Fact: It is better to snitch, than end in a ditch.(Read more)

Fact: One in ten teenagers gives birth to a child every year; And one in ten babies have a teen mother. (Read more)

Fact:  The Caribbean has the second highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the World. (Read more)

Fact: Brain cells are irreplaceable (Read more)

Fact: There is no cure for AIDS (Read more)

Fact: Most teenagers do not use marijuana. Fewer than one in four high school seniors is a current marijuana user. (Read more)

Fact: Getting High can get you AIDS (Read more)

Gangs, Guns & Violence

Fact: It is better to snitch, than end in a ditch.

In the last few years, a great deal of media attention has been focused on school violence, particularly stabbings. This has led many teens to become concerned about their own safety, wondering whether such tragic violence could happen to them in their schools.

However, in terms of risk for homicide, schools are about the safest place for teens- safer than their homes or their neighborhoods-and violent deaths at schools or school events are extremely rare. Less than 1% of the murders of children and teens are school-related, and there is no evidence that school-related homicides are on the rise. You are much more likely to be struck by lightening than to be killed at your school.

This is not to suggest that school violence is not a serious problem.

Although the recent incidents tend to get all the attention, if you've ever been ruthlessly teased, laughed at, shoved around, or bullied at school, you know there's more to violence in school than mass shootings. In fact, school violence includes a range of activities, including bullying, threatening remarks, physical fights, assaults with or without weapons, and gang violence.

How serious of a problem is school violence?

In one survey of high school students:

• 7% of students (and 11% of male students) said they had carried a weapon to school in the last month;
• 8% of students said they had been threatened or injured with a weapon such as a gun, knife, or club on school property in the past year;
• 14% said that they had been involved in a physical fight on school property in the past year; and
• 5% said they had missed at least one day of school in the last month because they felt unsafe at school or when traveling to or from school.

Additionally, students tell us that bullying continues to be a serious problem, particularly in middle schools. In about 10% of students in grades 6 and 7 reported being bullied, compared with about 5% of students in grades 8 and 9 and about 2% in grades 10 through 12.

In some important ways, however, schools are becoming safer.

In the last few years, violent crimes at school have declined, and fewer students are carrying weapons to school or getting into fights. As a result, many students are beginning to feel safer. Students are much less likely to fear being attacked or harmed at school or while traveling to and from school. It is important to remember, however, that some schools are much safer than others. For a few schools, serious violent crime continues to be a very real problem.

What You Can Do 

Start with yourself.

Make a commitment not to contribute to violence in any way. Do not bully, tease, or spread negative gossip about others. Respect others and value differences. Try to broaden your social circle to include others who are different from you.
Learn about ways to resolve arguments and fights without violence, and encourage your friends to do the same. Many schools, churches, and after-school programs offer training in conflict resolution skills.

Do not carry a gun.

Teens sometimes carry guns because they are afraid, but carrying a gun will not make you safer.
Guns often escalate conflicts and increase the chances that you will be seriously harmed. You also run the risk that the gun may be turned on you or that an innocent person will be hurt. And, you may do something in a moment of fear or anger that you will regret for the rest of your life. Finally, it is illegal for a teen to carry a handgun, and it can lead to criminal charges and arrest.

How can you protect yourself without a gun?

If someone is threatening you and you feel that you are in serious danger, do not take matters into your own hands. Find an adult you can trust and discuss your fears, or contact school administrators or the police. Take precautions for your safety, such as avoiding being alone and staying with a group of friends if possible.
If you know someone is carrying a gun or planning to harm someone else - report him or her. Most of us have learned from an early age that it is wrong to tattle, but in some instances it is the most courageous thing you can do. Tell a trusted adult, such as a teacher, guidance counselor, principal or parent. If you are afraid and believe that telling will put you in danger or lead to retaliation, find a way to anonymously contact the authorities.

Take the initiative to make your school safer.

Join an existing group that is promoting non-violence at your school, or launch your own effort. Several of the online resources listed at the end of this document can help you get started. You might want to consider some of the following ideas:

• Start a conflict resolution program to teach students to handle conflict peacefully.
• Start a drama troupe to develop productions with non-violence themes, such as peaceful conflict resolution, respect for diversity, and tolerance.
• Launch a school crime watch program.
• Plan a non-violence rally or dance, and encourage other students to make a commitment to avoiding conflicts.
• Start a "peace pledge" campaign, in which students promise to settle disagreements without violence, to reject weapons, and to work toward a safe school for all.
• Set up an anonymous hot line so students can share their concerns if they feel threatened or know of someone who may become violent.
• Set up a forum for students to talk about how school violence is affecting their lives and to brainstorm about possible solutions.

If you know someone is carrying a gun - report him or her.

Most of us have learned from an early age that it is wrong to “snitch” on someone else, but in some instances it is the most courageous thing you can do. Tell a trusted adult, such as a teacher, guidance counselor, principal or parent. If you are afraid and believe that telling will put you in danger or lead to retaliation, find a way to anonymously contact the authorities.

If your parents have a gun at home, give them the facts.

Let them know that the number one way teens commit suicide is by firearms. And let them know how often children and teens are injured, or die, after they get their hands on a gun they find at home.
If your parents choose to keep a gun at home, encourage them to empty the bullets and to lock the gun and bullets in separate places.
If your parents do lock up guns, tell them if you know how to access the guns and suggest that they find a different location for the guns and/or keys. Why? Because if you know where keys are kept, it is likely that others, such as younger brothers and sisters, may also know.
Your local police can provide your parents with information about safe storage and gun locks.
Make sure you steer clear of guns in your friends' homes and encourage them to do the same. Stay away from teens who are attracted to guns and see them as symbols of power, not realizing how dangerous they are.

Make a commitment not to contribute to violence in any way. Do not bully, tease, or spread negative gossip about others. Respect others and value differences. Try to broaden your social circle to include others who are different from you.

Get involved in your school and community. Volunteer with a community group, play sports, write a play or poem, play a musical instrument, or join a club or after-school program.

