Category: Substances

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24 Ways to Relax Without Alcohol

Relaxing without alcohol is entirely achievable by exploring healthier and more fulfilling alternatives. From engaging in physical activities like yoga and walking to practicing mindfulness through meditation or journaling, there are countless ways to unwind. Creative hobbies, such as painting or playing music, and social connections, like spending quality time with friends or joining a club, can also bring relaxation and joy. These alternatives not only reduce stress but also promote long-term well-being, proving that relaxation doesn’t have to come in a glass

Techniques to Reduce Stress

1. Deep Breathing and Relaxation Techniques

In moments of stress, breathing is powerful. Data shows that breath control has huge benefits,1 both physically and psychologically. 

Deep breathing techniques,2 in particular, can help your body relax. These practices stimulate your relaxation response, which has a direct effect on your physical health. Experts say deep breathing can stabilize your blood pressure, and may even improve immune system activity. Deep, diaphragmatic breathing3—or, belly breathing—can also reduce stress and negative emotions. It may even improve your attention span.

Here’s one technique you can try:

Rest your hand on your belly as you take slow, deep breaths in and out. Notice how it feels to breathe, both in your lungs and as your breath moves your hand. Continue this exercise for as long as you like. Try to observe your own experience without judgment. 

2. Mindful Meditation

For many people, mindful meditation is an essential part of recovery4 from alcohol addiction. Meditating regularly can relieve depression and anxiety, help with cravings, and lower your risk of relapse. 

Mindful meditation can take many forms. For instance, you can sit quietly with your eyes closed and focus on your breath. But that technique doesn’t work for everyone. You can also look around and take note of your environment, or pay attention to how your body feels while you go for a walk. Some people meditate in groups, sharing their experiences in daily or weekly sessions. Many people who are new to meditation find it helpful to use guided meditations or guided imagery. You can think of meditation as a therapeutic coping mechanism, a spiritual practice, or anything else that works for you.

3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

You can use progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) for physical and emotional symptoms.5 This technique can treat many health issues, including anxiety, bipolar disorder, insomnia, headaches, and muscle pain. You can learn PMR from a trained healthcare provider, or try it on your own. 

You’ll start by sitting or lying in a comfortable position. Then you’ll tense a single muscle or muscle group, bringing your attention to that area. It’s important to keep breathing, and not tense your muscles so much you injure yourself. Sometimes just a little tension is enough. Next, you’ll slowly release the tension and notice how it makes you feel, both physically and emotionally. You can repeat this process with muscles anywhere in your body. PMR sessions normally last 10-15 minutes.

Phsyical Activities

4. Physical Activities

If you’re wondering how to take the edge off without alcohol, physical activities are a great place to start. Any type of aerobic exercise reduces alcohol cravings.6 Just moving your body and increasing heart rate can make a big difference right away. 

Working out can also help over longer periods of time. Some data shows that the more you exercise, the less you’ll crave alcohol7 or drugs. That’s partly because exercise increases dopamine production. 

Dopamine is a naturally occurring neurochemical that allows you to feel a sense of accomplishment. Addiction affects dopamine,8 and regulating this neurotransmitter is a very important part of healing. Regular exercise doesn’t only improve your physical health; it also helps your mind relax and recover.

Exercise isn’t accessible to everyone, but there are countless ways to engage your body. If you’re still recovering from the physical impact of addiction, you might need to move slowly at first. Talk to your doctor about which types of physical activity would be safe at each point in your healing process.

5. Yoga and Its Calming Effects on the Mind and Body

A growing body of research shows that yoga can help you commit to addiction recovery.9 This practice combines elements of exercise, mindful meditation, and spirituality. Many rehab centers offer yoga, and you can easily find classes in most areas or online. 

Yoga promotes relaxation10 and improves your overall physical health. Experts believe that “yoga and meditation practices exert positive influence on addictive behaviors.” 

6: Fidget Spinners

When energy builds up and demands an outlet, instead of drinking to subdue energy you can reach for something as simple as a fidget spinner, slime, or other fidget toy to release tension and free your mind. You can find a myriad of options on Amazon.

Keep a few fidget toys in your purse or pocket, and bring them to work to have on-hand at a moment’s notice. Some fidget toys provide sensory stimulation through pressure or texture, like bumpy rings or a thick dough you can knead to help yourself unwind and relax.

7: Balance Boards

Using something like an Indo Board requires your focus and attention, which can serve as an excellent way to destress by giving your brain and body a fun distraction. Balance boards command coordination and control, similar to surfing or riding a skateboard.

Incorporating balance boards into your daily routine, or taking it out each time you feel the urge to drink, can become an enjoyable part of your recovery journey.

Reduce Stress with Nature

8. Spending Time in Nature for Relaxation and Stress Relief

Just being in nature has numerous psychological benefits:11

  • Reduces negative feelings
  • Increases positive emotions
  • Decreases impulsivity
  • Improves physical health
  • Lowers anxiety and depressive symptoms
  • Reduces stress levels
  • Alleviates drug and alcohol cravings

And when it comes to relaxing without alcohol consumption, this strategy is especially helpful. Data shows that spending time outdoors can help you recover from alcohol addiction.12 This is also a great way to connect with other people. For example, you could go camping with friends or join a local hiking group.

9. Creative Outlets

Artistic pursuits like painting, drawing, or crafting can be very therapeutic. What’s more, they offer an emotional outlet. This is extremely important during addiction recovery, when you might still be learning new coping skills. 

Creativity reduces stress13 and anxiety and improves overall well-being. Data shows these activities can also benefit your physical health. Subjects in several studies reported reductions in chronic pain, fatigue, and sleep problems after working on creative projects.

10. Reading Books

While it might look passive from the outside, reading is an extremely creative activity. Think about what happens in your mind when you read. You might see images in your head, draw connections to your own life, or just imagine how it feels to be somewhere else. 

Experts at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) explain that reading is “a healthy escape.”14 It lets you take a break from the stress of daily life without the negative effects of alcohol. Reading can also enrich your inner world, exposing you to new ideas and perspectives. By practicing this coping strategy, you can learn new ones at the same time.

11. Writing and Journaling

Writing—and especially journaling about your life—is a great way to process your thoughts and feelings. Studies show that writing can support recovery from alcohol addiction.15 Specifically, it can boost your self-confidence and stimulate new brain activity. If you join a writing group, it can also help you connect with other people. 

Writing is an extremely accessible creative outlet. Unlike painting or crafting, you don’t need to invest in any specialized supplies. It’s also easy to keep your work private, even if you write in public places. This is a great way to explore your deepest feelings in a protected space. And if you ever want to, there are also plenty of ways to share your writing with the world.

Pouring a glass was my pause button, and then I’d have a huge spike in anxiety after heavy drinking that negates all of the benefits. Reframing how you relax is essential; you need a new off button, and there are alternatives without the hangover effect

-Amanda U.

12. Self-Care Practices

Self-care might sound like a passing trend, but there’s a reason everyone’s doing it. These small rituals can improve your relationship with yourself. You are more than the roles you play in other people’s lives. You could be the best employee, boss, parent, friend, or hiking buddy anyone has ever had—but who are you to yourself?

Simple activities, like taking a relaxing Epsom salt bath or painting your nails, can make a big difference. These practices let you give and receive love at the same time. They can also be relaxing, satisfying, and just plain fun. 

There’s much more to self-care than pampering yourself. You can also think of going to therapy or eating well as forms of self-care. For many people in recovery, these activities are non-negotiable. Once you find the strategies that work best for you, look for ways to build them into your daily routine. 

13. Connecting With Loved Ones

Spending quality time with your friends and family is hugely important during addiction recovery. Data shows that positive relationships are “crucial for reaching long-term abstinence16 or stable recovery from substance use.”

Friends and family can provide emotional support and hold you accountable in every phase of your healing journey. You can also ask them to invite you out to try new sober activities. If your loved ones enjoy a certain hobby, you might just like it too.

Any addiction, but especially high-functioning alcohol addiction, can interfere with your relationships. Maybe you isolated yourself to hide your addiction from your loved ones. Or maybe your close friends encourage you to keep drinking. In any case, you might have to rebuild your community during recovery. Consider joining a support group or attending a local meet-up to connect with people who share your values.

14. Engaging in Puzzles, Brain-Teasers, and Crosswords

In any stage of addiction, intellectual stimulation might lower your risk of addiction.17 One study suggests that solving puzzles and similar activities can rewire the brain, making you less interested in alcohol or drug use. 

Puzzles and brain-teasers are easy to find. You can play sudoku online, download an app like Tetris, or do a new crossword puzzle every morning. These games keep your mind engaged, helping you relax while you enjoy a simple challenge. 

Listen to Music and Audio

15. Music and Audio

Music is a powerful tool for regulating your feelings. Studies show that listening to music activates the limbic system,18 which is the part of your brain that controls emotion and memory. Different types of music have different emotional impacts, depending on the tempo, volume, and genre. You might also associate certain pieces of music with different times in your life. 

When you’re first learning how to relax without alcohol, you can explore different types of music to see what works for you. Instrumental pieces or nature sounds might help you unwind. In addition to music, you might try listening to podcasts or audiobooks. 

16. Aromatherapy and Scented Relaxation

It’s no secret that alcohol can be addictive. That’s partly because drinking affects all of your senses, including your emotional responses. While that may be enjoyable in the short term, alcohol abuse just isn’t sustainable. 

Relaxing without alcohol can also be a full-body experience. Engaging your sense of smell can help you create a soothing environment. You could take a bath with essential oils, light a scented candle, or put a diffuser on your desk at work. Various scents also have unique emotional effects. For example, studies show that lavender decreases anxiety.19

17. Cultivating a Positive Mindset

Positive thinking can help you heal from alcohol20 abuse. But there’s a fine line between cultivating optimism and invalidating your feelings. With the right support, you can learn to strike a balance. 

When you first enter treatment, it might take effort to look on the bright side. But as you continue to heal, your confidence will likely go up. You can also learn how to interrupt negative thought patterns in therapy. This becomes a positive feedback loop. As you make more progress, it often gets easier to maintain your recovery.

18. Quiet Reflection

This coping strategy is a lot like meditation, but it can be more accessible. For example, meditation can be triggering for some trauma survivors.21 And even if you love to meditate, you might not be able to use this skill while you’re driving a car. 

Quietly reflecting on your own life helps you put recent events in perspective. Consider how far you’ve come in your recovery journey. What coping strategies are currently working for you, and what could use an update? 

Try letting your mind wander for a set period of time—like 10 minutes, or for however long it takes you to wash the dishes. Take notes on any revelations so you can share them with your therapist. Then, bring yourself back to the present moment. This practice can offer valuable insight, but it’s important not to get lost in thinking about your past. 

