Substance Abuse Education and Training Institute - Facts

Are You Troubled by Someone's Drinking? Do you worry about how much someone is drinking? Do you have money problems because of someone else's drinking? Do you blame the drinker's behavior on his or her companions? Do you secretly try to smell the drinker's breath? Are holidays and gatherings spoiled because of drinking? Have you been hurt or embarrassed by a drinker's behavior? If you can answer YES to any of these questions, Al-Anon may be right for you... visit their website at www.al-anon.org for a listing of Al-Anon meetings. What Does Addiction Mean and What Are Some Types of Addiction? An addiction means losing control over the use of a substance or an activity. People with addictions can't stop their problem even though it may ruin their health, destroy their family, damage friendship or cause other serious problems. Many people are addicted to chemical substances, including alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, nicotine in cigarettes and other tobacco products and caffeine in coffee, colas, etc. Others are addicted to activities or behaviors, such as: eating, sex, gambling, work, exercise, shopping, playing computer or video games and staying in unhealthy relationships. Fast Facts About Heroin What is Heroin? Heroin is a highly addictive and rapidly acting opiate. Specifically, heroin is produced from morphine, which is a principal component of opium. Who Uses Heroin? Individuals of all ages use heroin - data reported in the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse indicate that an estimated 3,091,000 US residents ages 12 and older have used heroin at least once in their lifetime. The survey also revealed that many teenagers and young adults used heroin - 76,000 from 12-17 and 474,000 18-25. Is Heroin illegal? Yes, heroin is illegal? Heroin is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substance Act. Schedule I drugs have a high potential for abuse and serve no legitimate medical purposes in the US Your Degree Doesn't Matter! You've studied long and hard. You've kept your grades up. You've worked many hours on your degree. Finally, you have landed that job interview, your dream job, the one that will jump start your career. After the interview, they loved you, you are just what they have been looking for... The last requirement, a background check. A lot of students don't realize how one moment of bad judgment can mean that their degree is worthless. Convictions including: carrying or manufacturing a false ID, misrepresentation of your age to purchase or attempt to purchase alcohol, disorderly conduct or purchasing or furnishing alcohol to minors can mean that a number of occupations will remain beyond your reach. Act responsibly when it comes to alcohol or your degree may turn out to be nothing more than the paper it's printed on. For more information, contact Michelle Piazza at mpiazza@luzerne.edu Facts About Alcohol Does alcohol affect your body? Alcohol can damage every organ in your body. Drinking alcohol slows your brain and your central nervous system. Isn't liquor worse than beer? NO. One can of beer has about as much alcohol as a glass of wine, wine cooler or shot of liquor. Can you overdose on alcohol? Drinking large amounts of alcohol can lead to a come or even death. Do Anabolic Steroids Really Make the Body Stronger? You may have heard that some athletes use anabolic steroids to gain size and strength. But while anabolic steroids can make people look stronger on the outside, they may create weaknesses on the inside, For example, anabolic steroids can weaken the immune system, can lead to liver damage or cancer, even in young people. They can also permanently stop bones from growing in teenagers. This means that teenage steroid users may not grow to be his or her full adult height and will be shorter for life!

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