COCAINE?
Publications
NPW puts a week-long spotlight on prevention topics, but SAMHSA focuses on prevention throughout the year, including by developing a variety of publications for specific audiences as well as the general public. SAMHSA produced the Prevention Resources for Building Healthier Communities catalog to show those in the prevention community the array of resources, from the Report to Congress on the Prevention and Reduction of Underage Drinking to the Rx Pain Medications and Tips for Teens fact sheet series to Get Connected: Linking Older Adults with Resources on Medication, Alcohol, and Mental Health.
The catalog also showcases upcoming products, such as Marijuana Facts: A Toolkit for Parents, Community Leaders, and Employers and Student Assistance: A Guide for School Administrators. NPW is the inspiration for the 2018 National Prevention Week Planning Guide and Resource Calendar, an award-winning resource that supports prevention work year-round. Professionals in the prevention community, as well as anyone else interested in bolstering prevention efforts, can rely on SAMHSA’ s continually expanding publications portfolio as they plan NPW events and maintain prevention momentum 365 days a year.
26 2018 OUTCOMES REPORT
COCAINE
THE TRUTH ABOUT COCAINE
SLANG: COKE / FLAKE / C / COCA / BUMP / TOOT / SNOW / BLOW / ROCK( CRACK)
GET THE FACTS
COCAINE AFFECTS YOUR BRAIN. Cocaine causes a brief high that makes the user feel more energetic, talkative, and alert; this can be followed by feelings of restlessness, irritability, and panic. 1 Cocaine is highly addictive and can increase the risk of negative psychological states, including paranoia, anxiety, and psychosis. 2, 3
COCAINE AFFECTS YOUR BODY. People who use cocaine often don’ t eat or sleep regularly. They can experience increased heart rate, muscle spasms, and convulsions. Snorting cocaine also can permanently damage nasal tissue. 4
COCAINE AFFECTS YOUR EMOTIONS. Using cocaine can change your mood and make you feel paranoid, angry, and anxious. 5
COCAINE IS ADDICTIVE. Repeated cocaine use changes the brain circuits that process feelings of pleasure, which can cause a person to lose interest in other areas of their life, like school, friends, and sports. 6 It also damages brain circuits that control stress, decisionmaking, and impulse control, making it more difficult to stop using, even when it has negative effects on your life and health. Frequent use also can lead to tolerance and withdrawal, so you need more of the drug just to feel normal. 7
COCAINE CAN KILL YOU. Cocaine use can cause seizures, strokes, and comas. Cocaine can change the way the heart beats and lead to a heart attack. People who share needles can contract hepatitis, HIV, and other diseases. 8 It also is particularly dangerous to consume cocaine and alcohol at the same time; they combine to produce a third chemical, cocaethylene, that is far more toxic than either cocaine or alcohol alone. 9
COCAINE ADDICTION IS TREATABLE. Behavioral drug treatments can help someone stop using cocaine and recover from addiction. 10
Q. A.
?
Q. A.
Q & A
IS COCAINE USE A PROBLEM?
YES. There were 1. 9 million current( past-month) cocaine users ages 12 or older in 2015. 11 About 900,000 users ages 12 or older met the criteria for a diagnosable disorder with significant negative effects because of their cocaine use in the past year. 12 In 2014, overdoses and deaths caused by cocaine use increased by 42 percent. 13
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COCAINE AND CRACK?
COCAINE IS A WHITE POWDER that can be snorted or dissolved in water and injected. Crack, an altered form of cocaine, is a rock crystal that is usually smoked. 14
Q. WHAT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS WAY TO USE A.
ANY METHOD OF COCAINE USE CARRIES A RISK of addiction and / or overdose. 15 Snorting cocaine can result in frequent nosebleeds or loss of sense of smell. Injecting cocaine can cause infected sores at the injection sites or exposure to serious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C by sharing needles. Using cocaine and alcohol at the same time is particularly dangerous. However, all methods of cocaine use can lead to severe cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological effects.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Cocaine is illegal, addictive, and dangerous. 16, 17 Talk to your parents, a doctor, a counselor, a teacher, or another adult you trust if you have questions.
LEARN MORE: Get the latest information on how drugs affect the brain and body at teens. drugabuse. gov.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COCAINE, CONTACT: SAMHSA 1 – 877 – SAMHSA – 7( 1 – 877 – 726 – 4727)( English and Español)
TTY 1 – 800 – 487 – 4889 www. samhsa. gov store. samhsa. gov
Hands-on Planning Resources
NPW participants had two ways to get planning resources this year: the NPW Wristband Toolkit and the Digital Toolkit. Both featured hands-on tools and information for partners, NPW working group members, family, youth, and prevention professionals.
Featuring the latest SAMHSA data on substance use prevention and mental health promotional materials, the Toolkits also included customizable tools and federal health agency publications related to each of the daily NPW themes.
The wristband toolkits were handed out at SAMHSA’ s Prevention Day, with many organizations ordering copies to distribute at their own prevention events. More than 7,000 wristband toolkits were distributed or ordered this year.
The digital version of the Toolkits, available for download on the NPW website, featured English and Spanish versions of the full suite of planning resources and tools, which were collectively downloaded more than 5,000 times.
MOST DOWNLOADED
TOOLKIT RESOURCES
( IN RANK ORDER)
1 2 3
NPW Event Ideas NPW Fact Sheet NPW Customizable Fact Sheet