Know the law: drugs
Get help for yourself or a friend:
The website for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is an on-line resource for locating drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs, including some that are free.
Except for medical prescriptions and over-the-counter medication, it is illegal for anyone to have, sell or use any type of drugs. This includes glue, aerosol paint and any other substances that can be used as an inhalant.
Over-the-counter medications are also illegal to abuse. Any substance that causes intoxication may violate the law. According to Texas law, the legal definition of intoxicated is “not having the normal use of mental or physical faculties because of the introduction of alcohol, a controlled substance, a drug, or any other substance in the body.” You may be charged with public intoxication, and it is also illegal to drive under the influence of these types of products.
To keep drugs away from youth, the Texas Legislature created drug-free zones around schools, video arcades and other places young people are likely to frequent.
A drug offender can lose driving privileges, be placed on probation or be sent to a treatment facility, a juvenile facility or an adult prison for drug violations. Any drug-related offense can get a student expelled or suspended.
A person can be arrested for having marijuana or any other controlled substance. A student should not accept packages or agree to hold things if he or she does not know what is in them.
Prescription Drugs & Over-the-Counter Medications
Prescription drugs and OTC medications are not harmless. Taking any legitimate drug in a way it is not designed or intended by the manufacturer can hurt and even kill you. These kinds of drugs are easy to find, and many teens think that taking prescription and OTC drugs is a safer way to get high. They are wrong.
You may think that medicine is safe because it is available in stores or at pharmacies, but this is wrong. In prescribed doses these medicines help people to heal, but in large doses they can cause heart attacks, seizures, liver damage and even death.
According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, prescription medication abuse by teens and young adults is a growing problem in the United States. As reported in their annual tracking study, one in five teens has abused a prescription pain medication, one in five report abusing prescription stimulants and tranquilizers, and one in ten has abused cough medication.
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America is a nonprofit coalition of communication, health, medical and educational professionals working to reduce illicit drug use and help people live healthy, drug-free lives. Check out their website for tons of great information.
Sniffing or "huffing" inhalants such as spray paint or glue can cause irreversible damage to the central nervous system, and it can do so more quickly than many people realize. Inhalants are attractive to some people because of the quick, cheap high and easy access, but the cost may be impaired perception, memory and muscular coordination, as well as PERMANENT loss of the ability to reason clearly. Inhalants can also result in death.
Underground parties present a risk for teens to be exposed to and tempted by popular party drugs. You may think that these types of drugs are safe and no one will get hurt. This is dangerous because you do not really know the drug and how your body will respond. Many pills look pretty much the same, but depending on the drug and the dosage the effects can vary greatly from mild to lethal and you may never know what you are really taking. If you are unconscious or intoxicated, who will protect you?
