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Psychiatric & Addiction
Resources
Use of Alcohol and Other Drugs by Women: Quick
Facts1
- About 4.5 million American women abuse alcohol.
- About 3.5 million American women misuse prescription
drugs.
- About 3.1 million regularly use illicit drugs.
- Approximately 40,000 women die of alcohol-related illnesses and
injuries each year.
- Female alcoholics have death rates up to twice as high as male
alcoholics.
- Women become more susceptible to the effects of alcohol as they
age.
- Female alcoholics live 15 years less than women in the general
population.
1. From the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
at Columbia University.
Consumption
Rates, Patterns & Trends
- 45% of females ages 12 or older report current (past month)
alcohol use; 8% are binge drinkers (defined as 5 or more drinks on
the same occasion at least once in the past month); and 2% drink
heavily (5 or more drinks on the same occasion on at least 5
different days in the past month) (US Department of Health &
Human Services {DHHS}, Office of Applied Studies, National
Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Main Findings, 1997, pp. 106,
110-111).
- Current use of alcohol is highest among women ages 26 to 34;
binge and heavy drinking are highest among 18- to 25-year-olds
(Ibid).
- While significantly fewer adult women than men use alcohol,
cigarettes or illicit drugs, among 12- to 17-year olds, rates of
female and male use are similar (DHHS, Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration {SAMHSA} news release,
9/22/97).
- Never-married, divorced and separated women generally have the
highest rates of heavy drinking and drinking related problems;
widowed women, the lowest rates, and married women, intermediate
rates (S Wilsnack, et.al., "How Women Drink: Epidemiology of
Women's Drinking and Problem Drinking," National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism {NIAAA}, Alcohol Health & Research
World {AHRW}, Vol. 18, No. 3, 1994, p. 176).
- 4.5% of women report current use of any illicit drug; of these,
0.5% use cocaine (1997 Household Survey).
- Four times as many pregnant women drank frequently (7 or more
drinks per week or 5 or more drinks on at least one occasion) in
1995 (3.5%) as in 1991 (0.8%) (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, "Alcohol Consumption Among Pregnant and
Childbearing-Aged Women--United States, 1991 and 1995," Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report, 4/25/97, p. 345).
- Research suggests that women may be at higher risk for
developing alcohol-related problems at lower levels of consumption
than men (NIAAA, Ninth Special Report to US Congress on Alcohol and
Health, 6/97, p. 306)
- Nearly 4 million American women ages 18 and older can be
classified as alcoholic or problem drinkers, one-third the number
of men; of these women, 58% are between the ages of 18 to 29 (B
Grant, et.al., "Prevalence of DSM-IV Alcohol Abuse and Dependence,"
AHRW, Vol. 18, No. 3, 1994, pp. 243, 245).
- Compared with men, women with drinking problems also are at
increased risk for depression, low self-esteem, alcohol-related
physical problems, marital discord or divorce, spouses with alcohol
problems, a history of sexual abuse, and drinking in response to
life crises (M McCaul & J Furst, "Alcoholism Treatment in the
United States," AHRW, Vol. 18, No. 4, 1994, p. 257).
- Among personal and environmental factors that increase a
woman's risks for problem drinking are: the influence of a husband
or partner’s drinking; the strong link between depression and
alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence in women; sexual experience,
including expectations of drinking’s effects on sexual
behavior, sexual orientation and sexual dysfunction; and violent
victimization, including physical and sexual victimization in
childhood and/or adulthood (Ninth Special Report, op.cit., p.
22).
* More than 4 million women need treatment for drug problems (NIDA,
"Women & Drug Abuse: You And Your Community Can Help," 1994, p.
6).
- Among drug-using women, 70% report having been abused sexually
before the age of 16; and more than 80% had at least one parent
addicted to alcohol or one or more illicit drugs (NIDA Capsules,
"Women and Drug Abuse," 6/94, p. 2).
- Alcohol or other drug use may make women more vulnerable to
rape. A 1988 survey of female college students found that 53% of
rape victims had used alcohol or both alcohol and other drugs
beforehand, and 64% reported alcohol or other drug use by the
rapist (J Collins & P Messerschmidt, "Epidemiology of
Alcohol-Related Violence," AHRW, Vol. 17, No. 2, 1993, p. 95).
- Alcohol is present in more than one-half of all incidents of
domestic violence, with women most likely to be battered when both
partners have been drinking (Ibid., p. 96).
- Women are more likely than men to use a combination of alcohol
and prescription drugs.
