PR&LA Summer 2018

Summer 2018 • PENNSYLVANIA RESTAURANT & LODGING matters •  25 The length of time any illicit or prescribed drug stays in a person’s system will vary. It will largely depend on their physiological makeup (height, weight, body fat percentage, current state of health) but other factors such as your state of mind, frequency of use, quantity of drug used, and quality of drug will impact its duration. The information below can be used to estimate the approximate length of time common drugs will be detectable in someone’s body. Adapted from Drug Free Workplace PA, www.drugfreeworkplacepa.org Substances Signs and Symptoms Toolkit. SUBSTANCES Signs & Symptoms MARIJUANA ALCOHOL OPIATES also in prescription form (narcotics) such as codeine, morphine, fentanyl, carfentanyl, Percocet and tramadol. COCAINE MDMA (Ecstasy) METHAMPHETAMINES SLANG/ALTERNATIVE NAMES Pot, Weed, Blunt, Bud, Grass, Herb, Reefer, Dank, Headies, Higrade Beer, Booze, Hooch, Liquor, Wine HEROIN, OPIUM China, Dreams, Laudanum, H, Downtown Montega, China White, Dope PRESCRIPTION OPIATES Happy Pills, Hillbilly Heroin, OC, Oxy, Percs, Vikes, Erks, OX, Cotton, Ops, Kickers Candy, Coke, Crack, Flake, Rocks, Snow, Whitecoat, Yayyo Note: crack cocaine shares many symptoms but is smoked instead of snorted. Molly, E Crank, Crystal, Desoxyn, Glass, Ice, Speed, Meth, Tina DURATION 2–5 Days* 1 hour, to 10–12 hours 1–2 Days 1–2 Days 1–5 Days 2–4 Days SIGNS/SYMPTOMS—PHYSICAL (P), BEHAVIORAL (B) P  Bloodshot eyes, fast heart rate, sleepy, lethargic, lack of coordination, increased appetite, dry mouth B  Confusion, lack of focus, unusually talkative, misjudging time, secretiveness, paranoia, anxiety P  Breath smells like alcohol, enlarged pupils, nausea and vomiting, loss of balance, inability to walk straight, slurred or loud speech, fast heartbeats while slow breathing, blackouts or seizures, memory loss B  Rapid changing moods, risky behavior such as driving or unprotected sexual activity, stupor, severe confusion, unpredictable behavior, inability to stop drinking once started P  Dry mouth, flush skin, nodding off, itching, nausea and vomiting, tiny pupils, sleepy eyes, slow breathing, slurred speech B  Confusion, lack of awareness, neglect of grooming, failure to eat, covering arms with long sleeves, anxiety, mood swings P  Dilated pupils, runny nose (snorting), nosebleeds (snorting), white powder around nostrils (snorting), fast heart rate, talkative, burns on lips/fingers (smoking), hyperactivity, muscle tics B  Hyper-focused, easily agitated, frequent trips out of room, euphoria, antisocial behavior, paranoia, aggressiveness, mania-like symptoms P  High level of stimulation, unusually energetic, abnormally friendly, overly sensitive to lights and sound, exaggerated reactions to touch, nausea, chills, sweating, dilated pupils, clenched jaw, overheating B   Irregular sleeping schedule, lack of awareness of pain, multiple sexual partners, lack of inhibitions, loss of time awareness P   Dilated pupils, sweating, overheating, teeth turning brown and rotten after prolonged use, tremors, jaw clenching B  Lack of sleeping or eating, unusually active, nervous/ anxiety, mania, obsessive focus on repetitive actions * NOTE: For chronic drug users, drugs (other than alcohol) can be retained in the system much longer after their last use. For instance, marijuana and PCP stay in your system and can be detected for up to 30+ days after lengthy periods of heavy use.