Drug Awareness

You can say "NO" when you have the power of drug awareness!!

This page of my web site is to assist in my work as the Drug Awareness Chairman and as a parent who feels compelled to let all parents know the importance in being educated and informed about illegal drugs.

I can't think of one thing "mind altering drugs" are good for. Having a nation of drug addicts is unacceptable in my opinion and its weakens us as a nation. We need our kids and citizens at their best and being a drug addict isn't the way. There is an internal war in our country being waged by its own citizens that want to legalize illicit drugs. I can't for the life of think why anyone would want to champion such a cause.

This web page is also a starting point to help parents be aware of what their kids have facing them. It can be tough just to say "NO" when you child is dealing with pier pressure. Is a friend a friend if he tries to get your child to try drugs? Explain that to your kids!

There is information and web addresses if you suspect your kids of taking drugs. I am not an expert and don't claim to be and this page is only a basic starting point. I have tried to include enough web address's "web sites" that have the best knowledge and information so you can become thoroughly informed.

There is power in being informed!!!

DRUG FREE PLEDGE

I pledge to stay in school and learn the things that I need to know.

I pledge to make the world a better place for kids like me to grow.

I pledge to keep my dreams alive and be all that I can be.

I pledge to help others and to keep myself drug free.

FACTS:

1. Drugs drive crime in your neighborhoods.

2. Drugs remain the biggest threat to your communities and families.

3. There is no way to keep people safe if drug traffickers rule your streets.

4. 2/3 of the men arrested across the US tested positive for illegal drugs.

5. Drugs were killing 10 times the number of people killed in 911 attacks.

6. The economic cost of drug abuse in America topped $180 billion a year.

HOW BIG IS THE PROBLEM

§ In 2006, one third of our adolescents aged 12 to 17 drank alcohol!

§ In 2006 one fifth of our adolescents aged 12 to 17 used an illicit drug!

§ In 2006 one sixth of our adolescents aged 12 to 17 smoked cigarettes!

22 to 17 Years of Age On The Average Day

§ 7,970 Drank alcohol for the first time-

§ 630,539 Drank alcohol-

§ 4,348 Used illicit drug for the first time-

§ 1,924,480 Used an illicit drugs-

§ 1,245,240 Cigarettes

§ 586,454 Marijuana

§ 49,263 Inhalants

§ 26645 Hallucinogens

§ 13,125 Cocaine

§ 3,753 Heroin

WHAT HAPPENS TO THESE KIDS!

In the year 2005

§ 76,240 were clients in outpatient treatment-

§ 10,313 were clients in non-hospital residential treatment-

§ 1,058 were clients in hospital inpatient treatment.

***These figures have not changed much for 2006 – 2007***

GEORGIA FACTS

§ Population - 9,072,576

§ State Prison Population – 51,104

§ Probation Population – 419,350

§ Violent Crime Rate National Ranking – 19

Note! 1 out of every 19.3 persons in Georgia is in prison or on probation!

2006 Federal Drug Seizures in Georgia

§ Cocaine – 1,102.1 kgs

§ Heroine – 11.6 kgs

§ Methamphetamine – 209.5 kgs

§ Marijuana – 1,558.8 kgs

§ Meth Lab Incidents – 156

Drug Situation in Georgia

§ Georgia serves as both a final destination point, and as a smuggling corridor for Drugs being transported to the East Coast

§ 5% of Georgia's population is Hispanics which includes undocumented immigrants (mostly from Mexico). The Mexican community has grown, and with it has also grown the presence of Mexican traffickers. They have become the largest foreign threat in the State predominantly trafficking in cocaine, meth, marijuana, and heroin.

Prisoners reporting drug use at time of crime!

§ 74% with a mental health problem were under influence of drugs at time of crime.

§ 56% without a mental health problem were under the influence of drugs at time of crime.

§ 74% with mental health problem were dependent on drugs.

§ 56% without a mental health problem were dependent on drugs.

METH & GEORGIA

o A vicious storm is blowing across Georgia.

o It is destroying homes.

o It is spewing toxic waste into the environment.

o It is tearing apart families.

o It is overwhelming law enforcement and social service agencies.

o It is killing some people. It’s ruining others’ lives.

o The storm hit first in the northwest corner of our state, and as forecasters warned, it is moving steadily to the south and to the east.

o Like Katrina, Rita and Wilma, this storm has a name.

o Its name is Meth.

***Meth abuse causes more emergency room visits than all other drugs. ***

***Need for meth treatment programs growing dramatically. ***

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HARM REDUCTION - (A Flawed Program)

· Harm reduction attempts to reduce the consequences of drug use without reducing the use of illegal drugs.

· The idea is used by those who would like to normalize drug use in our society and is actually drug promotion.

· It creates the illusion that if people use drugs properly that they can use them in a safe manner; however, it ignores the fact that drugs themselves are harmful.

· Needle Exchange Programs are program that gives clean needles to heroin addicts in exchange for clean ones in hope to decrease the spread of HIV and Hepatitis.

· Safe crack kits encourage people to smoke crack instead of use drugs intravenously, and also, they’re used so people won’t spread diseases.

· Needle exchange programs encourage people to continue using, instead of stopping using altogether.

· Also, the programs do not prevent the spread of disease. A 1997 study revealed that participants in a Vancouver needle exchange program experienced an increase of AIDS from 2% to 27%.

· Kids are taught that drugs can be used safely, which is never true. It is as if you tell a child they can play in the street as long as they wear a helmet. The child will still get hurt.

Europe’s Wrong Idea

· The idea is attractive in Europe because it’s a diverse human behavior that supposedly needs to be accepted and tolerated.

· Switzerland was the poster child of harm reduction, and it failed miserably. The program prolonged people’s addiction and increased the problem.

· Drug dealers in the Netherlands are allowed to deduct from their taxes business expenses of dealing drugs, such as guard dogs and assault rifles.

· People in the United States who are advocates of harm reduction use the models of European countries. However, these programs have obviously been proven ineffective.

STEPPING STONES FOR LEGALIZING DRUGS

· First, drugs are normalized. This means that society will no longer see a moral or legal dilemma associated with drug use.

· Next, a policy of harm reduction is introduced. This also assists in the normalization process and is a Trojan Horse for legalization.

· Then, drugs are decriminalized. This is something that is being pushed by legalization groups now.

· Lastly, drugs themselves are legalized. This is a very dangerous idea and is pushed by ideas such as harm reduction. The New England Journal of Medicine estimates that if cocaine were legal, the number of cocaine addicts would increase from 2 million to at least 20 million.

DON'T BE FOOLED BY HARM

· Don’t be fooled by so-called safe use messages.

· Drugs are dangerous and often lead to addiction and premature death.

· Don’t think you’re immune to an accident or overdose.

· Reject teaching that says illegal drugs can be used safely.

· Needle exchange programs prolong and promote addiction.

· Harm Reduction is the Trojan Horse for legalization.

· If you or a friend is addicted, seek competent, abstinence-based treatment

· Avoid addiction – don’t ever start.

Introducing... Your Brain!
The brain is the command center of your body. It weighs about three pounds, and has different centers or systems that process different kinds of information.

