The Dangers of Drugs and Alcohol Combination

The Dangers of Drugs and Alcohol Combination Dr. Travis Stork: Today, we’re answering questions about the health dangers of spring break and the availability of drugs. Many parents actually are concerned about this including Tonia from San Diego, California who sent us this question. Tonia: Hi Doctors! I'm the mother of a teenage daughter, and I was wondering if it’s possible to get drugs without a prescription in Mexico and the Caribbean? Dr. Travis Stork: So, U.S. residents spend more than $1 billion a year at Mexican pharmacies. Now, legally, we all know you need a prescription from a doctor to get a drug at a pharmacy but some countries do sell prescription drugs over the counter but here in the U.S. it would require a prescription things like antibiotics and depressants, even birth control, and here’s the reality, the FDA obviously can't assure a product bought elsewhere and not approved for sale here in this country conforms to quality assurance. Some of these drugs could be counterfeit depending upon where you get them, so you have to be careful. The other big problem is people will mix these drugs sometimes with the alcohol, and if you look at this animation we’re having a little bit fun with, it could be a deadly combination because if you're drinking alcohol, you're already intoxicated and then you take pills with that alcohol, there is an obvious synergistic effect. You may literally decrease your respiratory drive. Also, the organs like your liver and your kidney that help eliminate these drugs may -- you get too much in your system at once, and we’ve all heard about people dying from what we call polypharmacy; alcohol and drugs that shouldn’t be used in combination, and really, especially if you're getting drugs somewhere else without a prescription, well, we get a worried mom joining us from Salisbury, Maryland via Polycam. Hey Paula, welcome to the show. Paula: Hi! How are you? Hi Doctors! Dr. Travis Stork: Glad to have you. Paula: Thank you. Dr. Travis Stork: We know you have concern so why don’t you share that with us. Paula: Yes, I do. My concern is my 18-year old son is going to Cancun for a spring break, and I'm very worried over peer pressure and maybe him participating in activities he wouldn’t normally do. And, just everyday down there in Mexico, what can do about this? Dr. Travis Stork: Well, one thing I can promise you, Paula is that at this very moment Clinton is safe and sound because yes, he’s leaving for Cancun in two days but right now, he’s in our audience. Welcome Clinton. Dr. Jim Sears: There you go. Does your mom need to be worried of what’s going to happen down there? Clinton: I wouldn’t say she needs to be worried. I understand why she’s kind of upset about this. She worries like most moms but we are going to partying in Cancun that’s why we’re going down there. We’re going to plan to not be sober for the entire five days over there but at the same time, there’s a quote I heard a while ago that I really like and it’s “to be smart while you're being stupid” and I think that’s something I will try to embody while we’re down there and definitely better off for it. Dr. Travis Stork: So, is there anything that you've seen on the show changed your mind? Clinton: Not really. It’s —it made me think more about it, and I want to be a lot safer while I'm doing the stuff but at the same time, I'm going down there to make memories and come back with stories and have a good time. It’s my first spring break so I'm going to go all out but I’ll definitely stay with friends the whole time and make sure that I've got my bases covered. Dr. Jim Sears: That’s one of the keys. If you want to make memories, you want to be like keep those memories and just knowing when enough is enough, and because if you cross that line and start to get into the point that you have no idea of what you're doing, that’s when things get off of way. Dr. Drew Ordon: You won't remember what you did in Cancun. Dr. Jim Sears: Yeah. Dr. Travis Stork: In this country, drinking under the age of 21, it’s illegal. It truly is. Now, you're going to a country where it’s not illegal, and that’s a huge responsibility so it’s your time to start acting like a man. You know what, you're a little too young to truly act like a man but at least one of the things you said is you're planning to be more safe, and that is absolutely the key, and you’ve got a mom on Polycam right now who wants to know that you're going to keep in constant -- you're going to let her know that you're safe, too, right mom? Dr. Jim Sears: I'm curious Paula. Paula: Right, I want him to let me know each day just like I do now that he’s at college in L.A. Dr. Jim Sears: Mom, I have a question for you. What specifically are you worried that’s going to happen down there? Paula: He might lose his wallet or cell phone or passport, and I won’t hear from him and I won't be able to sleep at night. I've got to hear from him everyday. Dr. Lisa Masterson: But let's allay her fears, you know who to call if you get in trouble, right. Clinton: Absolutely, yes. Dr. Lisa Masterson: That’s good. He’ll contact you if he gets in trouble. Dr. Travis Stork: So Clinton, be safe, okay. Clinton: Got it. Dr. Travis Stork: And Paula, thank you so much for joining us today. Paula: Thank you.