Avoid alcohol and drugs. Stay away from alcohol and drugs as well as people who use them. There is a strong link between the use of alcohol and drugs and violence.

Learn about ways to resolve arguments and fights without violence, and encourage your friends to do the same. Many schools, churches, and after-school programs offer training in conflict resolution skills.

Do not carry a gun or other weapons. Carrying a gun will not make you safer. Guns often escalate conflicts and increase the chances that you will be seriously harmed. If someone is threatening you and you feel that you are in serious danger, do not take matters into your own hands. Find an adult you can trust and discuss your fears, or contact school administrators or the police. Take precautions for your safety, such as avoiding being alone and staying with a group of friends if possible.

If you know someone is planning to harm someone else - report him or her. Most of us have learned from an early age that it is wrong to tattle, but in some instances it is the most courageous thing you can do. Tell a trusted adult, such as a teacher, guidance counselor, principal or parent. If you are afraid and believe that telling will put you in danger or lead to retaliation, find a way to anonymously contact the authorities.

Take the initiative to make your school or community safer. Join an existing group that is promoting non-violence in your school or community, or launch your own effort.

Find positive ways to spend your time and energy. 

Many teens join gangs because they are bored, lacking in purpose, or looking for a way to belong.  But there are other options.  Sports, recreational, and after-school programs give you a great chance to meet new people, explore new interests, develop new talents and skills, and to connect with people that really care about you and your well-being.  Find after-school programs in your community or discover how to get programs started if few exist.

Stay away from gangs and gang members. 

Be aware of clothing, colors, and symbols used by gangs in your area, and avoid them.  If you looklike a gang member or are seenwith a gang member, other gangs may mistake you for a realgang member.  You have a very good chance of being the innocent target of violent gang behavior.

Do not carry a gun or other weapons.  Carrying a gun is not likely to make you safer. 

Guns often escalate conflicts and increase the chances that you will be seriously harmed. If someone is threatening you and you feel that you are in serious danger, do not take matters into your own hands. Find an adult you can trust and discuss your fears, or contact school administrators or the police. Take precautions for your safety, such as avoiding being alone and staying with a group of friends if possible.

Find out about gang activity in your community. 

Find out about gangs, gang recruitment, activities, signs, and colors.  Then share the information, publishing an article in a school or local newspaper, or talking to community groups, parents, or groups of students.

Join an existing group that is working to get rid of gangs in your school or community, or launch your own effort. 

Develop positive activities for teens, report suspicious activity to the police, set up a Neighborhood Watch or a community patrol; let the police know about gang graffiti; or start or join a program to remove gang graffiti.

Teens and Sex

Fact: One in ten teenagers gives birth to a child every year; And one in ten babies have a teen mother.

1. During the 1990's, there was an 11% drop in the number of teens who have had sex. 52% of teens report being virgins.
2. By the time they turn 20, 20% of boys and 24% of girls have not yet had sexual intercourse.
3. While 93% of teen women report that their first intercourse was voluntary, one-fourth of these young women report that it was unwanted. The younger women are when they lose their virginity, the more likely they are to have had unwanted or nonvoluntary sex.
   4 out of 10 girls get pregnant at least once by the age of 20.
4. A sexually active teen who does not use contraceptives has a 90% chance of getting pregnant within one year.
    In a single act of unprotected sex with an infected partner, a teen woman has a 30% chance of contracting genital herpes and a 50% chance of getting gonorrhea.
    In some areas, 10% to 29% of sexually active girls and 10% of sexually active guys tested for STD's have been found to have chlamydia.
5. 79% of sexually experienced teens report that they used a condom the last time they had intercourse, and 57% report that they use a condom every time. 
6. 1 out of every 2 teens say that pressure from their partner is one of the main reasons they don't use contraception; the same number say that drinking and drugs are the main reasons why they don't use birth control.
7. More than 75% of teen girls responding to a survey said they agreed to have sex because of pressure from boys; 91% said they wished they had waited.
8. Teens who use alcohol are 7 times more likely to have had sex than those who don't; teens who use drugs are 5 times more likely to have sex than those who don't.
9. 36% of teens who have had sex say they've never talked with a partner about birth control; 40% have never talked with a partner about preventing STD's.
10. 20% of teens who did talk about birth control and/or STD's with their partner had the conversation after sex.

Lines from Boys

• Line: Prove to me that you love me
• Your Answer: Prove your love for me by not forcing me

Lines from Girls

• Line: Are you Gay
• Your Answer: A real man does not let others decide for him

top

Why Say NO

Saying no gives you a chance to avoid STDs and STIs

Saying no gives you a chance to finish school and reach your goals

Saying no gives you a chance to grow and develop

Saying no gives you a chance to be you

Saying no gives you a chance to be ready for sex when the time is right

FAST FACTS ABOUT STD’S

(You may also want to check out Unspeakable.com's STD Clinic Locator)

Fact:  The Caribbean has the second highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the World.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

What It Is: The virus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). HIV works by attacking the body’s immune system, leaving it susceptible to fatal infections and cancers.
How You Can Get It: Through vaginal, oral, or anal sex. You can’t get contract HIV from kissing, hugging, shaking hands, or even donating blood. You can, however, get it through using infected needles.
Symptoms: You can be infected with HIV and have no symptoms; AIDS takes an average of 7-9 years to develop once HIV enters the body. Symptoms of AIDS, which are caused not by HIV but by the infections that take advantage of the body’s weakened immune system, include rapid weight loss, chronic fever, diarrhea, fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, and nightsweats. These symptoms can last for weeks or months at a time, and will not go away without treatment. With that said, these are symptoms that are seen in many other diseases that are not AIDS-related, so don’t panic and assume that one or more of these mean you have HIV or AIDS.
Detect It: A blood test will determine whether or not you have HIV. The test can be done at an AIDS testing center, clinic, doctor’s office, or even with a home test kit. You can request that testing be confidential.
Is It Curable?: No. Contrary to popular belief, there is no cure yet for HIV/AIDS.
Is It Treatable?: Yes, but not universally. Although there have been new developments in treatment over the last few years, and many patients’ lives have been prolonged, different people respond to these medications in different ways. Treatment to slow HIV’s attack on the immune system, which involves combining two classes of drugs, is complicated. The other major focus of HIV treatment is preventing and alleviating AIDS-related infections.
Prevent It: Practicing safe sex. Until you trust your partner and know that she or he has been tested for HIV, use a latex condom.
Where To Get Help:  Public Health Department/ Family doctor

