The use of alcohol and other drugs has always been a part of our society. While having a glass of wine with dinner or an pain tablet for a headache is rarely a problem, excessive or inappropriate use of alcohol or other drugs (including prescription drugs) can interfere with daily life and negatively affect work, relationships, physical and mental health. We offer some materials to help you.
Background:
Materials related to support:
Other related materials:
Background
Tobacco, Alcohol and Other Drugs | fact sheet
Drugs are chemical compounds, found in plants or made in a lab, that affect activity in the brain or the body. Tobacco, alcohol and caffeine are the most commonly used. For thousands of years, people around the world have been using certain drugs to help them in their daily lives. Most people can and do use a wide range of drugs in their daily lives without experiencing serious problems. But problems can happen when a person misuses a drug, or when the effects of a drug lead to behaviour that causes harm to the user or to others... [more]
Depression, Anxiety, Alcohol and Other Drugs | brochure [PDF]
This BC Partners brochure investigates the interrelationships between mood, anxiety, and use of substances as well as signs to watch out for that may indicate a disorder requiring intervention. Unique and overlapping symptoms are also featured, as well as resources.
Concurrent Disorders: Mental Disorders and Substance Use Problems | fact sheet
Concurrent disorders, the combination of a mental illness and substance use disorder, are much more widespread than many people realize. For example, a survey conducted in BC found that 55% of mental health service users interviewed had substance use issues that accompanied their first episode of mental illness. The relationship is complex... [more]
Concurrent Disorders: Mental Disorders and Substance Use Problems | journal issue [PDF]
This issue of Visions: BC's Mental Health and Addictions Journal - our largest ever, at 60 pages - explores the theme of co-existing mental health and substance use problems from a number of different angles and includes personal stories, approaches and models, regional programs in the community, and resources. Visions is an award-winning magazine by and for people with mental health and substance use problems, families, and service providers in BC...[table of contents]
Dangerous Drug Combinations | fact sheet
Dangerous drug combinations may include mixing of any of the following: alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, prescription medications, non-prescription medications, natural health products, and dietary supplements. Some interactions are minor, but others can be dangerous and possibly life-threatening...[more]
Substance Use and Pregnancy | fact sheet
Using any kind of substance during pregnancy carries some risk. Even mild drugs like caffeine can increase a woman’s chances of having a miscarriage. Alcohol and tobacco are the most common drugs used by pregnant women who... [more]
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder | fact sheet
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) refers to a range of birth defects caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy. In addition to brain abnormalities and other physical, developmental, social and behavioural effects, people with FASD are commonly diagnosed with co-occurring disorders including conduct disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and attachment disorder... [more]
Tobacco | fact sheet
Cigarette smoking is the most common addiction in Canada, and the leading cause of preventable death. There is also evidence to suggest that people with mental disorders are more likely to smoke than the general population... [more]
Tips for Quitting Smoking | fact sheet
Most people know cigarette smoking isn’t healthy. Still, many people find it difficult to cut down on the number of cigarettes they smoke, let alone give up cigarettes altogether. Cigarettes contain nicotine, a drug that creates physical dependence in ... [more]
Youth and Drug Use | fact sheet
Most teens experiment with tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs before they graduate from high school. Fortunately, the vast majority of drug use (with the possible exception of nicotine) does not lead to addiction, and most teens will not be significantly damaged by their experimental use. However, some will fall into abusive patterns or put themselves and others in danger... [more]
Alcohol | fact sheet
Alcohol is a depressant drug, as are tranquilizers and many painkillers. All depressant drugs slow down the central nervous system and could cause drowsiness, induce sleep, or relieve pain. However, in addition to acting on the nervous system, excess use of alcohol could have adverse effects on almost every other system of the body... [more]
Tips for Cutting Back or Quitting Drinking | fact sheetMost people who drink moderately put themselves and others at risk for alchohol related harms. These people often beleive that only alcholics, people who are dependant on alcohol, cause car accidents or bar brawls. But the truth is that ... [more]
Tips for Hosting a Teen Party: How to Deal with the Alcohol Question | fact sheet
Your teen asks if he can have a party. You want to say “yes,” but you have some concerns. You know that many teenagers use alcohol, and some use other drugs. What if your teen begs you to buy beer for the party? What if your teen’s friends bring over ... [more]
The Case for Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines for BC | fact sheet
Nearly 80% of British Columbians aged 15 and older drink alcohol, according to the 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey. Most drinkers enjoy moderate amounts of alcohol when relaxing or celebrating a special occasion. However, a significant number of people ... [more]
Benzodiazepines | fact sheet
Benzodiazepines, or benzos, are a group of depressant drugs commonly called tranquillizers and sleeping pills. The chemical compound was first discovered in an Austrian laboratory in 1954. Today, a wide variety of benzos are manufactured by drug companies and ... [more]
Caffeine | fact sheet
Caffeine is a stimulant drug that is found in the seeds, leaves and fruit of over 60 types of shrubs, including coffee and tea plants. Caffeine can also be manufactured in a laboratory.
