Take the national drug IQ challenge

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is one of the leading organizations in the country conducting research and using science across a broad range of disciplines related to drug abuse and addiction.

Results of this research are used to improve prevention efforts, create best practices for treatment and inform policy decisions as it relates to strategic planning and funding.

Once a year, NIDA supports a prevention campaign titled “National Drug Facts Week,” which is Jan. 26 -Feb.1 this year. The national campaign involves social media tools, educational flyers and community events that use and promote drug facts when informing teens about the true dangers and risks involved in drug use and abuse.

Are you ready to take this year’s National Drug IQ Challenge?
1) Which is the most correct: Drugs can be hard to quit because:
a. You become psychologically dependent.
b. They can change the brain’s reward center.
c. Your heart can’t beat right without them anymore.
d. They alter your willpower.

2) True or False: Marijuana can be addictive.
a. True b. False

3) How many people make a serious attempt to quit cigarette smoking every year?
a. 260,000 b. 1.5 million c. 12 million d. 35 million

4) How can you tell if someone is “sniffing” or “huffing” inhalants?
a. They might have chemical odors on their clothes.
b. They might lose their appetite or feel like throwing up.
c. They might have muscle weakness or move strangely.
d. They might be very irritable or depressed.
e. All of the above.

5) Pain relievers (like Vicodin or OxyContin) prescribed by a doctor can lead to addiction if:
a. You take more than prescribed.
b. You take some not prescribed for you.
c. You start trying to get them without a prescription.
d. You take them with Kool-Aid.
e. A, B, and C.

6) K2 or “Spice” refers to:
a. Cinnamon inhaled during a dare.
b. Other names for marijuana c. Dangerous herbal mixtures that can produce marijuana-like effects.
d. An enhancement of the drug K1.

7) Here is what scientific research has told us about e-cigarettes:
a. They are healthier than regular tobacco cigarettes.
b. They help people quit smoking regular cigarettes.
c. They can lead to smoking regular cigarettes.
d. A and B e. None of the Above

8) Some people take anabolic steroids to enhance their athletic performance. Instead, the might get this: (Pick all that apply)
a. Kidney, heart, and liver damage.
b. Increase in height.
c. Extreme mood swings that can lead to violence.
d. Smoother, nicer skin.
e. For guys: shrunken testicles. For girls: growth of facial hair.

9) Smoking marijuana regularly can be especially harmful to teens. Why?
a. In can lower your IQ.
b. It can affect your ability to drive safely.
c. It can make you less motivated to do well in school.
d. All of the above.

10) Of the drugs listed below, which one is synthetic (man made); produces a “high,” but also can make you paranoid; produces hallucinations; and usually carries the label “not for human consumption.”
a. Anabolic steroids. b. Bath salts. c. Salvia. d. Crystal meth.

Answers:
1) B; 2) A; 3) D; 4) E; 5) D; 6) C; 7) E; 8) A, C and E; 9) D; 10) B.

MaryAdele Revoy is drug free community grant coordinator at Family Resource Center of Sheboygan County and co-chair of the HSC2020 ATODA committee.