- Women may begin to abuse alcohol and drugs following
depression, to relax on dates, to overcome feelings of inadequacy,
to lose weight, to decrease stress or to help them sleep at
night.
- Poor self-esteem is a major issue for most women who develop
problems with drugs and alcohol.
Health
Issues For Women With Addictions
- The death rate among women alcoholics is higher than among men
because of their increased risk for suicide, alcohol-related
accidents, cirrhosis and hepatitis (Journal of the American Medical
Association news release, 3/12/96).
- Women develop cirrhosis of the liver at a much lower cumulative
dose of alcohol than do men; moreover, women remain at increased
risk of disease progression, even after abstinence (J Maher,
"Exploring Alcohol's Effects on Liver Function," AHRW, Vol. 21, No.
1, 1997, p. 10).
- The frequency of menstrual disturbances, spontaneous abortions
and miscarriages increases with level of drinking; problem drinking
has adverse effects on fertility and sexual function (Ninth Special
Report, op. cit., p. 160)
- In one large study, the death rate from breast cancer was 30
percent higher among middle-aged and elderly women reporting at
least one drink daily than among nondrinkers (MJ Thun, et al..,
"Alcohol Consumption and Mortality Among Middle-Aged and Elderly US
Adults," New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 337, No. 24,
12/11/97, p. 1711).
Seventy percent of AIDS cases among women are drug-related
("Women & Drug Abuse: You And Your Community . .," op. cit., p.
7).
Dual Diagnoses
And Women
A SAMHSA report on females admitted to treatment with a dual
diagnosis of a substance-abuse problem and a psychiatric disorder
found that almost half (46 percent) had alcohol as a primary
substance of abuse. The report also found that dually diagnosed
female admissions were more likely to have had prior treatments
than non-dually diagnosed female admissions (72 percent versus 60
percent).
The
Impact Of Drugs On The Pregnant Woman And Her Unborn
Child
When a pregnant woman uses drugs, she and her unborn child face
serious health problems. During pregnancy, the drugs used by the
mother can enter the baby's bloodstream. The most serious effects
on the baby can be HIV infection, AIDS, prematurity, low birth
weight, sudden infant death syndrome, small head size, stunted
growth, poor motor skills and behavior problems.
A mother's continuing drug use puts her children at risk for
neglect, physical abuse and malnutrition.
However, NIDA research shows that providing care and treatment to
the pregnant drug abuser can reduce many of the negative effects on
her baby. (Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse).
Availability Of Illegal Drugs To Women
The 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health asked
respondents how easy it was to obtain illegal drugs. Females ages
12–17 were more likely than males ages 12–17 to report
that marijuana, cocaine, crack, heroin and LSD were fairly or very
easy to obtain.7
According to data from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring
(ADAM) Program, a median of 68% of adult female arrestees
tested positive for cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, opiates or
PCP during 2003. Approximately 24% of female arrestees were
positive for more than one of these drugs. The ADAM data were
compiled by testing female arrestees in 25 U.S. sites.
Deaths
From Drug Abuse
A National Vital Statistics Report found that 21,683 people died of
drug-induced causes in 2001. Of the drug-induced deaths,
7,439 (34 percent) were females. Drug-induced deaths
include deaths from dependent and nondependent use of drugs (legal
and illegal use) and poisoning from medically prescribed and other
drugs. It excludes accidents, homicides and other causes indirectly
related to drug use. Also excluded are newborn deaths due to a
mother’s drug use.
Increase In Drug Episodes Among Women
The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) collects data on drug-related
visits to emergency departments (ED) nationwide. In 2002, there
were 670,307 ED episodes. Of these episodes, 308,098
involved females, a 22 percent increase from the 252,128 female ED
episodes in 1995. In 2002, there were 1,209,938 ED drug
mentions reported to DAWN, 553,874 of which involved females.
(Note: a drug episode describes an emergency-department visit that
was induced by or related to the use of drugs. A drug mention
refers to a substance that was recorded during an emergency
department episode. Because up to four drugs can be reported for
each drug abuse episode, there are more mentions than
episodes.)
Arrests And Sentencing
- According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there were
199,361 state and local female arrests in 2002 for drug-abuse
violations.
- In fiscal year 2001, the U.S. Marshals Service arrested and
booked 17,249 female suspects for federal offenses, representing
14.3% of the total arrests made by the U.S. Marshals Service. Of
the U.S. Marshals Service arrestees booked on drug-offense charges,
15.3% were female. Also in 2001, the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) arrested 5,452 females, representing 16.6% of
the DEA arrests. Approximately 28% (1,528) of the female DEA
arrests in 2001 involved methamphetamine.
