Children’s Crisis Prevention Network

Dogs Against Drugs Program

Answers to your Questions

1. Why do people do drugs?   What are the top five reasons teens do drugs?  Many reasons – To fit in, for attention, to relax or get rid of stress, for energy, to be rebellious, for the “feeling”, to change their mood.
2. Why do people do drugs?  Is it because they feel they’re not loved?  That’s very possible.  There are many reasons – and many excuses.
3. Why do people do it over and over?  Once we begin to depend on a drug, and it seems to deliver what we want, we need the drug to keep getting the feeling we want.
4. Are date rape drugs always put in alcohol?  Date rape drugs include rohypnol (roofies), ecstasy, GHB and ketamine.  They can be put in any beverage.  Don’t leave unattended drinks at a party.
5. What is the difference between ecstasy and date rape drugs?  Ecstasy can make you you’re your inhibitions, which would normally keep you from doing risky things or making bad decisions.  Because of this, someone could more easily talk you into having sex.  Ecstasy is also a stimulant, and it dehydrates a person tremendously.  You also have muscle spasms in your jaw.
6. Are drugs bad?  No, not in themselves.  But when we use a drug to change our mood or change how we feel about ourselves, that makes the result bad.  Many drugs are developed to help humankind, to help us heal or deal with pain, like codeine does.  The bad part is when we take the drug for a different reason.  Any time we take too much, too often, or someone else’s medicine, we’re “doing drugs”.
7. Do drugs cause death?  Absolutely.  Overdoses, accidents, fights, suicide and drug interactions can all potentially result in death.
8. Who brought crack into the USA?  We can blame the Colombians since much cocaine comes from there, but crack actually was “invented” here.  The people who manufacture or deliver drugs do it only for the money.  They don’t care about the misery the drug causes.
9. Is it true that people can die from marijuana?  Unlike many other drugs, there does not seem to be a marijuana overdose that can cause death.  However, be aware that much marijuana is “laced” or “dusted” with other drugs like LSD (acid), PCP (angel dust), cocaine and formaldehyde; these drugs can cause death alone or when mixed with marijuana.
10. Why do girls act like they’re good?  Many of us have an “act” – sometimes we act like what we want to be – maybe they really want to be good, but have to keep trying.
11. Do drugs have good meanings?  Many drugs were designed to help in medical ways.  Sadly, we often use a “good” drug in a bad way.
12. Why do people feel they have to experience drugs?  I don’t know.  I feel sorry for them.  It’s almost like asking why do people feel they have to experience getting hit by a car.  Dumb!
13. How do you stop smoking crack?  First, you must ask someone to help you – an adult is best because they have more resources for you.  A drug counselor can help you recognize ways you can be tempted and avoid those.  They can also teach you non-drug ways to relax and deal with your problems.
14. I heard weed can help a disease.  A lot of research was done on this, and the result was that the harm it does outweighs any possible help.  They have developed good medicines to help the patients they were hoping to help with weed.
15. Can cheese kill you?  Yes.
16. Are drugs done as a result of stress or depression?  Sometimes – but there are other and better ways to deal with stress and depression.  It’s interesting – drugs ultimately increase stress and depression.
17. When you take drugs, do you automatically become addicted?  It depends on your body and personality.  Sometimes addiction happens quickly; sometimes an addict in training has to work at it.
18. What is a bomb?  “Bomb” is marijuana.   “Bong” is a type of marijuana pipe.
19. Is it easy to stop using drugs?  No.  With professional help and support of friends you can stop.  It’s easiest to never start.  Remember that alcohol is a drug.
20. What does a drug counselor do?  Help someone who wants to get off drugs.  We provide support, information, and ways to make good choices and deal with life.  We do more than that, but it would take all day to list the many things.  We’re a wonderful resource.
21. Drugs can lead to bad choices and even death.  Absolutely right!
22. Have you ever used drugs?  “What does that have to do with anything?”
23. How did you become a counselor or choose this career?  Because I’ve always tried to help people, and the drug problem is destroying so many lives – maybe I can help some…..
24. What are drugs?  A chemical you put in your body to change how you feel about yourself. 
25. What do drugs have to do with everyday life?  Everything.  They’re all around us, and our society seems to encourage using “something” so we never have to feel bad, instead of learning to cope with life as it is.
26. Why do so many drugs have so many names?  Because people who sell and use drugs want to be thought of as “cool” – so nicknames for drugs become “cool”, too.  Sometimes the nickname helps identify the different type of drugs.  For example, “blunt” for a cigar with marijuana; “water” for marijuana with formaldehyde.
27. Does crack really kill you?  You generally die slow – but yes.
28. What is lean or purple stuff?  Lean, purple stuff, and sirrup are all nicknames for a mixture of candy, a sweet drink, and a kind of liquid medicine.  It was first started in Houston.  I’d rather not be specific about the ingredients.  Just remember that any form of drug, no matter how it is dressed up to taste or look like candy, is harmful to you when taken improperly.
29. What does heroin do?  Heroin was originally used as a pain reliever or anesthetic.  It puts the user into a dreamlike state, not unlike crack.  Be careful.  Heroin causes constipation.
30. Why do people who abuse drugs try to kill themselves?  Because they are so depressed and heartbroken over their inability to stop abusing drugs.  Some people think it would be easier to die than to go through the hard process of recovery.
31. What do drugs really do to you?  They take away your health; they take away your dreams; they take away your real friends; they take away your money and your stuff; they take away your future; they take away your family; they take away your life.
32. What is PCP? A hallucinogen – it separates you from reality.  It’s a very dangerous drug, and was designed originally as an anesthetic, but side effects are too terrible.  PCP can cause insanity pretty quickly.
33. Can crack make your kids come out with a messed up body?  Yes.  Any woman who uses any kind of drug while pregnant is playing Russian roulette with her baby.  Messed up body, messed up brain, messed up intelligence, and lots more.
34. Why are drugs so addicting to people?  What’s in it that makes it addicting?  In the beginning, drugs seem to do what we’re looking for them to do – so we keep on.  After a while, the changes in our brains because of the chemicals we’re putting in them demand that we keep putting those chemicals in.  When we’re not, our brains crave the chemicals.
35. Is weed a harmful drug like crack?  Yes.  It takes away your intelligence.  It takes away your ambition, It takes away your dreams; It takes away your abilities.  It can affect your children.
36. Can weed be used in a good way?  Yes, the stem material can be used to make into such products as paper, rope, and jewelry.  This material, called “hemp”, does not have the chemical in it that makes people high.
37. Where do drugs come from?  Most drugs started as medicine to help mankind.  Then we used them wrong, and started making money from the addicts we created.
38. What is the most deadly drug?  The first one you use – because then you’ll move on to another one.  Don’t use the first one!!
39. How many different types of drugs are there?  More than I can count.  Thousands.  Legal and illegal.
40. What is in whiteout and permanent markers to get you high?  A liquid that is found in things like paints and paint thinners.  It’s called toluene, and gives off a vapor (gas) that is poisonous to your brain cells.  Huffing or sniffing is very, very dangerous.  Sniffing fumes will kill brain cells for sure and could kill you the first time or any time you do it.