The brainstem is the most primitive structure at the base of your brain. The brainstem controls your heart rate, breathing, and sleeping; it does the things you never think about.

Various parts or lobes of the brain process information from your sense organs: the occipital lobe receives information from your eyes, for example. And the cerebral cortex, on top of the whole brain, is the "thinking" part of you. That's where you store and process language, math, and strategies: It's the thinking center. Buried deep within the cerebral cortex is the limbic system, which is responsible for survival: It remembers and creates an appetite for the things that keep you alive, such as good food and the company of other human beings.

The cerebellum is responsible for things you learn once and never have to think about, such as balance when walking or how to throw a ball.

How Does Your Brain Communicate?
The brain's job is to process information. Brain cells called neurons receive and send messages to and from other neurons. There are billions of neurons in the human brain, each with as many as a thousand threadlike branches that reach out to other neurons.

In a neuron, a message is an electrical impulse. The electrical message travels along the sending branch, or axon, of the neuron. When the message reaches the end of the axon, it causes the release of a chemical called a neurotransmitter. The chemical travels across a tiny gap, or synapse, to other neurons.

Specialized molecules called receptors on the receiving neuron pick up the chemical. The branches on the receiving end of a neuron are called dendrites. Receptors there have special shapes so they can only collect one kind of neurotransmitter.

In the dendrite, the neurotransmitter starts an electrical impulse. Its work done, the chemical is released back into the synapse. The neurotransmitter then is broken down or is reabsorbed into the sending neuron.

Neurons in your brain release many different neurotransmitters as you go about your day thinking, feeling, reacting, breathing, and digesting. When you learn new information or a new skill, your brain builds more axons and dendrites first, as a tree grows roots and branches. With more branches, neurons can communicate and send their messages more efficiently.

What Do Drugs Do to the Brain?
Some drugs work in the brain because they have a similar size and shape as natural neurotransmitters. In the brain in the right amount or dose, these drugs lock into receptors and start an unnatural chain reaction of electrical charges, causing neurons to release large amounts of their own neurotransmitter.

Some drugs lock onto the neuron and act like a pump, so the neuron releases more neurotransmitter. Other drugs block reabsorption or reuptake and cause unnatural floods of neurotransmitter.

All drugs of abuse, such as nicotine, cocaine, and marijuana, primarily affect the brain's limbic system. Scientists call this the "reward" system. Normally, the limbic system responds to pleasurable experiences by releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine, which creates feelings of pleasure.

What Happens if Someone Keeps Using Drugs?
Think about how you feel when something good happens—maybe your team wins a game, you're praised for something you've done well, or you drink a cold lemonade on a hot day—that's your limbic system at work. Because natural pleasures in our lives are necessary for survival, the limbic system creates an appetite that drives you to seek those things.

The first time someone uses a drug of abuse, he or she experiences unnaturally intense feelings of pleasure. The limbic system is flooded with dopamine. Of course, drugs have other effects, too; a first-time smoker may also cough and feel nauseous from toxic chemicals in a tobacco or marijuana cigarette.

But the brain starts changing right away as a result of the unnatural flood of neurotransmitters. Because they sense more than enough dopamine, for example, neurons begin to reduce the number of dopamine receptors. Neurons may also make less dopamine. The result is less dopamine in the brain: This is called down regulation. Because some drugs are toxic, some neurons may also die.

How Many Times Does Someone Have To Take a Drug To Become an Addict?
No one knows how many times a person can use a drug without changing his or her brain and becoming addicted.

A person's genetic makeup probably plays a role. But after enough doses, an addicted teen's limbic system craves the drug as it craves food, water, or friends. Drug craving is made worse because of down regulation.

Without a dose of the drug, dopamine levels in the drug abuser's brain are low. The abuser feels flat, lifeless, depressed. Without drugs, an abuser's life seems joyless. Now the abuser needs drugs just to bring dopamine levels up to normal levels. Larger amounts of the drug are needed to create a dopamine flood or high, an effect known as tolerance.

By abusing drugs, the addicted teen has changed the way his or her brain works. Drug abuse and addiction lead to long-term changes in the brain. These changes cause addicted drug users to lose the ability to control their drug use. Drug addiction is a disease.

If Drug Addiction Is a Disease, Is There a Cure?
There is no cure for drug addiction, but it is a treatable disease; drug addicts can recover. Drug addiction therapy is a program of behavior change or modification that slowly retrains the brain. Like people with diabetes or heart disease, people in treatment for drug addiction learn behavioral changes and often take medications as part of their treatment regimen.

References:

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Brain: Understanding Neurobiology Through the Study of Addiction (http://science-education.nih.gov/Customers.nsf/highschool.htm):
NIH Pub. No. 00-4871.

2. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Brain Power! The NIDA Junior Scientists Program (http://www.nida.nih.gov/JSP/JSP.html):
NIH Pub. No. 01-4575. Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. 2000.

3. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Mind Over Matter: The Brain's Response to Drugs Teacher's Guide (http://teens.drugabuse.gov/mom/tg_intro.asp):
NIH Pub. No. 020-3592. Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Printed 1997. Reprinted 1998, 2002. Revised 2000.

4. National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA InfoFacts: Drug Addiction Treatment Methods (http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofax/treatmeth.html): Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Retrieved June 2003.

Cartersville Elks Lodge Donates Comic Books to Bartow County DARE Unit.

Picture: (Left to Right) Paul R. West / Drug Awareness Chairman, Investigator Richey Harrell / DARE Officer, Sheriff Clark Millsap, Greg Taylor / Exalted Ruler Cartersville Elks.

Members of Cartersville Lodge 1969 met with Bartow County DARE officers and presented 200 Drug Awareness Comic Books for the 5^th grade Cartersville Elementary School. During the hour long meeting with Investigator Harrell, Paul West and Greg Taylor discussed the various ways the local Elks lodge could help assist Bartow County’s DARE unit.

DARE investigators Harrell and Morgan instruct over 1800 5^th graders in a year’s time through out the county and city school systems. They also speak to the lower elementary grades and to the freshman high school classes.

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and The National Elks Drug Awareness Program have formed a partnership with SAMHSA (The Federal governments - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) and Marvel Comic Books to produce an action Comic Book called “Hard Choices”. The comic book features Elroy the Elk, Spider Man and the Fantastic Four.

Through the Cartersville Elks lodge, schools are eligible to receive up to 250 comic books, along with other drug awareness pamphlets and supplies. The Elks also support a poster contest for 3-5^th grades. School counselors can contact the lodge Drug Awareness Chairman at paulrwest@comcast.net for information.

Red Ribbon Week:

The annual celebration of National Red Ribbon week starts today, with communities and students across America committing themselves to living drug-free lives. It is very appropriate for the men and women of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to join with other Americans to support the dreams and goals of our children, and to commemorate the ultimate sacrifice made by Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena on our behalf.

National Red Ribbon week serves as a tribute to Special Agent Camarena, who was kidnapped and brutally tortured and murdered by drug traffickers in Mexico. This tragic event produced an immediate outpouring of grief, but over time has generated a sense of hope across America. That hope is being kept alive through the hard work of thousands of Americans ---particularly our young people---who participate in Red Ribbon events during the last week in October. This tradition is stronger than ever today, as an increasing number of Americans are saying “yes” to a drug-free life.