Practice Gratitude

19. Practicing Gratitude

In certain stages of recovery, gratitude can help you sustain abstinence.22 Data shows that engaging in a regular practice of gratitude improves levels of satisfaction, optimism, and hope. It also improves sleep and reduces depressive symptoms. At first glance, the benefits seem endless. 

There’s one caveat here. Researchers note that if you’re still actively abusing alcohol, a gratitude practice may not help you recover. In fact, it can have the opposite effect. According to one study, “if the client does not want to change or is ambivalent about change, a gratitude practice might affirm what is good in life while currently drinking.”

Once you start treatment, writing about gratitude23 can be extremely helpful. This practice helps you focus on positive experiences, putting more energy into the things that bring you joy. It might also help you connect with other people, especially if you decide to share your writing.

20. Gardening

Gardening improves mental health,24 reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. It also helps people cope with stressful situations and everyday fatigue. And because stress can increase your risk of alcohol relapse,25 this is extremely important for people in recovery. 

Caring for plants can also give you a sense of accomplishment. There’s nothing like eating a meal with vegetables you grew yourself. And if you join a community garden, you can use this hobby to build strong relationships. 

21: Sleep-Inducing Supplements

Though alcohol can make you feel sleepy for a bit, it actually prevents you from getting good sleep. Healthier alternatives, like sleep supplements, can improve how much you sleep and the quality of it.

Supplements for sleep include melatonin, ashwagandha, valerian root, and magnesium, plus many others. Check with your doctor to ensure any of these supplements won’t interact poorly with other medications, or impact pre-existing conditions you may have.

These natural ways to relax typically aren’t addictive or harmful, meaning you can take them as long as you need.

Good Day ChocolateGood Day Chocolate

22: Ritual Replacements

Preparing and drinking an alcoholic drink at night can bring the same comfort as the ritual of a morning coffee. Losing this part of your life can be hard. But you can keep the ritual and all its comforts by replacing alcohol with a non-alcoholic drink. 

If you live with someone else, see if they might want to join your new ritual too. This can function simultaneously as check-in time with a loved one. 

These are just some of the options you can try, adapting flavors and recipes to your preferences:

  • Sparkling waters—try add-ins like fruit, herbs, or liquid water enhancers.
  • Tea, especially relaxing blends with chamomile.
  • Hot chocolate.
  • Kombucha.
  • Tart fruit juices, like cranberry or pomegranate juice, can replace the flavors of wine.
  • Non-caffeinated sodas.
  • Mocktails that include the ingredients of an alcoholic drink, but without the alcohol. You can also buy pre-made mocktails or 0-proof liquors.

affirmation coloring book for adults Affirmation Coloring Book for Adults

23: Adult Coloring Books

Coloring books aren’t just for kids anymore. People of all ages can benefit from the relaxing, de-stressing qualities of coloring. Adult coloring books vary from children’s in that they’re a little more complex in their designs, and with shapes and scenes adults would find more appealing. When you’re done you can even frame the piece.

Coloring in shapes requires no artistic abilities to shade or mix colors. Simply buy a pack of markers or crayons and start filling in the lines.

24: Dabble in New Hobbies

Try as many new hobbies as you can to give yourself a collection of calming activities to alter between. Some may be more relaxing, like knitting, or require more focus and attention, like building Legos or model airplane sets. Switching between hobbies and having multiple to choose from can alleviate both boredom and stress.

Here are a few hobbies you could try to relax and wind down:

  1. Crocheting blankets, washcloths, or making stuffed animals.
  2. Deep cleaning.
  3. Pottery–make yourself plates, mugs, bowls, and decorations.
  4. Jewelry making.
  5. Metal detecting (this also helps you spend more time in nature).
  6. Upcycling thrifted clothes.
  7. Embroidery.
  8. Arranging and pressing flowers.

There are countless ways to relax without drinking. The important thing is to choose activities that resonate with you. When you genuinely enjoy what you’re doing, it becomes easier to stay present, instead of trying to escape through addiction.

Learn more about treatment at alcohol rehab centers to get the support you need in any stage of recovery.

18 Ways to Relax Without Alcohol

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Relax Without Alcohol 

How can I relax without alcohol?

It’s entirely possible to relax without alcohol through various methods, such as deep breathing, mindful meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, physical activities, yoga, spending time in nature, and creative outlets like art and writing.

How does engaging in creative activities help in relaxing without alcohol?

Engaging in creative activities like painting, drawing, crafting, reading, and writing offers a therapeutic outlet for emotions and stress relief. These activities help you stay positive, improve your overall well-being, and support addiction recovery by promoting self-expression and diverting your focus from alcohol.

https://youtu.be/PMCeEHYaUDM
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7 Most Commonly Used Drugs in College

College is where you start new things—new classes, new friendships, new relationships, new jobs, and, for some, drugs and addiction. Many young adults experiment with substances in high school or college, which can lead to more intense use in college; potentially, addiction.

College students tend to use drugs most accessible to them. We’ll cover the 7 most common drugs used in college, emerging trends, and how students can find treatment.

Alcohol: The Top Contender

Alcohol ranks #1 as the top-used drug in college1, with well over half of students reporting they drink. It’s easily accessible, cheap, and found outside class in most (if not all) social settings. College parties and campus Greek culture notoriously include alcohol, often consumed in excess by students with a low tolerance. 

Parties are a regular part of college culture, occurring on game days, weekends, and… spontaneously. Roommates may drink together on non-party days or go to bars after class. Alcohol is seen as celebratory and a catalyst for meeting friends and garnering social connections. Many students struggle to avoid it, even if they’d like to or hadn’t planned on making alcohol a cornerstone of their college experience.

Regular use and binge drinking can lead to addiction and other adverse health effects.

Marijuana: The Most Prevalent Recreational Drug

College students might turn to alcohol for a night out with friends or use marijuana to relax and unwind. Much like alcohol, marijuana is readily accessible on most campuses, regardless of its legal status in the state.

Students may smoke weed to relax after class, to socialize with peers, or because they feel an intense urge to take it. This often signifies an addiction.

Weed use can be more challenging to conceal, since it leaves a distinct odor.

Prescription Pills: A Double-Edged Sword

When used as prescribed, prescription pills can help students navigate chronic pain and mental health conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). College students can also use these medications recreationally.

Use of Prescription Painkillers

Doctors often prescribe opioids for severe pain, typically after a surgery or for conditions like cancer. As an opioid, these medications can also trigger a flood of dopamine2 and sense of wellbeing (especially when not used as prescribed), which reinforces the action. Some college students seek out this effect even after their prescription runs out, or they’re no longer in pain.

Illegal opioids can contain fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid 50x stronger than heroin3. More college campuses are including Naloxone kits to help students reverse an overdose to opioids or fentanyl. But the best way to avoid the risk is only taking prescribed medications as prescribed.

Study Drugs

A grade can determine a lot—if you get accepted into a competitive program, if you meet requirements for a scholarship, and the quality of future jobs. Many college students also want good grades for their own sense of accomplishment. Achieving A after A isn’t easy, which is why some college students (around 4%) reach for study drugs.

Study drugs are prescription stimulants used to improve focus and energy4, theoretically. Not all cases of taking a stimulant imply this, though. Study drugs include4

  • Adderall 
  • Ritalin 
  • Desoxyn

A student taking one of these medications would likely have a prescription. It becomes a study drug when they don’t have a prescription or don’t take the drug as prescribed (like doubling their dose or taking extra when they have an exam).

Stimulants: Enhancing Focus or Creating Dependence?

The occasional use of a study drug, like once or twice before midterms, can be a regular practice for some college students. Those with heavy course loads or challenging classes, like pre-med or pre-law students, may feel particularly overwhelmed getting through school on their own strength. They can become reliant, and then addicted, to illicit or prescription stimulants like meth and Adderall. 

Some students may turn to caffeine, which is cheaper and more accessible than stimulants. They may take caffeine pills or regularly consume energy drinks. These pills and drinks can have 150-300 milligrams of caffeine each. The recommended daily limit is 400 milligrams, though one person might be more sensitive to caffeine than another. Drinking 3+ energy drinks a day, or having 3+ caffeine pills, puts a student at 450-900mg of caffeine. These high levels of caffeine can lead to heart issues5 and, rarely, death.

Cocaine: The Party Drug of Choice

Media still depicts cocaine as a “luxury” drug used by professionals and rich partygoers. College students’ attitude towards cocaine has become more positive6, leading to more experimentations and mimicking cocaine’s use as portrayed in media. 

Cocaine is a stimulant, causing a sense of euphoria and the ability to ‘let loose,’ which students might find appealing at a party—especially when it’s seen as the cool thing to do. But this can lead to addiction and health consequences, along with poor academic performance.

Ecstasy: The Allure of Raves and Euphoria

Ecstasy is a stimulant that can have psychedelic effects, which is why some college students use it at raves and parties for a more ‘trippy’ experience. Ecstasy often goes by the name Molly. It causes a strong feeling of euphoria and inhibition, but taking too much, too often can lead to addiction and other side effects. 

Ecstasy use correlates to dehydration and serotonin syndrome7, which happens when drugs or prescribed medications add too much additional serotonin. Young, thrill-seeking college students may be especially at-risk of taking too much ecstasy and becoming dangerously dehydrated, addicted, or sick from serotonin syndrome.

Vaping and Synthetic Drugs: Emerging Trends

Vaping Nicotine and Cannabis

College students and young adults in general vape more than older adults8. Vaping is generally seen as a safe alternative to cigarettes (it’s not). Nicotine vapes often come in appealing packaging and with tasty flavors, which a study found was one of the top reasons college students vape. 

Cannabis vapes often have flavoring too, and offer greater convenience compared to smoking a bong or blunt. Students may find this component especially beneficial, but it makes the likelihood of regular use and addiction, plus negative health effects, much higher.

Students can vape other drugs too, including synthetic drugs.

Synthetic Drugs

Synthetic drugs and designer drugs mimic ‘pure’ drugs with natural origins. For example, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid whose natural origin is the opium poppy plant. Synthetic marijuana, or synthetic cannabinoids, mimic the effects of the marijuana plant.

Some synthetic drugs come from clandestine labs and undergo zero quality control or testing. Manufacturers may market them as ‘supplements’ that are ‘not intended for human consumption.’ College students may purchase and take these drugs not knowing their addictive potential, or how they interact with other substances.

Factors Influencing Drug Use: Peer Pressure and Stress

A theme of stress and a desire to connect with others emerges throughout the college experience. Add in a greater tendency for experimentation and thrill-seeking, and you capture more of the landscape for college students and young adults.

Many students face extreme academic pressures and stress, which can lead to mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. Some students alleviate symptoms by chemically altering their state of mind. For example, a study on college students who vape8 reported a top reason was to “improve depression.”

Without effective on-campus support, students may turn to substances to manage stress. College campuses can help by improving access to their counseling services and educating students on the risks of substance use, and what to do if they need help. 