- A Bureau of Justice statistics report found that about half of
women offenders confined in state prisons had been using alcohol,
drugs or both at the time of the offense for which they were
incarcerated. About six in 10 women in state prison described
themselves as using drugs in the month before the offense, and five
in 10 described themselves as daily users of drugs. Nearly one in
three women serving time in state prisons said they had committed
the offense which brought them to prison in order to obtain money
to support their need for drugs.
The Effects Of Alcohol On Women And
Men
- For women, two drinks a day is above what the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans call “moderate:” no more than
one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for
men.
- Alcohol passes through the digestive tract and is dispersed in
the water in the body. The more water available, the more diluted
the alcohol. As a rule, men weigh more than women. In addition,
pound for pound, women have less water in their bodies than men, so
a woman’s brain and other organs are exposed to more alcohol
before it is broken down. These differences play a role in both the
short- and long-term effects of alcohol on women
- Hormonal fluctuations in women may affect how alcohol is
metabolized. Some women report feeling the effects of alcohol more
quickly or strongly when they drink at certain times during their
cycle. Post-menopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy
have higher blood-alcohol levels when they drink.
- Studies show that women are more prone than men to
alcohol-related organ damage. Health problems may include
- Alcoholic liver disease: Women develop alcoholic liver disease
more quickly and after drinking less alcohol than men. Women are
more likely than men to develop alcoholic hepatitis (liver
inflammation) and to die from cirrhosis.
- Brain disease: Most alcoholics have some loss of mental
function, reduced brain size and changes in the function of brain
cells. Research suggests that women are more vulnerable than men to
alcohol-induced brain damage.
- Cancer: Many studies report that heavy drinking increases the
risk of breast cancer. Alcohol is also linked to cancers of the
head and neck (the risk is especially high in smokers who also
drink heavily) and of the digestive tract.
- Heart disease: Chronic heavy drinking is a leading cause of
cardiovascular disease. Among heavy drinkers, men and women have
similar rates of alcohol-related heart disease, even though women
drink less alcohol over a lifetime than men
- Drinking increases the risk that a woman will be assaulted
physically or sexually
College Women And Drinking
- In 2001, approximately two in five (44.4%) college students
reported binge drinking, a rate almost identical to rates in the
previous three surveys.
- In spite of aggressive campaigns to expose the risks of binge
drinking on college campuses, very little change occurred at the
individual college level.
- A sharp rise (from 5.3% in 1993 to 11.9% in 2001) in frequent
binge drinking was noted among women attending all-women’s
colleges, and a lesser, but still significant, increase of the same
behavior for women at coeducational schools.
Addiction
& Older Women
- Substance abuse, including addiction to cigarettes, alcohol and
psychoactive prescription drugs (sedatives, tranquilizers and other
drugs), is at epidemic levels for American women 60 years old and
older, according to a recent study.
- Older women are more susceptible to alcohol or drug addiction
because tolerance levels decrease as people age. Some studies
suggest that older women get addicted faster using smaller amounts
than any other group.
- Alcohol use among nursing and retirement home patients, and for
older persons who live alone, is often very high and tends to go
undetected.
Prescription Drug Abuse And Women
- Dependence on prescription drugs is a major health problem for
women. Two-thirds of all tranquilizers, including Valium, Librium
and Xanax, are prescribed to women.
- Other examples of prescription drugs used frequently by women
are sedatives like Halcion and ProSom, analgesics like Demerol or
other types of painkillers such as Percodan or codeine, and
stimulants such as Ritalin, Meridia and Dexedrine.
- Many women start taking a medication for a health problem like
anxiety, muscle spasms or pain. Dependence can develop when the
prescriptions are used longer or in greater amounts than intended
or without close supervision by a health-care professional.
When they are misused, prescription drugs can
cause a variety of health problems other than addiction, including
headaches, confusion, drowsiness, fainting and lowered or elevated
blood pressure. Adverse effects can increase dramatically when
medications are mixed with alcohol; in fact, some combinations can
be deadly.
Eating
Disorders
Eating disorders involve serious disturbances in eating behavior,
such as extreme and unhealthy reduction of food intake or severe
overeating, as well as feelings of distress or extreme concern
about body shape or weight. Eating disorders are not due to a
failure of will or behavior; rather, they are real, treatable
medical illnesses in which certain maladaptive patterns of eating
take on a life of their own. Women are much more likely than men to
develop an eating disorder. Eating disorders frequently co-occur
with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance
abuse, and anxiety disorders.1
In addition, people who suffer from eating disorders can experience
a wide range of physical health complications, including serious
heart conditions and kidney failure which may lead to death.