Red Ribbon Week is the most far-reaching and well-known drug prevention event in America. The National Family Partnership, which coordinates Red Ribbon activities nationally, estimates that over 80 million Americans participate in Red Ribbon events. It’s also a chance for DEA to show our support for citizens throughout the United States who support our efforts to keep communities free from the ravages of drug trafficking and drug abuse.

Please join me this week in wearing a Red Ribbon to affirm our commitment to drug prevention and education, and to honor the memory of Kiki Camarena. I also ask you to take time to talk to your families, your neighbors and your communities about living a drug-free lifestyle. I am also asking supervisors to encourage their employees to spread this message of hope with their children’s’ schools, their churches and synagogues, and businesses in their communities. Employees may obtain materials and ribbons from Demand Reduction at Headquarters, and from Demand Reduction coordinators in DEA Field Divisions.

This is a great opportunity for all of us to send a clear and unequivocal message that drugs damage lives---whether it is through lost productivity, unfulfilled dreams, drugged driving incidents, or addiction. And it’s a chance for us to show that Kiki Camarena’s spirit---and hope for a drug-free America---can never be extinguished.

Red Ribbon Week

What is Red Ribbon Week?

-a time for gratitude for all the lives that remain drug free

-a time to pledge to live a safe and drug-free life

-a time to remember those we have lost in the fight against drugs

***The Elks have been supporters of this cause for many years.***

http://www.elks.org/drugs/default.cfm

Marijuana: Medicine or Snake Oil?

Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug. This means that it has no medical use, but does have a high potential for abuse.

Some people want to reclassify marijuana, claiming that marijuana is a medicine. These people base their claims on “anecdotal” evidence. They are relying on anecdotes, or stories that they have heard from people who claim to have received medical benefits from smoking marijuana.

To understand why DEA is opposed to reclassifying marijuana, it is important to know how drugs become medicine. All drugs to be used as medicine must pass through a comprehensive review before they appear on the market. The proposed drug must be tested on animals and humans; the safety and effectiveness of the drug must be assured; the drug’s sponsor must provide information on how the drug is made and quality maintained. It must be determined that the side effects of the drug do not outweigh its usefulness. For example, in the 1960s, many people—doctors included—found thalidomide to be effective in treating morning sickness in pregnant women. However, the side effects of using thalidomide were tragic. Women who had taken the drug bore children with severe birth defects, such as missing limbs. Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not approve thalidomide in this country, many American families were spared the tragedies that women in other countries faced.

What does science say?

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the major mind-altering component in marijuana. Research has resulted in the development of dronabinol, (marketed under the name Marinol), a product containing synthetic THC for the control of nausea and vomiting caused by some cancer treatment, and to stimulate appetite in AIDS patients. Marinol does not contain the harmful side effects that smoking crude marijuana causes.

Marijuana smokers experience the same health problems as tobacco smokers such as bronchitis, emphysema, and bronchial asthma. Other side effects include increased heart rate, dry mouth, reddening of the eyes, impaired motor skills and concentration. Extended use increases risk to the lungs and reproductive system as well as suppression of the immune system. Marijuana as medicine is not endorsed by the American Medical Association, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Cancer Society, National Eye Institute, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases (HIV-AIDS), or the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (Multiple Sclerosis).

Why would anyone want to make marijuana legal and available if it is so harmful?

Behind the movement to make marijuana available for “medical use “are people who use illegal drugs and want to legitimize their actions as well as those who are simply misguided. The movement to simply legalize drugs failed several times, but has been more successful when hidden behind the euphemisms of “compassion” and “harm reduction.”

In fact, members of the pro- legalization movement have stated that the medical use of marijuana is an integral part of the strategy to legalize marijuana. Everyone wants to be seen as having compassion on those who are suffering, so many people have supported the legalization movement without knowing the true facts behind it.

To further understand the real motive behind the movement to allow marijuana to be used for “compassionate purposes,” look at the wording of the legislation passed in California and Arizona, and proposed in many other states. In California, one needs only a recommendation, not a prescription from a physician to use marijuana.

The dose you use would be up to you. And there is no need to go to a pharmacy for this “medicine;”

it can be grown in your backyard. Have you ever heard of growing your own heart medicine or headache remedy?

In Arizona, marijuana is not the only Schedule I drug with alleged medical benefit. Legislation in that state makes all Schedule I drugs available with a doctor’s prescription, including LSD, PCP, and heroin. It is plain to see that the goal of the group advocating the medical use of marijuana is really the legalization of all drugs.

What can we expect if marijuana is legalized?

Studies have shown that when people believe that drugs are harmful, drug use declines. Conversely, when drugs are seen as benign, drug use increases.

If marijuana is legalized, we can be sure that its use will increase.

With increased drug use comes an increase in crime. The most recent Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) report indicated that, on average, 68% of arrestees in reporting cities had at least one drug in their system at the time of arrest. Data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics corrections surveys show that a quarter of convicted jail inmates, a third of state prisoners, and two-fifths of youths in long-term facilities admit that they were under the influence of an illegal drug at the time of their offense.

We can also expect more carnage on our highways. In a recent study in Tennessee, 59% of reckless drivers who tested negative for alcohol, tested positive for marijuana or cocaine. Our health care costs will increase, and businesses will experience increased absenteeism and decreased productivity.

Facts About Marijuana:

Ø Marijuana is a mood-altering drug capable of producing dependency.

Ø Marijuana contains a complex mixture of over 400 compounds, some of which are carcinogenic.

Ø In the 1960s, marijuana had a THC content between .5 and 1.5%. Today, the THC content of marijuana ranges from 8-20%, and has been recorded at a record 29.86%

Ø Marijuana impairs memory and learning.

Ø Some of the physical side effects of marijuana are bloodshot eyes, a speeded-up heart beat, and dry mouth.

Ø Other disorders associated with marijuana use include impaired judgment and motor coordination, anxiety, sensation of slowed time, social withdrawal, memory deficit and disorientation, hallucinations and delusions.

Ø Marijuana has triggered attacks of mental

Ø illness: schizophrenia and bi- polar

Ø (Manic-depressive) psychosis. Users are six times more likely to develop schizophrenia than non-users.

Ø Marijuana use during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight babies. Children parentally exposed to marijuana have more behavioral problems and decreased visual perception, attention span, language comprehension, and memory.

Ø Of those who use marijuana 3 to 10 times, 20% go on to use cocaine. Of those who use marijuana 100 times or more, 75% go on to use cocaine.

Tips for Teens about Marijuana

Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States and tends to be the first illegal drug teens use. However, this is not to say that the majority of teens use marijuana. In fact, according to a 1994 survey of high school seniors, while 30.7 percent used marijuana sometime within the past year, 69.3 percent did not use marijuana. Additionally, most marijuana users do not go on to use other illegal drugs.

Marijuana has several negative physical and mental effects. Use of marijuana may impair or reduce short-term memory and comprehension, alter sense of time, and reduce ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, such as driving a car.

What are the short-term effects of using Marijuana?

