Substance abuse presentation for Contemporary Social Issues

1. Substance Abuse in
Canada
Michael Casey, Contemporary Social Issues
November 23, 2013

2. What is Substance Abuse?
• Substance abuse is commonly referred to as drug abuse.
• It is defined as regular consumption of a substance that
is harmful to themselves or others.
• Substance abuse can lead to addiction.

3. What is Substance Abuse?
• Substance abuse is not exclusive to illegal narcotics.
• Substance abuse alters your state of mind, making it difficult to
identify the problem.
• Long term abuse can lead to serious mental and physical illness.

4. What Are the Commonly Abused Substances?
Tobacco
Cocaine
Cannabis
Cocaine
Ecstasy

5. Tobacco
• One in five Canadians is a smoker.
• 230000 deaths a year are caused
by smoking in Canada
• Long term use causes
cancer, heart disease, and lung
disease.
• Tobacco is legal for anyone over
19 and is legal in Canada
• Tobacco is the second most
abused drug in Canada.

6. Alcohol
• An estimated 299,838 individuals
were injured due to alcohol
related vehicle collisions.
• Almost 90% of the Canadian
population has consumed alcohol.
• On average the first use for
Canadians is 16 years.
• Alcohol abuse can cause severe
liver damage.
• Over time, alcohol can cause
severe brain damage.

7. Cannabis
• There are an estimated 2.3
millions users in Canada.
• The average age of introduction
in Canada is 15 years old.
• 10% of regular users develop
dependency
• Annual enforcing costs in Canada
are 500 million.
• Long term use can cause sleep
impairment.

8. Ecstasy/MDMA
• The 4th most abused substance in
Canada.
• 1695 deaths a year are caused by
ecstasy/mdma use.
• In 2002, 554,131 criminal
offences and 133,120 criminal
charges were from ecstasy.
• Long term use can lead to;
sleeping problems, panic
attacks, high blood pressure, liver
problems, and memory deficits.

9. Cocaine/Crack Cocaine
• Cocaine is the 5th most abused
substance by Canadians.
• Cocaine can be consumed in
various forms, and is often cut
with other dangerous chemicals.
• 10% of the population is reported
having used cocaine at least
once.
• In 2003, 6,396 charges for
possession and 7540 charges for
trafficking were given in Canada.

10. How much does substance abuse cost
Canada?
• 40 billion dollars a year is spent in Canada enforcing drug policies.
• This total includes police and government salary, and the cost of
prison for those convicted of crimes.
• Health care cost of drug abuse cost the government an estimated
17 billion dollars a year.

11. Substance Abuse Explained with Symbolic
Interactionist Perspective
• Substance abuse is born from pre-determined factors in peoples
lives.
• Those in minority groups typically have higher substance abuse
rates.
• People from low income families often seek drugs to self
medicate.
• Recreational drug use has become more acceptable in most social
groups.
• For tobacco and alcohol, use has been considered normal behavior
for generations.

12. Recovering: Medical Intervention
• All users must have a detox period to ensure that the abused substance
is entirely out of their system.
• Many users suffering from depression are administered anti-depressants
to stabilize symptoms.
• Most treatments enforce emotional support.
• Doctors may administer a substitute such as methadone to help reduce
cravings during the withdrawal period.

13. Recovering: Therapeutic Support
• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy- Helps patients identify the triggers
that lead them to substance abuse, and how to best avoid them.
• Multi-Dimensional Family Therapy- Created to help adolescents
with substance abuse problems. Incorporates families for help and
support.
• Motivational Interviewing- Identifies the positive aspects of giving
up a certain substance. Uses positive feedback to enforce better
behavior.

14. Who’s Helping?
• M.A.D.D(Mothers Against Drunk Drivers)- M.A.D.D helps share information
to Canadians about proper alcohol consumption, and raises awareness of
substance abuse issues.
• D.A.R.E(Drug Abuse Resistance Education)- D.A.R.E helps educate
Canadian youth about the substances that are available to them, the
effects of substance use, and how to say no to drugs.
• Narcotics Anonymous- This group provides people with the opportunity
to participate in group sessions with fellow abusers in order to work
through their issues. Provides support and resources to ensure that
participants stay off drugs, and lead a clean and healthy lifestyle.

15. Closing Thoughts
• Substance abuse is a worldwide problem, and something that can
happen to anybody.
• The most important thing is getting help. Identifying the problem
is the first step to recovery.
• There are many treatment options available.
• Resources are available to anyone in Canada.

16. References
• Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.(2012). Cost Study. Retrieved from
http://www.ccsa.ca/eng/priorities/research/CostStudy/Pages/default.aspx
• Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.(2012). Canadian Drug Summary: Ecstasy.
Retrieved from http://www.fgta.ca/docs/0-CCSA-Canadian-Drug-SummaryEcstasy-2012-en.pdf
• CBC News.(2013). Crack Cocaine: 9 Things to know. Retrieved from
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/crack-cocaine-9-things-to-know-1.2415886
• CDLQ.(2012). What is cocaine and what does it look like. Retrieved from
http://www.cqld.ca/livre/en/en/10-cocaine.htm
• Health Canada.(2011). Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey.
Retrieved from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/drugsdrogues/stat/_2011/summary-sommaire-eng.php

17. References (cont.)
• Join Together Staff.(2006). Addiction Costs Canada $40 Billion Annually. Retrieved
from http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/addiction/addiction-costs-canada-40
• Madd Canada.(2012). The Magnitude of the Alcohol/Drug Related Crash Problem in
Canada. Retrieved from
http://madd.ca/madd2/en/impaired_driving/impaired_driving_statistics.html
• National Institute on Drug Abuse.(2012). How does marijuana affect your brain and
body?. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuanaabuse/how-does-marijuana-use-affect-your-brain-body
• National Institute on Drug Abuse.(2009). Drug Facts: Treatment Approaches for Drug
Addiction. Retrieved from
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drugaddiction
• uOttawa.(2002). Facts and Figures: Marijuana in Canada. Retrieved from
http://www.med.uottawa.ca/sim/data/Marijuana_e.htm