Therefore, recognition of eating disorders as real and treatable
diseases is critically important.
There are two main types of eating disorders: Anorexia Nervosa and
Bulimia Nervosa; and a third type, Binge-Eating, has been suggested
but has not yet been approved as a formal psychiatric
diagnosis.
Anorexia
Nervosa
Symptoms of anorexia nervosa include:
- Resistance to maintaining body weight at or above a minimally
normal weight for age and height
- Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though
underweight
- Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is
experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on
self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low
body weight
- Infrequent or absent menstrual periods (in females who have
reached puberty)
Bulimia
Nervosa
Symptoms of bulimia nervosa include:
- Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an
excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and by a
sense of lack of control over eating during the episode
- Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior in order to
prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting or misuse of
laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications (purging);
fasting; or excessive exercise
- The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors both
occur, on average, at least twice a week for 3 months
- Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and
weight
Binge-Eating Disorder
Symptoms of binge-eating disorders include:
- Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an
excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and by a
sense of lack of control over eating during the episode
- The binge-eating episodes are associated with at least 3 of the
following: eating much more rapidly than normal; eating until
feeling uncomfortably full; eating large amounts of food when not
feeling physically hungry; eating alone because of being
embarrassed by how much one is eating; feeling disgusted with
oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating
- Marked distress about the binge-eating behavior
- The binge eating occurs, on average, at least 2 days a week for
6 months
The binge eating is not associated with the regular use of
inappropriate compensatory behaviors (e.g., purging, fasting,
excessive exercise)
1. American Psychiatric Association Work Group on Eating
Disorders. Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with
eating disorders (revision). American Journal of Psychiatry, 2000;
157(1 Suppl): 1-39.
Women
And Treatment
Women with alcohol problems are less likely than men to seek help
initially from alcoholism or other chemical-dependency services.
Instead, women prefer consulting physicians or mental-health clinic
staff, settings in which their drinking problem is less likely to
be diagnosed (L Beckman, "Barriers to Alcoholism Treatment for
Women," AHRW, Vol. 18, No. 3, 1994, p. 208).
- Nearly 30% (29.5% or 363,127) of the clients admitted for
treatment of alcohol or drug-related problems in 1995 were women.
Alcohol, or alcohol in combination with another drug, was the
primary reason for admission in 42% of these cases; smoked cocaine
in 18%; and heroin in 16%. Distinct patterns of use also are
evident among certain ethnic/age groups: 50% of African-American
women ages 30 to 34 smoked cocaine/crack; 63% of Mexican-American
origin women ages 40 to 44 used heroin; 16% of women from other
racial/ethnic groups, which includes Asian-American women, ages
20-24 used methamphetamine (SAMHSA, National Admissions to
Substance Abuse Treatment Services, Advance Report No. 12, 2/97,
pp. 2-3, 30, 34).
- Women make up 34% of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) membership.
Among AA members aged 30 and under, 38% are women (General Services
Branch of Alcoholics Anonymous, Inc., 1998 Membership Survey).
- During 2002, 565,354 females were admitted to treatment
facilities in the United States, representing 30.1% of total
treatment admissions. Admissions in which smoked cocaine was the
primary substance of abuse represented 12.8% of the female
admissions during 2002.
- Alcohol and drug addictions are chronic illnesses. Once
established, the person is at risk of relapse throughout his or her
life. Using proven methods, substance dependence can be treated and
the risk of relapse reduced.
- Women face significant barriers to treatment for their
substance dependence. For instance, childcare responsibilities may
make a woman reluctant to admit she has a problem, thus interfering
with the time required to attend treatment. Furthermore, the stigma
of being weak rather than sick, and the view of some people that
abstinence is just a matter of will power, is rarely helpful to the
person afflicted with addiction.
- Two decades of research have shown that many treatment issues
are different for women than for men. At one time, treatment
programs were designed to address only the patterns and reasons
behind men’s substance dependency issues, since men comprised
75 percent of any treatment group. Women’s issues—such
as emotional, psychological or physical abuse; lack of self-esteem;
and family responsibilities—tended to slip through the
cracks. Depression and anxiety disorders are more common in women
than men, and are also risk factors for alcohol and drug abuse,
including cigarette smoking. Treating depression and anxiety
disorders can be one of the keys to recovery from addiction.
