I have a nephew who also got into drugs at school when he was about
11 years old and my mother and I had many "battles" over this because
according to her he was just a normal growing boy. I don't think I ever
convinced her that normal growing boys DO NOT put their feet or fist
through walls, rip doors off their hinges or draw knives on family
members or anyone else. His drug of preference was alcohol. Living with
him was like sitting on a time bomb and never knowing when it was going
to explode!
The student that I mentioned above tried to talk with him
several times about how he was ruining his life but it was only after
three different treatment centers that he began to get his act together.
When he took my car at 11:00pm and drove it with no driver's permit and
after being out with a "friend" and drinking 12 beers, I called the
police and pressed charges much to my mother's chagrin. He was given a
choice by the court of going either to the detention center or to Mountain
Wood. He chose to go to Mountain Wood - cost $10,000 + for the month
that he was there. His mother and I had to be there every Saturday morning
at 9:00 am until 5:00 pm for meetings with him and other children and their
parents. It was after this that he began to get his act together.
This was a very successful treatment center but unfortunately is now out
of business because insurance companies started covering only one or two
weeks of the treatment! My nephew did get his GED and went to National
Business College for an Associates Degree in Accounting making Dean's List
for three semesters.
I am starting with this since it is the most abused drug but is ignored
all too often because it is legal, has a strong lobby in the politics
of the country and is all about BIG MONEY!!! It amazes me how there is
so much opposition to smoking and to smokers who are being made to feel like
outcasts. There are stiff penalities and restrictions placed on the tobacco
companies but nothing is done about the producers of alcoholic beverages.
How often do you hear of a smoker who has gotten behind the wheel of his car
and killed someone while "under the influence"? While there is an age limit
on the sale of alcohol, minors still manage to get it, if not at a store,
through older friends or often from their own home.
Signs of Alcohol Use
STIMULANTS
Amphetamines, cocaine ‘speed’, ups or uppers
‘Dope’, ‘weed’, ‘herb’, ‘grass’, ‘pot’, ‘hash’
PCP, ‘angel dust’, phencyclidine
Heroin, morphine
Morphine is derived from Opium and today remains very effective in
the use of pain management. Usually consisting of 5 to 25% opium, it is
generally is odorless, ranging in color from clear to dark brown.
Morphine can be found in a white crystalline, tablet, or liquid form and
as a result, can be administered orally or by injection. Addiction and
tolerance levels vary from user to user, but generally both develop rapidly.
Heroin is a semi-synthetic opium derivative, derived from morphine.
It was first synthesized by the British in 1874. It is believed the
name heroin was derived from the German heroish, which means heroic and
powerful. Used as a cough suppressant and in the treatment of morphine
addiction, the Bayer Corporation first marketed heroin in 1890. In light
of it's addictive properties and growing abuse, the manufacture and
importation of heroin was banned in the United States in 1924.
Heroin is smoked, inhaled, or injected by the abuser. The effects
of opium and it's derivatives use are ---
Upon ingestion of the narcotic, abusers feel an initial period of
exhilaration, which includes a tactile tingling and warm flush of the skin,
what has been described as an "orgasmic" sensation. These first sensations
are followed by a period of lethargy, tranquility, and loss of tension
and/or fear. This period is commonly refereed to as the "nods". Within
24-36 hours of last dosage, withdrawal symptoms appear, lasting three
to five days. Withdrawal symptoms include tearing, runny nose, sweating,
dilated pupils, loss of appetite, gooseflesh, restlessness, muscle tremors,
weakness, insomnia, nausea, vomiting, cramps and diarrhea.
LSD, mescaline, MDA, MDM, psilocybin, DMT, STP
Hallucinogens occur naturally in primarily two forms, peyote cactus
and psilocybin mushrooms. Several chemical varieties have been
synthesized, most notably LSD , MDA , STP , and PCP .
With the exception of PCP , all hallucinogens seem to share common
effects of use. Any portion of sensory perceptions may be altered
to varying degrees. Synesthesia, or the "seeing" of sounds, and the
"hearing" of colors, is a common side effect of hallucinogen use.
Depersonalization, acute anxiety, and acute depression resulting in
suicide have also been noted as a result of hallucinogen use.
Glue, vapor-producing solvents such as whipped cream or empty aerosol
cans, propellants
Inhalants, which include certain glues, aerosols, and solvents, are Commonly abused inhalants include a few types of model cement,cooking The effects of inhalant abuse can include severe headaches, nausea,
easily obtained at a local hardware store but the most common source of
inhalants are the abuser's own home. Their availability makes them
very popular among teen-agers. Though it is illegal to breath inhalants,
it is not illegal to possess or buy them. The abuse of inhalants can have
serious health consequences to the abuser.
sprays, hair spray, deodorant, liquid paper, aerosol sprays, paint, paint
thinner, gasoline and solvents. Inhalants are used by spraying, or pouring
the inhalant onto a rag, which is placed into a bag or sack. The abuser
then places the bag or sack over their face and breaths in the vapors
emitted by the inhalant. This induces a short-lived light headed euphoric
state in the abuser.
fainting, accelerated heart beat, and vomiting. Side effects can include
damage to lungs, liver, kidneys, bone marrow, and can cause suffocation,
choking, anemia, and stroke
Barbiturates, ‘ludes’, ‘downs’ or "downers", tranquilizers
It is important for parents and school officials alike to be aware of these
clues and for them to undergo training in the prevention, detection and
handling of suspected or known users to avoid potential crises including
violent or criminal incidents.
As the name implies, depressants interact to depress the activities
of the central nervous system. There are three categories; hypnotics which
induce sleep; sedatives produce a relaxing effect to help one fall asleep,
and tranquilizers, such as Valium and Xanax, which are used to alleviate
anxiety, tension, and relax muscles. Depressants can be synthesized, or occur
naturally in the plants such as belladonna and curare.
There are also non-barbiturate based depressants such as Methaqualone,
Noludar, and Doriden. These have multi-properties such as sedative,
anti-convulsing, local anesthetic, and cough suppressant.
The effects of barbiturates are similar to alcohol, and range from
very short to very long acting. The abuser can develop a high tolerance
which creates the need for escalating dosages to maintain the desired high.
Barbiturates also have a high potential for dependency.
Another danger of barbiturates is the potential for automatism. This is
the phenomenon where the abuser takes a barbiturate, forgets they have
taken it, then takes another. This cycle can be repeated until the
abuser overdoses.
Barbiturates can have the effects of potentiation and synergism.
This is were the effects between two or more depressants is greater
than their proportionate amount. If an abuser takes depressant "A",
which has effects normally lasting one hour, and takes depressant "B",
which has effects normally lasting 3 hours. When taken together, the
effects of "A" & "B" has the potential to last much longer than the
anticipated 4 hours. The normal effect of the two may be greatly enhanced
as a result of the two drugs being taken together.
If the effects of barbiturates seem severe, the withdrawal aspects
are even worse. Withdrawal from depressants, especially
barbiturates, is very hazardous and potentially lethal, sometimes
taking from five to eight days. These withdrawal effects include
delirium, hallucinations, anxiety, tremors, weakness, abdominal
cramps, nausea, delirium, spatial and time disorientation, seizures,
respiratory failure, heart failure, and finally death.
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