HEPATITIS B
What It Is: An infection of the liver causes by a virus which is 100 times more infectious than HIV. Although most people recover, some become chronic carriers of the disease. This means more problems down the road, such as liver cancer.
How You Can Get It: Hepatitis B is spread like HIV: through contact with infected blood or bodily fluids. You can contract the virus through vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
Symptoms: Poor appetite, vomiting, nausea, headaches, yellowing of the eyes and skin, dark urine, general fatigue. These usually show up within 2 to 6 weeks after infection. If you’re a chronic carrier who has no symptoms, you can still pass it (unknowingly) to others.
Detect It: If you are experiencing symptoms, or have had sexual contact with someone who has hepatitis B, you can get diagnosed through a blood test.
Is It Curable?: Yes.
Is It Treatable?: Treatment includes rest, diet, and medication. If your partner or anyone else you come in close contact with is diagnosed with the disease, you can get immunized.
Prevent It: Practice safe sex by using a latex condom. To minimize your risk of getting hepatitis B, never share needles, syringes, or any instruments used for ear-piercing, tattooing, and hair removal. Don’t share toothbrushes or razors either. If you find that you’ve contracted hepatitis B, avoid sex and other close contact (even kissing), until cleared by a doctor.
Where To Get Help: Public Health Department

GENITAL HERPES
What It Is: A viral infection that often causes sores in the genital area. If these sores are open and exposed to body fluids that carry HIV (through sex with someone who has HIV), genital herpes increases the risk of contracting HIV. Once you contract herpes, you have it for life, along with the estimated 40 million people who also have it. Many people who have it, experience no symptoms.
How You Can Get It: By touching sores and blisters through vaginal, oral, or anal sex; you can also be exposed to the virus by kissing or caressing the infected areas. Areas where sores form are contagious for days before any visible symptoms break out.
Symptoms: Small red bumps that turn into blisterlike sores on the genitals, rear end, thighs, fingers, mouths, etc. Women often experience vaginal discharge and/or burning. Other symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and headaches. All these pop up from between 2 to 20 days after sex with an infected partner. But here’s the kicker: some people experience no symptoms.
Detect It: A physical examination and/or a clinical test will determine whether you have herpes. The test involves collecting a small amount of fluid from a sore and sending it to a lab to see if the herpes virus is present.
Is It Curable?: No.
Is It Treatable?: Yes. Prescription antiviral drugs can reduce pain, length, and frequency of herpes outbreaks. The earlier you get treatment, the more effective it will be.
Prevent It: Practicing safe sex. Limit the number of sex partners, use a condom all the time, and if you think you might be infected, don’t hesitate to get tested.
Where To Get Help: Public Health Department

CHLAMYDIA
What It Is: A bacterial infection that can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and/or sterility if not treated in time. Chlamydia has the dubious honor of being the number one bacterial STD today. It’s also known as a "silent epidemic" because 75% of the women and 50% of the men with the disease have no symptoms.
How You Can Get It: Vaginal or anal sex.
Symptoms: Others experience abnormal vaginal bleeding, whitish vaginal or penile discharge, painful or burning urination. Women may also experience lower abdominal pain, painful intercourse, and bleeding between periods. Men may have burning and itching around the opening of the penis and/or pain and swelling in the testicles.
Detect It: With a test from a urine sample or a sample of fluid taken from the infected area.
Is It Curable?: Yes.
Is It Treatable?: Yes. Prescription antibiotics will do the trick. Douches, however, will not—and may cause someone to get treatment too late to keep the disease from spreading.
Prevent It: Once again, safe sex is the solution. Approach sexual relationships responsibly, always use a condom, and avoid sexual contact until you can be tested and treated for chlamydia. If you find that you are infected, make sure your partner gets treated so that you won’t get re-infected yourself.
Where To Get Help: Public Health Department

GONORRHEA
What It Is: A bacterial infection in the vagina or cervix. If left untreated, it can spread to other parts of the body, such as the rectum, urethra, and uterus, potentially causing sterility. Occasionally, gonorrhea that goes without treatment can be fatal.
How You Can Get It: Vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
Symptoms: Some people have no symptoms; others experience a burning feeling during urination, frequent urination, vaginal or penile discharge, fever, stomach pain, nausea, backache, and painful intercourse. Women can also have bleeding in between periods; about half of the women with gonorrhea have no symptoms.
Detect It: Gonorrhea is determined with a medical test in which a sample of fluid is taken from the penis or vagina, then sent to a lab for results.
Is It Curable?: Yes.
Is It Treatable?: Yes. Prescription antibiotics will kill the infecting bacteria. Treatment that’s not completed can spell serious problems down the road, such as abdominal pain, sterility, tubal pregnancy, and painful joints. If you are being treated for gonorrhea, you must stop having sex until you’re cured; the same goes for your partner. This will help you avoid getting reinfected or transmitting the disease to someone else.
Prevent It: Approach your sexual relationships safely and responsibly: limit the number, always use a condom, and, if you think you may be infected, avoid sexual contact until you can get tested.
Where To Get Help: Public Health Department

