Frequently Asked Questions

• Many people assume that because alcohol is a liquid rather than a food, it isn't fattening. On the contrary, while alcohol itself does not contain fat it is packed with calories and when mixed with another drink, such as a soft drink then the calories can really add up. A standard drink is said to contain approximately 70 calories without a mixer and a glass of champagne contains 106 calories.
• THC in marijuana is rapidly absorbed by fatty tissues in various organs. Generally, traces (metabolites) of THC can be detected by standard urine testing methods several days after a smoking session. In heavy users, however, traces can sometimes be detected for weeks after they have stopped using marijuana.

A: Yes. Long-term marijuana use leads to addiction in some people. That is, they cannot control their urges to seek out and use marijuana, even though it negatively affects their family relationships, school performance, and recreational activities (9). According to one study, marijuana use by teenagers who have prior antisocial problems can quickly lead to addiction (3). In addition, some frequent, heavy marijuana users develop "tolerance" to its effects. This means they need larger and larger amounts of marijuana to get the same desired effects as they used to get from smaller amounts.

• Studies in children born to mothers who used marijuana have shownincreased behavioral problems during infancy and preschool years. In school, these children are more likely to have problems with decisionmaking, memory, and the ability to remain attentive.
• Researchers are not certain whether health problems that may be caused by early exposure to marijuana will remain as the child grows into adulthood. However, since some parts of the brain continue to develop throughout adolescence, it is also possible that certain kinds of problems may appear as the child matures.

• Long-term drug use results in significant changes in brain function that persist long after the individual stops using drugs.
• Understanding that addiction has such an important biological component may help explain an individual's difficulty in achieving and maintaining abstinence without treatment. Psychological stress from work or family problems, social cues (such as meeting individuals from one's drug-using past), or the environment (such as encountering streets, objects, or even smells associated with drug use) can interact with biological factors to hinder attainment of sustained abstinence and make relapse more likely. Research studies indicate that even the most severely addicted individuals can participate actively in treatment and that active participation is essential to good outcomes.

• A prescription drug can be prescribed by a medical practitioner such as a general practitioner, medical specialist, dentist or psychiatrist. In Canada, psychologists are not authorized to prescribe drugs.

A: Although sometimes confused with the term drug treatment, drug rehab is an abbreviated version of drug rehabilitation. Drug rehab is a term most often used to describe a program that is residential (client stays overnight on campus) as opposed to the shorter-term outpatient variety of treatment.

• 1. Control - individual has a hard time setting limits around how much or how often they consume drugs (plan on having a joint and ends up snorting 3 lines of cocaine)
• 2. Compulsion - individual spends a lot of energy around planning and/ or engaging in the consumption of drugs (avoids places or events that limit opportunities to get high)
• 3. Consequence - individual continues to use in spite of negative consequences such as problems at work, marital difficulties, drug debts, etc.

It is important to note that an individual can show compulsion and lack of control and still not have a drug addiction but, rather, will be symptomatic of drug abuse. True drug addiction must show a pattern of continued drinking or drug use in spite of negative consequences.

• 1. Pain Killers - (also known as opioids or analgesics) - used to treat pain
• 2. Depressants - used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders
• 3. Stimulants - used to treat the sleep disorder narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

A: That is a question best asked of politicians and legislators. The reasonsfor legalizing one harmful, addictive and behavior altering substance while criminalizing another are completely based in social policy and accepted norms. These policies and norms are in turn influenced by other factors, like: medical research, social research, baseline cultural morality, perceived or real social costs and plain old politicking.

Some street drugs are genuinely more harmful, both in physical tolls and social costs, than others. But there are other illegal drugs, most notably marijuana, that walk that fine line of equally harmful yet still socially stigmatized. Activists in favor of legalizing, or at least decriminalizing marijuana, point to the many well-controlled medical studies that show marijuana to be no more, and possibly less harmful, than alcohol or tobacco. They assert that while the harm factor is basically the same, marijuana, unlike its legal counterparts, has real and documented value to people with painful critical illnesses like cancer, MS and glaucoma.

• Legal - "conforming to or permitted by law or established rules"
• Illegal - "not according to or authorized by law"
• Decriminalize - "to remove or reduce the criminal classification or status of; especially : to repeal a strict ban on while keeping under some form of regulation"

According to these definitions, if something is legal it is permitted with few or no restrictions, if it is illegal it is not permitted, and if it is decriminalized it is permitted with tight regulations and/or restrictions that must be obeyed or it will be viewed as illegal.

A: For a person addicted to drugs, be it alcohol, street drugs or medicine of some sort, the physical, emotional and mental pains and discomfort of withdrawal are often too much to bear and prevent the person from quitting the drug. Some people stop taking drugs, but later relapse. Drug residues remain in the body after use. They can be released during periods of stress and physical exercise, resulting in the former user getting a little "taste" of the drug. The result: the person gets a craving to take that drug, and so they relapse.

• Depressants such as alcohol, can be used to calm the mind, relieve anxiety and can cause sleepiness./li>
• Sedatives and minor tranquillisers include the benzodiazepine drugs such as valium. These are often prescribed to calm you down or to help you sleep at night. They have the same general effects as depressants but they cause addiction in a different way.
• Opiates, also known as narcotic analgesics, are strong painkillers that produce feelings of euphoria (happiness) and sleepiness. The opiates include morphine, heroin and methadone
• Stimulants are drugs that make you feel more awake, alert, energetic and confident. Stimulant drugs include cocaine and amphetamines.
• Hallucinogens are drugs that produce strange and intense visions called hallucinations. These drugs include LSD (acid) and magic mushrooms.

Many drugs don't belong to just one type. For example, cannabis can have depressant effects as well as causing euphoria and ecstasy has both stimulant and hallucinogenic effects.

A: Some drugs can create addiction or dependence much quicker than others. There is no evidence that people get 'hooked' after one or two uses, or that everyone who tries a drug will become addicted. Using a drug, even once, can cause serious problems. Addiction depends on the what, who, why, where and how of drug use.

A: "Crack cocaine" is a mix of cocaine and baking powder (sodium bicarbonate) which comes as small lumps or 'rocks'. When smoked, the cocaine vapors reach the brain much quicker than snorting, producing an intense but short-lived euphoric rush and - very quickly - a compelling desire for more. Crack is also very harsh on the lungs. Crack is highly addictive but one hit does not guarantee that you will become addicted.

A: Drinking is a problem if it causes trouble in your relationships, in school, in social activities, or in how you think and feel. If you are concerned that either you or someone in your family might have a drinking problem, consult your personal health care provider.

• Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), also known as Ecstasy XTC, X, Adam, Clarity and Lover's Speed/li>
• Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), also known as Grievous Bodily Harm, G, Liquid Ecstasy and Georgia Home Boy
• Ketamine, also known as Special K, K, Vitamin K, Cat Valium
• Rohypnol, also known as Roofies, Rophies, Roche, Forget-me Pill
• Methamphetamine, also known as Speed, Ice, Chalk, Meth, Crystal, Crank, Fire, Glass
• Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), also known as or Acid, Boomers, Yellow Sunshines

Club drugs have become more common in recent years. Sometimes people use them to commit sexual assaults. Club drugs can cause serious health problems and sometimes death. They are even more dangerous if you use them with alcohol.