Substance Use and Addiction Flashcards
According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addictions, the main addictions in Canada are:
alcohol
cannabis
cocaine
gambling
methamphetamines
opioids / prescriptions drugs
Factors that play a role in substance use and addiction include:
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
Physiological effects of drinking
What are the new proposed guidelines for alcohol intake?
range for no /low / moderate / increasingly high risk?
0 / 1-2 / 3-6 / 7+ per week
What are the health consequences of drinking?
cancer (especially breast cancer in women); heart disease; stroke
According to this report, does there appear to be any health benefits to drinking alcohol?
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)
What do cancer specialists want to add to liquor labels?
add warning labels, similar to what is on cigarette packaging
POTENTIAL BENEFITS of Cannibis (EMERGING EVIDENCE)
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)
Risks of Cannibis use
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)
Additional risks of Cannibis use…
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
What is CBD oil?
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.”
Why might people take CBD oil?
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
Who should NOT take CBD oil?
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.
The opioid drug supply is tainted by several drugs that are increasing risk of death. These include:
Cocaine
methamphetamines (meth, crystal meth)
***Benzodiazepines – a depressant drug to aid with sleeping.
What are Benzodiazepines?
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).
What is Naloxone?
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.
Naloxone only works if you have opioids in your system, such as:
fentanyl
heroin
morphine
codeine
The four pillars in reducing drug and alcohol addiction are
Prevention
harm reduction
Treatment
Justice and Community Saftey
The table on the right highlights services that are important in support of drug and alcohol use:
health care, housing, legal support, access to medication, income support…the list goes on.
Why is there disproportional substance use amongst the First Nations population?
RACISM AND STIGMA
ACCESS TO TREATMENT
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA
Why is the gap getting bigger?
RACISM AND STIGMA
ACCESS TO TREATMENT
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS
INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA
Overview of risk factors for gambling addiction:
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…
What kind of issue is gambling?
Gambling is an emotional issue
What hormones influence sunstance addiction?
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
What does some research show about some gamblers?
Research demonstrates that some gamblers have low serotonin levels. This low serotonin level can be genetic or due to environment (e.g. traumatic event).
