Resources
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ONEA has information available on a variety of topics revolving around controlled substances. Methamphetamine is at the forefront of news in Oregon and now around the nation. Here, we will try to answer any questions you may have about methamphetamine but should you have questions about any other dangerous drug or narcotic, please feel free to email us and we will respond with current information.
The National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC) applauds and commends US Attorney General Jeff Sessions for taking action today to rescind the "Cole Memo", thereby restoring the ability of Federal prosecutors to enforce Federal drug laws. The NNOAC strongly opposed the action taken by the previous administration that restricted prosecutors’ ability to enforce the law against marijuana producers and distributors.
Cities throughout Oregon contain certified drug rehabilitation facilities with histories of success. The state supports several drug prevention and addiction treatment efforts. You can find recovery support in the Beaver State.
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SEARCHING FOR RELIEF THE CAUSE OF AMERICA’S OPIOID EPIDEMIC
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Heroin Addiction
If you're looking for information about Oregon addiction treatment centers for you or someone you love, ProjectKnow.com is here to help. We offer the largest national database of substance addiction treatment programs available online, and we can assist you in finding the facts and support you need for rehab, detox and addiction therapy options. Whether you are looking at private inpatient facilities for substance abuse or behavioral addictions, we can help you find the best treatment center to help you move away from addiction to Acamprosate, Campral or any other drug or alcohol you crave and into sober living.
Substance abuse, whether it be through drugs, alcohol, or even both, causes your life to come crashing down sooner or later. Whatever your choice of poison may be, it destroys your life and appearance from the inside out, especially when it comes to your oral health. You may think you’re able to hide your substance abuse, but after even just a short period of time, your oral health brings your secret to light.
In fact, your oral health reflects everything you do. Lack of oral hygiene, a poor diet, and substance abuse especially affects your oral health in the most extreme ways imaginable. Crystal meth is one of the biggest contributors to poor oral health, as it’s extremely destructive and leaves your mouth a complete mess. It’s one of the most popular drugs in North America, and one of the main focuses when it comes to substance abuse and dental care because of how crippling it is to a person’s oral health and life in general.
Drug Treatment Center Finder is not a specific treatment center, instead, we are a free web-based resource hub that strives to provide the most up-to-date information and available treatment services across the nation. As I'm sure you've heard about the prescription painkiller epidemic America has been facing, 1,700 young adults died from prescription drug overdoses in 2014 - a four-fold increase from 1999. Our goal is to provide resources to addicts and their loved ones in order to guide them to the help they need in order to rebuild their lives.
Addiction can strike anyone, and when it does, you feel every part of your life is spinning out of control. Your friends won’t call you, your finances are a mess, and your job feels like a nightmare. When all that matters is your next high, you’ve stopped living. Where can you turn to for help?
Another good article on teen drug abuse from the medical perspective.
Good information on teenage drinking and what you can do, today, to help prevent it.
It can happen to anyone. What starts with drug or substance abuse in a teenager’s formative years can evolve into a life-altering addiction. Help is out there, but your teen can’t do it alone. In millions of cases, conquering the hurdles of drug and substance abuse brings families closer.
Here, you’ll find the resources you’ll need to pinpoint your teen’s problem, learn how to approach them about it, and work towards a solution as a team. Together, your teenager and your family can get through it.
What are the most dangerous drugs in the United States? You might be in for a surprise. This new list considers the havoc a substance wreaks on both an individual user and on society-in terms of family, health, crime, economic costs and 12 other factors.
Looking for up-to-date information on alcohol and drug abuse especially for teens and young adults? Check out the resources at Quit Alcohol for pamphlets on all aspects of these mind and body altering substances. Click here for additional information. Thank you Kendal and Nancy for providing this website information!
High school alcohol and drug use is on the decline, But older kids are finding dangerous ways to push boundaries. Here are 7 of the most frightening teen trends.
The Navel Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) has developed a PowerPoint presentation on Spice.
Addiction Center was founded by recovering addicts and health information writers. Their goal is to provide the most up-to-date information on addiction as well as reviews of top treatment centers across the country.
Today the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids released a new resource for parents -- Marijuana Talk Kit: What You Need to Know to Talk with Your Kids About Marijuana.
Between the medicalization and legalization of marijuana, the normalization of the drug in pop culture and new ways of using (including edibles, vaporizers, concentrates), it’s becoming more complicated for parents to navigate how with talk to their teens about this hot topic. Our Talk Kit helps parents have meaningful, productive conversations with their teens about marijuana that are fact-based and focused on the risks associated with teen marijuana use, along with practical advice about setting the stage for an open dialogue and tips on how to respond to teen questions and arguments. With 41 percent of marijuana users reporting that they started before the age of 15, it is vital that parents protect their kids’ health and development by addressing this issue early and often.
