Module: Substance Abuse Topic: Illegal for Under 21 to Possess or Use Alcohol Section: TEENS ARE LESS LIKELY

TO DRINK AND DRIVE

Young drivers are less likely than adults to drive after drinking alcohol, but their collision risks are substantially higher when they do. The combination of driver inexperience with drinking is a deadly mix that all too often results in tragedy. Teens are more likely to exhibit impaired driving skills at a lower blood alcohol level. Section: TEEN DRINKING AND RISK What are the risks involved? Teens who drink are at higher risk for date rape, pregnancy, HIV and other STDs, assault, drowning, alcohol poisoning, alcohol dependency, DUI-related injury and death (yours and/or others). This has nothing to do with good or bad or what kind of person you are. When you and others are drinking, you can become careless, and its all downhill from there.

Teens who drink are also more likely to engage in violence against others. In addition to criminal penalties, there may be fines and increased insurance rates for teens in possession of alcohol. If you are under 18, you can be sued for acts committed while drinking, such as vandalism, physical assault, and date rape. Property damage may not be covered by insurance if alcohol is involved. Your parents are liable for any underage drinking that takes place at their residence. Section: TEENS MORE LIKELY TO EXHIBIT IMPAIRED DRIVING SKILL AT LOWER BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS According to the NHTSA, there are 205.5 million licensed drivers in the United States. Young drivers, between 15 and 20 years old, accounted for 6.4% (13.2 million) of the total. In 2008, 12% (5,864) of all drivers involved in fatal collisions (50,186) were young drivers 15 to 20 years old. 292 young drivers with a BAL 0.01-0.07 (or 5% of all fatalities for the 15 to 20 age group) were involved in fatal collisions. Section: LACK OF EXPERIENCE COMBINED WITH ALCOHOL OR DRUGS COMPOUNDS DANGER Inexperience, in drinking as well as driving, is the cause of many collisions involving teens. The rate of fatal collisions among 16- to 20-yearolds driving under the influence is more than

DOUBLE the rate for intoxicated drivers 21 and older. (Traffic Safety Facts 2008, NHTSA)

Module: Substance Abuse Topic: Cycle of Abuse Section: DRUG MISUSE

Just how much practice does it take to get the hang of drinking and using drugs? There is no practice because there are no do-overs. Remember: the younger you are when you start drinking or using drugs, the more likely you are to experience serious physical consequences or become an addict. Make the responsible choice.

What is drug addiction? Alan I. Leshner, Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, defines drug addiction as uncontrollable, compulsive drug seeking and use, even in the face of negative health and social consequences. By abusing drugs, the addicted teen has changed the way his or her brain operates. 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.

Becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol is a process that can happen very quickly. Recreational or occasional use of these substances can quickly turn to abuse. When someone begins to use drugs or alcohol on a regular basis, they are starting on a path toward abuse. The person begins to physically need the alcohol or drug in order to function. This is known as physical dependency. These substances have incredible power over the body.

If dependency is not recognized and dealt with, addiction follows with terrible consequences. Addiction is a condition caused by repeated drug or alcohol use, characterized by a compulsive urge to continue using the drug, a tendency to increase dosage, and physiological and/or psychological dependence. People who have this addiction tend to have serious health problems. They are prone to grand mood swings, violent and unpredictable behavior, and loss of friendships or family relationships. They tend to turn inward, wanting only satisfy their addictions. When unable to get their drug of choice, their bodies go into withdrawal.

During the process of withdrawal, the body is fighting itself for survival. For many people, addiction to alcohol or drugs is a lifelong struggle which is extremely difficult to reverse. Ask yourself if you want your life reduced to a desperate need for mind-altering substances. The best way to avoid addiction is to avoid drugs altogether.

Module: Substance Abuse Topic: Drug Actions within the Body Section: DRUG ACTIONS WITHIN THE BODY

Drugs are chemicals. Marijuana is often considered just a plant, but it actually has 61 chemicals unique to the cannabis plant and contains carcinogens.

Section: UPPERS Some common stimulants are: Amphetamines Cocaine Caffeine Pep pills Diet pills Stimulants can be extremely dangerous drugs. Abuse of these substances can cause paranoia, convulsions, nervousness, coma, and in some cases death.

Cocaine Short term effects:

Effects peak after 15-40 minutes before fading quickly. Users experience a sense of well-being. This includes alertness, painlessness, and confidence. The feelings soon pass and the user is left wanting more of the drug. Physical effects include dry mouth, sweating, loss of appetite, and a racing pulse.

Long term effects:

Prolonged use can cause heart problems and chest pain while heavy use can cause convulsions. Users often complain of feeling tired and depressed.

Long-term users can become dependent on the way cocaine makes them feel and may experience withdrawal symptoms. Snorting the drug damages the inside of the nose. Sometimes the damage is permanent. Constant or frequent use can leave users restless, confused, paranoid, and sleepless. Injecting cocain increases the risk of spreading infections such as HIV or Hepatitis B and C.

