YOUTH RESOURCES

People chose to start using drugs for a multitude of reasons: to feel high, to feel calm, to self-medicate (get rid of emotional or physical pain), mental health issues, or to experiment. Drugs and alcohol tap into the feel good chemical - dopamine in your brain.

It stops becoming a choice when the use of drugs or alcohol alters the chemistry in your brain to tell you that ONLY that substance can give your brain the dopamine it is looking for.

Everyone reacts differently but some general signs are:

Being drunk…

1. Talkative, loud, acting out of character indicates lowered inhibitions
2. Using bad language or misbehaving, indicating impaired judgment
3. Moving very slowly or unfocused eyes displaying slowed reactions
4. Stumbling or swaying indicates a loss of coordination

Using drugs…

Drugs have different affects depending on the person, what type of drug, and how much they took. It is hard to list common specific signs of use. If someone has been at a party and is acting different from their usual self, it is safer to assume they may have taken something or been drinking. If you want to learn about signs of specific use, use the Education section in the navigation bar to learn more.

Alcohol, although legal for adults over 21, is still a drug and even legal consumption of alcohol carries risk. For teenagers and people under 21, alcohol use has long term and serious effects because your brain is not fully developed yet. There are several parts of your brain still being developed and the introduction of a substance like alcohol at a young age can affect those - parts like your memory, your decision making skills, and your ability to learn and retain information.

Additionally, because your decision making part of your brain is not fully developed - you have a higher chance of making a risky choice like drinking and driving. Finally, the earlier you start drinking, the more likely you are to develop an alcohol dependency or addiction.

There isn’t an old trick, Tik Tok idea, or secret remedy to counter intoxication. No amount of coffee, water, food, or aspirin will help. TIME is the only guaranteed remedy to alleviate signs of intoxication and reduce your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). And the more you consume, the longer it will take for your BAC and signs to fade.

Yes, marijuana is a legal in some states but it has very real health consequences, including drug addiction.  While some people think marijuana is a “harmless drug,” actual experience and the real science show a different reality about the effects of frequent use.

Brain health: Marijuana can cause permanent IQ loss of as much as 8 points when people start using it at a young age. These IQ points do not come back, even after quitting marijuana.

Mental health: Studies link marijuana use to depression, anxiety, suicide planning, and psychotic episodes. It is not known, however, if marijuana use is the cause of these conditions.

Athletic Performance: Research shows that marijuana affects timing, movement, and coordination, which can harm athletic performance.

Driving: People who drive under the influence of marijuana can experience dangerous effects: slower reactions, lane weaving, decreased coordination, and difficulty reacting to signals and sounds on the road.

Approximately 1 in 10 people who use marijuana will become addicted. When they start before age 18, the rate of addiction rises to 1 in 6. More teens are in treatment with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for all other illegal drugs combined.

Vaping is addictive and causes a multitude of health problems including lung inflammation, irritation, and injury, asthma, organ damage from chemicals, impacts to brain development, and cancer. Vaping liquids also contain nicotine, sometimes more than cigarettes, that lead to addiction. Packages may say they do not nicotine but over 95% of vaping products sold, contain nicotine.

You are not just inhaling water. It is scientifically impossible for water to heat that fast with such a small amount of heat to make water vapor. It actually creates an aerosol (or mist) that contains small particles of nicotine, metal and other harmful substances.

Prescription medicines are usually safe when used correctly under doctor and parent/guardian supervision. But using prescription drugs that aren’t intended for you, or mixing them with any amount of alcohol or other drugs, can result in serious health conditions — some of which are fatal.

Counterfeit pills (pills that were not made in a safe lab and distributed by a license pharmacist) are a problem in Cleveland County and across the country and you might not be taking what you think you are. A pill could be laced with a deadly opioid called fentanyl - the DEA estimates that one in every four pills distributed illegally contain lethal doses of fentanyl.

One pill can kill - don't be the one.

Nicotine is a highly addictive stimulant found in tobacco and vaping devices. Nicotine is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Nicotine can temporarily make someone feel alert and better able to concentrate. It can also relieve stress and anxiety and improve mood. But these effects go away quickly, which is why people keep going back to cigarettes and other tobacco products and eventually get addicted.

Delta 8, 9, & 10 are chemical compounds found in the cannabis family. They are legally sold in NC when they are taken from hemp at a lower THC content. However, what is sold as product on the market has typically been altered post production to increase THC levels. There is zero scientific evidence that any of these hemp-derived products are safer for use than marijuana itself.

There is a lot that factors into someone becoming addicted to any substance including a person's own factors and the type of substance. However, as a teenager - your brain is still not fully developed putting you at a higher risk for addiction when you introduce it to a foreign substance. So yes, one time could be enough to wire your brain to crave a substance.

No. Curiosity is a normal part of growing up. The types of substances on the market are constantly shifting so even adults are curious. It is okay to ask questions or be curious about what alcohol tastes like or what marijuana makes you feel like. It's important to ask those questions to trusted adults in your life NOT your friends or the internet.

It's okay to ask questions because information is power and it helps you make informed choices. Curiosity is NOT a free pass to "try it just once to see what it's like".

Your brain is not fully developed yet, alcohol can also cause changes in the structure and function of the developing brain altering how it functions long into adulthood. Drinking before age 21 can impact your areas of your brain that affect decision making, judgment, emotions, and even academic and athletic performance. It's safer to protect your noggin' and wait.