Drugs: Myths and Facts

 

Drugs: Myths and Facts

 

 

You can stop using drugs at any time.

 

Myth                                                Fact

 

 

You have to use drugs for a long time before they can really hurt you.

 

Myth                                                Fact

 

The effects of marijuana can last up to three days.

 

Myth                                                Fact

 

Drugs affect an unborn baby as much or more than the mother.

 

Myth                                                Fact

 

As soon as a person feels normal, all of a drug is out of their body.

 

Myth                                                Fact

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANSWERS

 

 

You can stop using drugs at any time.

 

Myth: Stopping drug use is not easy. Withdrawal sickness, believing that you must have drugs, and being around people who use drugs can make stopping difficult.

 

You have to use drugs for a long time before they can really hurt you.

 

Myth: Drugs can cause the brain to send the wrong signals to the body. This can make a person stop breathing, have a heart attack, or go into a coma. This can happen the first time a drug is used.

 

The effects of marijuana can last up to three days.

 

Fact: These effects can decrease memory, reflexes, and coordination.

 

Drugs affect an unborn baby as much or more than the mother.

 

Fact: Drug use during pregnancy can cause the baby to die or be born too early. A mother’s drug use can damage the baby’s body and mind

 

As soon as a person feels normal, all of a drug is out of their body.

 

Myth: Long after the effects of a drug stop being felt, the drug can still be in the body. For example, cocaine can be found in the body up to one week and marijuana up to four weeks after a single use.