Section: DOWNERS Downers (also called depressants) operate by slowing central nervous system functions. Small amounts help relax muscles and produce calmness; while larger doses impair judgment, reflexes, and speech. Some drugs that fall under the category of downers are:

Barbiturates Tranquilizers Alcohol Some antihistamines

Section: NARCOTICS Narcotic drugs often dull the senses and make the user sleepy. They are also highly addictive. Opium, morphine, heroin (a synthetic drug made by altering the chemicals in opium), and codeine are the most commonly used narcotics.

Narcotics are usually prescribed for pain relief but are often abused. Drowsiness, respiratory slowing, memory loss, and nausea are only a few of the negative effects. There are many more. Abuse of this type of drug can cause convulsions, coma, or even death. Because narcotics affect the central nervous system, abusing narcotics can also impair mental functioning.

Heroin Chronic heroin users may develop collapsed veins, heart lining and valve infections, abscesses, cellulitis, and liver disease. Pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia, may result from the poor health condition of the abuser, as well as from heroins effects on respiration. In addition to the effects of the drug itself, heroin may have additives that do not readily dissolve. Absorbing these substances can cause the blood vessels that lead to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain to become clogged. Eventually, this may cause infection or even the death of small patches of cells in vital organs. Section: HALLUCINOGENS Hallucinogenic drugs come in natural and synthetic forms. These substances are known to distort your perception of reality and thought processes. The most common types of hallucinogens are phencyclidine (PCP), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and organic drugs (including mescaline and psilocybin).

LSD LSD is sold as small squares of blotting paper that may be decorated with colorful designs or cartoon characters. Users then lick or suck these papers. This drug also comes in capsules and liquid form that can be swallowed. Hallucinations occur within 30 to 90 minutes of ingestion. People say their senses are intensified and distorted when they use. They may see colors or hear sounds with other delusions, such as melting walls and a loss of any sense of time. But the effects are also unpredictable, depending on how much LSD is taken and the user.

The effects of LSD often last 12 hours or longer. Bad trips have been known to cause disturbing delusions, panic attacks, depression, and confusion. Physical risks include increased heart rate, sleeplessness, and convulsions. Users often have flashbacks in which they feel some of the effects of LSD at a later time.

Marijuana The most widely used illegal drug and hallucinogen in the U.S. is marijuana. This nonsynthetic drug resembles green or brown dried parsley with stems or seeds. A stronger form of marijuana called hashish (hash) looks like brown or black cakes or balls.

Marijuana is typically smoked in cigarettes (joints), hollowed-out cigars (blunts), pipes (bowls), or water pipes (bongs). Some people mix it into foods or brew it as a tea. Marijuana users can become psychologically dependent upon its use to feel good, deal with life, or handle stress. Physically, a user may demand more and more of the drug to achieve the same kind of high he or she experienced when first using the drug.
Module: Substance Abuse Topic: Availability of Drugs Section: OVER-THE-COUNTER

Over-the-counter drugs do not escape abuse and can also have harmful effects. In fact, the use and abuse of diet pills, cough medicine, nicotine gum, or other seemingly safe medications can cause unpredictable driving behaviors and dire health consequences.

Many readily available cough and cold medicines include dextromethorphan (DXM) in their list of ingredients. If taken in large quantities, these over-the-counter medicines can cause loss of motor control, hallucinations, and other dissociative sensations. DXM is often abused when extracted from cough and cold medicines, put into powder form, and snorted.

Large doses of certain over-the-counter medications can cause fever, confusion, impaired judgment, blurred vision, dizziness, paranoia, excessive sweating, slurred speech, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, headache, lethargy, numbness of fingers and toes, redness of face, dry and itchy skin, loss of consciousness, seizures, brain damage, and even death. Sometimes abusers mistakenly take cough syrups that contain other medications in addition to dextromethorphan. High doses of these other medications can cause serious injury or death. Section: SOCIAL "When 14-year-old Irma Perez of Belmont, California took a single ecstasy pill one evening last April, she had no idea she would become one of the 26,000 people who die every year from drugs. Irma took ecstasy with two 14-year-old friends in her home. Soon after taking the tiny blue pill, Irma complained of feeling awful and said she felt like she was going to die." This excerpt from "Marijuana: The Myths Are Killing Us" (Police Chief Magazine, March 2005) shows that even small amounts of illegal drugs can be fatal.

From "Marijuana: The Myths Are Killing Us": "The friends tried to get Irma to smoke marijuana, but when she couldn't because she was vomiting and lapsing into a coma, they stuffed marijuana leaves into her mouth because, according to news sources, they knew that drug is sometimes used to treat cancer patients. Irma Perez died from taking ecstasy, but compounding that tragedy was the deadly decision to use marijuana to treat her instead of making what could have been a lifesaving call to 911."

From "Marijuana: The Myths Are Killing Us": Irma was a victim of the stunning misinformation about marijuana. Society has come to believe that marijuana use is not only an individual's free choice, but also is good medicine and a cure-all for a variety of ills. However, with any drug, only a doctor can determine whether it is medically appropriate.

Where do illegal drugs come from? The illegal drug market in the United States is one of the most profitable in the world. As such, it attracts sophisticated and aggressive drug traffickers. Diverse groups traffic and distribute illegal drugs. Criminal organizations operating from South America smuggle cocaine and heroin into the U.S. via a number of routes. Furthermore, criminal groups operating from Mexico smuggle cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, amphetamines, and marijuana into the United States.

