ALCOHOL 101

Click Here to Make a Referral (Administrative purposes only)

Click Here for Intake TRY (Administrative purposes only)

THE POLICY

Level III - Long-Term Suspension/Possible Short-Term Suspension with Mitigating Factors

When a first infraction of this policy involves only possession, use, and/or being under the influence of a substance prohibited by this policy, an alternative to long-term suspension shall be offered. Failure to meet any requirements of the alternative program reactivates the long-term suspension recommendation.

III-6 Controlled Substances and Drug Paraphernalia. No student shall possess, use, transmit, conspire to transmit, or be under the influence of any narcotic drug, hallucinogenic drug, amphetamine, barbiturate, marijuana, anabolic steroids or any other controlled substance, or any alcoholic beverage, malt beverage, or fortified wine or other intoxicating liquor, or possess, use or transmit drug paraphernalia or counterfeit drug, or inhale or ingest any chemicals or products with the intention of bringing about a state of exhilaration or euphoria or of otherwise altering the student's mood or behavior.

No student shall be at school with the odor of alcohol or illicit drugs about their person.

The proper use of a drug authorized by valid medical prescription from a legally authorized health care provider shall not be considered a violation of this rule when the drug is taken by the person for whom the drug was prescribed and in the manner in which the drug was prescribed.

Take 2 hours towards your future success!

Alternative to Suspension

Prevention

Motivation

T.R.Y. 2 QUIT! is based on the Centers for Disease Control practices (Page 29)

Parent/Guardian

Complete this section first

STUDENT/YOUTH

Call Mr. Earl Boone, Together for Resilient Youth (TRY) to get started: 919-491-9740

To access the lessons

Review the Entire Durham Public Schools Policy

THE STEPS TO T.R.Y. 2 QUIT!

1. Parent provides information to generate student reference number.

2. Intake - The student/youth calls Mr. Boone, Prevention Specialist at the Alcohol Drug Council of North Carolina to learn more about the requirements and to be guided through the steps.

3. Student/Youth - The participant completes four lessons that require a response after each section. The answers are automatically sent to the Program Coordinator.

Lesson 1 - 6 quizzes about decisions to health to second hand smoke (20 minutes)

Follow-up with Coach (contact 1)

Lesson 2 - Triggers - What things happen to "make" you want to use tobacco (15 minutes)

Follow-up with Coach (contact 2)

Lesson 3 - Preparing to quit using tobacco (20 minutes)

Follow-up with Coach (contact 3)

Lesson 4 - Suggestions to keep you going strong (20 minutes)

Follow-up with Coach (contact 4)

MEET WITH BADD YOUTH LEADERS

POST PROGRAM FOLLOW-UP with COACH: 15 days, 30 days, 45 days, 60 days

YOUTH ENTER PROGRAM

THE BRAIN

YOUR BRAIN

Your brain is who you are. It's what allows you to think, breathe, move, speak, and feel. It's just 3 pounds of gray-and-white matter that rests in your skull, and it is your own personal "mission control." Information from your environment-both outside (like what your eyes see and skin feels) and inside (like your heart rate and body temperature)-makes its way to the brain, which receives, processes, and integrates it so that you can survive and function under all sorts of changing circumstances and learn from experience. The brain is always working, even when you are sleeping.

HOW DOES YOUR BRAIN COMMUNICATE?

The brain is a complex communications network of billions of neurons, or nerve cells. Networks of neurons pass messages back and forth thousands of times a minute within the brain, spinal column, and nerves. These nerve networks control everything we feel, think, and do. Understanding these networks helps in understanding how drugs affect the brain.

HOW DO DRUGS AFFECT YOUR BRAIN

Drugs are chemicals. When someone puts these chemicals into their body, either by smoking, injecting, inhaling, or eating them, they tap into the brain's communication system and tamper with the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. Different drugs-because of their chemical structures-work differently. We know there are at least two ways drugs work in the brain:

Imitating the brain's natural chemical messengers
Overstimulating the "reward circuit" of the brain

WHAT IS ADDICTION?