Consequences of Substance Use: Health Risks and Academic Impact

Substance use in college can lead to poor academic performance, below-average grades, lost scholarships, and expulsion. Many colleges have guidelines on substance use and documented consequences, especially as it relates to performance-boosting drugs.

Students also risk health consequences from substance use, including

  • Uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms
  • Higher risk of cancer from the carcinogens found in nicotine
  • Lung and cardiovascular diseases
  • Skin lesions
  • Dehydration
  • Weight loss
  • Addiction
  • Organ damage/failure

Treatment Options and Recovery Resources

Campus Resources

College students have a myriad of recovery resources available to fit their needs. For example, many college campuses offer free or discounted mental health care. Most campuses also have infirmaries that can assess a student’s physical health and recommend the next steps in their care. These clinics can also distribute medications and treat wounds.

Importantly, more colleges now have Naloxone kits available throughout campus. This means you have better access to the overdose-reversing medication Naloxone, which is easy to use and effective. If you notice signs of an overdose, including shallow breathing, blue lips, and unconsciousness, call 911 and administer Naloxone as soon as you can.

Off-Campus Treatment

College students can access off-campus recovery resources via public transit, their own car, carpooling, or by using virtual services. Off-campus treatment includes

  • Residential rehabs, where patients live at a treatment center for 28+ days and receive intensive treatment. Some centers, especially ones specifically for college-aged patients, allow time for schoolwork and attending classes online.
  • Outpatient care, including day treatment (most intensive), intensive outpatient, and general outpatient (least intensive). These structured programs offer robust care with the flexibility students often need to continue attending school.
  • Holistic and alternative treatments like acupuncture, ketamine therapy, yoga, and creative arts.
  • Therapy sessions as needed.

Majoring in Hope and Recovery

College offers a uniquely formative and memorable experience for students. Substances can add dangers and hurdles, but by using available resources, students can find the support they need for a comprehensive recovery.

You can find rehabs for young adults using Recovery.com and compare prices, check insurance coverage, read first-hand reviews, and more.

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At a Glance: The Fentanyl Crisis in America

Headlines about fentanyl being ‘a crisis’ increasingly pepper local and national news outlets. 

At first thought, a drug may not seem like a crisis in the same way floodings, pandemics, and wars do. But fentanyl has thoroughly earned its label as a crisis, and this article will delve into why—plus, how you can keep yourself and others safe.

What Is Fentanyl?

Definition and Uses

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid1, deadly at extremely small doses (less than a couple grains of salt). In the medical setting, opioids and its synthetic versions, like fentanyl, are used to manage pain. After surgery, for example, most patients receive a few days’ worth of opioid pain medications since they’re much more potent than NSAIDS like ibuprofen. Small doses of prescribed fentanyl can relieve after-surgery pain and pain from chronic conditions like cancer. 

The medical uses for fentanyl aren’t why it’s become a crisis. It’s outside this setting where people in America lose their lives daily.

Dealers of drugs like cocaine, heroin, and meth often cut the pure substance with fentanyl to make it stronger and more addictive. In theory, this means their customers will buy more because they become addicted faster and increase their tolerance. They’ll keep coming back and buy in higher quantities.

Potency and Risks

A deadly dose of fentanyl fits on the tip of a pencil. It’s 100x more potent than morphine and 50x stronger than heroin1. Anyone who’s unfamiliar with its potency and how much they can safely take runs an extremely high risk of overdose. Those with more experience taking fentanyl and a higher tolerance for opioids run a lower risk of overdose. Most overdoses happen by accident, with the consumer unaware the drug they took had any fentanyl in it. Or, they take the drug after a period of abstinence, and their usual dose overwhelms their body and causes an overdose.

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A lethal dose of fentanyl, photo from the DEA.

Fentanyl-laced drugs kill people of all ages and experience levels. A first-time drug user could die as easily as someone who’s been taking heroin for decades. Even ‘safe’ drugs like synthetic marijuana have been found laced with fentanyl2 or other opioids, leading to accidental dosing. Some may also choose to mix fentanyl with other drugs, like adding it to a stimulant to make a speedball. 

Shockingly, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) found 7 out of 10 confiscated pills had a lethal dose of fentanyl3, over 2mg. 

Causes of The Fentanyl Crisis

Fentanyl’s deadly potency and the way people often have no idea they’re taking it (and subsequently overdose) makes it an urgent health crisis in America.

Illegal Production and Distribution

Fentanyl has made its way into more and more drugs as dealers clamor to up their profits and get their customers hooked. Clandestine labs make fentanyl, which cartels and other illicit networks then distribute to reach drug dealers. It may be cut into pure drugs before it’s given to the dealers, or the dealers may use it as a cutting agent themselves. Sometimes, the dealers aren’t even aware what they’re selling has fentanyl in it. 

It’s not legal to make fentanyl on your own, purchase it, or sell it—you can only take it legally if you have a prescription. Getting a prescription is also the only way you can know the pill (or other substance) contains what you think it does, and in the correct dosage. Even someone who regularly takes opiates and considers themselves pretty tolerant to its effects can experience a fatal fentanyl overdose, since they can’t test the potency or know for sure how much fentanyl is in what they’re taking.

Prescription Practices

Some people have turned to fentanyl as a cheaper alternative to opioids. The heavy-handed use of opioids for pain relief largely contributes to this, as people can quickly become addicted to the opioids they were prescribed after a surgery or other short-term need. Once their prescription runs out, they face several options: buy it illegally from drug dealers (with no insurance coverage), try to find another doctor that will prescribe it, or go for the cheaper alternative, fentanyl. 

Accessibility and Affordability

Fentanyl is easier to access than pure drugs like cocaine, heroin, and prescription opioids. It’s also cheaper, which can drive people to make it their substance of choice. The lower costs also encourage drug dealers to supplement pure drugs with fentanyl, saving them money by creating a drug that has less of the pure substance but is still ‘just as strong.’ 

Impact of The Fentanyl Crisis

Overdose Deaths

Overall, fatal drug overdoses have gone down4. But fentanyl-caused deaths continue to rise and contribute more and more to the total death rate, making fentanyl the primary cause of drug overdose deaths5 in America (not including deaths caused by alcohol).  

In 2022, 76,226 out of 108,000 reported overdose deaths were due to fentanyl4, per the Center for Disease Control. That dropped to 74,702 in 2023. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl kill 150-300+ people each day. That’s the equivalent of a commercial plane crashing and killing everyone inside, every day. If that were happening, could you imagine the outcry? 

Public Health

People who experience an overdose need medical care as soon as possible. Naloxone (or Narcan) reverses overdoses for opioids and synthetic opioids like fentanyl. With fentanyl use and overdoses going up, emergency rooms and other treatment centers receive an influx of patients. Other non-deadly effects of fentanyl, like organ damage, also require medical care. This can strain the health system nationwide.

Social and Economic Consequences

Using opioids, synthetic or natural, contributes to economic issues through workplace accidents6, not going into work due to substance use, quitting work, and leaving gaps in the workforce due to deaths and resignations. Workplaces and businesses overall function less efficiently with these challenges, contributing to a poorer economic state.

Taking a substance can change how you behave, which can lead to criminal activities and legal consequences. Illegally procuring fentanyl can also get you into trouble. These consequences put strain on the judicial system and can affect the workplace through firings.

Efforts to Combat The Crisis

Many organizations, state-level and federal, are actively working to uproot the fentanyl crisis. And thankfully, they and others have had some success.

Law Enforcement Actions

Law enforcement’s primary role in stopping the fentanyl crisis isn’t to arrest people who take fentanyl; it’s to stop its distribution and production. Most of America’s fentanyl comes from China7, Mexico, and more recently, India. It’s smuggled through America’s borders through craftier and craftier ways, making it harder to catch. But advanced technologies, searching techniques, and more stringent rules vastly reduce the total amount of fentanyl that could make its way in.

American law enforcement has collaborated with Mexican officials to find and shut down fentanyl labs in Mexico, often operated by cartels. Recent collaborations with China aim to stem the flow of fentanyl there8. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) focuses much of their operations on reducing fentanyl’s flow into the U.S., preventing over 381 million lethal doses of fentanyl3 from reaching consumers. This includes arresting distributors and drug dealers. Those who buy fentanyl illegally may also face legal consequences.

Public Health Initiatives

While public health organizations and programs can’t make arrests or shut down fentanyl labs, they can spread education and awareness on the dangers of fentanyl and its rising prevalence. Proper education on where it’s found, what happens if you take it, and what to do in the case of an overdose can prevent people from taking it entirely, and save their lives if they do.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has a Stop Overdose campaign, which offers education on fentanyl and its dangers. Similarly, the DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign highlights fentanyl’s dangers and the public’s need to carefully weigh the risks before taking illicit drugs. It also reinforces the safe practice of only taking pills prescribed to you, as buying pills elsewhere could mean you take a counterfeit laced with fentanyl. 

Many cities, universities, corporations, and commuting hubs are joining the Naloxone distribution project (funded by SAMHSA) to place Naloxone kits in easily accessible areas. Think of the fire extinguishers you see in a glass case—that’s the hope for Naloxone kits.

Treatment And Support Programs

Addiction treatment from medical and therapeutic professionals can save lives. Attending treatment as early as possible can prevent addiction from worsening and leading to a potential overdose. Many addiction treatment centers specialize in treating fentanyl addiction, offering services like detox, residential treatment, and outpatient levels of care.

Treatment programs often provide a blend of medical and therapeutic care, with 1:1 and group therapies focused on underlying conditions and building coping tools for relapse prevention. Evidence-based and holistic therapies form personalized treatment programs to comprehensively address fentanyl addiction.

Preventative Measures

Prescription Regulations

Since opioid use can lead to fentanyl use, regulating opioid prescriptions can lead to fewer mishandled prescriptions, opioid addictions, and fentanyl reliance. The recent settlement cases against big pharmaceutical companies have made other entities, including the general public, more aware that opioids aren’t always necessary, and that even prescription medications can lead to addiction.

In 2016, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain which details 12 recommendations for safe, effective opioid prescribing. The guidelines are meant to reduce addiction and overdose rates while still prioritizing the patient’s health and well-being. When used properly, these guidelines can save and improve lives.

Some states put caps on the amount of prescription opioids9 for acute pain (like after a surgery) to 7 or less. Other states mandate Naloxone with each opioid prescription with risk factors like a high dose or if it’s prescribed alongside a benzodiazepine. 

Safe Use and Harm Reduction

Harm-reduction strategies for fentanyl use include distributing fentanyl test strips10, Naloxone, and clean syringe needles to reduce the spread of HIV and other diseases. Fentanyl strips test substances for fentanyl, which can make drug use safer and reduce overdoses. 

Community and Education

The DEA aims to partner with more and more local communities11 to educate people of all ages and backgrounds on the dangers of fentanyl. They’re calling it Operation Engage—educating, broadening awareness, and creating a sense of community in the effort to stop fentanyl overdoses. 