Besides criminal groups based abroad, domestic organizations cultivate, produce, manufacture, or distribute illegal drugs such as marijuana, methamphetamine, phencyclidine (PCP), and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). By growing sinsemilla, the seedless flowering tops of marijuana plants, domestic cannabis growers are able to provide high potency marijuana that easily competes with other illegal drugs. With demand for methamphetamine remaining high, especially in the West and Midwest, so does the number of illicit domestic laboratories that supply methamphetamine to a growing number of addicts.

Strangers stand on the street corners selling drugs, with no regard for your health or safety money is their only concern. Drug dealers now also appear through the Internet. Organized crime has set up shop online, with criminals posing as legitimate pharmacies. Ask yourself this: do you want to sacrifice your health, your life, and the happiness of your loved ones to make drug dealers richer?

The following are some common "excuses" for taking drugs:

Boredom Being social

Wanting to "enhance" an experience Celebrations Someone else you know tried it and nothing happened to them.

Module: Substance Abuse Topic: Legalities

Section: HOW DUI LAWS WORK The penalties for driving under the influence (DUI) are severe and may include fees, jail time, rehabilitation class, the installation of an ignition interlock device on your car (to disable the car if you have consumed alcohol), and other penalties. DUI laws punish offenders for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

A DUI offense is both a criminal and civil matter. If a law enforcement officer suspects you of being intoxicated, he or she may ask you to submit to a blood, breath, or urine test to verify your blood alcohol level (BAL). According to Floridas implied consent law, signing an application for a driver license signifies that you agree to take these tests. If you refuse to be tested, you will be subject to the following penalties: The first time you refuse to take the test, your license will be automatically suspended for one year. If a second incident occurs where you refuse to take the test, your license will be suspended for 18 months. This is a second degree misdemeanor.

If you are involved in an incident where someone dies or is seriously injured, you will need to take a blood testeven without consent. A doctor, nurse, or other health professional will draw your blood. Blood may be drawn if you are unconscious and cannot refuse a test. The results can be legally used as evidence.

Drivers who exceed the per se breath or BAL limit will be prosecuted solely for having an amount of alcohol in their system greater than permitted by law. A DUI conviction remains on a driver's record for 75 years.

The penalties for a first-time DUI charge include the following: FineWith a BAL of .08 or higher the fine may range from $250-$500. If there is a minor in the

vehicle, the fine jumps to $500-$1000. Community Service50 hours ProbationNot more than one year. Revocation of LicenseA 180 day minimum ImprisonmentNo more than six months. If there is a BAL of .20 or higher or a minor in the vehicle, no more than nine months. DUI School12 hours DUI School RequirementThere will be an evaluation to diagnose if there is a need for treatment. Ignition Interlock DeviceUp to six months.

The second offense will result in steeper penalties including the following: FineWith a BAL of .08 or higher the fine may range from $500-$1000. If there is a minor in the vehicle, the fine jumps to $1000-$2000. Revocation of LicenseA 180 day minimum. If this second offense is within five years of the first conviction, your license will be revoked for five years. ImprisonmentNo more than nine months. If the second conviction is within five years of the first offense, the penalty is ten days in jail with 48 hours of consecutive confinement. DUI School21 hours DUI School RequirementThere will be an evaluation given to diagnose if there is a need for treatment. Ignition Interlock DeviceA one-year minimum.

The third offense will result in the following increased penalties: FineWith a BAL of .08 or higher the fine may range from $1000-$2500. If there is a minor in the vehicle, the fine jumps to $2000-$5000. Revocation of LicenseA 180 day minimum. If this third offense is within ten years of the second conviction, your license will be revoked for 10 years. ImprisonmentNo more than 12 months. If the third conviction is within ten years of jail time for the same offense, the penalty is 30 days in jail with 48 hours of consecutive confinement. DUI School21 hours DUI School RequirementThere will be an evaluation given to diagnose if there is a need for treatment. Ignition Interlock DeviceA two-year minimum.

For the fourth (or higher) offense, the penalties are: FineAt least $1000. Revocation of LicenseYour license will be revoked permanently. ImprisonmentNo more than five years Section: INSURANCE COSTS

On top of court penalties and other fees, the price of insurance greatly increases with a DUI conviction on a drivers record. Also, your insurance policy may be canceled at the end of the term because of your DUI conviction, especially if you are currently in a preferred class. Section: LOSS OF DRIVING PRIVILEGES Florida follows a Zero Tolerance law. This means if any driver who is under the age of 21 is stopped by a law enforcement officer and shown to have a BAL of .02 or greater, he or she will have his or her driving privilege suspended for six months. If the BAL is higher than .05, the driver will be required to take a substance abuse course. If the driver has a BAL over the legal limit of .08, he or she can be convicted for driving under the influence (DUI).

For drivers under the age of 19, there will be an evaluation to diagnose if there is a need for treatment. If a driver under the age of 21 refuses to take a test to determine BAL, his or her driving privilege will be automatically suspended for one year.