Drug Prevention Education Strategies and Marijuana Awareness

1. Drug Prevention Education Strategies and Marijuana Awareness 12th Annual Adult Prevention Educator Conference Ralph Cantor Berkeley, CA May 6, 2009

3. Topics covered today • Goals of drug education/prevention • Strategies for working with youth • The case for delaying use • The Reward Center • Some understanding of marijuana • Raising awareness about alcohol • Promoting Resiliency • Messages for parents

4. Goals of drug education • Think more deeply about the issues • Make a more informed decision • Have a positive influence on their behavior • Know that adults care and will respond • Identify kids needing help • Delay initial usage or retard usage

5. How people learn Heart Emotions Thought PriorExperience and Knowledge

6. Stages of ChangeAge Appropriateness • Pre Contemplative Stage (Not even thinking about it) • Contemplative Stage • Planning Stage • 7th and 8th Delay Usage • 9th Transition • 10th thru 12th Nonjudgmental

7. Process • Establish credibility (Authenticity & Knowledge ) • Create a resilient learning environment (expectations, caring, and participation) • Present a non-judgmental approach • Stimulate discussion and serious thought, weaving in information w/balanced answers

8. Reasons for delaying message • Development of the prefrontal cortex • Pruning and myelination • Neuroadaptivity: dull pleasure center • Short circuiting developmental tasks • Greater need for dopamine • Pharmacological solutions resulting pharmacological insults • The research

9. Adolescent Brain Adult Brain

10. Pruning • “USE IT OR LOSE IT”– Reading, sports, music, video games, x-box, hanging out—whatever a child/teen is doing—these are the neural synapses that will be retained • How children/teens spend their time isCRUCIALto brain development since their activities guide the structure of the brain

11. Neuroadaptivity, Hypofrontality, Memory Loss • Neuroadaptivity – Dulling of the pleasure center of the brain • Hypofrontality – Interference with the decision making area of brain • Memory loss – Damage to the hippocampus

12. Developmental tasks • Boredom • Good times • Stress • Social Skills • Academic Skills

13. Percentage of U.S. Adults Aged 18 and Older Dependent on Alcohol, By Age of Drinking Onset

14. Reward System • The reward system is responsible for seeking naturalrewards that have survival value (food, water, sex, and nurturing) • Dopamine is the system’s primary neurotransmitter

18. Sketch the synaptic space

20. Drugs Hijack the Brain’s Reward Circuitry • Immediate effect of drug use is an increase in dopamine • Continued use of drugs reduces the brain’s dopamine production • Because dopamine is part of the reward system, the brain is ‘fooled’ into ‘thinking’ that the drug has survival value for the organism • The reward system responds with “drug seeking behaviors” • Craving occurs and, eventually, dependence.

21. Dopamine vs. Serotonin • Dopamine produces a feeling of pleasure • Serotonin produces a feeling of well being • Difference between pleasure and happiness • Developing skills, interest, relationships, meaning (“getting a life”) • Wizard of Oz

22. MarijuanaCannabinoid Sites • Nucleus Accumbens • Hippocampus • Cerebellum • Amygdala • Hypothalmus

23. Hippocampus • Gateway between short term and long term memory • Draws information from long term memory • Discriminates relevant new information • Trashes unimportant information • Stores new information in long term memory

25. Concerns with Marijuana • Intrudes on the ecology of the brain at a crucial developmental time having an influence on present performance and future functioning • Hippocampus/Learning • Ultimately producing opposite results • Gateway to cigarettes • Pruning and Neuroadaptation

26. The Lungs • THC and resin • Damage to cilia • Viewing the bronchi • Marijuana/tobacco connection • Blunts • The power of nicotine and endorphins • Compromised immune system

27. Adolescents more susceptible to alcohol than adults • Reduced sensitivity to intoxication • Increased sensitivity to social disinhibitions • Greater adverse effects to cognitive functioning • It seems to be endorsed as a norm

28. Issues with alcohol: Why do kids have to drink? • Ever see a group of drunk teenagers • Binge drinking • Demeaning behavior • Accidents • Sexual Behavior • Brain damage • Addiction • Driving and deaths • Teenage Proofing your house

29. Risk of addiction How well does the drug work Positive and Negative Reinforcement If, in addition to producing pleasure (positive reinforcement), a drug is more addicting, if it relieves negative states: boredom, anxiety, depression or stress (negative reinforcement).

30. Anhedonia Pleasure Bored Interested “I feel negative” “I feel good” Pleasure Scale NORMAL RANGE Dysphoria Euphoria

31. Promoting Resiliency,Connection and Engagement • Supportive family (tuned in, time together, supervision, fair rules/boundaries) • Non using peers and role models • Developing interests and academic skills • Youth are connected (school, activities) • Social Skills • Dealing with boredom, stress, partying • Exercise, movement, sweat

32. Parents • Talk to your child I care, I see, I feel, Listen • Clear expectations and consequences • Communication & Monitoring • Integrity & Self Assessment – Modeling • Teen-proof your home • Promote Connection & Interests

33. The power of your presence • Self Care • This is work of the heart • Clarity of Intention

34. Personal Self Assessment • Ignorance that the substance is a drug and what it does to the body • Loss of desired effect with increasing frequency • Difficulty separating from the drug • Impairment of health or social function Andrew Weil – Unhealthy relationship

35. References S. Alex Stalcup, M.D. New Leaf Treatment Center 251 Lafayette Circle, Suite 150 Lafayette, CA 94549 Timmen Cermak, M.D. Mill Valley, CA Marijuana: What’s a Parent to Believe Hazelden Press 2005

36. Contact Information Ralph Cantor Alameda County Office of Education (510) 653-9410 rjcantor@aol.com