People have been using caffeine products for thousands of years. Today it is found in a variety of everyday foods and beverages such as chocolate, cocoa, coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks. It is also commonly used in the making of pain relievers, cold medicines and other medications... [more]
Cannabis | fact sheet
Cannabis is the most widely-used illegal drug in Canada. Using cannabis could make you feel euphoric, more relaxed, and less inhibited. Colours might seem brighter, and sounds and smells more distinct. These experiences are, however, accompanied by impairment of motor skills, short-term memory and concentration... [more]
Tips on Cutting Back or Quitting Using Cannabis | fact sheet
People who use cannabis develop patterns of use that fit their needs. Sometimes these patterns change over time. For example, many people who use cannabis in their youth stop using it when they get older. Some people, however, use the drug throughout ... [more]
Cocaine | fact sheet
Cocaine is a stimulant drug. It is made from the processed leaves of the Erythroxylum coca bush, which is native to the Andes Mountains of South America. Aboriginal people were chewing coca leaves for centuries before they were first formally processed into cocaine in Germany in the mid-1800s. The drug was then used in many Western countries as a ... [more]
Ecstasy and Other "Club Drugs" | fact sheet
The term “club drugs” refers to substances often used at rave parties and nightclubs. Club drugs are recreational drugs. This means they are most commonly used by people who enjoy their effects while dancing and socializing. But they are also used by other people for ... [more]
Heroin | fact sheet
Heroin is made from the chemical processing of morphine, a drug derived from the Papaver somiferum plant (opium poppy). The plant has been cultivated for thousands of years in ancient civilizations in Europe and Asia. Today, Afghanistan is the ... [more]
Hallucinogens | fact sheet
Hallucinogens refer to drugs that significantly alter a person’s senses and perceptions. Despite the name, they do not necessarily produce true hallucinations. Hallucinations are perceptions that have no basis in reality, but appear realistic to the person having them. Instead, many hallucinogenic drugs cause users to have experiences that are... [more]
Inhalants | fact sheet
Inhalants are products that give off chemical vapours. When a person purposely inhales the vapours, they may feel temporarily light-headed and giddy. Repeated large doses can make a person feel and act as if they have been drinking alcohol. Many inhalants, including hairspray and hobby glue, are everyday products that ... [more]
Medications | fact sheet
Medications are legal substances that people use to help them manage their daily lives. There are many kinds of medications available for treating different problems. Some medications, including those for colds, flus, headaches and stomach aches, are sold over the counter. This means... [more]
Medications | journal issue
Medications are often a double-edged sword. They can lift symptoms of mental illness or addiction so that people can feel well enough to do all the other hard work needed for recovery. But, they also present a host of complex challenges from side effects and interactions, to affordability and access. This issue of Visions aims to help consumers feel more like partners in their care and tries to present a helpful guide into the complex world of pharmaceutical treatment of mental or substance use disorders. [more]
Methamphetamine | fact sheet
Methamphetamine is an illegal synthetic drug that affects the central nervous system. One of a number of amphetamine-type stimulants, MA is similar in function to caffeine and cocaine. It's often confused with... [more]
Meth 101: A Crash Course on Methamphetamines | fact sheet
Meth is often used by people who are trying to cope with depression, anxiety, social problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other conditions. Meth comes in several forms, from a sticky paste, to a white, odorless powder, to... [more]
If You Think Your Teen is on Methamphetamine | fact sheet
You know your teen is in trouble. He's been hanging out with a new set of friends. He's moody. He's irritable. He's lost interest in routine activities. He no longer cares about his appearance. You've read about this kind of thing in the news... [more]
Methamphetamine: Tips on Cutting Back or Quitting | fact sheet
Most people who take methamphetamine for the first time don't plan to become regular users. And they definitely don't intend to develop a full-blown dependence on the substance. Often people try the drug because they're curious... [more]
Materials related to support
Dealing with Alcohol or Other Drug Overdose Situations | fact sheet
Alcohol poisoning is what happens when someone drinks a lot of alcohol in a short period of time. Drinking too much too fast can affect a person’s breathing, heart rate and gag reflex. It can also lead to coma or death. Drinking a lot very quickly is ... [more]
Finding Help for Alcohol and Other Drug Problems | fact sheet
It isn’t easy admitting to having a problem with alcohol or other drugs. It can be equally difficult to accept that a family member or friend has a substance use problem. But most people would agree that ignoring a problem won’t make it go away... [more]
Problem Substance Use Workbook | workbook
Like the other toolkits in the series, this resource uses the best information from the research field to guide a reader - in a friendly, plain-language style - through the process of understanding more about the impacts of their behaviour and treatments, as well as tips, strategies and quizzes on becoming more active in their recovery. The toolkit provides a number of sections from Considering Change or to Dealing with Slips or Dealing with High-Risk Situations, as well as six other chapters that speak to readers wherever they may be on their path to reducing or eliminating their problem alcohol or other drug use... [more]
Treatments for Addiction | fact sheet
Many people think that treatment is for addiction. In fact, treatment is meant to address problem use of substances or behaviours along a spectrum where addiction is just one type of problematic use. In very general terms, we can define treatment as any and all interventions designed help people deal with problem use. But answers to a number of key questions help shape what we mean by treatment... [more]
