Drugs in the NWT

Drugs are substances that affect your body and mind. They can change how you feel, think and act. People take drugs for different reasons and in different ways. Some people use them for medical reasons, religious or ceremonial reasons, personal enjoyment, or to cope with stress, trauma or pain. All drugs have the potential to cause harm.

Legal and Illegal Drugs

Drugs can be:

• Legal – for example, alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, and over-the-counter medications
• Illegal – for example, cocaine or magic mushrooms

Legal drugs usually list all their ingredients, so you know what you are taking when you buy from a legal source. Legal drugs can still be dangerous – especially if you take too much.

Illegal drugs can contain almost anything so you can never be sure what you are taking. These drugs can be very dangerous – different batches of an illegal drug may have different amounts of the drug and other unidentified potentially deadly substances.

Illicit Drugs

Illicit drugs (street drugs) include:

• illegal drugs
• legal drugs (like cannabis) obtained from an illegal source
• prescription medicines obtained illegally
• prescription drugs not being used for medical purposes
• other substances that are being used dangerously – for example, sniffing glue or huffing gas

Addictive drugs are often classified into the groups below:

Stimulants (“uppers”) are drugs that speed up the body’s system including brain activity, making the mind more hyper and alert. Examples include:

• Cocaine & Crack
• Methamphetamines
• Caffeine

Depressants (“downers”) are drugs that cause the body and mind to slow down. Examples include:

• Alcohol
  • Non-beverage Alcohols
• Opioids (Heroin, Oxycodone, Fentanyl)
• Benzodiazepines

Hallucinogens are drugs that disrupt a person's perception of reality and cause them to imagine experiences and objects that seem real. Examples include:

• LSD
• Magic Mushrooms

Dissociative Drugs are drugs that produce a sense of mind from body separation (dissociation). Examples include:

• PCP (phencyclidine)
• Ketamine

Some drugs fall into more than one category. Examples include:

• MDMA/Ecstasy/Molly (stimulant & hallucinogen effects)
• Cannabis (stimulant, depressant & hallucinogen effects)
• Tobacco (stimulant & depressant effects)
• Salvia (hallucinogen and dissociative effects)

Wondering about a drug you don’t see listed here? Visit the Health Canada controlled and illegal drugs pages for more information.

Inhalants are usually found in liquid, gas or aerosol form. They are not, technically, illegal or legal drugs, but are chemical products with real-life purposes, such as fuel, household cleaning, spray paint or hair spray, for example. They are not meant for human consumption, and they have immediate, often permanent, and sometimes fatal effects on anyone who uses them.

There are a few different kinds of inhalants:

• Volatile Solvents (markers, paint thinner, gasoline, cleaning supplies)
• Aerosol/Spray cans (hairspray, cooking oil spray, spray paint)
• Gases (propane, ether, butane/lighter fluid)

Substance use can cause harms in many areas of a person's life, including:

Physical Health and Safety

Substance use can lead to illnesses, injuries, and death.

Mental Health

Substance use and mental health concerns are often connected and experienced at the same time, with both influencing the other. Substance use can impact a person’s mental health in many ways. It can lead to memory loss, mood changes and paranoia, poor self control and impulse control, sleep disruption, decline in brain function, and more. Substance use can also trigger mood, anxiety, or depression disorders and can increase the risk of developing a serious mental health illness, like psychosis or schizophrenia.

School

Using substances can make it hard to concentrate and to keep up with schoolwork. Substance use often leads to poor performance in school.

Work

Substance use can have several negative effects on the workplace including loss of productivity and job performance, workplace accidents and injuries, missing work, and job loss.

Relationships

Substance use can seriously impact relationships with family, friends, and peers. It can present challenges around trust and secrecy, isolation, communication breakdowns, physical or emotional abuse, enabling, and more.

Money

Using substances can impact a person’s finances due to impulsive spending, getting into debt, losing income, unemployment and more. Substances can also be expensive and lead to having limited money left to pay for essentials like food. 

Sex

Using substances can make people forget to practice safer sex, participate in riskier sexual behaviour, and can put them at risk of sexual violence.

Legal Problems

Legal problems can include things like arrest for drug use or selling, driving under the influence, or substance related violence.  When thinking long term, criminal records can present problems with future employers or options to travel out of the country.

Below is a brief glossary of some important drug-related terminology.

Substance Use Disorder:

A substance use disorder is a mental health condition in which people use drugs in unhealthy ways despite the drugs' negative and harmful impacts on their lives.

Tolerance:

Tolerance is when the body or brain does not respond to a drug the way it used to. For example, a person might need to take more of the drug to get the same effect, because they have built up tolerance to it over time. Tolerance can go down quickly, and a person’s usual dose may be too much for them after a break or change in use. Things that can affect tolerance include:

• Taking a break from using.
• Reducing the amount they use, or taking less than usual.
• Recently starting using drugs, or using new drugs.
• Lung, liver, heart, or other health issues (e.g. Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder, Hepatitis).

Dependence:

Dependence is when a person’s body gets used to a regular supply of a drug and relies on that drug to feel good or normal or to cope with everyday life. When people become dependant on a drug, lowering the amount they take or stopping use completely can result in withdrawal symptoms. This can make it hard and even dangerous to stop using the drug.

