Substance Use and Addiction Flashcards

1
Q

According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addictions, the main addictions in Canada are:

A

alcohol
cannabis
cocaine
gambling
methamphetamines
opioids / prescriptions drugs

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2
Q

Factors that play a role in substance use and addiction include:

A

socioeconomic status – those who live in lower income areas are the heaviest impacted

pre-existing mental health condition

race and ethnicity (there is an SDL on opioid crisis within First Nations community)

gender (males are impacted more than females)

personal history of trauma and abuse

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3
Q

Physiological effects of drinking

A
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4
Q

What are the new proposed guidelines for alcohol intake?

range for no /low / moderate / increasingly high risk?

A

0 / 1-2 / 3-6 / 7+ per week

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5
Q

What are the health consequences of drinking?

A

cancer (especially breast cancer in women); heart disease; stroke

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6
Q

According to this report, does there appear to be any health benefits to drinking alcohol?

A

none; review of over 6,000 research articles on alcohol consumption and health indicates that health risk increases with only 1 drink weekly (or more)

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7
Q

What do cancer specialists want to add to liquor labels?

A

add warning labels, similar to what is on cigarette packaging

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8
Q

POTENTIAL BENEFITS of Cannibis (EMERGING EVIDENCE)

A

may help those with an alcohol or opioid addiction

might help to relieve symptoms of depression, PTSD and anxiety

might help alleviate side effect in chemotherapy treatment of cancer

might help with certain medical conditions (MS, epilepsy)

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9
Q

Risks of Cannibis use

A

exacerbate mental health issues (e.g. bipolar disorder)

cyclic vomiting syndrome (severe vomiting and abdominal pain)

2-3x increases risk of vehicular accidents caused by impaired driving

accidental use by children (e.g. gummies)

decrease in size of hippocampus;

decrease in attention, planning and decision-making

low growth hormone, thyroid hormone (related to metabolism, brain function)

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10
Q

Additional risks of Cannibis use…

A

brain changes specifically related the THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis

hypotension = low blood pressure

copd = chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders (classification of lung disease)

teratogenesis = changes DNA expression and/or mutates DNA

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11
Q

What is CBD oil?

A

CBD oil is a non-psychoactive ingredient from cannabis (contains less than 1% THC)

According to a recent report from the WHO: “In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential…. To date, there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.”

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12
Q

Why might people take CBD oil?

A

CBD can have an analgesic effect on the body. People take it for many reasons including:

reduce inflammation related toautoimmune disease

minor join and muscle pain

reducing anxiety, nervousness

helping to promote sleep

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13
Q

Who should NOT take CBD oil?

A

It is NOT appropriate to give any products containing CBD to individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding, children, adolescents or youth under the age of majority without practitioner oversight.

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14
Q

The opioid drug supply is tainted by several drugs that are increasing risk of death. These include:

A

Cocaine
methamphetamines (meth, crystal meth)
***Benzodiazepines – a depressant drug to aid with sleeping.

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15
Q

What are Benzodiazepines?

A

Benzodiazepines – a depressant drug to aid with sleeping. THIS DRUG IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE. Drug dealers knowingly add this drug to the opioids to form a drug dependence. Adding too much can cause overdose and lead to death. Administration of naloxone is NOT effective in treating a benzodiazepine overdose. Hence the significant increase in deaths related to opioid substance use (one of the main reasons).

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16
Q

What is Naloxone?

A

Naloxone (pronounced na-LOX-own) is a fast-acting drug used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioid overdoses.

Naloxone can restore breathing within 2 to 5 minutes.

When you take an opioid, it affects certain receptors in your brain. Naloxone works by kicking opioids off the receptors in your brain and binding to those receptors instead. This reverses or blocks the effects of opioids on your body.

17
Q

Naloxone only works if you have opioids in your system, such as:

A

fentanyl
heroin
morphine
codeine

18
Q

The four pillars in reducing drug and alcohol addiction are

A

Prevention
harm reduction
Treatment
Justice and Community Saftey

19
Q

The table on the right highlights services that are important in support of drug and alcohol use:

A

health care, housing, legal support, access to medication, income support…the list goes on.

20
Q

Why is there disproportional substance use amongst the First Nations population?

A

RACISM AND STIGMA
ACCESS TO TREATMENT
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA

21
Q

Why is the gap getting bigger?

A

RACISM AND STIGMA
ACCESS TO TREATMENT
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA

22
Q

Overview of risk factors for gambling addiction:

A

Overview of risk factors for gambling addiction:
There is no specific cause for pathological gambling
- Financial issues, recent life trauma or loss, experiencing loneliness

Some medications may render some individuals more susceptible, e.g. medications given for Parkinson’s disease

Some conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disease, alcohol or cocaine addiction may increase likelihood

Other factors may be novelty-seeking behaviour, low level of serotonin (the reward neurotransmitter) in the brain.

Those susceptible to a gambling addition my feel relaxed or aroused while gambling
gender: most serious gamblers are male
easy accessibility: online, terminals, casinos…

23
Q

What kind of issue is gambling?

A

Gambling is an emotional issue

24
Q

What hormones influence sunstance addiction?

A

serotonin and dopamine influence behaviour and substance addiction

The act of gambling releases serotonin, increasing feelings of relaxation (mood stabilizer), therefore reinforcing the behavior.

In risk-taking behaviours (e.g. gambling), dopamine is released, and this neurological feeling of pleasure/reward reinforces the addiction

25
Q

What does some research show about some gamblers?

A

Research demonstrates that some gamblers have low serotonin levels. This low serotonin level can be genetic or due to environment (e.g. traumatic event).