Ø Sleepiness and increased hunger

Ø Difficulty keeping track of time, impaired or reduced short-term memory

Ø Reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, such as driving a car

Ø Increased heart rate

Ø Potential cardiac dangers for those with preexisting heart disease

Ø Bloodshot eyes

Ø Decreased social inhibitions

Ø Risk of paranoia, hallucinations, intense anxiety

What are the long-term effects of using Marijuana?

Ø Increased risk of chronic pulmonary disorders, including cancer

Ø Decrease in testosterone levels for men

Ø Increase in testosterone levels for women

Ø Lower sperm counts and difficulty having children in men

Ø Increased risk of infertility in women

Ø Diminished or extinguished sexual pleasure

Ø Psychological dependence requiring more of the drug to get the same effect

A recent study of 1,023 trauma patients admitted to a shock trauma unit (receiving only the most seriously injured accident victims) found that one-third had detectable levels of marijuana in their blood.

Some people find that marijuana can increase their appetites, which may lead to gorging on junk food and possible weight gain.

If you or someone you know has been using marijuana, help is available. Talk to a school counselor, a friend, or a parent.

What Is It?

Marijuana is a mixture of the dried and shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. The mixture can be green, brown, or gray. Hemp's scientific name is Cannabis sativa.

A bunch of leaves seems harmless, right? But think again. Marijuana has a chemical in it called tetrahydrocannabinol. Better known as THC. A lot of other chemicals are found in marijuana too—about 400 of them, some of which can cause lung cancer. But THC is the main active ingredient.

What Are the Common Street Names?
There are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana from city to city and from neighborhood to neighborhood. Some common names are: pot, grass, herb, weed, Mary Jane, reefer, skunk, boom, gangster, kif, chronic, and ganja.

How Is It Used?

Marijuana is used in many ways. Some users brew it as tea or mix it with food. Others smoke blunts—cigars hollowed out and filled with the drug. And sometimes marijuana is smoked through a water pipe called a bong. The most common method is smoking loose marijuana rolled into a cigarette called a joint or nail.

How Many Teens Use Marijuana?

Ever heard that lame line "everybody's doing it?" Tell that person to check the facts. As part of a 2002 NIDA-funded study, researchers asked teens if they had used marijuana or hashish (another form of marijuana) in the past month. Of all the 8th graders surveyed, only 8.3% said yes; only 17.8% of 10th graders had used the drug in the past month; and just 21.5% of 12th graders.

What Are the Common Effects?

Imagine this: You're in a ball game, playing out in left field. An easy fly ball comes your way, and you're psyched. When that ball lands in your glove your team will win, and you'll be a hero. But, you're a little off. The ball grazes your glove and hits dirt. So much for your dreams of glory.

Such loss of coordination can be caused by smoking marijuana. And that's just one of the many negative side effects. Under the influence of marijuana, you could forget your best friend's phone number, watch your grade point average drop like a stone, or get into a car accident. Even worse, high doses of marijuana use can cause anxiety and panic attacks.

Before we look at the damage marijuana can do, let's back up for a second and discuss a tricky truth. For some people, smoking marijuana makes them feel good. Within minutes of inhaling, a user begins to feel "high," or filled with pleasant sensations. A chemical in marijuana, THC, triggers brain cells to release the chemical dopamine. Dopamine creates good feelings—for a short time.

Addiction
Here's the thing: Once dopamine starts flowing, a user feels the urge to smoke marijuana again, and then again, and then again. Repeated use could lead to addiction, and addiction is a brain disease.

THC Attaches to Specific Receptors in the Brain

THC is up to no good in the brain. THC finds brain cells, or neurons, with specific kinds of receptors called cannabinoid receptors. Then, it binds to these receptors.

When it attaches to a neuron, THC interferes with normal communication between neurons. Think of it as a disruption in the phone service, caused perhaps by too many users all at once. Let's say Neuron #1 needs to tell Neuron #2 to create a new memory. If THC is in the mix, this communication is likely to fail.

Certain parts of the brain have high concentrations of cannabinoid receptors. These areas are: the hippocampus, the cerebellum, the basal ganglia, and the cerebral cortex.

THC Creates Learning and Memory Problems

The hippocampus is a part of the brain with a funny name and a big job. It's in charge of certain types of learning and memory.

Disrupting the normal functioning of the hippocampus can lead to trouble studying and learning and problems recalling recent events. The difficulty can be a lot more serious than "Did I take out the trash this morning?"

Interference with the hippocampus may also lead to lasting memory loss. Studies in rats show that taking in a lot of THC over a long period of time can damage neurons in the hippocampus. Chances are, if it happens to rats, it's happening to people who smoke marijuana.

Smoking Marijuana Can Make Driving Dangerous

The cerebellum is the section of our brain that does most of the work on balance and coordination. When THC finds its way into the cerebellum, it makes scoring a goal in soccer or hitting a home run pretty tough.

THC also does a number on the basal ganglia, another part of the brain that's involved in movement control.

These THC effects can spell disaster on the highway. Research shows that drivers on marijuana have slow reaction times, impaired judgment, and problems responding to signals and sounds on the road. In one study of 150 reckless drivers, 33 tested positive for marijuana.

Smoking Marijuana May Lead to Lung Cancer

The list of negative effects goes on and on. Smoking marijuana may increase the risk of heart attack. Smoking marijuana may cause lung cancer because it has some of the same cancer-causing substances as tobacco. Plus, marijuana smokers tend to inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than cigarette smokers do. So more smoke enters the lungs. Puff for puff, smoking marijuana may increase the risk of cancer even more than smoking cigarettes does.

What about Medical Marijuana?

THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, produces effects that potentially can be useful for treating a variety of medical conditions. It is the main ingredient in a pill that is currently used to treat nausea in cancer chemotherapy patients and to stimulate appetite in patients with wasting due to AIDS. Scientists are continuing to investigate other potential medical uses for cannabinoids.

However, smoking marijuana is difficult to justify medically because the amount of THC in marijuana is not always consistent. It would be difficult—if not impossible—to come up with a safe and effective use of the drug because you could never be sure how much THC you were getting. Moreover, the negative effects of marijuana smoke on the lungs will offset the helpfulness of smoked marijuana for some patients.

Finally, little is known about the many chemicals besides THC that are in marijuana, or their possible negative impact on patients with medical conditions.

References:

1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Marijuana: Facts for Teens (http://www.drugabuse.gov/
MarijBroch/MarijIntro.html). NIH Pub. No. 98-4037. Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS, Revised Mar. 2003.

2. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know (http://www.drugabuse.gov/
MarijBroch/MarijIntro.html). NIH Pub. No. 02-4036. Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS, Revised Nov. 2002.

3. National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA InfoFacts: High School and Youth Trends (http://www.drugabuse.gov/
Infofax/HSYouthtrends.html): Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Retrieved June 2003.

4. National Institute on Drug Abuse. NIDA Research Report—Marijuana Abuse (http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/
Marijuana/default.html): NIH Pub. No. 00-3859. Bethesda, MD: NIDA, NIH, DHHS. Printed Oct. 2002.