Addiction is a chronic brain disease that causes a person to compulsively seek out drugs, despite the harm they cause. The first time a person uses drugs, it's usually a free choice they've made. However, repeated drug use causes the brain to change which drives a person to seek out and use drugs over and over, despite negative effects such as stealing, losing friends, family problems, or other physical or mental problems brought on by drug use-this is addiction.

WHAT FACTORS INCREASE THE RISK FOR ADDICTION?

A combination of factors related to your genes, environment, and development increase the chance that taking drugs can lead to addiction

CAN YOU DIE FROM DRUG USE?

Yes. Deaths from drug overdose have been rising steadily over the last decade. Every day in the United States, 113 people die as a result of drug overdose, and another 6,748 are treated in emergency departments for the misuse or abuse of drugs.1 In 2011 alone, more than 41,000 people died from a drug overdose. Among young people, just over 3,700 deaths from a drug overdose occurred that year.2 The majority of those deaths were young males, who were nearly three times more likely to die from a drug overdose than were females.

In addition, death can occur from the long-term effects of drugs. For example, use of tobacco products can cause cancer, which may result in death.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF SOMEONE HAS A DRUG PROBLEM?

There are questions people can ask to gauge whether or not a person has a drug problem. These may not mean that someone is addicted, but answering yes to any of these questions may suggest a developing problem, which could require followup with a professional drug treatment specialist. These include:

Have you ever ridden in a car driven by someone (including yourself) who had been using alcohol or drugs?
Do you ever use alcohol or drugs to relax, to feel better about yourself, or to fit in?
Do you ever use alcohol or drugs when you are alone?
Do you ever forget things you did while using alcohol or drugs?
Do family or friends ever tell you to cut down on your use of alcohol or drugs?
Have you ever gotten into trouble while you were using alcohol or drugs?

1Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Highlights of the 2011 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) findings on drug-related emergency department visits. The DAWN Report. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2013. Available at: http://media.samhsa.gov/data/2k13/DAWN127/sr127-DAWN-highlights.htm.

2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2011 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released 2014. Available at http://wonder.cdc.gov.

Alcohol and the Brain

Why is age of first use of alcohol so critically important?

Kids who start drinking alcohol before age 15 are 5 times more likely to develop alcohol abuse or dependence than people who first used alcohol at age 21 or older. A study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine showed that 47% of those who began drinking before age 15 experienced alcohol dependence at some point in their life, compared to 9% percent of those who began drinking at age 21 or older.

Can you get addicted even though you only do it once in a while?

YES. For most, addiction to alcohol and drugs is a process -- not an event. Most people who use alcohol and drugs do so with an intention of only using once or "once in a while." No one decides that they want to become addicted to alcohol and drugs. But, we are dealing with addictive drugs that directly affect the brain. It is easy for occasional use to change to frequent use or constant use -- that is addiction. The only thing we know for sure: if you don't drink alcohol and don't do drugs, you definitely won't become addicted.

Why do some people become addicted, while others don't?

Risk factors for becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs, like other conditions and diseases, vary from person to person. But, the common risk factors include: 1. Genetics--your family history; 2. Age when you start using alcohol or drugs; 3. Family (including abuse, neglect and traumatic experiences in childhood) and Social Environment (including access to alcohol and drugs), and 4. Types of drugs used.

Can a person be too young to become addicted to alcohol and drugs?

No. And, research and experience show that the younger someone starts using alcohol and drugs, the greater the chance that they will become addicted.

What is a "standard drink" of alcohol?

A standard alcohol drink contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol (0.6 ounces):

    12-ounces of Beer or Cooler
    8-ounces of Malt Liquor
    5-ounces of Wine
    1.5-ounces or "shot" of Distilled Spirits/Liquor (e.g., rum, gin, vodka, or whiskey).

Note: These are approximate, as different brands and types of alcoholic beverages vary in their actual alcohol content.

How does alcohol leave the body?

