Addictions and Substance Abuse Prevention Posters
reference for classrooms, rehabilitation, therapy, and medical professional offices.

What If I'm Addicted? -

What is addiction? - It's a simple question, right? But the term has applied to so many compulsive or destructive practices – eating, gambling, sex – that it can be difficult to settle on a concrete definition. Addiction isn't just a desire to bet high, or simply using a lot of drugs. It's a brain disease. ...

Alcohol & Tobacco -

The alcohol in drinks like beer, lagers, wine and liquor (or spiritis) is ethanol (ethyl alcohol), which is produced by fermenting fruits, vegetables or grains. The strength of these beverages is measured as a percentage per volume; the higher the percentage, the stronger the drink. For instance, the average beer contains about 4.5 percent alcohol, while the average wine contains about 11 percent.

The main active ingredient in tobacco leaves is a highly addictive stimulant called nicotine, which is found in cigarettes, cigars, snuff, and chewing and pipe tobacco.

Depressants -

Sometimes called sedatives, they're drugs that slow, or depress, the control nervous system. Because of that effect, many dpressants are legally prescribed to treat anxiety, stress, and sleep disorders. Others, such as GHB (gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid) have limited or no legitimate medical use. ...

Hallucinogens & dissociative drugs -

Although some of their effects can seem similar, there are subtle but important differences between hallucinogens and dissociative drugs. Hallucinogens, such as LSD, psychedelic mushrooms and mesalines, cause users to see images and hear sounds that aren't really there. Dissociative drugs like PCP and ketamine, which originally were developed as general anesthetics, distort sight and sound and produce feelings of detachment from reality. ...

Inhalents -

Just what the name impies, really: They're substances that, when inhaled, cause mind-altering effects. Inhalents are popular among teens and children primarily because they're readily found in the kitchen, bathroom and garage of the average home, or on the shelves of the local convenience store, where they appear as legal, everyday products like hairspray, whipped-cream dispensers and correction fluid. ...

Marijuana -

The most commonly used illicit drugs, marijuana and hashish, are products of cannabis, also known as the hemp plant. ...

Meth, Ecstasy and Other Stimulants -

They're the drugs that stimulate the activity of the central nervous system, speeding up the body's mental and physcial processes, and making the user feel more alert and awake.

They range from the legal to the illegal. Cocaine, extracted from the coca plant, is the most potent natural stimulant. Crack cocaine, named for the cracking sound the crystals make when heated, is produced by dissolving powdered cocaine in the mixture of water and ammonia or baking soda. Amphetamines and methylphenidate ...

Narcotics -

Narcotics are drugs made from opium – dried juice from the unripe pods of the opium poppy – opium derivatives, or their synthetic substitutes. They're also referred to as “opiates” or “opiads.” ...

Prescription & Over-the-Counter Drugs -

Prescription drugs are pain relievers, stimulants, sedatives and tranquilizers that can be legally prescribed to treat a variety of problems ...

Steroids -

What are they? There are three types of steroids ...