Social and occupational connections progressively deteriorate for chronic methamphetamine users. Acute lead poisoning is another potential risk for methamphetamine abusers because of a common method of production that uses lead acetate as a base.

Marijuana

Effects and Consequences of Use

Marijuana use is associated with numerous detrimental health effects, including frequent respiratory infections, impaired memory and learning, increased heart rate, anxiety, and panic attacks.

Effects on the Brain

Marijuana's effects begin as soon as the drug enters the brain and can last from 1 to 3 hours. As THC enters the brain, it causes the user to feel high by stimulating brain cells to release the chemical dopamine. When the euphoria passes, the user may feel sleepy or depressed and may also get feelings of panic, anxiety, or distrust.

Marijuana affects a person's ability to shift attention from one thing to another and causes damage to short-term memory because of how THC alters the way information is processed by the hippocampus. THC disrupts coordination and balance by binding to parts of the brain that regulate balance, posture, coordination of movement, and reaction time.

Other Effects on the Body

Because marijuana contains irritants and carcinogens, it can promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract. A study comparing 173 cancer patients and 176 healthy individuals produced strong evidence that smoking marijuana increased the likelihood of developing cancer of the head or neck. The more marijuana that was smoked, the greater the increase in likelihood. Marijuana also produces high levels of an enzyme that converts some hydrocarbons into their carcinogenic form. These levels may accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells. Additionally, marijuana users typically inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers, increasing the lungs' exposure to carcinogenic smoke.

Users who smoke marijuana regularly may experience the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, including daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and frequent chest colds. Continued marijuana use can result in abnormal functioning of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke.

Community Resources

Narcotics Anonymous -- PO Box 9999 / Van Nuys, CA 91409  Phone (818) 773-9999

Star Drug Testing -- 222 W Carmen Lane #101 / Santa Maria, CA 93458

Phone (805) 349-0558