Do Drugs & Alcohol damage the brain.. Duh

There is an ongoing debate about the long term effects of drugs and alcohol on the body and the brain.  Usually those claiming there is no long term effect are those using one or both.  Others claiming that marijuana has no long term effect are those who have a lot to gain from the legalization and sale of marijuana.  Since the legalization in Colorado they have collected $45 million in tax revenue.

There is a lot that they are not telling you.  They said there was no harm and that it would shut down the black market.  Neither one is true.  The black market has grown  http://wapo.st/1km7pr6 and the effects on the brain are undisputable.

Here are the facts about the effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain.

Marijuana

Here is what the National Institute of Drug Abuse for teens – “THC during adolescence are associated with structural and functional changes in the hippocampus.  Studies in rats also show that adolescent exposure to THC is associated with an altered reward system, increasing the likelihood that an animal will self-administer other drugs (e.g., heroin) when given an opportunity (see “Is marijuana a gateway drug?”). Imaging studies in human adolescents show that regular marijuana users display impaired neural connectivity in specific brain regions involved in a broad range of executive functions like memory, learning, and impulse control compared to non-users.”

A large study in New Zealand found that persistent use of Marijuana as an adolescent and stopped as an adult had on average an 8 point lower IQ.

In other studies they found that even short term regular use had a significant effect on the brain and this is demonstrated in the image comparing non-users and someone who used for two years. 

Many have said Marijuana is not a gateway drug and suggest there is no evidence to prove the link.  I asked you to show me a heroin addict that went straight to heroin bypassing marijuana.  This does not say everyone who uses marijuana will use heroin, but does illustrate there is a possibility.   

Alcohol

Most of the effects of alcohol are widely known and most know the effects it has on the liver and kidneys.  Have you ever known anyone with cirrhosis of the liver?  Excessive Alcohol use cause diseases such as liver inflammation (alcoholic hepatitis) or severe liver scarring (cirrhosis). Alcohol-related liver disease can cause death.  Usually causes by years of drinking. 

What people don’t talk about is the effects it has on the brain.  It damages the brain… Alcohol can affect parts of the brain that control movement, speech, judgment, and memory. These effects lead to the familiar signs of drunkenness: difficulty walking, slurred speech, memory lapses, and impulsive behavior. Long-term heavy drinking can shrink the frontal lobes of the brain, which impairs thinking skills.

Prescription Medications

There has been a dramatic increase of prescription drug abuse but the problem becomes the affordability of pain medications like Hydrocodone and Oxycontin.  On the street they are $20 to $60 a pill and when you are taking twenty or more a day it is very expensive.  The cost of heroin has dropped to $3 to $10 a bag.  The drop in heroin prices is because of the supply despite the war on drugs.

When you abuse drugs or alcohol there are consequence and the effects and consequences on our youth are more severe and debilitating.   If kids see adults using and abusing they believe it is okay.