Physical

• Alcohol and other drugs are the cause of thousands of teenage automobile accidents, suicides, and drownings.
• Alcohol abuse can cause permanent, irreversible brain damage.
• Alcohol abuse can cause dizziness, staggering, slurred speech, double vision, and vomiting.
• Alcohol abuse adversely affects the brain, central nervous system, liver, pancreas, digestive system, and adrenals.
• Alcohol and other drugs are anti-nutrients and rob the body of vitamins and minerals.
• Drug users can develop a tolerance, which requires them to use more to achieve the same effects.
• Marijuana contains chemical ingredients which are fat soluble and can stay in the body tissue up to a month following one incidence of use.
• Marijuana smoke contains cancer-causing chemicals. Marijuana irritates lungs and impairs their ability to expel bacteria and other foreign substances.
• Cocaine use can cause vomiting, rapid increase (then decrease) in blood pressure, changes in body temperature, dryness of mouth, dizziness, tremors, and vertigo.
• Nicotine use depresses appetite and deadens taste buds.
• Nicotine stimulates adrenal functioning, causing blood sugar levels to go rapidly up and down. Nicotine use can cause headache, dizziness, and irritability.

Psychological

• Alcohol and other drug use causes temporary impairment of brain functioning resulting in inability to “tune in” to real feelings and emotions.
• Mood-altering chemicals impair emotional growth.
• Alcohol and other drug use causes loss of inhibitions.
• Chemical abuse retards emotional growth and coping skills.
• Alcohol and other drug abuse interferes with personality development.
• Alcohol and other drug use can result in psychological dependence.
• Drug abuse can create abrupt mood changes.