PHYSICAL SIGNS OF SUBSTANCE USE:

“I lived in my car, while I was shooting heroin, lost a lot of weight, hid everything in my car, slept a lot….didn’t want to wake up because I didn’t have anything.”

General Signs of Use:

-Constricted or dilated pupils
-Droopy eye lids
-Significant weight loss
-Increase or decrease in appetite
-Paleness of skin/general look of illness
-Black circles under eyes
-Unsteady gait
-Shaky/Sweaty hands
-Change in speech (Rapid/excessive talking or minimal  verbal engagement)
-Not sleeping or excessive sleep

 Smoking Substances (Marijuana or Synthetics/Prescription Pills  Cocaine/Heroin):

-Frequent and persistent cough
-Persistent Bronchitis or other respiratory issues
-Burn marks on lips, hands, finger

Snorting Substances (Heroin/Cocaine/Prescription Pills):

-Frequent sniffles or runny nose
-Sneezing
-Loss of sense of smell/taste
-Redness of nose

IV Substance Use (Heroin/Cocaine/Other):

-Bruises, redness or needle marks on skin (forearms, legs, feet, hands)
-Strange location of abscesses
-Burn marks on fingers/hands
-Excessively rubbing/itching face or other parts of body