More schools and businesses have begun incorporating educational material on fentanyl to support these efforts. For those in recovery from fentanyl use, local peer support groups offer community and connection.

Curing a Crisis 

New initiatives and harm-reduction strategies can’t bring back the lives lost from fentanyl, but they can slow the spread and eventually mitigate the crisis. America and other countries see a future where fentanyl overdose deaths no longer make the news—because they’re not happening at all.
Treatment marks a big step towards this goal. You can use Recovery.com to find a fentanyl rehab and see photos, reviews, insurance information, and more.

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How to Quit Vaping

Vaping has surged in popularity, partially due to aggressive marketing and the general misconception that it’s safe to vape. Vape companies often target young adults because they’re less likely to know the true dangers of vaping. As such, young adults are more likely to vape than adults1. But as more people become educated on the dangers of vaping and see the effect it has on their lives, more and more seek to quit.

The highly addictive nature of nicotine can make quitting a challenge. But the right support, a thorough “quit plan”, and mental determination can get you to long-term recovery. 

Understanding The Urge to Vape

The urge to vape comes primarily from nicotine, an addictive chemical2 that quickly reaches your brain when inhaled. It can make you feel soothed and satisfied3–even just the motion of bringing your vape to your lips can give you a dopamine hit. Since vaping is more accessible than drinking, taking hard drugs, or other substances, it’s easy to vape repeatedly throughout the day. Stepping out to smoke/vape is both accepted and common—think of the “smoke breaks” available to most workers. It can feel unnecessary to resist the urge to vape when people have the means and ability to do so easily.

For young adults, resisting can be particularly hard due to peer pressure, social acceptance, and the near-constant presence of vapes. Many young adults aren’t even aware vapes have nicotine4. And with a variety of tasty vape flavors and appealing packaging, it can be hard to view vapes as bad or dangerous. A few puffs can quickly turn into a habit, which can lead to addiction.

Nicotine withdrawals also cause cravings2 or a very intense urge to vape. Resisting cravings can be tough, but a myriad of benefits await you in recovery.

The Benefits of Quitting Vaping

Vaping is commonly misunderstood as less dangerous than smoking cigarettes. While most vapes do have less harmful chemicals than cigarettes5, they still have them. Both vapes and cigarettes contain cancer-causing carcinogens. Vaping and consuming nicotine can lead to lung cancer, damage brain development, and harm fetuses. 

Once you stop vaping, you’ll notice immediate and long-term benefits.

Immediate and Long-Term Health Benefits

When you quit vaping, you’ll notice these immediate health benefits6:

  • Less irritation in your lungs, throat, and mouth.
  • Improved mental health, since vaping can make symptoms of depression and anxiety worse6.
  • Improved physical health.
  • Less preoccupation with vaping, which can lead to better relationships, more mental clarity, and an overall positive outlook.

Long term, you’ll experience better health and more resilience to both mental and physical ailments since nicotine actively harms the body5 and worsens mental health conditions. You’ll also save money and lower your chances of developing cancer, especially in the lungs.

Financial Savings

When you quit vaping, you’ll save the money normally spent on vapes. This can amount to a lot. For example, an average vape costs $12-20 dollars. The average vaper takes 365+ puffs a day7 and typically goes through 1+ vapes a week, though the average use, cost, and puffs-per-vape can vary widely. But you can expect to spend $1,000 to $1,500+ each year on vapes and cartridge refills. This breaks down to:

  • A month or two of rent, depending on where you live.
  • A few months of your utility payments.
  • A $5 cup of coffee every weekday for a year.
  • A new phone or laptop.
  • Getting a nice manicure or pedicure every month for a year.
  • Ordering takeout once every week for just under a year. 

The money you save by quitting vaping could go towards any of the above examples, or you could put it in savings, your 401k, a Roth IRA, or any other investment account. If you put $1,500 a year into a Roth IRA in your early twenties and retire at 65, you could accrue over $370,000.

Improved Quality of Life

Without a dependence on vaping, you’ll enjoy an improved quality of life. You can expect to feel more present in day-to-day moments, which can benefit your friendships, relationships, and feelings about yourself. You won’t feel preoccupied thinking of vaping, when you can vape next, and where your vape is.

Preparing to Quit Vaping

Preparing to quit and setting up a strategy, or “quit plan”, can streamline your quitting process and help you prepare for any potential setbacks or detours. Your quit plan includes your motivations and reasons for quitting, which can remind you of your goals when things get tough. It will also include your quit date, your triggers and vaping habits, and your support system.

Set a Quit Date

Set a clear quit date rather than waiting for the right time or enough motivation. It could be a day or a week from now, but it should be close enough to anticipate and mentally prepare yourself.

Mentally preparing can set you up for success. You’ll know what’s coming and when it’s going to happen, which can make you less resistant to change. 

Tell your friends and family about your quit date, too. They can help you stay accountable and offer support as the day gets closer, as you begin, and as you navigate the ongoing quitting process.

Understand Your Vaping Habits

Knowing when and why you vape can help you quit. Keep a notebook handy or use your phone to track when you vape and what triggered the urge. You may notice you vape more at certain times of the day or when stressful events happen. 

Your quit plan can accommodate your habits and triggers once you know they’re there. For example, if you tend to vape once you wake up, you could incorporate a new habit into your morning routine to take its place. Yoga, journaling, or exercise could work for you. If you vape out of boredom, you could try playing a game on your phone, working on a puzzle, or taking a walk.

Build a Support System

Friends, family, and healthcare professionals can offer vital support during your quitting process. Let them know you’re planning to quit, your quit date, and what would help you most. 

For example, you could recruit a friend to be your daily accountability partner. Your doctor, therapist, or other professional can offer their support and clinical advice during your quitting journey. They can also refer you to therapy, quitting programs, or other resources.

Strategies to Quit Vaping

You can quit vaping with several strategies. Each has its pros and cons, so keep your lifestyle and goals in mind as you decide which would fit your needs. 

Gradual Reduction vs. Cold Turkey

Gradually reducing how much you vape means you slow your use in increments, like 50 less puffs a day, then 100, then 200, and so on. You could also limit yourself to one vape a week, then one for two weeks, then no vape at all. Gradual reduction can give your mind and body a chance to adjust to less nicotine and potentially soften withdrawal symptoms. However, gradual reduction takes longer. If you’re looking to achieve abstinence quickly, it may not be the best strategy for you. 

Going “cold turkey” means you stop all vaping and tobacco use at once. Some studies find this method significantly more effective8 than gradual reduction because the end goal and process is clearer than gradual reduction. Going cold-turkey means you stop vaping quickly, but the withdrawal symptoms can be more harsh and disrupting. If you’re adequately prepared for cravings and withdrawal symptoms, going cold turkey can work for you. 

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can help quitting feel more comfortable9. It provides a small, controlled amount of nicotine to make withdrawals and cravings less intense. NRTs don’t contain the harmful chemicals and carcinogens found in vapes and cigarettes. The U.S.’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 5 types of NRT:

  1. Patches
  2. Gum
  3. Lozenges (hard candy)
  4. Nasal sprays
  5. Inhalers

You can find these NRTs at most drug stores, pharmacies, or grocery stores with a Health section. Their accessibility and affordability makes them a practical quitting tool. 

Prescribed medications like bupropion10 and varenicline11 can also help you quit by targeting areas of the brain that contribute to addiction and cravings. Talk to your doctor or psychiatrist to see if these medications may be a good fit for you.

You can manipulate NRT to fit your needs, which makes it a diversely effective tactic and harm-reduction strategy. You can even combine two methods, like patches and gum, and reduce them at-will. Many NRTs are sold in incremental doses, helping you reduce your intake over time. 

Behavioral and Psychological Strategies

Therapy can help you quit vaping. Working with a therapist or counselor, you’ll uncover if vaping has become a coping tool and behavioral strategies you can replace it with. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has become “the most well-established and efficacious” intervention12 for quitting vaping and smoking.

In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), you’ll learn to identify the thought patterns or distorted beliefs that lead to vaping. You’ll then learn how to correct thought distortions before they lead to negative emotions, rumination, and the desire to cope with them through vaping. 

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have also been found to help12 people quit vaping. Mindfulness brings a greater awareness to triggers, your mental state, and your environment to help you navigate cravings. By identifying potential triggers and the emotions you feel, you’ll learn practical ways to protect yourself and how to tolerate discomfort without vaping. 

Managing stress can also help you during your quitting journey since stress can trigger the urge to vape. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and eat nutritious foods to help your body accomplish its daily functions. Regular exercise can improve your physical health and reduce stress. Practice self-care by giving yourself time to rest, relax, and enjoy hobbies.

Managing Withdrawal Symptoms

As you reduce or completely stop vaping your mind and body will go through withdrawal symptoms. Keep in mind nicotine withdrawals won’t harm you13, though they’ll likely feel uncomfortable. Here are some common nicotine withdrawal symptoms14

  1. Trouble concentrating on work or school.
  2. Feeling irritable and getting annoyed.
  3. Intense cravings.
  4. Feeling tired and groggy.
  5. Sleeping less or worse than usual.
  6. Frequent headaches.
  7. Increased appetite and hunger (nicotine reduces appetite15).

To deal with nicotine withdrawals and cravings, make sure you’re drinking enough water. This helps your body flush out toxins. Set a regular sleep schedule for yourself to combat daytime grogginess and trouble sleeping at night. And make sure your support system knows about your situation and can help as needed. A few other tips include:

  • Eat healthy snacks and keep them on-hand as your appetite returns. 
  • Take over-the-counter pain medications as needed for headaches.
  • Plan ahead for cravings and keep distraction tools on you. These could include fidget toys, a gaming system, a notepad for doodling/journaling, or relaxing phone games.

Staying Vape-Free: Long-Term Strategies

Relapse may be part of your recovery journey, and that’s okay. Remember why you decided to quit and reference your quit plan. Implement long-term strategies to keep your recovery strong, even after relapses.

Avoiding Triggers

Understanding your triggers helps you avoid them. Once you know what they are, you can adjust your daily habits or schedule to avoid them. For example, if a certain venue, bar, or restaurant triggers the urge to vape, try a new place. If people trigger the urge, keep a safe distance between them and connect with friends who make you feel supported and safe.

Songs, books, and TV shows/movies may also trigger cravings if you listened to or watched them when you vaped or if they feature vaping. Be mindful of how media makes you feel and how it can support, rather than damage, your recovery journey. 

Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle

New habits and lifestyle changes can improve your overall well-being, which can help you manage stress and other negative emotions without vaping. Try incorporating these habits and lifestyle changes into your daily routine: 

  1. Exercise for 30+ minutes daily. Do whatever feels enjoyable to you, whether that’s going on a walk, weightlifting, or swimming. 
  2. Eat a healthy, balanced diet with whole foods to fuel your mind and body.
  3. Set aside time for hobbies. If you already know what your hobbies are, invest time in them. If you don’t, try exploring new activities to see what you like.
  4. Practice self-care by doing something that soothes or relaxes you, like watching your favorite TV show, reading a book, or baking.
  5. Spend time with friends and those who make you feel loved.