Because of the differences in patterns of addiction and treatment
needs, single-sex programs are increasingly available, making
treatment more successful for many women. Some programs offer
childcare, parenting classes and therapy for children of substance
users.
- Drug abuse and addiction are treated in specialized treatment
facilities and mental-health clinics by a variety of health-care
professionals, including certified drug-abuse counselors,
physicians, psychologists, nurses and social workers. Treatment is
delivered in outpatient, inpatient and residential settings. In the
U.S., more than 11,000 specialized drug-treatment facilities
provide rehabilitation, counseling, behavioral therapy, medication,
case management and other types of services to persons with
drug-use disorders.
- Women for Sobriety (WFS) is an alternative to the well-known
Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program. Founded in 1976, WFS is based
on the belief that women require a different kind of recovery
program than those used primarily by men. Thirteen positive
“statements” guide the WFS program, which remains for
women only. The “New Life” WFS program encourages
independence, self-reliance and leaving the past behind. The
National Institutes of Health (www.nih.gov) and the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration (www.samhsa.gov) are
federal institutions with missions of understanding, preventing and
treating alcohol and drug dependence. They can be important sources
of information about addiction.
- Finding a support group or therapy that feels right can take
some time. Doing whatever it takes to stay drug-free is the goal.
The key to successful treatment is that it should be
individualized, because each woman’s issues are different.
Lifestyle changes that reduce exposure to drug abusers and access
to the drug are often critical. Similarly, emotional problems and
disorders such as depression, anxiety and insomnia, should be
treated to improve the chances of recovery.
- Behavioral therapy and medication are used to treat addiction.
They are most effective when used in combination. In fact,
combining these approaches can be critical to their success.
Behavioral therapies can include counseling, psychotherapy, support
groups and family therapy. Medications offer help in suppressing
withdrawal symptoms and drug craving and in blocking the effects of
drugs.
- The following medications may be used to treat drug addiction:
- Methadone is a synthetic opioid drug, generally a pill or
liquid, used mainly in the treatment of heroin addiction. Studies
show that treatment for heroin addiction using methadone, combined
with behavioral therapy, reduces death rates and many health
problems associated with heroin abuse. However, methadone itself
can be abused and is linked to a number of overdose deaths, usually
when used in combination with other drugs, including alcohol, or
when injected
- Buprenorphine is the most recently approved medicine for
treating heroin and related opioid disorders. It is related to
morphine but does not produce the same high, dependence or
withdrawal syndrome as morphine. It is long-lasting, less likely to
cause respiratory depression and well-tolerated by addicts.
Buprenorphine is now available in office-based settings and will
significantly increase the number of patients receiving treatment.
. To find doctors trained and certified to use the medication,
check with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) at www.samhsa.gov.
- Disulfiram, sometimes called Antabuse, is a prescription
medication used to help people avoid alcohol and thus overcome
addiction to or dependence on alcohol. If a person uses disulfiram
and drinks alcohol, the medication causes severe unpleasant
symptoms that can last several hours, including flushing, rapid or
irregular heartbeat, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, difficulty
breathing and headache. When taken according to the prescribed
schedule, the medication is used to discourage someone from
drinking again once they’ve stopped.
- Naltrexone is used to help narcotic addicts who have stopped
taking narcotics to stay drug-free. It is also used to help
alcoholics stay alcohol-free. This drug is used as part of an
overall program that may include counseling, support-group meetings
and other treatment recommended by your health-care professional.
Naltrexone works by blocking the effects of narcotics, especially
the "high" feeling that makes addicted people want to use them.
When used along with behavioral treatments, it can reduce the
craving for alcohol and help people avoid relapse. It does not,
however, block the effects of alcohol.
- In general, the more treatment a patient pursues, the better
the results are. If a woman is working to overcome an addiction,
she may require other services as well, such as medical and
mental-health services and HIV-prevention services. Women who stay
in treatment longer than three months usually have better outcomes
than those who stay less time. Long-term and even life-long
treatment at some level may be necessary for some people. Even
after the formal treatment has ended, the risk of relapse is high.
Thus, individuals trying to recover from addiction need to be
prepared for a life-long commitment to avoid pressures to resume
drug use. Just a single exposure to their drug of choice can lead
to a full-blown relapse—even after many years of
abstinence.
- The ultimate goal of all drug-abuse treatment is to enable the
user to achieve lasting abstinence. But the immediate goals are to
reduce drug use, improve ability to function, and minimize the
medical and social complications of drug abuse.