Quitting “cold turkey”:

Quitting “cold turkey” means suddenly stopping using a drug rather than slowing or reducing the amount being used. This can be dangerous and may lead to withdrawal symptoms for many people. It is important to talk to a health care provider about how to quit safely.

Withdrawal:

Withdrawal is a natural reaction that may happen when a person reduces or stops taking drugs after using regularly for a long time or after using high doses. In some cases, and depending on the substance, withdrawal symptoms can be extremely rough and make it very difficult to stop or lower the dose. Symptoms can include nervousness, irritability, agitation, chills, sweating, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, insomnia, body aches, and widespread or increased pain. Severity and length of withdrawal depend on:

• which drug was used,
• how much was taken, and
• how long the drug was used.

Overdose versus Poisoning versus Toxicity

“Overdose”, “poisoning”, and “drug toxicity” describe the harms that can occur when a person’s body is overwhelmed by a toxic amount of a drug or a combination of drugs. These words are often used to describe the same thing, but they have different meanings.

• An “overdose” is what happens when a person takes too much of a drug or takes a combination of drugs that their body can’t handle. Overdoses can happen with many types of drugs and are usually accidental. A person using illicit drugs can never be sure of how strong the drug is or if there are other unidentified lethal additives in it that they do not want or mean to take.
• “Poisoning” or “drug toxicity” are often more accurate words to use, since they explain what a drug is doing to a person’s body.

• Alcohol and other drugs affect your thinking, attention, judgement, and reaction time.
• Arrange a safe ride home before you go out.
• Carry enough money for a taxi.
• Never drive while under the influence of drugs! This includes driving a car, bike, snowmobile, or quad.
• If walking, stick with a trusted friend, ideally who is not under the influence of drugs or alcohol themselves, and wear visible clothing.

• Plan how you’ll leave if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
• Keep your phone on, charged, and with emergency contacts saved.
• Share your location with a trusted family member or friend.
• Make sure you’re within cell range to call for help if needed.

• Arrive and leave parties with people you know and trust. 
• Use a buddy system to look out for one another.
• Only use alcohol or other drugs with someone nearby who can help in an emergency.

• Drink water, especially if using alcohol or other drugs.
• If you are drinking alcohol, try to alternate alcoholic drinks with water to stay hydrated.
• It is also good to eat before and while you are drinking.  

• Don’t mix substances! Mixing substances increases the risk of accidents, overdose and death. This includes mixing drugs with alcohol and prescription or over the counter medications.
• If you do mix, use one substance at a time, and take breaks between substances.

• Start with a small amount (“tester”) and wait before taking more to see how you feel.
• Be cautious – if something feels stronger than expected, stop immediately and seek help. 
• Warning: Illicit drugs may contain dangerous substances like:
  • Fentanyl or carfentanil (even a small amount can cause a deadly overdose)
  • Benzodiazepines (can slow your breathing and reduce naloxone effectiveness).

• Know your own limits and keep track of your use.
• Remember:
  • If you haven’t used in a while, your tolerance may be lower.
  • A lower tolerance increases the risk of intoxication or overdose.
• If something feels off, seek help immediately.

• Don’t accept drinks from strangers or leave your drink unattended.
• If your drink tastes or smells unusual, trust your instincts and don’t drink it.
• Mix or pour your own drinks when possible or watch the bartender prepare your drink.
• Choose bottled drinks that you can open yourself or use a drink cover if you have one.
• If you suddenly feel sick, sleepy, or unexpectedly drunk:
  • Call a trusted friend and seek medical attention immediately.
  • Let them know you suspect your drink may have been spiked.

• Signs of an overdose can vary widely depending on which substance, or substances, someone used. 
• Signs of Opioid overdose:
  • Slow, weak, or no breathing.
  • Not responding.
  • Drowsy, or difficulty staying awake.
  • Choking, gurgling or snoring sounds.
  • Blue or grey lips and nails.
  • Cold, clammy skin.
  • Tiny pupils.
• What to do:
  • Call 9-1-1 immediately if you think someone has overdosed.
  • Use a Naloxone kit if you suspect an opioid overdose.
  • The Good Samaritan Law(link is external) protects you from drug possession charges when helping in an overdose situation. 

• Naloxone can temporarily reverse opioid overdoses within minutes.
• Keep a kit on hand and know how to use it.
• Naloxone kits are free at NWT pharmacies, clinics, and health centres.
• Naloxone will not reverse overdoses from other drugs - but if in doubt, always give Naloxone.
• Naloxone is safe for all ages.
• You cannot use Naloxone improperly and it does not create dependence. 
• Important: Do not let your Naloxone kit freeze; it must be stored correctly to work.

• Only a sober ‘yes’ means yes – consent must be given freely and consistently.
• Set your boundaries and respect the boundaries of others.
• You can say no at anytime even if you previously had said yes – no is still no.
• If you feel unsafe or are about to blackout, find a safe place immediately.
• Reminder: Sexual violence is never your fault. Seek help if needed and see a health care provider right away.   

• If you choose to have sex, protect yourself and your partner(s):
  • Use condoms or oral dams.
  • Avoid sharing sex toys (if you do share, properly clean and disinfect them).
  • If engaging in higher-risk activities, talk to your health care provider about preventative medicines.
  • Get tested regularly if you have new or multiple partners. Testing is available at the STI clinic in Yellowknife, public health, and health centres.