You can find a free copy of the Talk Kit here. Please feel free to pass it along.
The mission of the Oregon HIDTA Program is to improve the livability of Oregon and other states by substantially and measurably reducing drug-related crime, violence, and drug trafficking.
HIDTA and ONEA have developed the following PowerPoint presentation on Regional Drug Facts. If you don't have PowerPoint, here is a link to download the free viewer. After you have downloaded and installed the viewer, click on "HIDTA."
Check out the following PowerPoint HIDTA County factsheets
- Clackamas County
- Deschutes County
- Douglas County
- Jackson County
- Lane County
- Marion County
- Multnomah County
- Umatilla County
- Warm Spring
- Washington County
“Krokodil,” a toxic homemade opioid that has been used as a cheap heroin substitute in poor rural areas of Russia, has recently been featured in news reports alleging its appearance in parts of the United States. The CEWG is investigating, although the DEA has not yet confirmed any Krokokil in this country.
Krokodil is a synthetic form of a heroin-like drug called desomorphine that is made by combining codeine tablets with various toxic chemicals including lighter fluid and industrial cleaners. Desomorphine has a similar effect to heroin in the brain, although it is more powerful and has a shorter duration. Krokodil gets its name from the scaly, gray-green dead skin that forms at the site of an injection. The flesh destroyed by krokodil becomes gangrenous, and, in some cases, limb amputation has been necessary to save a user’s life.
We will update this page with any further information on Krokodil in the U.S., if cases are found.
“N-bomb” refers to any of three closely related synthetic hallucinogens (25I-NBOMe, 25C-NBOMe, and 25B-NBOMe) that are being sold as legal substitutes for LSD or mescaline. Also called “legal acid,” “smiles,” or “25I,” they are generally found as powders, liquids, soaked into blotter paper (like LSD) or laced on something edible.
These chemicals act on serotonin receptors in the brain, like other hallucinogens, but they are considerably more powerful even than LSD. Extremely small amounts can cause seizures, heart attack or arrested breathing, and death. At least 19 young people are reported to have died after taking 25I- 25C- or 25B-NBOMe between March 2012 and August 2013.
Methamphetamine is a very addictive stimulant drug that activates certain systems in the brain. It is chemically related to amphetamine but, at comparable doses, the effects of methamphetamine are much more potent, longer lasting, and more harmful to the central nervous system (CNS).
Methamphetamine is a Schedule II stimulant, which means it has a high potential for abuse and is available only through a prescription that cannot be refilled. It can be made in small, illegal laboratories, where its production endangers the people in the labs, neighbors, and the environment. Street methamphetamine is referred to by many names, such as "speed," "meth," and "chalk." Methamphetamine hydrochloride, clear chunky crystals resembling ice, which can be inhaled by smoking, is referred to as "ice," "crystal," "glass," and "tina."
Methamphetamine is taken orally, intranasally (snorting the powder), by needle injection, or by smoking. Abusers may become addicted quickly, needing higher doses and more often. At this time, the most effective treatments for methamphetamine addiction are behavioral therapies such as cognitive behavioral and contingency management interventions.
According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an estimated 5.77% of the U.S. population aged 12 or older used methamphetamine at least once in their lifetimes for nonmedical purposes. Further data indicate that past year methamphetamine use was higher in the West (1.6%) than in the Northeast (0.3%), Midwest (0.5%) or South (0.7%) in 2006. The rates of past year use in 2006 were similar to those in 2002 in each respective region.
In 2006 there were an estimated 731,000 current users of methamphetamine, aged 12 or older, representing 0.3% of the population. Among persons aged 12 or older, there were 259,000 recent, new users of methamphetamine taken for nonmedical purposes during 2006. These estimates do not differ significantly from estimates for 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Methamphetamine increases the release of very high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which stimulates brain cells, enhancing mood and body movement. Chronic methamphetamine abuse significantly changes how the brain functions. Animal research going back more than 30 years shows that high doses of methamphetamine damage neuron cell endings. Dopamine- and serotonin-containing neurons do not die after methamphetamine use, but their nerve endings ("terminals") are cut back, and regrowth appears to be limited. Noninvasive human brain imaging studies have shown alterations in the activity of the dopamine system. These alterations are associated with reduced motor speed and impaired verbal learning. Recent studies in chronic methamphetamine abusers have also revealed severe structural and functional changes in areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory, which may account for many of the emotional and cognitive problems observed in chronic methamphetamine abusers.
