Facts you should know about...
Alcohol:
- The younger a person starts drinking, the more likely it is that they will drink heavily, drink stronger drinks, and have an alcohol or drug problem when they are older.
- Alcohol is the number one drug problem in America.
Marijuana:
- Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in America. After alcohol, it tends to be the second most widely used illegal drug for those under age 21.
- Marijuana impairs short term memory, alters sense of time, and impairs swift reactions, concentration, and coordination for at least 4-6 hours.
Cocaine/Crack:
- 70% of people who try crack will become addicted to it the first time they use it.
- Side effects include high blood pressure, seizures, irregular heartbeat, and heart attacks.
Methamphetamines:
- The signs of meth use are weight loss, irritability, excitability, paranoia, wandering attention, sleeplessness for days and then sleeping for 24-36 hours straight.
- Called crank, speed, or ice, methamphetamine is spreading across the country.
Inhalants:
- Using inhalants even ONE time can put you at risk for sudden death, suffocation, visual hallucinations, severe mood swings, numbness, and tingling of hands and feet.
- Long-use of inhalants has been associated with brain damage.
Heroin:
- Heroin available on the street today at the gram level has an average purity of 40% to 60%, compared to about 7% a decade ago.
Tobacco:
- Tobacco use causes approximately 1 of evey 5 deaths in the U.S. and is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in our nation.
- Most people begin smoking between the ages of 10 and 18.
*1998 Illinois Red Ribbon Campaign material from IDEA