SYPHILIS
What It Is: Syphilis can be very serious and actually result in death if left untreated. Like many other STD’s, you can have syphilis without knowing it. How You Can Get It: Through oral, anal, or vaginal sex.
Symptoms: The preliminary symptoms are often a painless sore around the vagina or penis, or inside the mouth or anus. Even if this sore disappeared on its own, the bacterial infection is still in the body. Later, you might develop flu-like symptoms, as well as potential hair loss and skin rashes. It’s rare, but a third stage might develop years later as skin lesions, mental deterioration, loss of balance and vision, numbness, leg pain, and heart disease.
Detect It: By getting a blood test; however, it takes 2 to 3 weeks after infection for the blood test to be accurate.
Is It Curable?: Yes.
Is It Treatable?: Yes, with antibiotic medication.
Prevent It: Approach your sexual relationships safely and responsibly: limit the number, always use a condom, and, if you think you may be infected, avoid sexual contact until you can get tested.
Where To Get Help: Public Health Department

TRICHOMONIASIS
What It Is: "Trich" is an infection causes by the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. It weakens the immune system, making an infected person more susceptible to HIV.
How You Can Get It: Vaginal sex.
Symptoms: Heavy greenish discharge with a foul odor, vaginal itching and/or burning, abdominal pain, frequent urination, painful intercourse. A woman’s symptoms can get worse after her period. Most men with trich have no symptoms, but might have symptoms like unusual penile discharge, painful urination, and tingling inside the penis.
Detect It: By getting a medical test in which a sample of fluid is taken from the penis or vagina, then sent to a lab for results.
Is It Curable?: Yes.
Is It Treatable?: Prescription antibiotics.
Prevent It By: Practicing safe sex and knowing your partner’s sexual history. Because Trichomonia can survive on objects such as sheets, towels, and clothing, it can potentially be transmitted by sharing these. Even though men with the disease are almost always without symptoms, it’s extra-important that they be treated so they don’t infect others.
Where To Get Help:  Public Health Department

GENITAL HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV)
What It Is: A viral infection that causes genital warts; there are actually over 60 different types of this virus. If HPV goes too long without treatment, the risk of cervical cancer increases.
How You Can Get It: Vaginal or anal intercourse; however, you can also contract HPV simply by touching the infected area.
Symptoms: Warts on the genitals and anal area. A person may be infected and contagious with no visible warts. Either way, HPV can cause abnormal cell growth on the female cervix. Visible signs of HPV show up within 3 weeks to 6 months after having sex with someone who’s infected.
Detect It: A doctor can examine the potentially infected area for warts and other unusual tissue. Women can also have a Pap smear, which will detect changes to the cervix that may be caused by HPV.
Is It Curable?: No.
Is It Treatable?: The warts can be removed, but often return because the virus stays in the body. Your doctor can remove smaller warts, and severe cases can be treated with laser surgery.
Prevent It: Condoms provide limited protection. The best way to reduce your risk of getting HPV is to limit your sexual partners. Women should have Pap smears every 6 months to screen for HPV.
Where To Get Help:  Public Health Department

PUBIC LICE and SCABIES
What It Is:Pubic lice, also known as Crabs, are tiny insects that live on the skin. They infect the hairy parts of the body, and lay eggs on body hair. Scabies is the result of a tiny female insect, a mite, burrowing into a person’s skin to lay eggs.
How You Can Get It: Although these are often spread through sexual contact, you can also get them by using the same sheets, clothes, or towels as an infected person.
Symptoms: Extreme itching in the genital areas. With pubic lice, you might see pinhead-sized insects or eggs on the skin or body hair. With scabies, a skin rash may develop.
Detect It: A doctor’s examination will determine whether you have pubic lice or scabies.
Is It Curable?: Yes.
Is It Treatable?: Yes, with shampoos, creams, and lotions that are often available without a prescription. Wash all infected clothing, sheets, etc. with very hot water.
Prevent It: Know your partner’s sexual history.
Where To Get Help: Public Health Department/ Family Doctor

The Brain and Drugs

Fact: Brain cells are irreplaceable

Introducing... Your Brain!
The brain is the command center of your body. It weighs about three pounds, and has different centers or systems that process different kinds of information.
The brainstem is the most primitive structure at the base of your brain. The brainstem controls your heart rate, breathing, and sleeping; it does the things you never think about.
Various parts or lobes of the brain process information from your sense organs: the occipital lobe receives information from your eyes, for example. And the cerebral cortex, on top of the whole brain, is the "thinking" part of you. That's where you store and process language, math, and strategies: It's the thinking center. Buried deep within the cerebral cortex is the limbic system, which is responsible for survival: It remembers and creates an appetite for the things that keep you alive, such as good food and the company of other human beings. [1],[2]
The cerebellum is responsible for things you learn once and never have to think about, such as balance when walking or how to throw a ball.

How Does Your Brain Communicate?
The brain's job is to process information. Brain cells called neurons receive and send messages to and from other neurons. There are billions of neurons in the human brain, each with as many as a thousand threadlike branches that reach out to other neurons.
In a neuron, a message is an electrical impulse. The electrical message travels along the sending branch, or axon, of the neuron. When the message reaches the end of the axon, it causes the release of a chemical called a neurotransmitter. The chemical travels across a tiny gap, or synapse, to other neurons.
Specialized molecules called receptors on the receiving neuron pick up the chemical. The branches on the receiving end of a neuron are called dendrites. Receptors there have special shapes so they can only collect one kind of neurotransmitter.
In the dendrite, the neurotransmitter starts an electrical impulse. Its work done, the chemical is released back into the synapse. The neurotransmitter then is broken down or is reabsorbed into the sending neuron. [1],[2]
Neurons in your brain release many different neurotransmitters as you go about your day thinking, feeling, reacting, breathing, and digesting. When you learn new information or a new skill, your brain builds more axons and dendrites first, as a tree grows roots and branches. With more branches, neurons can communicate and send their messages more efficiently. [1]

What Do Drugs Do to the Brain?
Some drugs work in the brain because they have a similar size and shape as natural neurotransmitters. In the brain in the right amount or dose, these drugs lock into receptors and start an unnatural chain reaction of electrical charges, causing neurons to release large amounts of their own neurotransmitter.
Some drugs lock onto the neuron and act like a pump, so the neuron releases more neurotransmitter. Other drugs block reabsorption or reuptake and cause unnatural floods of neurotransmitter. [1]
All drugs of abuse, such as nicotine, cocaine, and marijuana, primarily affect the brain's limbic system. Scientists call this the "reward" system. Normally, the limbic system responds to pleasurable experiences by releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine, which creates feelings of pleasure.