Seek Ongoing Support

Ongoing peer, familial, or therapeutic support can strengthen your recovery. Stay in touch with loved ones and regularly attend therapy sessions to cope with challenges as they arise. Online forums and communities on social media also offer convenient support and a sense of camaraderie.

Resources and Help for Quitting Vaping 

You have many resources to use at any point in your quit journey, including online support, books, and podcasts.

Online Support

Websites like Smokefree.gov, CDC.gov/quit, and Truth Initiative offer educational resources and tips for how to quit vaping.

Quitlines

You can call or text quitlines to get immediate support, or sign up to text-based programs and get motivating texts during your journey. 

  • Get daily supportive texts through Smokefree.gov by texting QUIT to 47848.
  • Teens and young adults can enroll in This Is Quitting by Truth Initiative.
    • Text DITCHVAPE to 88709 and get daily text support related to your progress, concerns, and quit date. You can text COPE, STRESS, SLIP or MORE to get instant support.     
  • Search for quitlines and other quitting resources in your state.

Books

Podcasts

Listening to podcasts on how to quit vaping offers convenient and highly accessible support. You can incorporate them into your daily routines, like listening to one as you drive to work. Here are a few options to check out.

  1. The Quit Vaping Podcast hosted by Andrew Capriano
  2. Quit Smoking With Me: A 30-Day Interactive Podcast hosted by QR Clothing Brand
  3. Quit Smoking Now hosted by Dr. Daniel Seidman
  4. Quit Smoking Podcast: Quitting Isn’t Hard; Deciding To Is hosted by mrimax.

Professional Help

Therapists and medical professionals can help you safely quit vaping, tackle underlying causes, and feel supported in your journey. Search the internet or ask your primary care physician for a referral to find a specialist. Many counselors and therapists focus specifically on addiction and recovery, helping you understand behavioral causes and learn coping tools. 

Own Your Health And Wellness

Learning how to quit vaping sets you up for a lifetime of recovery. Remember to set a quit date, develop a quit plan that includes your goals and motivations, stay close with your support system, and get professional help. 

With a thoughtful quit plan and support system in place, you can embark on your recovery journey. If you relapse, that’s okay. Use your quit plan again to reorient yourself—take it one day at a time and remember everything you’ve accomplished, the benefits you’ve gained, and how far you’ve come.

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Why Is Alcohol Dangerous?

Although alcohol may be legal and normalized, it’s associated with various health risks and negative consequences. Physically, alcohol’s toxins contribute to liver disease, heart disease, and specific types of cancer1. Alcohol’s danger can go beyond disease, harming your relationships, mental health, and well-being2, as well. This stems from its psychoactive properties, which can impair judgment, coordination, and control, leading to risky behaviors and a propensity for addiction.

Alcohol impacts everything from individual health to society as a whole. Safe consumption and preventive measures can help minimize these unhealthy effects. 

How Can Alcohol Affect Your Life?

Unsafe alcohol consumption can cause a ripple effect that touches nearly every facet of your life. 

Alcohol can lead to strained family relationships and even domestic violence3. Children in families where alcohol use is prevalent are at a higher risk of experiencing emotional and behavioral problems4. They may also be at greater risk of developing substance use problems later in life.

Professionally, alcohol use can lead to poor performance5, absenteeism, and, ultimately, job loss. An unstable source of income can cause financial problems and volatile relationships. 

Socially, alcohol can lead to behaviors that strain relationships, such as aggression6, social withdrawal, and engaging in illegal activities. It can also result in legal repercussions ranging from fines for public intoxication to more serious charges like driving under the influence (DUI), which can have long-term consequences on a person’s legal record and employment opportunities.

How Is Alcohol Unhealthy?

Alcohol is a toxin that metabolizes to an acetaldehyde7, which are highly reactive molecules that can damage DNA, proteins, and lipids. Alcohol remains in the bloodstream until it is metabolized by the liver, therefore damaging liver tissue; however, it is highly diffusible through cell membranes and is metabolized by most tissues. Thus, its toxicity affects most organs.

Regular consumption significantly increases the risk of developing chronic diseases1, such as liver cirrhosis, cardiovascular diseases, and certain forms of cancer. 

Alcohol dependence, known as alcoholism, is a particularly dire health consequence that involves a preoccupation with alcohol, compulsive drinking, and high tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. This disease not only deteriorates physical health but also mental well-being, contributing to conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Short Term Effects of Alcohol

Immediately after consumption, alcohol begins to alter mind and body functions8. Physical effects can include slurred speech, impaired motor skills, and a delayed reaction time, which can be particularly dangerous when operating vehicles or machinery. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it increases urine production and can lead to dehydration. It can irritate the stomach lining, leading to nausea and vomiting. Additionally, drinking too much can weaken your immune system9, making the body a much easier target for disease after a single occasion of drinking. 

Drinking also produces cognitive side effects, such as reduced inhibitions and poor judgment, increasing the likelihood of making decisions that can have serious repercussions. Alcohol can also affect short-term memory, and in higher amounts, it can lead to blackouts, where the drinker cannot remember what happened while under the influence.

Long Term Effects of Alcohol

Chronic alcohol use wreaks havoc on the body. The long-term effects of alcohol on the body can be severe and wide-ranging, affecting virtually every organ system. Prominently, it damages the liver, heart, brain, stomach, and kidneys.

Liver

The liver is particularly vulnerable, as it’s the primary site for alcohol metabolism.  Unhealthy alcohol consumption levels can cause hepatic lesions in the liver10, leading to alcoholic fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and, ultimately, cirrhosis. A liver with cirrhosis has permanent damage and scar tissue that can cause liver failure.

In advanced stages, liver damage from alcohol can be irreversible and may necessitate a liver transplant. Chronic alcohol consumption also increases the risk of developing liver cancer, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer. This risk is especially high in individuals with alcoholic cirrhosis.

The liver is crucial to metabolizing and detoxifying all substances. Maintaining liver health is vital to prevent serious complications and health risks. 

Heart

Long-term effects on the heart can suddenly manifest as severe health events with long-lasting consequences11. Alcohol misuse can lead to: 

  • Hypertension: Alcohol activates the central nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system12 in a way that causes blood vessel muscles to constrict, leading to high blood pressure.
  • Cardiomyopathy: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy, damaging the hearts’ muscles, can be caused by the substance’s inflammatory effects. 
  • Arrhythmias: Chronic heavy drinking and binge drinking can lead to irregular heartbeats, known as arrhythmias. The most common type associated with alcohol is atrial fibrillation, where the upper chambers of the heart experience chaotic electrical signals, leading to an irregular heartbeat. This can increase the risk of stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications.
  • Stroke: Excessive alcohol intake is linked to an increased risk of both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. Ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks or narrows an artery leading to the brain, while a hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a blood vessel in the brain bursting.

Brain

Alcohol can lead to neurodegeneration13, or neuron destruction, and permanent brain damage. As heavy drinking alters neurons and their pathways, the brain’s neural networks cannot properly communicate and function with itself and the body. Without healthy networks, brain health can severely decline, resulting in problems with cognition, memory, and coordination. 

Chronic abuse can also increase the risk of developing mental health disorders14, including depression and anxiety. Alcohol can act as self-medication for uncomfortable emotions associated with these mental disorders, leading to dependency. Chemical changes in the brain from alcohol, such as the disruption of neurotransmitters crucial in maintaining good mental health, also contribute to and worsen existing symptoms. 

Stomach

Both acute and chronic alcohol consumption can interfere with stomach functioning15. For example, alcohol—even in relatively small amounts—can alter gastric acid secretion, injure gastric muscles, and interfere with gastric and intestinal motility (how easily food travels through the system). Therefore, alcohol’s toxic and inflammatory effects can not only hinder digestion, but also cause long-term issues such as gastritis (irritated and inflamed stomach lining) and ulcers. 

Kidneys

Drinking can compromise the kidneys’ ability to regulate the volume and composition of fluid and electrolytes in the body16. In addition to their role in regulating the body’s fluid composition, the kidneys produce hormones that influence a host of physiological processes, including blood pressure regulation, red blood cell production, and calcium metabolism. Alcohol’s toxic effects can completely alter how kidney cells function.

Harming these systems can lead to an increased risk of kidney stones and kidney disease. Over time, an imbalance of water, hormone levels, and bodily waste can negatively impact overall health.

Immune System

High amounts of alcohol consumption can leave the body susceptible to infections and slower recovery from illness16. 

Alcohol can damage the protective epithelial cells lining the gut, skin, and lungs, reducing the body’s first line of defense against pathogens. This damage can increase the likelihood of bacterial infections and bacteria entering the bloodstream from the gut. 

Alcohol consumption can also reduce the production and function of lymphocytes, including T-cells and B-cells, weakening the body’s ability to develop long-term immunity and produce antibodies in response to infections. 

Chronic alcohol use can lead to prolonged inflammation, which can itself cause tissue damage and lead to a variety of chronic diseases.

Is There a Safe Amount of Alcohol?

While moderate alcohol consumption might fit into a healthy lifestyle for some, defining ‘safe’ levels of consumption is complex. Guidelines can vary significantly, taking into account factors such as gender, age, medical history, and medications. 

The idea of a universally ‘safe’ amount of alcohol is increasingly scrutinized, and the best recommendation often comes from someone’s healthcare providers. The most effective way to avoid negative health consequences is to not drink at all. 

Find Treatment For Alcohol

If you’re experiencing the damaging effects of alcohol, you can choose to break the cycle. Professional support is available, designed to help people with struggles exactly like yours. Getting help can place you on the path to a fulfilling, sober life.
Explore alcohol addiction treatment centers to learn about their programs, pricing, insurance coverage, and more.

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Navigating Pre-Employment Drug Screening: Identifying the Substances Tested

A pre-employment drug test verifies if you are using illegal substances. These drug tests help employers understand if you are using any substances that may interfere with your ability to work. 

Although the legalization status of substances can vary across regions, such as marijuana, the test results can be used at the employer’s discretion. Drug tests can also be conducted at random, post-injury, if medications were used during recovery, with reasonable suspicion, or periodically during employment.

Commonly Screened Substances

Employers may test for various substances depending on the line of work, the location, the job role, and other factors. Commonly screened substances include, but are not limited to:

  1. Marijuana
  2. Cocaine
  3. Opioids (including heroin, morphine, codeine, and oxycodone)
  4. Amphetamines (including methamphetamine and MDMA)
  5. Benzodiazepines
  6. Alcohol
  7. Phencyclidine (PCP)

Detection Methods

Depending on the substances and desired time period of detection, employers have a few testing methods to choose from1: 

  1. Urine testing is the most common method that detects recent use of drugs. You will pee into a small cup and give it to a worker for testing. A urine test can typically detect substances used in the past few days.
  2. Hair testing can detect drug use over longer periods of time. A small hair sample is taken from the crown of the head or the armpit and must be at least 1.5 inches long. This method can detect drug use up to 90 days prior. 
  3. Blood testing is an accurate drug detection approach; however, it is costly and more invasive. A clinician uses an IV to draw a small amount of blood, and the test detects substances used in the past couple of hours or days. 
  4. Saliva testing uses a swab to collect a sample inside your mouth. This method detects drug use in the past 48 hours.

