Beyond the risk of overdose, there are other harmful effects and behaviors that can happen with the misuse or abuse of opioids. Some of these behaviors can increase the risk of overdose or lead to other dangerous outcomes.
Everyone is susceptible to overdose when opioids are misused or abused, or black market drugs are consumed. Every person is different. There is no exact way to know how much of a certain drug, or combination of drugs, will lead to an overdose.
In recent years, prescription opioids used non-medicinally have replaced tobacco as the fourth most commonly used drug among Ontario teens (at about 10%), behind alcohol, marijuana, and e-cigarettes.
When someone uses opioids improperly or in the wrong dosage, an overdose can happen. Due to the impact opioids have on the portion of the brain that controls breathing, opioid use in higher dosages may lead to difficulty breathing, overdose, and death.
Opioids are a family of drugs that are used to relieve pain. Opioids are psychoactive substances. This means that they affect your mind, mood, and mental processes and can also induce euphoria, or the feeling of being “high.”, which may lead people to misuse or abuse them.
Kids Health in the Classroom - Offers activities and lesson support organized by grade range.
If you’re looking for additional information about alcohol, the following sites are recommended:
The law sets a minimum age of 19 to use, buy, possess, and consume alcohol in Ontario. Even though alcohol is legal for adults 19 years of age and older, it is prohibited in schools, on school property, and at school-related activities.
Alcohol is a depressant drug, which can slow down the parts of the brain that affect thinking, behaviour, breathing, and heart rate. Like the body, the human brain is still developing throughout adolescence and early adulthood, generally until about 25 years of age.
Recent evidence shows teens are more susceptible to the intoxicating effects of alcohol. The earlier a youth starts drinking, the more likely they will experience alcohol-related harm later in life.