What Happens if Someone Keeps Using Drugs?
Think about how you feel when something good happens—maybe your team wins a game, you're praised for something you've done well, or you drink a cold lemonade on a hot day—that's your limbic system at work. Because natural pleasures in our lives are necessary for survival, the limbic system creates an appetite that drives you to seek those things. [1]
The first time someone uses a drug of abuse, he or she experiences unnaturally intense feelings of pleasure. The limbic system is flooded with dopamine. Of course, drugs have other effects, too; a first-time smoker may also cough and feel nauseous from toxic chemicals in a tobacco or marijuana cigarette.
But the brain starts changing right away as a result of the unnatural flood of neurotransmitters. Because they sense more than enough dopamine, for example, neurons begin to reduce the number of dopamine receptors. Neurons may also make less dopamine. The result is less dopamine in the brain: This is called down regulation. Because some drugs are toxic, some neurons may also die. [1],[3]

How Many Times Does Someone Have To Take a Drug To Become an Addict?
No one knows how many times a person can use a drug without changing his or her brain and becoming addicted.
A person's genetic makeup probably plays a role. But after enough doses, an addicted teen's limbic system craves the drug as it craves food, water, or friends. Drug craving is made worse because of down regulation.
Without a dose of the drug, dopamine levels in the drug abuser's brain are low. The abuser feels flat, lifeless, depressed. Without drugs, an abuser's life seems joyless. Now the abuser needs drugs just to bring dopamine levels up to normal levels. Larger amounts of the drug are needed to create a dopamine flood or high, an effect known as tolerance.
By abusing drugs, the addicted teen has changed the way his or her brain works. Drug abuse and addiction lead to long-term changes in the brain. These changes cause addicted drug users to lose the ability to control their drug use. Drug addiction is a disease. [1]

If Drug Addiction Is a Disease, Is There a Cure?
There is no cure for drug addiction, but it is a treatable disease; drug addicts can recover. Drug addiction therapy is a program of behavior change or modification that slowly retrains the brain. Like people with diabetes or heart disease, people in treatment for drug addiction learn behavioral changes and often take medications as part of their treatment regimen. [4]

References

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Brain: Understanding Neurobiology Through the Study of Addiction (http://science-education.nih.gov/Customers.nsf/highschool.htm):
   NIH Pub. No. 00-4871.
2. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Brain Power! The NIDA Junior Scientists Program (http://www.nida.nih.gov/JSP/JSP.html):
   NIH Pub. No. 01-4575. Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. 2000.
3. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Mind Over Matter: The Brain's Response to Drugs Teacher's Guide (http://teens.drugabuse.gov/mom/tg_intro.asp):
   NIH Pub. No. 020-3592. Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Printed 1997. Reprinted 1998, 2002. Revised 2000.
4. National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA InfoFacts: Drug Addiction Treatment Methods (http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofax/treatmeth.html): Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Retrieved June 2003.

Drugs and AIDS

Fact: There is no cure for AIDS

What Are HIV and AIDS?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). AIDS is a disease of the immune system for which there is treatment, but no cure, at the present time. The virus (HIV) and the disease it causes (AIDS) are often linked and referred to as "HIV/AIDS."
HIV can be transferred among people if an infected person's blood or other bodily fluid comes in contact with the blood, broken skin, or mucous membranes of an uninfected person. In addition, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their babies during pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding.
HIV destroys a certain kind of white blood cell that is crucial to the normal function of the human immune system. Loss of these CD4+ cells in people with HIV is a key predictor of the development of AIDS. Because of their compromised immune system, people with AIDS often develop infections of the lungs, brain, eyes, and other organs, and they frequently suffer dangerous weight loss, diarrhea, and a type of cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma. [1]
Some hopeful news is that in recent years, HIV is no longer a death sentence, as it was when the epidemic began. This is largely because of treatment with HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy), a combination of three or more antiretroviral medications that can suppress the virus and prevent or decrease symptoms of illness.

How Many People Have HIV/AIDS?
HIV/AIDS has been a global epidemic for more than 25 years-most of today's youth have never known a world without it. In the United States, the latest estimates indicate that about 1 million people are living with HIV or AIDS.
In 2003, 43,171 new AIDS diseases cases were reported. The number of HIV infections is harder to confirm as only about two-thirds of the States report HIV infections. Estimates from these data indicate that about 40,000 new HIV infections have occurred annually since the early 1990s, down from the peak of 160,000 new infections per year in the mid-1980s.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about one-quarter of the people in the United States who are infected with HIV do not know they are infected. [2]

How are Drug Abuse and HIV Related?
Drug abuse and addiction have been inextricably linked with HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic. Although injection drug use is well known in this regard, the role that non-injection drug abuse plays more generally in the spread of HIV is less recognized. This is partly due to the addictive and intoxicating effects of many drugs, which can alter judgment and inhibition and lead people to engage in impulsive and unsafe behaviors.

Injection drug use. People typically associate drug abuse and HIV/AIDS with injection drug use and needle sharing. When injection drug users share "equipment"-such as needles, syringes, and other drug injection paraphernalia-HIV can be transmitted between users. Other infections-such as hepatitis C-can also be spread this way. Hepatitis C can cause liver disease and permanent liver damage.

Poor judgment and risky behavior. Drug abuse by any route (not just injection) can put a person at risk for getting HIV. Drug and alcohol intoxication affect judgment and can lead to unsafe sexual practices, which put people at risk for getting HIV or transmitting it to someone else.