Factors Affecting Detection

Test results can be unique to each person’s circumstances, including factors such as:

  1. Frequency and amount of substance use: A chronic daily user will likely have the substance readily detected. An occasional user may be harder to detect, depending on the test.
  2. Metabolism and body composition: Your metabolic rate can influence how quickly drugs are processed and eliminated from your body2. Age, gender, genetic makeup, and overall health play significant roles in metabolism speed. For example, someone with a slower metabolism will take longer to eradicate substances.
  3. Sensitivity of testing methods: Different testing methods have varying sensitivities and detection windows. The cutoff levels (the minimum amount of drug residue required for a test to be considered positive) also vary by test. They can affect whether a result is positive or negative.
  4. Time elapsed since substance use: Depending on the test, if substance use is more than two weeks prior to the test, most methods will not detect it; however, hair testing can detect drug use for months.

Legal Implications

Employers must comply with federal and state drug test regulations, which can vary by region. 

In most cases, employers must give reasonable notice before the test and obtain the employee’s or job applicant’s consent. Drug testing policies must be fair to all employees or candidates to avoid discrimination. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects individuals with disabilities who must take medication for their condition.

In some regions, laws and regulations may limit the actions employers can take in response to a positive drug test, particularly for substances like marijuana, where legality varies by jurisdiction.

Wrongful termination or disciplinary actions based on drug test results can lead to legal disputes, so employers must be clear, consistent, and legally compliant when defending their actions.

Employer Policies and Procedures

Drug test results represent highly sensitive and strictly confidential health information. Unauthorized disclosure of test results can lead to legal action against the employer. Before taking the drug test, you must agree to your privacy and confidentiality rights.

If the test results are positive, the employer has the right to rescind the job offer or terminate employment. Companies can also take disciplinary action, such as suspension or mandatory participation in a drug treatment center.

In some professions, a positive drug test may result in the suspension or termination of professional licenses or certifications, potentially rendering an individual ineligible for promotions and transfers.

Preparation and Mitigation Strategies

If you’re worried that your substance use may interfere with obtaining employment, it might be time to look into professional treatment. 

Your recovery journey can begin with medical detox. With clinical support, this process rids the body of harmful substances and helps you quit drinking alcohol or using drugs. In the case of alcohol and opioids, detox can be life threatening if done improperly. You can search for qualified detox centers near you to see what substances they treat, insurances they accept, and treatment approach they use. 

Often, detox isn’t enough for full recovery. You and your care team can collaboratively decide which level of care is best for your needs:

  • Outpatient (OP): You’ll meet 1-2x per week with your provider and others in treatment.
  • Intensive outpatient (IOP): You’ll meet 3-5x per week for several hours at a time for more intensive care.
  • Partial hospitalization (PHP): You’ll meet 5-7 times a week for a full day.
  • Residential: You’ll live in a rehab for 28+ days and engage in treatment with a comprehensive staff and a community of peers. 
  • Inpatient: You’ll live in a treatment center or hospital-like setting and have 24/7 monitoring. 

Managing addiction can be a complex and individualized process. Licensed professionals can provide you with appropriate tools, techniques, and support tailored to your specific needs. You may engage in talk therapies such as: 

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to learn how to replace unhealthy thought patterns with more affirming ones.
  • Contingency management (CM) that provides positive reinforcement, such as rewards or incentives, for maintaining abstinence from heroin.
  • Relapse prevention counseling to learn techniques to manage addiction cravings and other symptoms.
  • Motivational interviewing to explore the reasons why you want to recover and use that purpose to motivate change. 

Resources and Support

In the case of employment-related drug testing issues, seeking legal assistance can be a crucial step in understanding your rights, navigating potential consequences, and challenging unjust or unlawful practices. 

If you are struggling with a substance use issue, professional addiction treatment can help you identify triggers and unhealthy behaviors, learn positive coping skills, and adapt lifestyle habits to change your life for the better. Treatment may involve a mixture of evidence-based talk therapies (like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)), holistic healing modalities (like yoga), and support groups (such as AA and NA).

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What Is a Gateway Drug?

A gateway drug is a legal or more socially acceptable drug that, once used, could lead to illicit drug use and addiction. Notably, gateway drugs and the gateway drug theory refer to adolescent drug use and how abstaining from all drugs in adolescence can help them avoid illicit drug use and addiction as adults.  

The gateway drug theory1 suggests using “soft” drugs like alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana in adolescence predisposes teens and young adults to use “hard” drugs like cocaine. Order matters in the theory—cocaine use doesn’t lead to alcohol use, but it can be true the other way around.

Researchers haven’t conclusively agreed on the truth of the gateway theory, since not everyone who drinks or smokes becomes addicted or starts using a harder drug. Some people can use gateway drugs and never struggle with illicit drug use. The real connection, some say, is age of onset, preexisting mental health conditions, and genetic predisposition. 

What Are Common Gateway Drugs?

Gateway drugs are almost always legal (in some states), broadly accessible, socially accepted, and easy to ingest. Three primary gateway drugs include:

  1. Alcohol

Alcohol is a prevalent, easily accessed, and socially promoted substance across all age groups. Teens and adolescents may feel pressure to drink with other peers or want to experiment. Some teens can drink occasionally without issue, but one study also found children ages 12-17 who drank alcohol were 50% more likely to later use cocaine2. 

  1. Nicotine

Cigarettes and vapes contain nicotine, a psychoactive component of tobacco. Daily smoking or vaping was found to lead to marijuana use1 and other hard drugs. Those who smoke were found to be 19x more likely to use cocaine2, compared to teens who didn’t smoke.

  1. Marijuana

Marijuana (also called weed) is a psychoactive chemical that comes from the cannabis plant. It’s legal in some states but commonly used whether it’s legal or not. Weed can be smoked, eaten, or applied topically. It has a pungent mossy odor.

Some teens who used cannabis were 85x more likely to use cocaine2. Another study found teens who use marijuana usually don’t use harder drugs later on. The connection depends not solely on marijuana use1; age of use, timing, and the teen’s mental state primarily provide the ‘gateway’ effect.

Which Drug Is Often a Gateway to Other Drugs?

One particular drug doesn’t always lead to illicit drug use. Taking any psychoactive substance can increase the likelihood of adult substance use1, particularly stronger drugs like cocaine. 

Alcohol and nicotine could be considered more common gateway drugs because both are legal and easy to access, whereas weed isn’t always legal and can be harder to get. 

Are Gateway Drugs Addictive?

Gateway drugs can be addictive. Alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana can all affect and change the brain3, leading to dependence and eventual addiction. Just because they’re legal and common doesn’t mean they’re safe. 

For example, about 29.5 million Americans have been diagnosed with alcohol use disorder4. In 2020, alcohol killed more people than COVID-19. Similarly, nicotine is highly addictive5, and the action of smoking/vaping is reinforcing. 

Are Gateway Drugs Not as Serious as Other Drugs?

No, gateway drugs are serious. Any psychoactive substance can harm your mind and body, unless taken under clinical advice and supervision. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a statement that “no level of alcohol consumption is safe.”6 Any amount of alcohol, they say, is toxic and has the potential to cause harm and dependence. 

Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances7, found to be as addictive as “hard” drugs like heroin and cocaine. Nicotine also takes effect right away (or as soon as you smoke or vape), which can worsen the rewarding effect and prompt frequent redoses. Starting small can quickly turn into an addiction.

Marijuana can affect your brain, heart, lungs, and learning capacity. Issues with memory, concentration, and learning can be permanent. Marijuana and tobacco smoke both contain carcinogens10 too, which can cause cancer.

Gateway Drug Statistics

A survey by the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse2 found some staggering statistics about gateway drugs and stronger drugs (cocaine was the stronger drug in their example, but it could also be opioids, hallucinogens, and various synthetic drugs.)

Other factors can influence the following statistics, like personality, environment, age of onset, and more. Simply taking a “gateway drug” doesn’t mean your teen will start using stronger drugs or develop an addiction.

  • 99.9% of people who take cocaine first used alcohol, nicotine, or marijuana
  • 90% of teens and adults who take weed first smoked or drank
  • An adult who used marijuana as a child is 17x more likely to regularly take cocaine
  • An adult who smoked as a child is 3x more likely to take cocaine
  • An adult who drank as a child is 6x more likely to use cocaine
  • An adult who used all 3 gateway drugs (alcohol, nicotine, and weed) is 323x more likely to take cocaine
  • A child who uses all 3 gateway drugs is 266x more likely to take cocaine

Implementing Early Prevention Strategies for Gateway Drugs

Several drug use prevention programs specifically focus on adolescents, including Youth.gov, the STOP Act, and D.A.R.E. The well-known D.A.R.E. movement focused on complete abstinence; more recent preventative strategies focus on community education, mental health treatment, and specifically discouraging marijuana use. 

Starting the conversation about alcohol and drugs can help your teen know the consequences of drug use and that they have other coping strategies available (like therapy, hobbies, and connecting to you as a parent). 

Treatment for Gateway Drugs

Many teens, young adults, and adults use drugs and alcohol as a coping tool for mental health disorders and emotional distress. Treating the symptoms of mental health conditions can prevent teens from using substances in the first place.

Behavioral therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) can correct thought distortions and help patients find new coping skills for emotional distress.

Sometimes, teens and adults may need detox and residential treatment for addiction. Detoxing from gateway drugs in a clinical setting safely removes toxins from the body. In residential rehab, patients receive daily monitoring and support, group therapies, and individual therapy to address the root causes of their addiction.  

Outpatient levels of care include day treatment, intensive outpatient, and general outpatient treatment. In outpatient, you live at home and go to treatment so you’ll have more time for school and work. 

Find The Best Drug And Alcohol Treatment Centers

To find a drug and alcohol treatment center and compare your options, you can browse RehabPath’s collection of rehabs to see photos, reviews, and insurance information.

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Can You Overdose on Cocaine? Risks, Signs, and Treatment

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that carries a dangerous risk of overdose. It can impact every organ in the body, but its most lethal effects are on the heart. Dangerous side effects include rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, and narrowed coronary arteries. Cocaine overdose can cause a heart attack, stroke, and even death. 

If you suspect someone has overdosed on cocaine, call 911 immediately or take them to your nearest emergency department. 

A cocaine overdose can happen to anyone. You can help someone in this critical situation by understanding the warning signs and steps to take if you suspect an overdose. 