- There are several types and combinations of drug-abuse
treatment programs.
- Short-term methods last less than six months and include
residential therapy, medication therapy and drug-free outpatient
therapy.
- Longer-term treatment may include, for example, methadone or
levomethadyl acetate, which is similar to methadone in many ways
but has a longer duration of action, allowing patients to visit the
treatment program less frequently. In maintenance treatment for
heroin addicts, people in treatment are given an oral dose of
methadone or levomethadyl acetate, administered at a dosage
sufficient to block the effects of heroin and stave off the craving
for opiates. In this stable state, the patient is able to break
free from drug-seeking and related criminal behavior and, with
appropriate counseling and social services, become a productive
member of her community.
- Outpatient drug-free treatment does not include medications and
encompasses a wide variety of programs for patients who visit a
clinic at regular intervals. Most of the programs involve
individual or group counseling. Patients entering these programs
are abusers of addictive drugs other than opiates or are opiate
abusers for whom maintenance therapy is not recommended, such as
those who have stable lives and only brief histories of drug
dependence.
- Therapeutic communities (TC) are highly structured programs in
which patients stay at a residence, typically for six to 12 months
or longer. Patients in TCs include those with relatively long
histories of drug dependence, involvement in serious criminal
activities or seriously impaired social functioning. The focus of
the TC is on helping the patient make the transition to a
drug-free, crime-free lifestyle.
- Short-term residential programs, often referred to as
chemical-dependency units or sober-living homes, usually involve a
three- to six-week inpatient treatment phase followed by extended
outpatient therapy or participation in 12-step self-help groups,
such as Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous or Cocaine
Anonymous
The
Effect Of Commonly Available Illicit Drugs On The Body
Heroin. Also
known on the street as smack, horse, H, junk or scag, heroin is the
most frequently abused narcotic. Narcotics are derivatives of the
opium poppy (an annual poppy cultivated as the source of opium) or
chemically similar synthetics created in a lab. Heroin was a
commonly prescribed medicine in the early 20th century, until its
addictive potential was realized. It breaks down to morphine in the
body.
Like most other drugs that are abused, narcotics can create a sense
of euphoria, contentment and physical relaxation. The
“high” usually lasts about three to four hours. When
heroin is injected or smoked, the abuser experiences an instant
period of intense pleasure known as a “rush.” The more
narcotics are used, the more tolerant the body becomes, requiring
more frequent and higher doses to achieve the same results. This
frequently leads to death.
Street heroin is sold in powder form and has a bitter taste. Heroin
is generally inhaled or injected and sometimes smoked. There is a
high prevalence of HIV and AIDS among heroin users due to sharing
of contaminated syringes, which has resulted in a decline in the
number of intravenous (IV) users. Today, many heroin addicts sniff
the powder into their nostrils or heat it on foil to inhale the
vapors. Heroin is also sometimes mixed with tobacco or marijuana
and smoked in a pipe or cigarette.
The
consequences of heroin use include:
- Dry, itchy skin, skin infections and abscesses
- Constipation and loss of appetite
- Menstrual irregularity
- Fluctuating blood pressure and slow or irregular heartbeat
- Dependence, addiction
- Hepatitis and AIDS caused by use of dirty needles
- Stroke and heart attack caused by blood clot
- Cardiac arrest, coma and death from accidental overdose
Heroin cannot be prescribed in the U.S., but the legal medical
use of other narcotics is common. Codeine, for example, is also a
natural ingredient of opium, although it is less potent than
heroin. Codeine is found in prescription cough medicines and pain
relievers. Other opium-like derivatives that may be prescribed for
moderate to severe pain and are sometimes abused include:
hydromorphone (Dilaudid), meperidine (Demerol), oxycodone
(OxyContin, Percodan, Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab,
Lorcet), tramadol (Ultram), propoxyphene (Darvon) and diphenoxylate
(Lomotil). When used according to directions approved by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these drugs are safe and
effective for the relief of pain and rarely lead to addiction. When
not used properly, however, they result in addiction and death,
especially when used in combination with alcohol or other
drugs.
Cocaine. One of
the oldest known drugs, cocaine has been commonly abused,
especially in the 1980s and 1990s. It comes in two chemical forms:
powdered hydrochloride salt and crack, a smokable form produced
through a reaction of an alkaline substance like baking soda.