Biological effects of drugs. Drug abuse and addiction can affect a person's overall health, thereby altering susceptibility to HIV and progression of AIDS. Drugs of abuse and HIV both affect the brain. Research has shown that HIV causes greater neuronal injury and cognitive impairment among Methamphetamine abusers than among HIV patients who do not abuse drugs. In animal studies, Methamphetamine has been shown to increase the amount of HIV in brain cells.

Drug abuse treatment. Since the late 1980s, research has shown that treating drug abuse is an effective way to prevent the spread of HIV. Drug abusers in treatment stop or reduce their drug use and related risk behaviors, including drug injection and unsafe sexual practices. Drug treatment programs also serve an important role in disseminating current information on HIV/AIDS and related diseases, providing counseling and testing services, and offering referrals for medical and social services. [3]

How Are Teens Affected?
Young people are at risk for contracting HIV and developing AIDS. According to CDC, about 38,490 young people age 13 to 24 in the United States had been diagnosed with AIDS by the end of 2003. And the trend was increasing-from 3.9 percent diagnosed with AIDS in 1999 to 4.7 percent in 2003. In youth, as in adults, some populations are disproportionately affected. African Americans age 13 to 19 represent only 15 percent of the U.S. teenage population, but accounted for 66 percent of new AIDS cases in 2003. [4] The reasons for this disparity are not completely understood; in fact, African American youth have lower rates of drug abuse than Whites and Hispanics.  In general, middle and late adolescence is a time when young people engage in risk-taking and sensation-seeking-behaviors that may put them in jeopardy of contracting HIV. Regardless of whether a young person takes drugs, unsafe sexual practices increase a person's risk of contracting HIV. But drugs and alcohol can increase the chances of unsafe behavior by altering judgment and decisionmaking.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention. What Is HIV? (http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/faq/faq1.htm). Atlanta, GA: CDC, DHHS. Retrieved November 2005.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention. Basic Statistics AIDS Cases by Exposure Category (http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/stats.htm#exposure). Atlanta, GA: CDC, DHHS. Retrieved November 2005.
3. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Research Report Series on HIV/AIDS (http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/hiv/hiv.html). Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Retrieved November 2005.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV/AIDS Surveillance in Adolescents, L265 Slide Series (http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/graphics/adolesnt.htm). Atlanta, GA: CDC, DHHS. Retrieved November 2005.
5. World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day (http://www.worldaidsday.org). Retrieved November 2005.

Marijuana

Fact: Most teenagers do not use marijuana. Fewer than one in four high school seniors is a current marijuana user.

What Is It?
Marijuana is a mixture of the dried and shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. The mixture can be green, brown, or gray. Hemp's scientific name is Cannabis sativa.
A bunch of leaves seems harmless, right? But think again. Marijuana has a chemical in it called tetrahydrocannabinol. Better known as THC. A lot of other chemicals are found in marijuana too—about 400 of them, some of which can cause lung cancer. But THC is the main active ingredient. [1]

What Are the Common Street Names?
There are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana from city to city and from neighborhood to neighborhood. Some common names are: pot, grass, herb, weed, Mary Jane, reefer, skunk, boom, gangster, kif, chronic, and ganja. [2]

How Is It Used?
Marijuana is used in many ways. Some users brew it as tea or mix it with food. Others smoke blunts—cigars hollowed out and filled with the drug. And sometimes marijuana is smoked through a water pipe called a bong. The most common method is smoking loose marijuana rolled into a cigarette called a joint or nail. [2]

How Many Teens Use Marijuana?
Ever heard that lame line "everybody's doing it?" Tell that person to check the facts. As part of a 2002 NIDA-funded study, researchers asked teens if they had used marijuana or hashish (another form of marijuana) in the past month. Of all the 8th graders surveyed, only 8.3% said yes; only 17.8% of 10th graders had used the drug in the past month; and just 21.5% of 12th graders. [3]

What Are the Common Effects?
Imagine this: You're in a ball game, playing out in left field. An easy fly ball comes your way, and you're psyched. When that ball lands in your glove your team will win, and you'll be a hero. But, you're a little off. The ball grazes your glove and hits dirt. So much for your dreams of glory.
Such loss of coordination can be caused by smoking marijuana. And that's just one of the many negative side effects. Under the influence of marijuana, you could forget your best friend's phone number, watch your grade point average drop like a stone, or get into a car accident. Even worse, high doses of marijuana use can cause anxiety and panic attacks.
Before we look at the damage marijuana can do, let's back up for a second and discuss a tricky truth. For some people, smoking marijuana makes them feel good. Within minutes of inhaling, a user begins to feel "high," or filled with pleasant sensations. A chemical in marijuana, THC, triggers brain cells to release the chemical dopamine. Dopamine creates good feelings—for a short time. [4]

Addiction
Here's the thing: Once dopamine starts flowing, a user feels the urge to smoke marijuana again, and then again, and then again. Repeated use could lead to addiction, and addiction is a brain disease.
THC Attaches to Specific Receptors in the Brain
THC is up to no good in the brain. THC finds brain cells, or neurons, with specific kinds of receptors called cannabinoid receptors. Then, it binds to these receptors. [4]
When it attaches to a neuron, THC interferes with normal communication between neurons. Think of it as a disruption in the phone service, caused perhaps by too many users all at once. Let's say Neuron #1 needs to tell Neuron #2 to create a new memory. If THC is in the mix, this communication is likely to fail.
Certain parts of the brain have high concentrations of cannabinoid receptors. These areas are: the hippocampus, the cerebellum, the basal ganglia, and the cerebral cortex. [4]

THC Creates Learning and Memory Problems
The hippocampus is a part of the brain with a funny name and a big job. It's in charge of certain types of learning and memory.
Disrupting the normal functioning of the hippocampus can lead to trouble studying and learning and problems recalling recent events. The difficulty can be a lot more serious than "Did I take out the trash this morning?"
Interference with the hippocampus may also lead to lasting memory loss. Studies in rats show that taking in a lot of THC over a long period of time can damage neurons in the hippocampus. Chances are, if it happens to rats, it's happening to people who smoke marijuana. [4]