Taking even small amounts of methamphetamine can result in increased wakefulness, increased physical activity, decreased appetite, increased respiration, rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and hyperthermia. Other effects of methamphetamine abuse may include irritability, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, tremors, convulsions, and cardiovascular collapse and death. Long-term effects may include paranoia, aggressiveness, extreme anorexia, memory loss, visual and auditory hallucinations, delusions, and severe dental problems.
Also, transmission of HIV and hepatitis B and C can be a consequence of methamphetamine abuse. Among abusers who inject the drug, infection with HIV and other infectious diseases is spread mainly through the re-use of contaminated syringes, needles, and other injection equipment by more than one person. The intoxicating effects of methamphetamine, however, whether it is injected or taken other ways, can alter judgment and inhibition and lead people to engage in unsafe behaviors. Methamphetamine abuse actually may worsen the progression of HIV and its consequences; studies with methamphetamine abusers who have HIV indicate that the HIV causes greater neuronal injury and cognitive impairment compared with HIV-positive people who do not use drugs.
Oregon State Medical Examiner Dr. Karen Gunson released 2013 drug-related death statistics reflecting one fewer death from last year and a near 7 percent drop from 2012 when deaths reached their highest level since 2000. Preliminary drug-related death statistics showed the lowest number of Cocaine-related deaths and highest number of Methamphetamine-related deaths since 2000.
Drug-related death statistics indicate 222 deaths in 2013, down less than one percent from 223 deaths reported in 2012. These deaths are associated with the use of Heroin, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, or a combination use of those drugs. Three years ago in 2011, Oregon reported the highest number of drug-related deaths when 240 people needlessly died from the abuse of illicit drugs.
A review of last year's 222 reported deaths and their frequency of use reflected:
* 123 Methamphetamine-related deaths, a 32 percent increase over the previous year's reported 93 deaths and the highest recorded since the beginning of 2000. More than 55 percent of all drug-related deaths were associated with methamphetamine use. Multnomah County noted a 62 percent increase in this category with 45 recorded deaths, up from 28 deaths last year.
* Heroin-related deaths (111) were a 25 percent decrease from the previous year's reported 147 deaths, which was the highest number since the beginning of 2000. More than half (65) of heroin-related deaths happened in Multnomah County, and Clackamas County recorded 13 deaths which is an increase from last year's eight recorded deaths in this category.
* Cocaine-related deaths (12) were the fewest recorded since the beginning of 2000 and a 35 percent decrease from the previous year's 19 reported deaths. The highest number was reported in 2000 when 69 people died from illicit use in this category. Cocaine-related deaths occurred only in Multnomah (9), Lincoln, Malheur, and Yamhill counties.
* Combination of drug use deaths (26) dropped 20 percent and was the second fewest since the beginning of 2000.
Dr. Gunson noted the majority of methamphetamine-related deaths are not overdoses but actually related to some other event such as traffic crashed, drowning or other traumatic event. Methamphetamine use is also linked to seizures and sudden elevation in blood pressure which can cause strokes and heart attacks.
Forty-five percent of drug-related deaths in 2013 happened in Multnomah County, a drop of one death compared to last year's 103 deaths.
Counties with notable increases include:
* Clackamas County: 13 (2012) to 17 (2013) - thirteen were heroin-related* Columbia County: 1 (2012) to 4 (2013) - three were methamphetamine-related * Coos County: 4 (2012) to 8 (2013) - six were methamphetamine-related * Josephine County: 1 (2012) to 4 (2013) - three were methamphetamine-related * Lane County: 15 (2012) to 20 (2013) - thirteen were methamphetamine-related * Linn County: 1 (2012) to 6 (2013) - five were methamphetamine-related * Polk & Umatilla County: 0 (2012) to 3 (2013) - five of their 6 combined deaths were methamphetamine-related
Counties with notable decreases include:
* Clatsop County: 4 (2012) to 1 (2013) * Jackson County: 19 (2012) to 11 (2013) - seven were heroin-related * Marion County: 19 (2012) to 6 (2013) - five were methamphetamine-related * Washington County: 17 (2012) to 12 (2013) - nine were methamphetamine-related
Oxycodone use surpassed methadone in topping the list of major drug prescription deaths. In 2013, the 150 opioid-related deaths in three noted categories dropped from 170 in 2012 and 193 in 2011. Decreases in methadone-related deaths accounted for the yearly decreases. The noted prescription drug categories are:
* Methadone-related deaths dropped from 78 (2012) to 58 (2013) * Oxycodone-related deaths dropped from 66 (2012) to 60 (2013) * Hydrocodone-related deaths rose from 26 (2012) to 32 (2013)
Note that prescription drug overdose death statistics are statewide and not included with the information provided on the State Medical Examiner's website charts.