Understanding Cocaine

Cocaine comes from the leaves of the coca plant, indigenous to South America. Because it’s addictive and potentially lethal, cocaine is a Schedule II drug.1 It’s also a major public health concern. In the U.S., 4.71% of drug-related hospital visits are related to cocaine.2

Cocaine is a stimulant3 that hijacks the brain’s reward system and floods it with the “feel-good” hormone dopamine. It works by causing dopamine to build up in the brain and send stronger signals. This results in an intense, short-lived euphoria, which is also why cocaine is addictive. Long-term use leads to tolerance, meaning the body needs more cocaine to feel the same effects as before. This can quickly develop into a cocaine addiction. 

People take cocaine in different ways, including snorting, injecting, or orally. Crack cocaine is a solid (rock) form of cocaine that’s nearly always smoked.

What Is a Cocaine Overdose?

Many people wonder, can you overdose on cocaine? The answer is yes. Cocaine overdose is a potentially life-threatening reaction to cocaine.4 It can happen within a few minutes to hours of use. Also known as cocaine toxicity, it has a serious impact on the heart and brain and requires quick action. 

Cocaine overdose can escalate fast and lead to life-threatening complications like seizures, lack of oxygen, heart attack, or stroke. Because of its immediate and powerful effect on the body, it can be fatal. This is true even for small amounts of cocaine. 

Anyone can overdose on cocaine. Some people are more at risk than others, such as young adults, males, and people with heart conditions—even mild ones. Long-term cocaine use changes the heart structure5 and increases your risk of overdose. Other risk factors relate to how you take cocaine, like using too much or mixing it with other drugs.

Signs and Symptoms of Cocaine Overdose

Signs of cocaine use include dilated pupils, hyperactivity, appetite loss, and more. Recreational use can quickly escalate into an overdose. A cocaine overdose isn’t just uncomfortable for the person experiencing it—it’s also very dangerous. Someone overdosing on cocaine may show a combination of physical and psychological signs:

  • Elevated heart rate or irregular heartbeat
  • Increased body temperature
  • Sweating
  • Rapid breathing or difficulty breathing
  • Chest and stomach pain
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Anxiety and paranoia 

If someone is showing signs of a cocaine overdose, get help right away. Call 9-1-1 immediately or take them to the nearest emergency room.  

Deaths from cocaine overdose in the U.S.6 are rising. The number of deaths from cocaine increased from 15,883 to 24,486 (almost 54%) between 2019 and 2021.

What to Do in Case Someone Overdoses on Cocaine

A cocaine overdose is a critical situation that calls for quick, immediate action. If you suspect someone has overdosed on cocaine, follow these steps:

  • Call emergency services. This is the first and most urgent step. Dial 9-1-1 for emergency services if you’re in the U.S. Give the operator clear information about the person’s condition. 
  • Never leave the person alone. Cocaine overdose symptoms can escalate quickly. Monitor the person’s condition while you wait for help to arrive. Stay with them until medical professionals get there. 
  • Try to remain calm. Once you’ve called emergency services, know that help is on the way. Your calm presence and support can make a big difference.
  • Check their breathing and pulse. If their breathing is shallow, or they’ve lost consciousness, check their pulse. If you don’t know how to perform CPR, call emergency services to guide you over the phone. 
  • Give emergency responders as much information as possible. When help arrives, give detailed information about the person’s condition and any substances they may have taken. They may need to go to the emergency room. 

Quick action and professional medical care can save someone’s life.

Risk Factors for Cocaine Overdose

Certain factors increase the risk of cocaine overdose: 

Polysubstance Use

Combining cocaine with other substances, like alcohol, stimulants, or opioids, puts a dangerous strain on the heart. 

Purity Levels

The purity of cocaine varies. With the strength unknown, you could accidentally take an unsafe amount. Street cocaine is cut with other agents, like laundry detergent, caffeine, laxatives, and more. Some cutting agents can cause poisoning or other dangerous adverse reactions. 

Cocaine Laced With Fentanyl

The rise in cocaine-related overdose deaths is linked to cocaine laced with synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Fentanyl is potent and deadly, even in very small doses. The number of cocaine overdose deaths7 jumped from 6,784 to 24,486 between 2015 and 2021, due in large part to the introduction of fentanyl. 

Cocaine Tolerance

Drug tolerance increases the risk of taking a toxic amount of cocaine. People with a history of cocaine use build tolerance. They may take higher doses to feel the desired effects.

Relapse

People often overdose during a relapse, because they take the same amount of cocaine they used to, but their tolerance is lower from being sober for some time. When you help someone who has relapsed on cocaine, you’re also saving them from potential overdose.

Heart Conditions

Underlying health conditions magnify the dangers of cocaine use. Its stimulant effects could trigger a life-threatening reaction in people with heart conditions. 

How to Prevent Cocaine Overdose

The best way to prevent a cocaine overdose is to not use it at all. With cocaine, there’s always a possibility of overdose. 

While abstinence is the safest approach, harm reduction strategies can help minimize some of the risks associated with cocaine use:

  • Education is a powerful harm-reduction tool that helps you stay dose-aware. Sticking to clear use limits and avoiding binge use may reduce the risk of an unintentional overdose.
  • Never use drugs alone. A friend or support person can be a lifeline. If you accidentally overdose, they can assist you right away and improve your chances of survival. 
  • Test the purity of your substances. The U.S. is facing an alarming rise in cases of cocaine cut with fentanyl.8 The combination is lethal. Testing kits, or fentanyl test strips, help check substances for traces of fentanyl. 

If you can’t stop using cocaine despite the risks, this may signal a deeper concern. Treatment can help you address the root cause of cocaine use. It takes honesty and strength to ask for help. As intimidating as it may seem, the payoff is life-changing. 

Treatment for a Cocaine Overdose 

To treat an overdose, get immediate medical help. Medical professionals will manage symptoms and work to stabilize the person’s condition. Depending on the situation, treatment for cocaine overdose9 includes oxygen support, blood pressure medication, CPR, and more. Currently, there’s no medication to reverse a cocaine overdose.

Find Recovery From Cocaine Addiction

If you’re caught in a cycle of cocaine use, recovery is possible. Because it’s a common problem, experts have been developing various treatment options for years. 

Detox is usually the first step. Cocaine withdrawal and detox isn’t life-threatening, but it can be uncomfortable. Detoxing under medical supervision can ensure your experience is as safe and comfortable as possible. 

Different types of talk therapy are used in addiction treatment. Contingency management, which targets the brain’s reward system,10 shows promising results for cocaine addiction. One study found that it’s especially effective in early recovery.  

Residential rehab is effective for treating cocaine addiction.11 Programs usually last 30 to 90 days. During this time, you live on-site in a therapeutic environment away from triggers. Daily schedules are usually an intensive mix of therapies, recovery activities, and downtime. 

Group therapy offers a safe space for sharing experiences with others who’ve faced similar struggles. You can find ongoing support through your rehab’s aftercare program, ongoing therapy, and in-person or online support groups. 
Treatment paves the way for a healthier, more fulfilling, and sustainable lifestyle. Search cocaine addiction treatment options and compare by price, location, insurance accepted, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cocaine Overdose

What are the signs and symptoms of a cocaine overdose?

Signs of a cocaine overdose include elevated heart rate, increased body temperature, sweating, rapid or shallow breaths, chest and stomach pain, nausea, and more. Symptoms can show up within minutes to a few hours after you last used cocaine. If someone is showing signs of a cocaine overdose, call 911 immediately.

What is the treatment for a cocaine overdose?

There’s currently no medication to reverse a cocaine overdose. Medical professionals will work to stabilize the person’s condition. Treatment may include oxygen support, blood pressure medication, or CPR. Seek immediate medical attention if you suspect someone has overdosed on cocaine. Overdose can happen whether or not someone has a cocaine addiction.

What are some signs that someone may have laced cocaine with fentanyl?

Signs that someone may have laced cocaine with the opioid fentanyl include:

• A strong chemical smell
• A different color or consistency than usual
• A smaller amount of powder than usual

Dangerous physical symptoms of cocaine laced with fentanyl include stronger effects than usual, chest pain, difficulty breathing, nausea, and vomiting. You can use a test kit to check substances for traces of fentanyl.
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What Is Carfentanil?

Carfentanil is a fentanyl analog, or a synthetic opioid chemically similar to fentanyl. It’s 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine. Because of that, carfentanil is considered the strongest and most dangerous fentanyl derivative. 

People usually take carfentanil by accident. But since you need so little (about one grain of salt) to overdose, these accidental uses can quickly become life-threatening. 

What Is Carfentanil Used For?

Carfentanil has only one approved use: a large-animal tranquilizer. The veterinary field uses carfentanil on elephants and other similarly sized animals; it’s not approved for human use in any way.

But in illicit drug markets, dealers use carfentanil to increase the potency of their drugs and sell them for more money. Additives like carfentanil make drugs like heroin feel stronger, leading to faster dependency and continued profit for the dealer. 

Carfentanil easily blends into other substances, so you never truly know if you’re taking a clean or laced substance. Even fentanyl test strips often don’t pick up on carfentanil. To the naked eye, carfentanil doesn’t stand out against the substance you think you’re taking—which is why it poses such a risk.

What Does Carfentanil Look Like?

Carfentanil looks white and powdery, like powdered sugar. If it’s been dissolved into a liquid, it can look as innocent as water. It may also look grainy, like salt grains. Carfentanil has no smell or taste. 

Dealers manipulate carfentanil to create new ways of ingestion. For example, you could take carfentanil as a pill, inject it intravenously, snort it as a powder, or place a small piece of carfentanil-soaked blotter paper on your tongue for a few minutes.  

What Are The Potential Effects of Using Carfentanil?

As a synthetic opioid, carfentanil’s effects mirror those of heroin, including:

Euphoria

Carfentanil is a mu-opioid receptor agonist, which means it triggers mu-opioid receptors to send a cascade of chemical signals in your brain. This ultimately releases dopamine, and lots of it. The flood of dopamine causes both euphoria and the need to repeat the behavior. 

Pain Relief

When used as prescribed, opioids work as powerful pain relievers. Carfentanil is no different. It calms the neurons in certain areas of the brain, leading to pain relief. But because of its potency, no amount of carfentanil has been approved for pain relief. 

Sedation

Carfentanil can calm the brain and nervous system to the point of total sedation. That’s why veterinarians use carfentanil to sedate large animals. 

Overdose

Carfentanil overdoses continue to rise in the US. Just two milligrams of carfentanil could kill you. Anything below that tiny amount would likely cause a non-lethal overdose. 

What Are The Symptoms of Carfentanil Overdose?

Overdosing on carfentanil causes a host of side effects. Even accidental exposure to carfentanil, like getting some of it on your hand or having the powder blow on your face, could cause an overdose. Knowing the signs of an overdose can help save lives. 