Quick Facts:

1. Know the law. Marijuana is an illegal substance. Depending on where you are caught you could face a heavy-duty fine and jail time.

2. Get the facts right. You do not function normally and cannot do things that require concentration under the influence of marijuana.

3. Stay informed. Marijuana has been shown to lower sperm counts in men and increase the risk of infertility in women.

4. Be aware of the risks. Using drugs increases the risk of injury.

Car crashes, falls, burns, drowning and suicide are all linked to drug use.

5. Keep your edge. Drug use can ruin your looks, make you depressed, and contribute to slipping grades.

6. Play it safe. One incident of drug use could make you do something that you will regret for a lifetime.

7. Do the smart thing. Using drugs puts your health, education, family ties, and social life at risk.

8. Get with the program. Contrary to what you might hear in songs or see on TV or in the movies, doing drugs does not make you cool.

9. Face your problems. Using drugs won't help you escape your problems, it will only create more.

10. Be a real friend. If you know someone with a drug problem, be part of the solution. Urge your friend to get help.

How Can I Tell if My Child Is Using Drugs?

It is difficult because changes in mood, attitudes, unusual temper outbursts, and changes in hobbies or other interests are common in teens.

WATCH LIST FOR PARENTS:

“As a parent you should look for signs of depression, withdrawal and hostility.”

1. Changes in friends

2. Negative changes in schoolwork, missing school, discipline problems at school, activity changes.

3. Increased secrecy about possessions or activities.

4. Use of incense, room deodorant, or perfume to hide smoke or chemical odors.

5. Subtle changes in conversations with friends, more secretive using coded language. “Four twenty” is a code name for a time to get high.

6. Change in clothing choices: new fascination with clothes that highlight drug use.

7. Evidence of drug paraphernalia, such as pipes, rolling papers.

8. Evidence of inhalant products, such as hairspray, nail polish, correction fluid, and other common inhalants.

9. Bottles of eye drops, used to mask blood shot eyes, or dilated pupils.

10. Missing prescription drugs - especially narcotics and stabilizers.

These changes often signal that something is going on and often that involves alcohol or drugs. Seek professional help in dealing with this problem.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Parents, you are the first line of defense when it comes to your child’s drug use or drinking. You are the difference maker!

1. Set Rules - Let your child know alcohol and drug use is unacceptable in your family. Enforce stated consequences when family rules are broken.

2. Know where your teens are and what will they be doing during unsupervised time.

3. Talk to your child. Casually ask how things are going at school, with friends, and his plans for the future.

4. Keep your teens busy, especially between 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and into evening hours. Teens who are involved in constructive, adult supervised activities are less likely to use drugs than other teens.

5. Take time to learn the facts about marijuana and underage drinking and talk to your teen about the harmful effects on young people.

6. Get to know your child’s friends and parents. Make sure you know their rules and standards.

7. Accept the role of a parent as your major responsibility. Children do not need you to be their friend, let others be their friend. You be the parent!

The Elks are committed to providing a healthy future for America’s youth. In addition to educating young people about the dangers of drugs, the Elks provide positive alternatives such as Hoop Shoot and Soccer Shoot programs. The organization also awards more than $8 million each year in college scholarships. For additional information, contact your local Elks Lodge or visit the Elks website at www.elks.org/YouthActivities.cfm.

Methamphetamine

Ø Methamphetamine is made in illegal laboratories and has a high potential for abuse and dependence.

Ø Street Methamphetamine is referred to by many names, such as "speed," "meth," and "chalk."

Ø Methamphetamine hydrochloride, clear chunky crystals resembling ice, which can be inhaled by smoking, is referred to as "ice," "crystal," and "glass."

Ø Methamphetamine is a drug that strongly activates certain systems in the brain.

Ø Methamphetamine is closely related chemically to amphetamine, but central nervous system effects of methamphetamine are greater.

Extent of Abuse

The Monitoring the Future Study assesses the extent of drug use among adolescents (8th-, 10th, and 12th-graders) and young adults across the country. Recent data from the survey:

In 1996, 4.4 percent of high school seniors had used crystal methamphetamine at least once in their lifetimes, an increase from 2.7 percent in 1990. Data shows that 2.8 percent of seniors had used crystal methamphetamine in 1996, more that doubling the 1.3 percent reported in 1990.

Meth labs are increasingly becoming a public safety hazard. Even months after a lab has been closed, chemical residue that has seeped into the carpet or wood can be dangerous. Agents and police must take special safety courses to handle meth situations because of the likelihood of explosions, invisible poison gases and other dangers. People who come in contact with the highly toxic chemicals used to make the drug can become sick and prolonged exposure can lead to cancer.

Effects on the Cardiovascular System Include:

Ø Increased Pulse

Ø Increased Blood Pressure

Ø Cardiac Arrhythmia

Ø Stroke

Patterns of Abuse Methamphetamine abuse have three patterns: low intensity (does not involve psychological addition), binge, and high intensity. The binge and high-intensity abusers smoke or inject meth to achieve a faster and stronger high; the patterns of abuse differ in the frequency in which the drug is abused and stages within their cycles.

The binge abuse cycle is made up of these stages: rush, high, binge, tweaking, crash, normal and withdrawal.

Other Long-term Effects Include:

Ø Insomnia

Ø Hyperactive Behavior

Ø Severe Depression

Ø Aggressiveness

Ø Stomach disorders

Ø Weight Loss

Ø Paranoid Psychosis

Ø Hallucinations

Ø Auditory and Visual

Rush (5-30 minutes) the abuser’s heartbeat races and metabolism, blood pressure, and pulse soar. Feelings of pleasure.

High (4-16 hours) the abuser often feels aggressively smarter and becomes argumentative

Binge (3-15 days) the abuser maintains the high for as long as possible and becomes hyperactive, both mentally and physically. Tweaking The most dangerous stage of the cycle. A tweaker is an abuser who probably has not slept in 3-15 days and is irritable and paranoid. The tweaker craves more meth, but no dosage will help re-create the euphoric high, which causes frustration, and leads to unpredictability and potential for violence.

Crash (1-3 days) the abuser does not pose a threat to anyone. He becomes almost lifeless and Sleeps.

Normal (2-14 days) the abuser returns to a state that is slightly deteriorated from the normal state before the abuse.

Withdrawal (30-90 days) No immediate symptoms are evident but the abuser first becomes depressed and then lethargic. The craving for meth hits and the abuser becomes suicidal. Taking meth at any time during withdrawal can stop the unpleasant feelings so, consequently, a high percentage of addicts in treatment return to abuse.

Office of National Drug Control Policy 1996 National Drug Control Strategy and Methamphetamine Strategy

The Five Goals for National Drug Control Strategy

1. Motivate America’s youth to reject illegal drugs and substance abuse.

2. Enhance the safety of American’s by substantially reducing drug-related crime and violence.

3. Reduce health, welfare and crime costs resulting from illegal drug use.

4. Shield American’s air, land, and sea frontiers from the drug threat.

5. Break foreign and domestic sources of supply.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy’s new "Meth Strategy" brings law enforcement, medical, environment and treatment communities together to attack this problem. This comprehensive national strategy involves enhanced law enforcement efforts, regulation of precursor chemicals, international initiatives, tougher penalties and other legislative proposals, training of investigators and prosecutors, treatment and prevention and public education campaign.