Smoking Marijuana Can Make Driving Dangerous
The cerebellum is the section of our brain that does most of the work on balance and coordination. When THC finds its way into the cerebellum, it makes scoring a goal in soccer or hitting a homerun pretty tough.
THC also does a number on the basal ganglia, another part of the brain that's involved in movement control.
These THC effects can spell disaster on the highway. Research shows that drivers on marijuana have slow reaction times, impaired judgment, and problems responding to signals and sounds on the road. In one study of 150 reckless drivers, 33 tested positive for marijuana. [1],[4]

Smoking Marijuana May Lead to Lung Cancer
The list of negative effects goes on and on. Smoking marijuana may increase the risk of heart attack. Smoking marijuana may cause lung cancer because it has some of the same cancer-causing substances as tobacco. Plus, marijuana smokers tend to inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than cigarette smokers do. So more smoke enters the lungs. Puff for puff, smoking marijuana may increase the risk of cancer even more than smoking cigarettes does. [4]

What About Medical Marijuana?
THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, produces effects that potentially can be useful for treating a variety of medical conditions. It is the main ingredient in a pill that is currently used to treat nausea in cancer chemotherapy patients and to stimulate appetite in patients with wasting due to AIDS. Scientists are continuing to investigate other potential medical uses for cannabinoids.
However, smoking marijuana is difficult to justify medically because the amount of THC in marijuana is not always consistent. It would be difficult—if not impossible—to come up with a safe and effective use of the drug because you could never be sure how much THC you were getting. Moreover, the negative effects of marijuana smoke on the lungs will offset the helpfulness of smoked marijuana for some patients.
Finally, little is known about the many chemicals besides THC that are in marijuana, or their possible negative impact on patients with medical conditions. [4]

References

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Marijuana: Facts for Teens (http://www.drugabuse.gov/
   MarijBroch/MarijIntro.html). NIH Pub. No. 98-4037. Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS, Revised Mar. 2003.
2. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know (http://www.drugabuse.gov/
   MarijBroch/MarijIntro.html). NIH Pub. No. 02-4036. Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS, Revised Nov. 2002.
3. National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA InfoFacts: High School and Youth Trends (http://www.drugabuse.gov/
   Infofax/HSYouthtrends.html): Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Retrieved June 2003.
4. National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA Research Report—Marijuana Abuse (http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/
   Marijuana/default.html): NIH Pub. No. 00-3859. Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Printed Oct. 2002.

Club Drugs

Fact: Getting High can get you AIDS

Many teens and young adults enjoy all-night dance parties known as "raves" and increasingly encounter more than just music. Dangerous substances known collectively as club drugs-including Ecstasy, GHB, and Rohypnol-are gaining popularity. These drugs aren't "fun drugs."
Although users may think these substances are harmless, research has shown that club drugs can produce a range of unwanted effects, including hallucinations, paranoia, amnesia, and, in some cases, death. When used with alcohol, these drugs can be even more harmful. Some club drugs work on the same brain mechanisms as alcohol and, therefore, can dangerously boost the effects of both substances. Also, there are great differences among individuals in how they react to these substances and no one can predict how he or she will react. Some people have been known to have extreme, even fatal, reactions the first time they use club drugs. And studies suggest club drugs found in party settings are often adulterated or impure and thus even more dangerous.
Because some club drugs are colorless, tasteless, and odorless,they are easy for people to slip into drinks. Some of these drugs have been associated with sexual assaults, and for that reason they are referred to as "date rape drugs."

An Introduction to Club Drugs

"X," "Adam," and "Ecstasy" are slang names for MDMA, which is a stimulant and a hallucinogen. Young people may use Ecstasy to improve their moods or get energy to keep dancing; however, chronic abuse of MDMA appears to damage the brain's ability to think and regulate emotion, memory, sleep, and pain.
"G," "Liquid Ecstasy," "Georgia Home Boy" or Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) may be made in homes by using recipes with common ingredients. At lower doses, GHB can relax the user, but, as the dose increases, the sedative effects may result in sleep and eventual coma or death.
"Roofie" or "Roche" (Rohypnol) is tasteless and odorless. It mixes easily in carbonated beverages. Rohypnol may cause individuals under the influence of the drug to forget what happened. Other effects include low blood pressure, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, and stomach upset.
"Special K" or "K" (Ketamine) is an anesthetic. Use of a small amount of ketamine results in loss of attention span, learning ability, and memory. At higher doses, ketamine can cause delirium, amnesia, high blood pressure, depression, and severe breathing problems.
"Speed," "Ice," "Chalk," "Meth" (Methamphetamine) is often made in home laboratories. Methamphetamine use can cause serious health concerns, including memory loss, aggression, violence, psychotic behavior, and heart problems.
"Acid" or Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) may cause unpredictable behavior depending on the amount taken, where the drug is used, and on the user's personality. A user might feel the following effects: numbness, weakness, nausea, increased heart rate, sweating, lack of appetite, "flashbacks," and sleeplessness.

XTC

What Is It?
Ecstasy is an illegal drug that has effects similar to hallucinogens and stimulants. Ecstasy's scientific name is "MDMA" or methylenedioxyMethamphetamine. That word is almost as long as the all-night dance club "raves" or "trances" where ecstasy is often used. That's why ecstasy is called a "club drug."
MDMA is synthetic. It does not come from a plant like marijuana does. MDMA is a chemical made in secret labs hidden around the country. Other chemicals or substances are often added to or substituted for MDMA in ecstasy tablets, such as caffeine, dextromethorphan (cough syrup), amphetamines, and even cocaine. Makers of ecstasy can add anything they want to the drug. So the purity of ecstasy is always in question.[1]

What Are the Common Street Names?
Slang words for ecstasy are E, XTC, X, Adam, hug, beans, clarity, lover's speed, and love drug. [1][2]