Information for all counties with at least one drug-related death and a comparison of categories is provided in links with this news release. Similar statistics since 2002 is available on the State Medical Examiner's website at http://www.oregon.gov/OSP/SME/pages/drug_related_death_statistics.aspx.
Please click on this link for the Drug Related Deaths 2003-2013 and on this link for the 2013 Drug Related Deaths by County.
Teens, like adults, take drugs for various reasons. Sometimes, teenagers may turn to drugs in an effort to “fit in” or show that they belong with a certain group. They may also begin using drugs because of friends, to seem cool or more mature, as a means to rebel, or out of simple curiosity. The decision to use drugs, however, can lead to serious problems that can ultimately have a negative impact on their future. In some instances, even the first use of a drug can lead to deadly consequences.
Although teens are largely aware that they should not take drugs, they may not fully realize the dangers or take them seriously. This is particularly true when teens are exposed to adults who regularly use drugs or if their parents do not take an active interest in what they are doing. Adults can help prevent teenage drug use by leading by example and not using drugs themselves. Educating themselves and their teens is the next critical step in helping youth fully understand how harmful drugs can be. In addition, when adults take an active interest in the lives of their teenaged children, they are better able to help resolve any issues that they may be having and steer them toward safer and more fulfilling activities.
TYPES OF DRUGS
Drugs come in many forms; they can be prescribed by a physician, purchased over-the-counter, or found in common household products. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as cough syrup and diet pills are often considered harmless by teenagers. They are also increasingly popular to abuse, as they are readily available and they are relatively low-cost. Other common types of drugs include prescription pain killers, inhalants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and depressants. Although it is often discussed in a category of its own, alcohol is also a type of drug and is classified as a depressant. Tobacco, which contains the drug nicotine, and marijuana, are some of the first drugs that a teenager may use as they may also see them as harmless. Club drugs, which are drugs that are typically used at parties or in clubs, are also common types of drugs. These may include Ecstasy, methamphetamine, and Rohypnol (a.k.a the date-rape drug.)
Drug Use and Abuse, Including Types of Drugs
Drugs: What You Should Know
Teens: Alcohol and Other Drugs (PDF)
What Parents Should Know About Prescription and OTC Drug Abuse
HOW DRUGS AFFECT AND HARM THE BODY AND TEEN DEVELOPMENT
Whether it is outwardly visible or not, drugs are frequently accompanied by a devastating impact on a person’s body. Different drugs impact the body in different ways and the types of damage caused largely depend on the types of drug being abused and the frequency in which it is done. Visible damage to one’s body may include scarring or “tracks” from needle use, severe acne, or dental problems, such as “meth mouth.” Some drug use may negatively impact reproductive organs. For example, steroids can result in a shrinking of testicles. Drug use may further impact a teen’s health by causing irregular heartbeats, elevated blood pressure, and even cardiac problems. Damage to blood vessels in the brain may also cause stroke, seizures, or convulsions. Drugs such as inhalants can cause wheezing, coughing and lung infections. Teens may suffer from lost or diminished senses, such as their sense of smell. Drastic weight loss, tumors, stroke or seizures are all potential threats due to the damage caused by drugs. In the worst case scenario, death or coma may be the end result of teenage drug use.
Teens are still developing both physically and mentally. Adding drugs into their system during this development hinders the natural progress and negatively influences it. Drugs alter the brain’s chemical makeup and slow down its development; resulting in changes that may cause memory loss, an inability to concentrate and learn, and mood disorders – all of which ultimately impact one’s performance in school, sports, and work. The changes in the brain also influence and contribute to addiction. While it slows down brain growth and function, it can also slow down the development of the body as well. Teens who start using drugs before their growth spurt may be shorter than other teens as it may affect skeletal growth and maturation. Motor skills may also be affected or hindered.
In Harm’s Way: More Facts About How Drug Abuse Puts Your Whole Body at Risk
Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on the Adolescent Brain (PDF)
Getting High on Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs is Dangerous (PDF)
OTHER DANGERS AND RISKS OF DRUGS
In addition to direct health risks, there are many other dangers that pose an indirect risk to teens. Drugs lower inhibitions and negatively influence a teen’s decisions and thought processes. This can cause him or her to behave in a detrimental way and make poor choices; some of which may have lifelong consequences.
Heightened aggression can cause a teen to get into fights or result in other violent acts. The desire for more drugs and the need for money may cause a teen to steal from family, friends, stores, and strangers. Both violent crimes and petty theft put teens in danger of legal action and/or jail time. Sexual inhibitions may be lowered resulting in unprotected sex and, as a result, an elevated risk of pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. Sharing needles with others or simply using dirty needles that the teen has found increases the risk of diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C.