I was sent the following poem from my state Drug Awareness Chairman for the "ELKS" and I wanted to share it with you. The poem below was written by a young teen age girl while she was in jail on drug possession charges. The young girl was addicted to CRYSTAL METH. She was released from jail shortly after writing this poem and as the poem says it owned her. She was found dead with a needle in he arm not long after being released from jail.

Hi my name is METH!

I destroy homes, I tear families apart, take your children and that's just a start. I'm more costly than diamonds, more precious than gold, the sorrow I bring is a sight to behold. If you need me, remember I'm easily found. I live all around you, in the schools and in town. I live with the rich, I live with the poor. I live down the street and maybe next door. I'm made in a lab, but not like you think. I can be made from under a kitchen sink. In your child's closet, and even in the woods, if this scares you to death, well it certainly should. I have many names, bit there's one you know best, I'm sure you've heard of me, my name is CRYSTAL METH. My power is awesome, try me you'll see, but if you do, you may never break free. Just try me once and I might let you go... But try me twice and I'll own your soul! When I possess you. you'll steal and you'll lie, you do what you have to...just to get high. The crimes you'll commit for my narcotic charms will be worth the pleasure you'll feel in your arms.

You'll lie to your mother, you'll steal from your dad. When you see their tears, you should feel sad. But you'll forget your morals and how you were raised, I'll be your conscience, I'll teach you my ways. I take your kids from parents, and parents from kids. I turn people from God and separate friends. I'll take everything from you, your looks and your pride, I'll be with you always, right by your side. You'll give up everything, your family, home, friends and money and then you'll be alone. I'll take and take till you have nothing more to give. When I'm finished with you, you'll be lucky to live. If you try me be warned, this is no game. If given the chance, I'll drive you insane.

I'll ravish your body and control your mind. I'll own you completely, your soul will be mine. The nightmares I'll give you while lying in bed, the voices you'll hear from inside you head will make you wish you were dead. The sweats, the shakes, the visions you'll see, I want you to know they are gifts from me, CRYSTAL METH. But then it's its to late and you'll know in your heart, that you are mine and we shall not part. You'll regret that you tried me, they always do, but you came to me, not I to you.

You knew this would happen, many times you were told. But you challenged my power and you chose to be bold. You could have said "NO" and just walk away. If you could live that day over, now what would you say? I'll be your master, you'll be my slave. I'll even go with you, when you go to the grave. Now that you have met me, what will you do? Will you try me or not? It's all up to you. I can bring you more misery than words can tell. Come take my hand and let me lead you to your own personal HELL!!!!

Here's some useful information on the drug:

Methamphetamine: “Perhaps more than any other drug this country has experienced, methamphetamine affects everybody in the community. The first challenge of the meth trade is that we can’t blame it on our South American neighbors….It is locally produced in clandestine laboratories. The second challenge meth presents is that international traffickers are aggressively targeting rural areas…Traffickers think they can escape law enforcement in rural areas. But we have to make sure that’s not true. The third challenge of methamphetamine lies in the very nature of this drug. It is intense, it is highly addictive, and it is overwhelmingly dangerous…The drug has a phenomenal rate of addiction, with some experts saying users often get hooked after just one use. Recent studies have demonstrated that methamphetamine causes more damage to the brain than heroin, alcohol, or cocaine. Methamphetamine takes over the whole person. One former user described its effect on her life by saying, ‘I went against every moral and every belief I ever had when I was on meth.

Street Names: Meth, Speed, Ice, Chalk, Crank, Fire, Glass, and Crystal.

Physical Effects: Methamphetamine is a toxic, addictive stimulant. Meth use dilates the pupils and produces temporary hyperactivity, euphoria, a sense of increased energy, and tremors.

Dangers: Methamphetamine use increases the heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and rate of breathing, and it frequently results in violent behavior in users. Methamphetamine is neurotoxic, meaning that it causes damage to the brain. High doses or chronic use have been associated with increased nervousness, irritability, and paranoia. Withdrawal from high doses produces severe depression. Chronic abuse produces a psychosis similar to schizophrenia and is characterized by paranoia, picking at the skin, self absorption, and auditory and visual hallucinations. Violent and erratic behavior is frequently seen among chronic, high-dose methamphetamine abusers.

Description: Meth can be smoked, snorted, injected, or taken orally, and its appearance varies depending on how it is used. Typically, it is a white bitter-tasting powder that easily dissolves in beverages. Another common form of the drug is crystal meth, or “ice,” named for its appearance (that of clear, large chunky crystals resembling rock candy). Crystal meth is smoked in a manner similar to crack cocaine and about 10 to 15 “hits” can be obtained from a single gram of the substance.

Distribution Methods: Meth is frequently sold through social networks and is rarely sold on the streets

Methamphetamine

(Amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, methamphetamine, and their various salts are collectively referred to as amphetamines. In fact, their chemical properties and actions are so similar that even experienced users have difficulty knowing which drug they have taken. Methamphetamine is the most commonly abused.)

Street terms for methamphetamine: Meth, poor man's cocaine, crystal meth, ice, glass, speed¹

What Does Methamphetamine Look Like?

Typically meth is a white powder that easily dissolves in water.
Another form of meth, in clear chunky crystals, called crystal meth, or ice.
Meth can also be in the form of small, brightly colored tablets. The pills are often called by their Thai name, yaba.

What are the methods of usage?

Injecting
Snorting
Smoking
Oral ingestion ²

Who uses methamphetamine and amphetamines?

During 2000, 4% of the U.S. population reported trying methamphetamine at least once in their lifetime.³
Abuse is concentrated in the western, southwestern, and Midwestern United States.

How do methamphetamine and amphetamines get to the United States?

Clandestine laboratories in California and Mexico are the primary sources of supply for methamphetamine available in the United States.
Domestic labs that produce methamphetamine are dependent on supplies of the precursor chemical pseudoephedrine, which is sometimes diverted from legitimate sources. It is smuggled from Canada, and to a lesser extent from Mexico.
Domestic independent laboratory operators, mostly in the western, southwestern, and Midwestern United States, also produce and distribute methamphetamine but on a smaller scale.
Yaba (meth in tablet form) is most often produced in Southeast Asia and sent by mail or courier to the United States.⁴

How much do methamphetamine and amphetamines cost?

Prices for methamphetamine vary throughout different regions of the United States.
At the distribution level, prices range from $3,500 per pound in parts of California and Texas to $21,000 per pound in southeastern and northeastern regions of the country. Retail prices range from $400 to $3,000 per ounce.⁵

What are some consequences of methamphetamine and amphetamine use?

Effects of usage include addiction, psychotic behavior, and brain damage .⁶
Withdrawal symptoms include depression, anxiety, fatigue, paranoia, aggression, and intense cravings. ⁷
Chronic use can cause violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, insomnia, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, delusions, and paranoia. ⁸
Damage to the brain cause by meth usage is similar to Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and epilepsy.⁹

Office of National Drug Control Policy, Street Terms: Drugs and the Drug Trade.
²Drug Enforcement Administration,The Forms Of Methamphetamine, April 2002
³Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Summary of Findings from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, September 2001.
⁴Drug Enforcement Administration, Drug Trafficking in the United States, September 2001.
⁵Ibid.
⁶Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Facts: Methamphetamine, May, 2002.
⁷Ibid.
⁸Ibid.
⁹National Institute on Drug Abuse, Methamphetamine: Abuse and Addiction, April, 1998. What are the Effects of Methamphetamine Abuse?