How Is It Used?
Ecstasy is usually taken by mouth in a pill, tablet, or capsule. These pills can be different colors, and sometimes the pills have cartoon-like images on them. Called "bumping," some MDMA users take more than one pill at a time. [1][2][3]

How Many Teens Use It?
According to a 2002 NIDA-funded study,some teens are getting smart and turning their backs on ecstasy. For 10th graders in this NIDA-funded study, use of MDMA dropped from 6.2% in 2001 to 4.9% in 2002. There was also a drop in use by 8th graders (from 3.5% to 2.9%) and 12th graders (from 9.2% to 7.4%) compared to 2001. How many students in these grades have ever tried ecstasy?
A 2002 NIDA study reported that 4.3% of 8th graders, 6.6% of 10th graders, and 10.5% of 12th graders had tried MDMA at least once in their life.[7]

Is MDMA Addictive?
Like other stimulant drugs, MDMA appears to have the ability to cause addiction. That is, people continue to take the drug despite experiencing unpleasant side effects, and other social, behavioral, and health consequences.
No one knows how many times a person can use a drug before becoming addicted to it or who is most vulnerable to addiction. A person's genetic makeup, their living environment, and other factors probably play a role in their susceptibility to addiction.

What Are the Common Effects?
In general, NIDA-supported research shows that use of any club drugs can cause serious health problems and, in rare instances, even death. Many drug users take combinations of drugs, including alcohol, which may further increase their danger.
For most users, a "hit" of ecstasy lasts for 3 to 6 hours. Once the pill is swallowed, it only takes about 15 minutes for ecstasy to get into the bloodstream and reach the brain. About 45 minutes later, a user experiences MDMA's peak level (high). It's downhill from there, unless the user "bumps" and takes more MDMA. But even if the user only takes one pill the after-effects of MDMA can last for several days to a week (or longer in regular MDMA users). These include feelings of sadness, anxiety, depression, and memory difficulties. [1][2][3]

Initial Effects
Users might feel very alert or "hyper" at first. They can keep on dancing for hours at a time while at a rave. Users also experience distortions in time, and other changes in perception, such as an enhanced sense of touch. Some, however, become anxious and agitated. Sweating or chills may occur, and the MDMA user may feel faint or dizzy. [3]
Users can also become dehydrated through vigorous activity in a hot environment. MDMA can interfere with the body's ability to regulate its temperature, which can cause dangerous overheating (hyperthermia.) This, in turn, can lead to serious heart, kidney, and liver problems, and rarely, death. MDMA can be extremely dangerous in high doses, or when multiple small doses are taken within a short time period to maintain the ecstasy high. Blood levels of the drug can reach very high levels, increasing the risk of hyperthermia and other negative health consequences of MDMA. [2]

Other Effects On the Body
Ecstasy can also cause muscle tension, clenching of teeth, nausea, blurred vision, fainting, and chills or sweating. MDMA increases your heart rate and your blood pressure.

Effects On the Mind
Ecstasy can cause confusion, depression, sleep problems, intense fear and worrying (anxiety). Some of these side effects can last for days or weeks (in regular drug users) after taking MDMA.

Dangers
MDMA can be dangerous in high doses, and is unpredictable regarding who will be vulnerable to its harmful effects. It can cause a marked increase in body temperature (hyperthermia), which has also been associated with dehydration., Hyperthermia can lead to cardiovascular problems, seizures, liver failure, and muscle breakdown that can cause kidney failure. These have been reported in some fatal cases at raves. [1]
MDMA has been shown to be neurotoxic in studies using animals. We do not know yet whether it is neurotoxic in humans. However, memory loss has been found in regular users of MDMA, and this may reflect damage to the neurons that release serotonin, which also affects the ability to sleep and helps to regulate mood.

Long-term Effects
Although we do not know whether there is long-term damage to the brain in human MDMA users, or whether effects of MDMA are reversible when someone stops using the drug, one study, in non-human primates, showed that exposure to high doses of MDMA for 4 days produced brain damage that was evident 6 to 7 years later. In this study, the researchers found that some of the damaged nerve fibers grow back, but not necessarily in the same parts of the brain. It's like cutting off a limb of a fruit tree. The tree is still alive and can sprout a new limb somewhere else, but it may not bear as much fruit as the old one.

Risks to the Brain
Brain imaging research in humans indicates that MDMA may affect neurons that use the chemical serotonin to communicate with other neurons. The serotonin system plays a direct role in regulating mood, aggression, sexual activity, sleep, and sensitivity to pain. [4, 7]

References

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA Community Drug Alert Bulletin—Club Drugs (http://www.drugabuse.gov/
   ClubAlert/ClubdrugAlert.html): Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Retrieved June 2003.
2. National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA InfoFacts: Ecstasy (http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofax/ecstasy.html): Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Retrieved June 2003.
3. National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA InfoFacts: Club Drugs (http://www.drugabuse.gov/
   Infofax/clubdrugs.html): Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Retrieved June 2003.
4. National Institute on Drug Abuse. MDMA/Ecstasy Research: Advances, Challenges, Future Directions A Scientific Conference (http://www.drugabuse.gov/Meetings/
   MDMA/MDMAExSummary.html): Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Retrieved June 2003.
5. National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA InfoFacts: High School and Youth Trends (http://www.drugabuse.gov/
   Infofax/HSYouthtrends.html): Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Retrieved June 2003.
6. National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA News Release: 2002 Monitoring The Future Survey Shows Decrease in Use of Marijuana, Club Drugs, Cigarettes and Tobacco (http://www.drugabuse.gov/Newsroom/
   02/NR12-16.html): Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. December 16, 2003.
7. Scholastic and National Institute on Drug Abuse. Heads Up: Real News AboutDrugs andYourBody,Ecstasy(http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/
   headsup/drug_ecstasy.htm): Retrieved June 2003.
8. National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Neurobiology of Ecstasy, Slide Teaching Packet IV (http://www.drugabuse.gov/pubs/teaching/
   Teaching4/Teaching.html): Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS, 2001.