Did you Know?

Interesting facts and stats about drugs, alcohol and impaired driving

Alcohol

Mixing prescription drugs with alcohol can be lethal.
A man and a woman of the same age and weight may drink exactly the same amount, but the woman will feel the effects sooner.
Champagne, sparkling wines and premixed carbonated drinks (soft drinks or fruit juice mixed with alcohol) act more quickly because the carbon dioxide speeds up the process by which your body and brain absorbs the alcohol.
Pre-mixed drinks tend to contain lots of sugar and that masks the harsh taste of alcohol, making it more likely that young people will drink greater quantities than they normally would.
A slim teenager who rarely drinks and then drinks on an empty stomach will get drunk very quickly.
A can of beer contains about the same amount of alcohol as a glass of wine or a shot of liquor.
As soon as you start to drink, alcohol begins entering the bloodstream and it takes the average person about an hour to eliminate the alcohol from one drink.
Young people who drink often experience these effects: poor judgement; slurred speech; lack of balance; risky behaviour (especially sexual); double vision; aggressive behaviour; vomiting; and alcohol poisoning.
Alcohol poisoning can lead to a coma and even death if timely action is not taken.

You can find caffeine in coffee, tea, cola beverages, energy drinks, chocolate and even in some medicines.
Excessive drinking of “energy drinks” or mixing them with alcohol can have serious health effects.
Some people drink “energy drinks” during periods of intense physical activity, such as when playing sports, to keep up their energy or quench their thirst. Instead of re-hydrating their bodies, these drinks may actually lead to dehydration.
The daily caffeine intake for a healthy adult, should be no more than 400 - 450 mg of caffeine per day, which is equal to about three 8-oz (237 ml) cups of brewed coffee.

37% of Canadian boaters admit drinking alcohol every time they boat and that 66% report they drink alcohol sometimes when boating. Drinking and boating is just as dangerous and illegal as drinking and driving.
Over 40% of recreational boating fatalities have been caused by Alcohol.
Police are being trained to recognize people who have been driving while under the influence of marijuana and other drugs.
If you drive and your blood alcohol concentration is not over the "legal limit" of .08, you can still be charged with the separate offence of driving while impaired by alcohol.
You can be charged with impaired driving - even on your own property.
Marijuana impairs driver performance and diminishes several of the skills necessary for safe driving.
Impaired driving is the largest criminal cause of death, and the largest source of criminal charges in Canada.
Marijuana affects your ability to drive or operate machinery by impairing mental alertness and physical coordination, and such impairment can last for more than 24 hours.

Ecstasy isn’t always what you think it is and even if it is what you thought, it’s impossible to know what to expect. The logos are meaningless when it comes to identifying what may be in the pills, and what risks you are taking.
When initially taken, Ecstasy causes minor stress, higher blood pressure and heart rate, tightened jaw muscles, moist skin and dry mouth. Tolerance builds rapidly, resulting in the tendency for users to consume Ecstasy at a higher dose.
The effects of a single hit of Ecstasy can last from 3 to 6 hours, but the after-effects may last for days or weeks.

GHB’s liquid form has no colour, smell or taste. For this reason, it can unknowingly be slipped into other individuals’ drinks.
GHB use can also cause amnesia, so when people recover from the drug's effects, they may not remember what happened.

Breathing inhalants in through the mouth is known as “huffing.” It travels directly into the bloodstream to affect lungs, heart, central nervous system and brain.
Death can occur during a single session of inhalant use because of irregular heartbeat, respiratory arrest, suffocation on plastic bags, or choking on vomit.
While the effects of one sniff lasts from a few minutes to half an hour, inhalants remain in the body for days. With repeated use, these toxic chemicals can build up in the central nervous system and may cause serious brain damage.

In higher amounts, Ketamine prevents the central nervous system from working by reducing level of oxygen in the brain, heart and muscles, which can lead to death.
In its liquid and powder forms, Ketamine can unknowingly be slipped into other people’s drinks to prevent victims from resisting sexual assault. It is often called a "date rape" drug.

There are many different species of mushrooms in the world – some are edible, some are poisonous and some are hallucinogenic.
Psilocybin is the hallucinogenic substance found in magic mushrooms.
Identifying mushrooms accurately is extremely difficult! Only experienced gatherers or experts (mycologists) should try.

We still lack scientific proof that marijuana is a safe and effective medicine.
The effects of using marijuana in combination with alcohol are interactive in that they are greater than the effects of taking the drugs individually.
Marijuana possession is illegal in Canada and will remain so, even under proposed reforms now being reviewed by Parliament. Only the penalties will change.
Marijuana impairs coordination, balance and motor skills, decreases inhibitions, causes respiratory system damage when smoked, and inhibits memory and learning.
Repeated use of marijuana creates a moderate dependence.
Marijuana smokers expose their lungs and the rest of their respiratory system to the same kinds of risks as do tobacco smokers.

An overdose of Meth may result in dangerously high body temperature (hyperthermia) and seizures. If the overdose stays untreated, death may result.
People who use Meth regularly often display violent behaviour and may experience an extreme mistrust of other people that could result in homicidal or suicidal thoughts.
Anhydrous ammonia, an important source of fertilizer for farm crops, is a common ingredient of Meth.
The production of Meth can severely pollute the environment.
Regular Meth users may suffer damage to the nerve cells that produce dopamine, the "pleasure" chemical released by the brain when Meth is taken.

For most youth, parents or guardians remain one of the most influential persons in their lives. Talking to parents, guardians or other trusted adults can help make healthy decisions.