Relapse Prevention | fact sheet
Relapse prevention describes the process of developing skills to continue health-promoting behaviours and avoiding old patterns of harmful behaviour. Relapse prevention includes a range of goals, from remaining abstinent to making choices to reduce the harmful consequences of substance use.... [more]
Preventing Addictions | fact sheet
Prevention is a key component of any effective drug strategy. It needs to span the entire spectrum of addictions services, and also needs to be well integrated into the health and social service system. Prevention encompasses a wide range of goals: minimizing individual and community risk factors; preventing or delaying onset of use; ensuring that use does not spiral into addiction; limiting the negative health and social impacts; and slowing the spread of disease... [more]
Harm Reduction | fact sheet
Harm reduction is a public health philosophy that supports policies and practices aimed at addressing risky behaviour. This philosophy not only recognizes that it is ultimately impossible to keep people from engaging in certain behaviours, but also in fact values people's right to make choices for themselves. At the same time, however, the core principle of harm reduction is that it is beneficial to prevent and reduce the harm that can be associated with risky behaviour... [more]
Family Toolkit | workbook
When a family member suffers from a mental illness, one of the most important things to do is to take the time to learn about the disorder. By educating yourself as much as you can about the mental or substance use disorder, you can take an active role in your family member’s recovery. The Family Toolkit was designed to assist families in caring for a family member with a mental illness by providing information and practical resources...[more]
The Road Ahead | guidebook
Parenting is a lot like being on a road trip. It can be fun to experience new places with your growing child, but it can also be challenging. There are changes in the weather to watch for, and sometimes there are roadblocks and rough spots to go through along the way. The Road Ahead is a resource for parents of young teens about alcohol and other drugs....[more]
Other related materials:
Safe Night Out | fact sheet
Every time you head out to a bar or club for an evening, you put yourself at risk of alcohol-related harm as a result of your drinking, or the drinking of others. While your safest option is to abstain from drinking and avoid places where people are being served liquor, there are ways to have a safe night out where alcohol is involved. By making informed decisions ... [more]
Mental Disorders and Addictions in the Workplace | fact sheet
In today's competitive work environment, many employees are reluctant to admit to having difficulty handling stress in the workplace; even fewer are comfortable discussing their mental health or substance abuse histories with their employers. Nevertheless, these issues have a much greater impact on the workplace than most people realize. Since one in five people in BC has or will develop a mental disorder, most offices and job sites have at least one person with a history of major depression, an eating disorder, schizophrenia, an anxiety disorder, addiction or some other mental health problem... [more]
Unemployment and Mental Health and Addictions | fact sheet
At any given time, tens of thousands of people in BC are without work. But even though unemployment is ongoing issue in our society, the shame associated with job loss and the tendency for people to blame themselves for their unemployment continue to increase the population's vulnerability to mental illness and addictions... [more]
Housing for People with Mental Disorders and Addictions | fact sheet
Housing makes a difference to our health. Decent, safe and affordable housing contributes to physical and mental well-being, while inadequate housing or homelessness does the opposite. Having a pre-existing mental illness or a substance use problem often restricts a person’s options to access, afford and maintain the very kind of home that would help promote recovery... [more]
Mental Disorders, Addictions and the Question of Violence | fact sheet
Although mental health advocates have traditionally maintained that people with mental illness are no more violent than the general population, research during the past decade suggests that there is a modest relationship between violent behaviour and certain sub-groups of people with mental illness, namely, those who also have a substance use problem or who are experiencing certain kinds of psychotic symptoms. However, when seen in a broader context, about three per cent of violent offenses could be attributed to mental illness and another seven per cent to probable substance use. That is to say, only one in ten crimes could be prevented if these disorders did not exist... [more]
Methamphetamine | state-of-the-knowledge paper [PDF]
The current trend in methamphetamine deaths requires attention. Prevalence data indicates that BC is not facing a massive increase in use despite media stories to the contrary. Nonetheless, heavy and long-term use appears to be prevalent in certain high-risk populations. This paper outlines the existing evidence about "meth" and its uses and consequences.
Cannabis | state-of-the-knowledge paper [PDF]
This document presents the current state of research knowledge about cannabis (marijuana), summarizing relevant issues including the effects of cannabis, prevalence and trends, legal status, and medical marijuana.
Needle Exchange Programs | state-of-the-knowledge paper [PDF]
The primary function of a needle exchange program is to provide injection drug users with clean needles and syringes and other supplies necessary for the safe injection of drugs. This document brings together the latest and best research on the topic.
Supervised Injection Sites | state-of-the-knowledge paper [PDF]
Supervised injection sites, in general, may be defined as legally-sanctioned and supervised facilities designed to reduce the health and public order problems associated with illegal injection drug use. This document brings together the latest and best research on the topic.
