What are stimulants or uppers?

“Uppers” is a slang term for stimulants. Stimulants/Uppers are a group of drugs that increase energy, attention, and alertness, and can boost mood. Stimulants can come in a pill, powder, or crystal form.

• Common prescription stimulants: amphetamine (Adderall®), methylphenidate (Ritalin®)
• Common illegal stimulants: cocaine, methamphetamines/meth, MDMA, crack, bath salts
• Legal stimulants: caffeine, nicotine (21+), pre-workout supplements, energy drinks

What do stimulants and uppers do?

Stimulants and uppers increase your heart rate and can increase energy and alertness, and can boost mood by speeding up messages that are being sent between your brain and central nervous system. This is why coffee can make you feel more energized. While coffee is a legal stimulant and generally considered safe in a controlled amount, some stimulants can be very dangerous because of how strong they are. Each stimulant also works differently in the brain and some stimulants, like meth, can cause major changes in the brain.

Stimulants can cause high blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia (can’t sleep at night), little or no hunger, and can be very addictive. Taking larger doses or using it for a long time can cause more side effects like dizziness, tremors, chest pain, excessive sweating, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and death.

When stimulants start to wear off, withdrawal symptoms can be experienced and feel like a “crash.” Withdrawal symptoms include feeling shaky, weak, dizzy, and overall exhaustion and depression.

What are things to know about stimulant use?

• You can overdose from stimulants. Click here to learn more about stimulant overdoses!
• Methamphetamines is one of the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths in Pima County.
• Summer time is especially dangerous for people who use stimulants. Since stimulants can increase heart rate and raise body temperature, it can cause someone to overheat more easily. In Arizona, we know how hot and deadly it can get in the summer time. Click here to learn more about how to stay safe in the heat!

What are depressants or downers?

“Downers” is a slang term for depressants. Depressants/Downers are a group of drugs that produces a “sedative” effect which could look like drowsiness, relaxation, and slowed reaction time. Opposite to stimulants, it decreases alertness and focus. Depressants can come in a pill, powder or crystal form.

• Common prescription depressants: benzodiazepines (Xanax®, Klonopin®, Librium®), barbiturates, prescription opioids
• Common illegal depressants: Tranq/xylazine, illegally made benzodiazepines, illegal opioids (heroin, fentanyl)
• Legal depressants: Alcohol (21+)

What do depressants and downers do?

Depressants or downers slow down the messages between your brain and the central nervous system, causing someone to feel more relaxed or tired and can reduce feelings of pain. Typically, many prescription depressants are used to treat anxiety or pain.

Depressant use can cause extreme drowsiness, vomiting, unconsciousness, shallow breathing, black outs/memory loss, and even death. Since depressants can slow the central nervous system, it also slows breathing and heart rate. If too much is taken, it can cause very low oxygen levels in the body and result in a coma or death.

Withdrawal symptoms from depressants can be severe and potentially life threatening. Withdrawal symptoms could include severe anxiety, panic attacks, delirium, rapid heart rate, sweating, and in more severe cases, seizures.

What are things to know about depressant use?

• Xylazine is a new drug present in Pima County, also known as “Tranq” because it is an animal tranquilizer. Xylazine can cause wounds in the skin. Click here to learn more about xylazine!

What are opioids?

Opioids can be natural or synthetic (made in a lab). Doctors can prescribe opioids to reduce or treat pain. Both illegal and prescription opioids can lead to an addiction, overdose, and even death.

Opioids are also considered depressants/downers and can come in pill, powder, or crystal form.

• Common prescription opioids: oxycodone (OxyContin®, Percocet®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), prescription fentanyl, codeine, tramadol, hydromorphone
• Common illegal opioids: heroin, fentanyl, counterfeit pills (M-30’s, percs)

What do opioids do?

Opioids block pain receptors (meaning you feel less pain) and can cause changes in mood and thinking abilities, including feelings of relaxation and happiness. It can also slow your respiratory system (your breathing). 

Opioids are highly addictive and your body can develop a dependence on them fairly quickly, in a matter of a few days. Once you develop a dependence, your brain and body feel like they can no longer function normally without them. Dependence can bring withdrawal symptoms such as higher sensibility to pain, cramps, nausea, vomiting, chills, diarrhea, and more.

• Often times, people continue to use to avoid withdrawal symptoms. As people use more often, they may develop a tolerance, which means they may need to take larger doses and/or take it more often since their body is used to the substance. This puts them at higher risk of health problems, overdoses, and deaths.

What are things to know about opioid use?

• Fentanyl is found in many illicit drugs and is highly addictive and dangerous. In Pima County, fentanyl is one of the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths.
• Narcan (naloxone) can reverse an opioid overdose. Click here to learn more about Narcan!
• There are medications that can treat opioid use disorder, if you have difficulties stopping or managing opioid use.

What is alcohol?

