Teens and drugs: What you need to know

Heroin
Street names: black tar, brown sugar, goods, H, Harry, horse, junk, Lady, smack, white girl

What does it look like?
• A white powder, a brown grainy substance or a dark sticky gum; most often injected but can be snorted
• Can be heated in tin foil or on a spoon and the fumes inhaled in a ritual known as "tooting" or "chasing the dragon"

Who uses it?
• Wide range of people from different cultural, social, economic and age groups
• Twice as many males as females
• Most first-time users are teens and young adults
• Most regular users are over 30

Cost: It varies according to availability and market trends.

Physical and mental effects
• When injected, immediately produces a surge of euphoria known as a “rush” that lasts for a few minutes
• Slowed breathing due to depression of the autonomic nervous system
• Followed by up to one hour of sedation referred to as being “on the nod”
• New users may become nauseated and vomit
• Feeling of detachment from physical and emotional pain
• Feeling of well-being
• Effect with snorting or smoking not as intense

Health risks
• Bacterial infection, blood poisoning, abscesses, endocarditis (infection of the heart lining), collapsed veins, overdose, infection with HIV, hepatitis B or C from shared needles, dependence and addiction, changes in brain function
• Overdose, particularly when injected, and, when combined with other sedating drugs such as alcohol, can cause breathing to stop completely

Telltale signs of use
• "Track marks" along the arms from repeated injections
• Changes in mood and behaviour
• Decreased awareness of the outside world
• Drowsiness
• Docile and compliant when high
• Irritable and aggressive during withdrawal, which can set in within six to 12 hours of last dose
• Withdrawal symptoms include runny nose, sneezing, diarrhea, vomiting, restlessness, sweating, chills, shaking and involuntary leg movements; intense craving for more drug

Ketamine
Street names: date rape drug, K, Special K

What does it look like?
Used by veterinarians, this fast-acting anesthetic and painkiller is usually sold as a white powder that is snorted, dissolved in drinks or smoked with marijuana or tobacco. (A liquid form is typically mixed with drinks or injected.)

Who uses it?
• Clubbers who are part of the downtown bar scene
• Used recreationally by people attending large parties or raves
• Recent reports also point to the use of the drug among young people

Cost: A vial of powdered K (0.5 grams) costs $30 on the street.

Physical and mental effects
• Can produce a speedy rush and lead to hallucinations
• Out-of-body experiences sometimes referred to as "K-holes"
• Feelings of numbness and lack of coordination
• Nausea
• Blurred vision

Health risks
• At high doses may cause irregular heartbeat, difficulty breathing and loss of consciousness
• Some other drugs (including some that treat HIV) increase the potency of this drug
• Could pose a safety risk because its sedative effects have been used to prevent victims from resisting sexual assault
• Since it's an anesthetic that dulls pain, you may hurt yourself unknowingly

Telltale signs of use
• Change in behaviour
• Unexplained cuts or bruises
• Drowsiness

Alcohol: Risky business
Let's not forget about the rampant use -- and abuse -- of alcohol among Canadian teens. A 2001 survey of Alberta adolescents aged 12 to 18 found that 65 per cent had consumed alcohol at least once in the previous month. Almost half -- 46 per cent -- said they had consumed five or more drinks in a row during the same time.

Alcohol can pave the way for sexual assault and is also associated with increased risk of accidental injury and death, including alcohol poisoning and suicide. Over the long term, heavy drinking can cause brain and nerve damage; high blood pressure and stroke; liver disease; diseases of the stomach, digestive system and pancreas; breast and throat cancer; low sex-hormone levels; and alcohol dependence.

Read about how to stop your teen from binge drinking.

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