A PROJECT TO MARIJUANA ABUSE

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A PROJECT TO MARIJUANA ABUSE

• By Christos Pallouras and Efterpi Tingi

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Contents

• What is marijuana?
• How is marijuana used?
• Why people use drugs?
• How can you recognize someone who uses marijuana?
• Short-term effects of marijuana use.
• Long-term effects of marijuana use.
• Alert! Signs indicating that the user is in a
  serious situation.
• Marijuana affects dramatically our life.
• Treatment of the addict.
• Marijuana myths and facts.
• Marijuana myths and facts (2).
• Summary.

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What is marijuana?

• Marijuana is a grey or green mixture of dried
  flowers and leaves from the Cannabis sativa, or
  hemp plant.

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How is marijuana used?

• Marijuana is actually smoked as a cigarette
  (called a joint or a nail) or in a pipe or a
  bong. Recently it has appears in cigars, called
  blunts.

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Why people use drugs?

• Family Influence
• Genetic Factors
• Psychiatric Disorders
• Bad Friends
• Problems in Social Life

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How can you recognize someone who uses marijuana?

• He or she might
• Seem dizzy and have trouble walking
• Seem silly and giggly for no reason
• Have very red, bloodshot eyes
• Have a hard time remembering things that just
  happened.
• He laughs without reason all the time

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Short-term effects of marijuana use.

• A few minutes after inhaling marijuana
• The users heart start to beat rapid
• The bronchial passages relax and become expanded
• Blood vessels in the eyes expands
• Then the user
• May experience pleasant sensations
• Colours and sounds may seem more intense
• Time appears to pass very slowly
• May suddenly become very hungry and thirsty

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Long-term effects of marijuana use.

• Long-term use of marijuana may produce damages to
  
• Brain and Central Nervous System
• Endocrine System
• Lungs
• Immune System
• Reproductive System
• The infant of a pregnant woman

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Alert ! Signs indicating that the user is in a
serious situation.

• Altered Perception of Reality
• Continued marijuana use despite the problems
  related to the use of the drug
• Craving marijuana
• The user cant resist to marijuana
• Unsuccessful attempts to cut it down
• Quitting from social and occupational activities
  due to marijuana use

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Marijuana affects dramatically our life.

• Students take lower grades than non user
  students
• Workers have a lot of problems in their jobs and
  many of them are sacked
• Users isolate themselves from the society and
  communicate only with other users

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Treatment of the addict.

• Actually there is no specific treatment of
  marijuana users as many of them are also addicted
  to stronger drugs as cocaine and heroin and there
  is no medicine which reduces the need of
  marijuana.
• Users enter specific centers and are kept for
  about 3 months without having marijuana.
• The most difficult stage, isnt the
  detoxification. When they exit the center we must
  support them to enter in the real life again,
  something very difficult for them.
• If we dont help them to find a job, make new
  friends non-users of marijuana, they will fill
  isolated from the society and start using
  marijuana to feel happiness

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Marijuana Myths and Facts.

• MYTH Marijuana is safe because it is a plant.
• FACT Many plants are toxic and unsafe for human
  use, including marijuana.
• MYTH Marijuana users do not go on to use other
  drugs.
• FACT Studies show that marijuana users may have
  a predisposition to use other drugs.
• MYTH Marijuana wears off in a few hours.
• FACT Because marijuana is stored in the body,
  its effects may be felt for days or weeks
  following ingestion.
• MYTH Marijuana relieves stress.
• FACT Marijuana, like all drugs, merely postpones
  coping with problems and deadlines marijuana can
  lead to depression.

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Marijuana Myths and Facts (2).

• MYTH Marijuana is safer than alcohol.
• FACT Marijuana contains carcinogenic chemicals,
  and it is a dangerous substance that should not
  be considered a "safe" alternative to other
  drugs.
• MYTH Marijuana expands the mind.
• FACT Marijuana clouds the mind, interfering with
  memory, speech, comprehension and decision-making
  ability.
• MYTH Marijuana today is safer than earlier
  varieties.
• FACT Horticultural development has increased the
  potency of marijuana and added many other
  dangerous chemicals.

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Summary.

• Marijuana is a very harmful drug and usually
  leads the user to try stronger drugs.
• Marijuana affects not only our body but our mind
  too making the users to isolate themselves from
  society
• Marijuana is very spread among the young people
  so we must be careful wherever we are.
• Users need support if we want to cut using
  marijuana, so after detoxification we must help
  them find a job and new friends who dont use
  drugs

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T H E E N D ........