Powdered cocaine can be inhaled, or “snorted,” through
the nose or dissolved in water and injected into a vein. When sold
by drug dealers, it is often diluted by sugar, starch or other
substances. The highly potent and addictive crack variety, also
referred to as “free-base” cocaine, looks like white
chunks, rocks or chips and makes cracking sounds when it’s
heated, typically in a pipe. Crack is less expensive to produce and
buy than powdered cocaine. When users inhale the fumes from the
pipe, its effects are more immediate (starting in less than 10
seconds, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse) and
more intense. Perhaps because of these rapid and intense effects,
addiction appears to develop more quickly in persons using crack
than other forms of cocaine.
Cocaine stimulates the nervous system, causing heart rate and blood
pressure to increase and blood vessels to constrict. This is why
abusers often suffer heart attacks and strokes. The initial effects
of cocaine use are increased alertness, energy, self-confidence and
loss of appetite. However, as these effects wear off, the user is
left feeling depressed, fatigued, jumpy, fearful and anxious.
The
consequences of cocaine abuse are:
- Irregular heartbeat, heart attack and heart failure
- Strokes and seizures
- Fluid in the lungs and other lung disorders
- Paranoia, depression, anxiety disorders and delusions
- Aggressive, violent behavior
- Pregnant women who use cocaine are at risk for miscarriage and
premature labor, and their babies suffer from low birth weight and
developmental problems such as mental retardation.
- An increased risk of hepatitis and HIV for users who inject the
drug intravenously
- Increased and indiscriminate sexual activity often accompanies
use and addiction, further increasing risk of HIV and other STD
infection.
Marijuana.
“Pot” is by far the most commonly used illegal drug,
and it may also be the most insidious, because most people
don’t realize how dangerous it is. The mind-altering
ingredient in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).
Since the 1990s, most marijuana has contained between two to 10
times as much THC as the same amount of marijuana commonly used in
the 1960s and 1970s. Thus, the effects of smoking part of a single
21st-century marijuana cigarette produces more profound and
debilitating effects than smoking several marijuana cigarettes in
the 1970s.
Marijuana is usually smoked, either in a pipe or a loosely rolled
cigarette known as a “joint.” Sometimes, usually
unknown to the buyer, it is laced with other drugs like the potent
hallucinogen PCP. Marijuana can also be brewed into tea or mixed in
baked products like cookies or brownies.
The effects of smoking marijuana are usually felt in a few minutes
and peak in 10 to 30 minutes. They include dry mouth and throat,
increased heart rate, impaired coordination and balance, delayed
reaction time, and diminished short-term memory. Marijuana can
impair driving and lead to accidents, and its effects may be worse
in combination with alcohol. Larger doses can cause more intense
reactions such as paranoia.
The most familiar long-term effect of marijuana use is impaired
learning ability. Research shows that marijuana use limits the
ability to absorb and retain information. In testing, users often
show a reduced ability to memorize information and demonstrate
lower math and verbal skills.
Aside from the mind-altering effects of marijuana, it also carries
consequences similar to cigarette smoking. According to some
studies, smoking one joint exposes the user to the same amount of
cancer causing chemicals as five tobacco cigarettes.
The health
consequences of marijuana use include:
- Chest colds, bronchitis, emphysema, asthma and sinusitis
- Regular use can delay the onset of puberty and reduce the sperm
count of men; women who use pot may develop abnormal menstrual
cycles and irregular ovulation; pregnant women risk having babies
with low birth weights, health problems and developmental
delays.
- Impaired perception, diminished short-term memory, loss of
concentration and coordination, impaired judgment and decreased
ability to judge distance and speed -- all of which lead to
increased risk of accidents
- Anxiety, panic attacks and paranoia
- Damage to respiratory, reproductive and immune systems
- Increased risk of cancer
Methamphetamine.
Also known as speed, crank, meth, crystal-meth and glass,
methamphetamine is a powerful stimulant that produces increased
alertness and elation. Its effects are similar to cocaine, but
longer lasting. Easily made with inexpensive over-the-counter
ingredients in makeshift laboratories, methamphetamine is cheaper
to produce than cocaine.
Methamphetamine can be swallowed, smoked, snorted or injected. In
powder form it can be mixed with water and injected in the veins or
sprinkled on tobacco or marijuana and smoked. Chunks of clear,
high-purity methamphetamine are called ice, crystal or glass. It
looks like rock candy and is smoked like crack cocaine.
Low doses of methamphetamine can make the user feel alert and
energetic. With continued use, the pleasurable feelings can
disappear. The user soon needs to take higher doses more often to
achieve the same effects. Someone who is using methamphetamine is
easily agitated. One minute she is calm and content; the next, she
is angry and fearful. Addicts may pick at imaginary bugs on their
skin and become obsessed with repetitive actions.