Alcohol is also considered a depressant or downer and is usually referred to as “alcohol” or “booze,” can be distinguished by type (vodka, whiskey, tequila, beer, wine, seltzer, etc.), or drink category (cocktail, brew, etc). They typically only come in liquid form as a drink.

What does alcohol do?

At first, alcohol can give feelings of increased energy, euphoria, relaxation, and decreased anxiety, but also impacts your thinking, judgement, and vision negatively. Over time, it can also increases anxiety and makes your quality of sleep worse (FYI –“passing out” is not the same as getting good sleep).

When you quit or stop alcohol use, it can cause withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms can range from mild symptoms like headaches, anxiety, sweating, upset stomach, and fatigue, to severe forms like delirium tremens which can cause tremors, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, organ damage, and death.

What are things to know about alcohol use?

• Drinking alcohol with any other substance, even legal or prescription drugs, increases chance of addiction, injury, and death.
• There are medications available to treat alcohol use disorder, if you have difficulties stopping or managing alcohol use.
• Alcohol is the most common substance used by people under 21 in the United States. Underage alcohol use can lead to physical and mental health issues. This can include an increased risk of physical harm, slower brain development, and increased risk of addiction to alcohol. There are also legal consequences from underage drinking like being arrested, serving time in jail, losing your driver’s license, and thousands of dollars in fines.
• Alcohol is legal for adults ages 21 years and older in the United States, but there are still potential health consequences with drinking. 
• If you are drinking, it is illegal to drive a vehicle of any kind (cars, bikes, scooters). When drinking alcohol, people’s thinking and reaction time is slower and your vision can be impaired. People have lost their lives due to car crashes caused by alcohol use. If you are drinking, do not drive. Call a friend, trusted adult, or an Uber to get home safely.

What is marijuana?

Marijuana is often called by other names including weed, pot, and cannabis. Typically it refers to dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds of the Cannabis plant, but it can also be extracted into different and stronger forms, such as oil, wax, shatter, and extracts. It contains a  chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is what causes the “high.” In addition to THC, cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound that is found in marijuana and does not cause the “high.” You may see CBD products sold with or without THC.

Marijuana can cause changes in mood, thoughts, and perceptions of reality. 

What does marijuana do?

People respond differently to marijuana depending on their biology, type of marijuana (strain), and what other substances are in their system. In general, people use marijuana for the feeling of being “high”, including feeling relaxed, heightened senses, and time moving differently. Commonly, people experience increased heart rate, dry mouth, red eyes, and increased appetite. It can also cause paranoia, panic, and in extreme cases psychosis (not knowing what is real and/or hallucinations).

Using marijuana for a long time does have some long-term health risks and people can get addicted to marijuana. If someone uses frequently and for a long time, it can impact decision-making skills, memory, and is even linked to higher rates of mental health conditions (like anxiety and depression). If someone is using marijuana through smoking, it is still harmful to the lungs, much like smoking cigarettes.

What are things to know about marijuana?

• Compounds of marijuana have been approved for medical purposes like treating seizures (CBD), nausea in patients with cancer (THC-like chemical), and to help increase appetite in individuals who don’t feel like eating (THC-like chemical). But, like other medications, make sure you talk to your doctor about it first.
• While marijuana is legal in Arizona for reactional and medicinal use for adults 21 years and older, it is still illegal on a federal level (nationwide).
• 1 in 6 people who start using marijuana before the age of 18 can become addicted to marijuana.
• The association between marijuana and schizophrenia is stronger in people who start using marijuana at an earlier age and use marijuana more frequently. If you have a family history of mental illness conditions, like schizophrenia or psychosis, marijuana use may trigger similar symptoms.
• Marijuana can have impacts on your ability to drive safely. It can impact your reaction time, coordination, and concentration. It is dangerous and illegal to drive while under the influence.

What is nicotine?

Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical compound present in a tobacco plant. All tobacco products contain nicotine, including cigarettes, non-combusted cigarettes (commonly referred to as “heat-not-burn tobacco products” or “heated tobacco products”), cigars, smokeless tobacco (such as dip, snuff, snus, and chewing tobacco), hookah tobacco, and most e-cigarettes or vapes.

Using any tobacco product can lead to nicotine addiction. This is because nicotine can change the way the brain works, causing cravings for more of it. 

Why is it difficult to quit smoking or vaping?

Because the brain is still developing, young people have a higher risk of becoming addicted to the nicotine in tobacco products than adults. 

Many people don’t understand how easy it is to become addicted to tobacco products. The younger a person is when they start using tobacco, the more likely they are to become addicted. (Source)

Nicotine exposure during adolescence can disrupt normal brain development. (Source)

Because of nicotine’s powerfully addictive nature and major effects on the developing brain, no tobacco products are safe for youth to use.

Resources to help quit smoking or vaping:

Click here to learn more about ASHLine to help quit smoking!

Click here to learn more about ASHLine for youth!