Prescription Opioids

Aka: opioids, Oxy, Percs

Prescription opioids are prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain, such as a sports injury, dental work, or cancer. Even though they are prescribed by a doctor, they do have serious risks and side effects, especially when misused. Misuse of opioids - or taking them other than prescribed or more than prescribed, can lead to addiction, overdose, and death – as high doses of opioids can slow your breathing and heart rate, which can lead to death. Mixing prescription opioids with alcohol or other substances can also increase risk of overdose or death.

Common prescription opioids:

• Oxycodone (brand names: OxyContin, Percocet)
• Hydrocodone (brand name: Vicodin)
• Codeine
• Morphine

Heroin

Aka: dope, junk, black tar

Heroin is an illegal opioid made from poppy plants that is very addictive. It is sold as white or brownish powder, but also sold as ‘black tar’ which is sticky like roofing tar or coal. In the US, 36 people die every day from an overdose death involving heroin.1 Heroin affects areas of the brain that control heart rate, sleeping and breathing; a heroin overdose can lead to breathing slowing or even stopping, and decreasing the amount of oxygen reaching the brain, which can lead to a coma or permanent brain damage. People who inject heroin are at greater risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis, and having issues such as collapsed veins or blood vessel clots. Naloxone can treat a heroin overdose if given right away.

Wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER). Atlanta, GA.: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics; 2020. Available at https://wonder.cdc.gov

Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, meaning it is made in a lab either legally or illegally. It is 50 to 100 times stronger than other opioids and now the most common drug involved in drug overdose deaths. Even the smallest amount can cause an overdose, and an amount the size of 10-15 pieces of salt can be deadly.

Drug traffickers are mixing fentanyl into other drugs, such as pills, cocaine, or heroin, or in a combination, because it is cheap to make and is very strong. Most people do not know that fentanyl is present in the drugs they are taking.

Methamphetamine

Aka: meth, crystal, tina, crank, speed

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive, simulant drug that affects your central nervous system in the form of a white powder or pill. Crystal methamphetamine is a form of the drug that looks like glass fragments or shiny, blueish white rocks. Methamphetamine can cause a rapid and/or irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure and body temperature, and other effects on your brain, and can cause severe depression, psychosis, and anxiety in withdrawal. Dangerous, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are sometimes added to street methamphetamine without the user knowing, leading to a greater risk of overdose death.

Cocaine

Aka: Coke, crack

Cocaine is an addictive, illegal, stimulant drug made from the coco plant native to South America. As a street drug, cocaine is a fine, white crystal powder. Cocaine can also be processed to make a rock crystal, called crack. Cocaine increases the level of dopamine in brain circuits, and can cause hypersensitivity, irritability, paranoia, tremors or muscle twitches and a fast or irregular heartbeat, or in large amounts bizarre, unpredictable, and violent behavior. Mixing cocaine with other substances, such as alcohol, heroin, is particularly risky and can lead to an overdose and/or heart attack. Cocaine can also be missed with fentanyl which can lead to overdose and death.

Over-the-counter medicines (OTC)

– Dextromethorphan (DXM)

Aka: skittles, triple-C, dex, orange crush, robo

Dextromethorphan (DXM) is a cough suppressant found in many over the counter medicines such as extra-strength cough syrup, tablets, or gel pills. DXM is misused when people swallow large quantities or mix it with soda for flavor. When taken in large doses, DXM can cause a depressant effect and can cause the user to hallucinate or feel physically distorted, panicked, paranoid and aggressive. Misuse or DXM can lead to addiction and overdose; overdose from DXM can be treated with naloxone.

Cannabis/Marijuana

Aka: weed, grass, joint, blunt, reefer, mary jane, dope, buds

Marijuana is the dried leaves, flowers, stems and seeds from the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plant, which contain the mind-altering chemical THC. While many states, including California, have legalized marijuana for medical or adult recreational use, there are still many risks and dangers you should be aware of. The amount of THC in marijuana has been increasing, which can lead to a greater risk of a harmful reaction or overdose; this is very common with “edibles” because they take longer to digest and feel high, so users consume more. Large doses of marijuana can lead to overdose, which can result in hallucinations, delusions, and risk of psychosis with regular use of high potency marijuana. Long term marijuana can impair brain development of young people ,and affects the regions of the brain that impact thinking, memory, and learning functions – some studies have even found that long term marijuana use that began when users were teens led to a decrease in IQ points, and long-term use has been linked to mental illness in some people.

Alcohol

Aka: booze, juice, brew

Alcohol is a depressant drug, in that it slows down activity in the brain. It can impair young people’s brain development, and young people who begin drinking as a teen are at an increased risk of developing alcohol dependence than if they wait until they are adult to use alcohol. The biggest concern for alcohol is binge drinking – or drinking five or more drinks within 2 hours for males, and 4 drinks within 2 hours for females. Alcohol use and binge drinking can put you at a greater risk for injuries, unprotected sex, sexual assault, and death from things like alcohol-related car accidents or drowning.