Stimulants

What Are They?

Stimulants are a class of drugs that elevate mood, increase feelings of well-being, and increase energy and alertness.

Stimulants often produce a feeling of euphoria in users. Examples of stimulants include cocaine, crack cocaine, amphetamines, Methamphetamine, methylphenidate (Ritalin®), nicotine, and MDMA (3-4 methylenedioxy Methamphetamine, better known as Ecstasy).

Cocaine is a hydrochloride salt, made from the leaf of the coca plant, and comes in the form of a white powder. Crack is a smokeable form of cocaine that is processed with ammonia or baking soda and water, and heated to remove the hydrochloride.

Amphetamines are sometimes prescribed by doctors for medical problems, but these pills are also abused for their effects on the brain. Methamphetamine is a powerful form of amphetamines that comes in clear crystals or powder and easily dissolves in water or alcohol. It is often made in illegal laboratories with inexpensive and readily available ingredients (such as drain cleaner, battery acid, and antifreeze).

Methylphenidate (Ritalin®) is a medication prescribed for individuals (usually children) with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Numerous studies have shown its effectiveness, when used as prescribed, in the treatment of ADHD. When it is abused or not used as prescribed, however, methylphenidate can lead to many of the same problems seen with other stimulants.

Nicotine and MDMA also are considered stimulants and are covered in separate topics on this Web site (http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_nicotine1.asp and http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_xtc1.asp).

What Are the Common Street Names?

Cocaine is generally sold on the street as a fine, white, crystalline powder, known as "coke," "C," "snow," "flake," "blow," "bump," "candy," "Charlie," "rock," and "toot." "Crack," the street name for the smokeable form of cocaine, got its name from the crackling sound made when it's smoked. A "speedball" is cocaine or crack combined with heroin or crack and heroin smoked together.

Street names for amphetamines include "speed," "bennies," "black beauties," "crosses," "hearts," "LA turnaround," "truck drivers," and "uppers."

Methamphetamine is commonly known as "speed," "meth," "chalk, and "tina." In its smokable form, it's often called "ice," "crystal," "crank," "glass," "fire," and "go fast."

Street names for methylphenidate include "rits," "vitamin R," and "west coast."

How Are They Used?

Stimulants can be taken in several ways:

1. Swallowed in pill form

2. Snorted in powder form, through the nostrils, where the drug is absorbed into the bloodstream through the nasal tissues

3. Injected, using a needle and syringe, to release the drug directly into a vein.

4. Heated in crystal form and smoked (inhaled into the lungs).

Compared to stimulants that are swallowed or snorted, those that are injected or smoked are absorbed into the bloodstream more quickly, intensifying the effects of the drug. It is also important to note that sometimes these drugs are diluted with other toxic substances.

Cocaine is snorted or injected (called "mainlining"), or it can be rubbed onto mucous tissues, such as the gums. Street dealers generally dilute cocaine with other substances (such as cornstarch, talcum powder, or sugar); with active drugs (such as procaine, a chemical that produces local anesthesia); or with other stimulants (such as amphetamines). Crack cocaine is smoked in a glass pipe.

Amphetamines are usually swallowed in pill form. Methamphetamine is swallowed, snorted, injected, or smoked. "Ice," a smokeable form of Methamphetamine, is a large, usually clear crystal of high purity that is smoked, like crack, in a glass pipe.

How Many Teens Use Them?

A 2004 NIDA-funded study reported that the following percentages of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders had tried these drugs at least once:

1. Cocaine: 3.4 percent of 8th-graders, 5.4 percent of 10th-graders, and 8.1 percent of 12th-graders

2. Crack: 2.4 percent of 8th-graders, 2.6 percent of 10th-graders, and 3.9 percent of 12th-graders

3. Amphetamines: 7.5 percent of 8th-graders, 11.9 percent of 10th-graders, and 15.0 percent of 12th-graders

4. Methamphetamine: 2.5 percent of 8th-graders, 5.2 percent of 10th-graders, and 6.2 percent of 12th-graders

Twelfth-graders regularly reported the highest rate of use for all three drugs. Conversely, eighth-graders reported a drop in use for all three drugs, with a significant drop in Methamphetamine use, from 3.9 percent in 2003 to 2.5 percent in 2004.

What are the Common Effects?

Stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine can produce euphoric effects. Smoking or injecting these drugs cause an intense, immediate "rush" that lasts just a few minutes. Snorting or swallowing these drugs produces a high that is less intense but lasts longer.

Stimulants can cause the heart to beat faster and blood pressure and metabolism to increase. They also can cause users to become more talkative, energetic, and anxious.

Repeated use of stimulants can lead to feelings of hostility or paranoia in some users. Single high doses can produce dangerously high body temperatures and an irregular heartbeat.

Cocaine causes the body's blood vessels to become narrow, constricting the flow of blood. This forces the heart to work harder to pump blood through the body. The heart may work so hard that it temporarily loses its natural rhythm. This is called fibrillation, and it can be very dangerous because it stops the flow of blood through the body. Physical symptoms of cocaine overdose may include chest pain, nausea, blurred vision, fever, muscle spasms, convulsions, and coma.

Methamphetamine can also cause a variety of heart problems, including rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat, and irreversible, stroke-producing damage to small blood vessels in the brain. It can also cause high blood pressure, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Methamphetamine can also increase body temperature, which can be lethal if not treated rapidly.

How Stimulants Produce Euphoria

Stimulants change the way the brain works by changing the way nerve cells communicate. Nerve cells, called neurons, send messages to each other by releasing special chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters work by attaching to key sites on neurons called receptors.

There are many types of neurotransmitters, but the transmitter dopamine is the one most affected by stimulants and many other drugs. Dopamine is what makes people feel good when they do something they enjoy, like eating a piece of chocolate cake or riding a roller coaster. Stimulants cause dopamine to build up in the brain and make users feel intense pleasure and a heightened state of increased energy. But with repeated use, stimulants can decrease some of the brain's dopamine receptors, dampening users' ability to feel pleasure at all. Then users need to take more and more of the drug to experience the same pleasure.

Long-Term Effects

As with many other drugs of abuse, long-term stimulant abuse can result in addiction, a chronic, relapsing disease characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and drug use and accompanied by functional and molecular changes in the brain.

Some cocaine users report panic attacks and feelings of restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. Users may also experience a full-blown paranoid psychosis in which they lose touch with reality and hear voices that are not there (auditory hallucinations).

Use of methamphetamine over time may cause violent behavior, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. Heavy users may also display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, and delusions (for example, the sensation of insects creeping on the skin, called "formication"). The paranoia can result in homicidal as well as suicidal thoughts.