Blue Lips And Nails

Look at the nail beds and lips for blue coloration. Carfentanil overdoses can cause low blood pressure and a dangerously slow heart rate, which can lower breathing and oxygen intake. Less oxygen in the blood makes it look blue in areas like the lips and fingertips.

Choking And Gurgling

Overdosing on carfentanil can slow your breathing and dangerously sedate you. Because of this, you may choke on your spit or be too disoriented to remember to swallow it. That can cause choking and gurgly breathing, almost like snoring.

Pin-Point Pupils

A carfentanil overdose often causes tiny pupils. Someone who’s overdosed may have strangely small pupils that don’t dilate in different lighting.

Slowed Breathing

Your breathing may slow to null if you overdose on carfentanil. This can then lead to black outs, blue fingers and lips, and death.

Losing Consciousness

Overdosing on carfentanil could cause you to black out. The reasons for losing consciousness can include sedation/sleepiness, slow breathing, slowed heart rate, and a combination of all 3. 

Hypothermia

Someone who overdosed on carfentanil may feel cold to the touch, shiver, and have a bluish tint. 

Clammy Skin

Carfentanil overdoses also cause clammy skin, or like someone’s slightly sweaty and cold at the same time. 

Heart Failure

Too much carfentanil could cause total heart failure. An overdose can depress your central nervous system enough to stop your heart. Without immediate help, this symptom often leads to death.

Can You Reverse a Carfentanil Overdose?

You can save someone who’s overdosed on carfentanil by immediately using Naloxone. If you administer it fast enough, you can reverse the effects of carfentanil and save their life. Since carfentanil is so potent, you’ll likely need several strong doses of Naloxone. You can inject it intravenously or, if your kit includes a nasal spray, squirt it up their nose.

 If you’re injecting Naloxone (Narcan), be sure to fill the syringe with liquid and not air. Then poke the needle into a large muscle, like a shoulder or thigh muscle. To administer the nasal spray, stick the nozzle into their nose and push up on the plunger. You’ll likely need to spray into each nostril. Narcan takes 2-3 minutes to show effects. 

Once stabilized and physically safe, treatment begins. 

Get Treatment for Opioid Use

Treatment for synthetic drugs like carfentanil includes medical and emotional care. You’ll begin with detox, which safely removes carfentanil from your body. Once carfentanil is out of your system, you and your treatment team will address the thoughts and behaviors leading to your drug use. Then, you’ll work together to learn new coping skills and navigate difficult emotions, cravings, and triggers as they come. 

Your treatment journey may begin in a residential rehab, where you’ll have 24/7 care, 1:1 and group therapies, and a safe space to detox. After residential treatment, you can move into day treatment or an intensive outpatient program, which provides intensive but more independent care.
To start your journey, you can browse our list of rehabs for opioid use to see pricing, photos, reviews, and more.

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23 Essential Facts About Alcohol Addiction

It can be hard to trust what you hear about alcohol addiction. And when you’re planning for recovery, you need to know exactly what you’re facing. These alcohol facts can help you make important decisions about treatment. 

1. Alcohol Addiction Is a Chronic Disease

Alcohol addiction is a chronic disease1 with serious, long-term health effects. This condition is also known as alcohol use disorder (AUD) or alcoholism. AUD is highly treatable and can go into long-term remission.

2. Alcohol Use Disorder Can Affect Anyone

Anyone can develop AUD, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and so on. Because alcohol is socially acceptable in most parts of the world, it can be hard to tell when your drinking gets out of hand. 

3. Alcohol Addiction Affects Nearly 30 Million People

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA) tracks alcohol facts and statistics in the U.S. According to their most recent data, 28.6 million adults had alcohol use disorder2 in 2021. That’s 11.3% of everyone in the country aged 18 or older. 

4. Your Genetics, Environment, and Other Factors Can Lead to Alcohol Addiction

Many factors can make you vulnerable to alcohol addiction.3 For example, alcohol addiction tends to run in families. On the surface, that implies AUD is genetic. But this could also be an environmental issue, because childhood trauma increases your risk of addiction. Studies show that mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression can also play a role. 

5. Long-Term Alcohol Abuse Has Serious Health Impacts

Over time, excessive drinking can cause severe physical health problems:4

  • Stroke
  • High blood pressure
  • Liver problems
  • Weakened immune system
  • Pancreatitis
  • Cancer

Alcohol abuse also increases your risk of developing mental health problems.5

6. Alcohol Addiction Gets Worse Over Time

For most people, alcohol use disorder is progressive.6 In other words, it gets worse over time. Without proper treatment, your alcohol addiction will likely get more severe. 

7. Alcohol Withdrawal Can Be Physically Dangerous

When you first quit drinking, you may develop some or all of the following alcohol withdrawal symptoms:7

  • High blood pressure
  • Sleep problems
  • Headache
  • Digestive issues
  • Hallucinations
  • Seizures
  • Delirium tremens

Without proper treatment, withdrawing from alcohol can be fatal. When you first enter recovery for AUD, it’s extremely important to get the medical care you need.

8. There Are Many Treatments for Alcohol Addiction

There are countless ways to heal from addiction. Rehab for alcohol addiction can include a combination of medical treatments, talk therapy, support groups, and other activities. Different programs offer various types of therapy. Some even develop individualized care plans for each client.

9. Alcohol Addiction Often Co-Occurs With Other Mental Health Disorders

Alcohol addiction commonly co-occurs with other mental health issues. People with AUD have higher rates of depression,8 anxiety, PTSD, and other substance use disorders. If you’re healing from multiple conditions at once, you will likely need specialized treatment.

10. Alcohol Use Disorder Has a High Relapse Rate

Relapse is a common part of alcohol addiction recovery. In one study, at least 60% of people with AUD relapsed9 within the first year of recovery. Certain risk factors — like clinical depression — make relapse more likely. On the other hand, having a strong support network reduces your risk of relapse.10 That could include a therapist, support groups, family, and trusted friends. Building out your support system is an essential part of healing. You can start this process during rehab by making a specific plan for aftercare.

11. Alcohol Addiction Affects Relationships

Alcohol abuse can profoundly affect your closest relationships, in every stage of addiction and recovery. While untreated AUD can severely impact whole families,11 treatment has the opposite effect. Experts say it’s impossible to separate alcohol addiction from family dynamics. That’s why many rehabs offer family therapy as a central part of treatment.

12. Alcohol Addiction Can Impact Cognitive Function

Drinking alcohol, and especially alcohol abuse, can interfere with brain function.12 Specifically, it interferes with memory, motor function, and judgment. These effects are worse for teenagers and for people with chronic, long-term addiction. 

13. Early Intervention Can Make a Huge Difference

Early intervention and treatment for alcohol addiction can significantly improve the chances of successful recovery.

14. Social Support Can Help You Recover

Social support is essential during recovery13 from alcohol addiction. A wealth of data shows that people with stronger relationships recover more quickly and completely. Your support network could include family, friends, colleagues, your care team, and members of a support group. Given the high success rate of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.), it might be a good place to start building your community.

15. Alcohol Addiction Is a Diagnosable Medical Condition

Despite the stigma surrounding addiction, healthcare professionals agree that AUD is a serious medical issue. The American Psychiatric Association (APA), for example, explains that people with alcohol addiction “have lost reliable control of their alcohol use.14 It doesn’t matter what kind of alcohol someone drinks or even how much: Alcohol-dependent people are often unable to stop drinking once they start.” If you have a diagnosis of AUD, you’ll probably need professional treatment to recover. 

16. Excessive Drinking Can Weaken Your Immune System

Heavy drinking can interfere with immune function.15 As a result, chronic alcohol abuse increases your risk of pneumonia, respiratory problems, liver disease, and certain types of cancer. People with AUD have a higher rate of complications after surgery and may heal from injuries more slowly.

17. Alcohol Addiction Harms Marginalized Communities

Anyone can abuse alcohol. However, some data shows that AUD disproportionally affects marginalized communities. For example, having less education and lower socioeconomic status greatly increases your risk of alcohol addiction.16 This is true regardless of genetics or family history. Other studies report that race also plays a role in AUD,17 and that Black communities are at greater risk. 

18. Binge Drinking May Increase Your Risk of Addiction

Recent studies show a link between binge drinking and alcohol addiction.18 We still need more information about how they relate. It could be true that binge drinking raises your risk of developing an addiction in the future. On the other hand, some say that binge drinking itself is a sign of addiction. If that’s the case, the act itself wouldn’t increase your risk of AUD. But either way, it can still qualify as alcohol abuse. If you binge drink regularly, you might consider getting treatment for alcohol addiction.

19. Relapse Is Not Failure

Relapse is a common part of recovery from alcohol addiction. It is not a sign of failure. When you think of AUD as a disease, it’s easier to make sense of this pattern. The National Institute of Health (NIH) compares addiction to other chronic conditions,19 like asthma and high blood pressure: “Relapse is common and similar across these illnesses. Therefore, substance use disorders should be treated like any other chronic illness. Relapse serves as a sign for resumed, modified, or new treatment.”

20. Underage Drinking Can Lead to Alcohol Addiction

Drinking as a teenager20 increases your risk of developing AUD as an adult. One study found that people who drank alcohol before age 15 were 3.5 times more likely to abuse alcohol. Underage drinking can also change or interfere with the way your brain develops. For teenagers with alcohol addiction, family therapy is usually an important part of treatment.

21. Integrated Treatment Can Help

If you have a mental health diagnosis in addition to AUD, it’s called dual diagnosis. Recovering from co-occurring disorders can be complex. Studies show that it’s most effective to treat mental health issues and addiction21 at the same time. By integrating different types of therapy, you can address the root cause of both issues simultaneously. Many residential rehabs use this holistic approach to treatment.

22. Chronic Alcohol Abuse Can Cause Brain Damage

Long-term alcohol addiction can lead to brain damage.22 This can occur in several different ways:

  • Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: This condition is a rare type of dementia. It affects people who drink so heavily, for such a long time, that they develop severe vitamin B-1 deficiencies. Symptoms include confusion, memory issues, poor judgment, hallucinations, and cognitive decline.
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): Alcohol increases your risk of TBI, either due to accidents or aggressive behavior. Up to 81% of people with TBIs are intoxicated when they first sustain their injuries.
  • Alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD):23 While ARBD mimics dementia, it has some key differences. For one thing, it usually doesn’t worse over time. This condition usually affects people in their 40s or 50s. With proper treatment, many patients can completely recover.

23. Different People Need Different Types of Treatment

There are many factors to consider when you’re planning recovery. For example, do you need to detox from alcohol before starting rehab? While you’re in treatment, will you need ongoing medical care? Are you interested in attending a faith-based program that follows the 12 Steps? There’s no right or wrong way to approach treatment, but it’s important to find a center that can meet your unique needs. 

Compare rehabs that treat alcohol addiction to find the right program for you.