Once absorbed into the bloodstream, the Kidneys eliminate 5% of alcohol in the urine, the Lungs exhale 5% of alcohol (detectable by breathalyzer) and the Liver breaks down the remaining 90% of alcohol. Alcohol is broken down (metabolized) by the liver at the average rate of one standard drink per hour and nothing can speed this up, including drinking coffee.

Are alcoholism and drug addiction genetically inherited?

Research shows that the risk for developing alcoholism and drug addiction runs in families. But just because there is a genetic predisposition doesn't mean that the child of an alcoholic or addicted parent will automatically become alcoholic or addicted. Not all children of alcoholic or addicted parents get into trouble with alcohol and drugs. And some people develop alcoholism and addiction even though no one in their family has a drinking or drug problem.

Can alcoholism and drug addiction be treated?

Yes, alcoholism and addiction can be treated. Alcoholism and addiction treatment programs can help a person stop drinking and using drugs. Treatment has helped millions of people stop drinking and drugging, rebuild their lives and live a life in long-term recovery.

I think prescription drugs might help me feel better. Is it OK to use them once in a while?

You or your friends might think that prescription drugs are safer than alcohol or illegal drugs because doctors prescribe them. But, these drugs can be just as dangerous. When prescription drugs are used without a prescription they can be as dangerous as alcohol or illegal drugs. You can die from abusing prescription drugs . . . even the first time.

T.R.Y. 2 QUIT!

Take 2 hours towards your future success!

Alternative to Suspension

Prevention

Motivation

T.R.Y. 2 QUIT! is based on the Centers for Disease Control practices (Page 29)

Parent/Guardian

Complete this section first

STUDENT/YOUTH

Call Mr. Earl Boone, Together for Resilient Youth (TRY) to get started: 919-491-9740

To access the lessons

Review the Entire Durham Public Schools Tobacco Use Policy

Tobacco Use Prohibited

No student, staff member school visitor or any other person is permitted to use any tobacco product at any time, including non-school hours, in school buildings, in school facilities, on school campuses, and in or on any other school property owned or operated by the Durham Public Schools.

For the purposes of this policy, "tobacco product" is defined to include cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, snuff, and any other items containing tobacco, or any items reasonably resembling tobacco or tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes. Tobacco use includes smoking, chewing, dipping, or any other use of tobacco products.

Why T.R.Y. 2 QUIT!

(CDC TOBACCO CESSATION)

More than 80% of adult tobacco users in the United States began using tobacco regularly before age 18.1 The prevalence of tobacco use is now higher among teenagers and young adults than among other adult populations. However, the prevalence of quitting (i.e., the percentage of those who have ever smoked who are now former smokers) also is lower among these younger age groups. Studies indicate that most teenaged and young adult smokers want to quit and try to do so, but few succeed.2,3 Many of these young smokers will eventually die from a smokingrelated disease. Although many people are aware that adult smokers are more likely to have heart disease, cancer, and emphysema, many negative health consequences also occur among youth.

Examples of negative health consequences for youth who smoke include the following:

• Smoking hurts young people's physical fitness in terms of both performance and endurance, including those trained in competitive running.

• Smoking can hamper the rate of lung growth and the level of maximum lung function among youth.

• The resting heart rates of young adult smokers are 2-3 beats per minute faster than those of nonsmokers.

• Regular smoking is responsible for cough and increased frequency and severity of respiratory illnesses.

• The younger a person starts smoking, the more likely he is to become strongly addicted to nicotine. Most young people who smoke regularly continue to smoke throughout adulthood, leading to longterm health consequences.

• Teenagers who smoke are 3 times more likely than nonsmokers to use alcohol, 8 times more likely to use marijuana, and 22 times more likely to use cocaine. Smoking is associated with several other risk behaviors, such as fighting and engaging in unprotected sex.

• High school seniors who are regular smokers and who began smoking by grade 9 are 2.4 times more likely than their nonsmoking peers to report poorer overall health; 2.4-2.7 times more likely to report cough with phlegm or blood, shortness of breath when not exercising, and wheezing or gasping; and 3.0 times more likely to have seen a doctor or other health professional for an emotional or psychological complaint.

• Smoking may be a marker for underlying mental health problems, such as depression, among adolescents.