The crash that follows a methamphetamine binge involves agitated
depression and an intense craving for more of the drug. These
feelings soon give way to exhaustion and long, deep
sleep—again followed by severe depression. During this last
phase, the potential for suicide is very high.
The
consequences of methamphetamine use includes:
- Sleep disturbances, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and
elevated body temperature
- Skin sores and infections as a result of picking at imaginary
bugs
- Paranoia, epression, irritability and anxiety
- Increased blood pressure, chest pain, headaches, stroke and
heart attack
- Permanent brain damage
- Pregnant women risk premature labor, low-birth-weight babies
and babies born with brain damage.
- For IV drug users the risk of HIV and hepatitis infection is
substantial.
Ecstasy or MDMA
(3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) has, in recent years, become
increasingly popular with teenagers in club or dance settings. It
is a synthetic, illegal drug that has characteristics of both
stimulants and hallucinogens. It is typically produced in capsule
or tablet form and is usually taken orally, although health-care
professionals have documented cases of administration by injection
and snorting. The drug interferes with learning and memory, and it
may produce detrimental changes in brain structures and chemistry.
It increases heart rate and blood pressure, and can disable the
body's ability to regulate its own temperature. There is now a
large body of evidence that links heavy and prolonged MDMA use to
confusion, depression, sleep problems, persistent elevation of
anxiety and aggressive/impulsive behavior. Because of its stimulant
properties, when it is used in club or dance settings, it can
enable users to dance vigorously for extended periods, but can also
lead to severe rises in body temperature (hyperthermia), as well as
dehydration, hypertension, and even heart or kidney failure in
susceptible people.
Researchers at the University of Amsterdam, studying brain blood
flow patterns in male and female chronic users of ecstasy, found
that women who use the drug may be more likely to develop
neurological dysfunction than their male counterparts.
Quick
Facts
- Today, more than four million women in the U.S. use illegal
drugs. Nine million women have used illegal drugs in the past year.
During the past year, 3.7 million women have taken prescription
drugs non-medically. More than 28,000 (70%) of the AIDS cases among
women are drug-related.
- Almost half of all women ages 15 to 44 have used drugs at least
once in their lifetime. Of these women, nearly two million have
used cocaine and more than six million have used marijuana within
the past year. Most women drug abusers use more than one drug.
- Moderate alcohol use is not harmful for most adults. Moderate
use is up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for
men (a standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine
cooler, one five-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof
distilled spirits).
- Women who use alcohol and drugs develop substance-abuse-related
health problems faster than men. Women also use drugs and alcohol
differently than men:
- Women are more likely than men to use a combination of alcohol
and prescription drugs.
- Women often begin to abuse alcohol and drugs following
depression, to relax on dates, to feel more adequate, to lose
weight, to decrease stress or to help them sleep at night. Men
usually develop their addiction in the context of heavy drinking
with their friends or by themselves.
- These conditions may increase the risks for developing a
substance abuse/dependency problem: a history of physical or sexual
abuse; depression, panic disorder or anxiety; and a family history
of substance abuse.
- Alcohol is absorbed faster in women’s bodies because
women’s stomachs absorb alcohol more rapidly than
men’s. Women who drink tend to have more concentrated levels
of alcohol in their bloodstream than men. Monthly hormonal
fluctuations in women may affect how alcohol is metabolized.
- Women who drink heavily die an average of 15 years earlier than
non-drinking women.
- Younger women, especially teenagers, are now drinking as much
as their male peers. Teenagers who drink are more likely to be
sexually active and not protect themselves against sexually
transmitted diseases.
- A recently published study noted a sharp rise (from 5.3% in
1993 to 11.9% in 2001) in frequent binge drinking among women
attending all-women’s colleges, and a lesser, but still
significant, increase of the same behavior for women in
coeducational schools.
- Having more laws restricting underage drinking or governing the
volume of sales and consumption of alcohol is associated with less
drinking among underage students.
- Women of any age who drink are more likely to be the victims of
violence, to attempt suicide or to overdose than those who do not
drink.
- Substance abuse and addiction to cigarettes, alcohol and
psychoactive prescription drugs (tranquilizers and other drugs that
affect the mind or behavior) are at epidemic levels for American
women 60 years old and older, according to a recent study. Older
women are more susceptible to alcohol or drug addiction because
tolerance levels decrease as people age.
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