Some users believe that methamphetamine can increase their sex drive. However, research indicates that long-term methamphetamine use may be associated with decreased sexual functioning, at least in men.

Lethal Effects

Using cocaine or crack-whether snorted, injected, or smoked-can lead to overdose, which can cause acute emergencies with the heart or brain, sometimes resulting in sudden death. In rare instances, sudden death can occur with the first use of cocaine. Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest.

People who abuse both cocaine and alcohol compound the danger each drug poses. NIDA-funded researchers have found that when the human liver is exposed to both cocaine and alcohol, it manufactures a third substance, coca ethylene, that intensifies cocaine's euphoric effects, possibly increasing the risk of sudden death.

Hyperthermia (elevated body temperature) and convulsions occur with methamphetamine and cocaine overdoses, and if not treated immediately, can result in death.

A Parent's Guide to Preventing Inhalant Abuse

Ø Inhalant Abuse: It's Deadly. Inhalant abuse can kill.

Ø It can kill suddenly, and it can kill those who sniff for the first time.

Ø Every year, young people in this country die of inhalant abuse.

Ø Hundreds suffer severe consequences, including permanent brain damage, loss of muscle control, and destruction of the heart, blood, kidney, liver, and bone marrow.

Ø Today more than 1,000 different products are commonly abused. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported in 1996 that one in five American teenagers have used inhalants to get high.

Ø Many youngsters say they begin sniffing when they're in grade school. They start because they feel these substances can't hurt them, because of peer pressure, or because of low self-esteem.

Ø Once hooked, these victims find it a tough habit to break.

Ø These questions and answers will help you identify inhalant abuse and understand what you can do to prevent or stop this problem.

What is inhalant abuse?

Ø Inhalant abuse is the deliberate inhalant or sniffing of common products found in homes and schools to obtain a "high."

Ø What are the effects of inhalant abuse?

Ø Sniffing can cause sickness and death. For example, victims may become nauseated, forgetful, and unable to see things clearly.

Ø Victims may lose control of their body, including the use of arms and legs. These effects can last 15 to 45 minutes after sniffing.

Ø In addition, sniffing can severely damage many parts of the body, including the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys.

Ø Even worse, victims can die suddenly -- without any warning.

Ø "Sudden Sniffing Death" can occur during or right after sniffing.

Ø The heart begins to overwork, beating rapidly but unevenly, which can lead to cardiac arrest. Even first-time abusers have been known to die from sniffing inhalants.

What products are abused?

Ordinary household products, which can be safely used for legitimate purposes, can be problematic in the hands of an inhalant abuser. The following categories of products are reportedly abused: glues/adhesives, nail polish remover, marking pens, paint thinner, spray paint, butane lighter fluid, gasoline, propane gas, typewriter correction fluid, household cleaners, cooking sprays, deodorants, fabric protectors, whipping cream aerosols, and air conditioning coolants.

How can you tell if a young person is an inhalant abuser?

If someone is an inhalant abuser, some or all these symptoms may be evident:

Ø Unusual breath odor or chemical odor on clothing.

Ø Slurred or disoriented speech.

Ø Drunk, dazed, or dizzy appearance.

Ø Signs of paint or other products where they wouldn't normally be, such as on the face or fingers.

Ø Red or runny eyes or nose.

Ø Spots and/or sores around the mouth.

Ø Nausea and/or loss of appetite.

Ø Chronic inhalant abusers may exhibit such symptoms as anxiety, excitability, irritability, or restlessness.

What could be other telltale behaviors of inhalant abuse?

Inhalant abusers also may exhibit the following signs:

1. Sitting with a pen or marker near nose.

2. Constantly smelling clothing sleeves.

3. Showing paint or stain marks on the face, fingers, or clothing.

4. Hiding rags, clothes, or empty containers of the potentially abused products in closets and other places.

What is a typical profile of an inhalant abuser in the U.S.?

There is no typical profile of an inhalant abuser. Victims are represented by both sexes and all socioeconomic groups throughout the U.S. It's not unusual to see elementary and middle-school age youths involved with inhalant abuse.

How does a young person who abuses inhalants die? There are many scenarios for how young people die of inhalant abuse. Here are some of them:

A 13 year-old boy was inhaling fumes from cleaning fluid and became ill a few minutes afterwards. Witnesses alerted the parents, and the victim was hospitalized and placed on life support systems. He died 24 hours after the incident.

An 11 year-old boy collapsed in a public bathroom. A butane cigarette lighter fuel container and a plastic bag were found next to him. He also had bottles of typewriter correction fluid in his pocket. CPR failed to revive him, and he was pronounced dead.

A 15 year-old boy was found unconscious in a backyard.

According to three companions, the four teenagers had taken gas from a family's grill propane tank. They put the gas in a plastic bag and inhaled the gas to get high. The victim collapsed shortly after inhaling the gas. He died on the way to the hospital.

What can you do to prevent inhalant abuse?

One of the most important steps you can take is to talk with your children or other youngsters about not experimenting even a first time with inhalants. In addition, talk with your children's teachers, guidance counselors, and coaches. By discussing this problem openly and stressing the devastating consequences of inhalant abuse, you can help prevent a tragedy.

Ø If you suspect your child or someone you know is an inhalant abuser, what can you do to help?

Ø Be alert for symptoms of inhalant abuse. If you suspect there's a problem, you should consider seeking professional help.

Ø Contact a local drug rehabilitation center or other services available in your community, or:

National Inhalant Prevention Coalition, 1-800-269-4237 or on the World Wide Web at www.inhalants.org
National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Service, 1-800-662-HELP
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, 1-800-729-6686 or www.health.org

Signs of Inhalant drug use:

Inhalant Abuse: It's Deadly. Inhalant abuse can kill. It can kill suddenly, and it can kill those who sniff for the first time.
Every year, young people in this country die of inhalant abuse. Hundreds suffer severe consequences, including permanent brain damage, loss of muscle control, and destruction of the heart, blood, kidney, liver, and bone marrow.
Today more than 1,000 different products are commonly abused. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported in 1996 that one in five American teenagers have used inhalants to get high.
Many youngsters say they begin sniffing when they're in grade school. They start because they feel these substances can't hurt them, because of peer pressure, or because of low self-esteem. Once hooked, these victims find it a tough habit to break.
These questions and answers will help you identify inhalant abuse and understand what you can do to prevent or stop this problem.
What is inhalant abuse?
Inhalant abuse is the deliberate inhalant or sniffing of common products found in homes and schools to obtain a "high."
What are the effects of inhalant abuse?
Sniffing can cause sickness and death. For example, victims may become nauseated, forgetful, and unable to see things clearly. Victims may lose control of their body, including the use of arms and legs. These effects can last 15 to 45 minutes after sniffing.
In addition, sniffing can severely damage many parts of the body, including the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys.
Even worse, victims can die suddenly -- without any warning. "Sudden Sniffing Death" can occur during or right after sniffing. The heart begins to overwork, beating rapidly but unevenly, which can lead to cardiac arrest. Even first-time abusers have been known to die from sniffing inhalants.
What products are abused?
Ordinary household products, which can be safely used for legitimate purposes, can be problematic in the hands of an inhalant abuser. The following categories of products are reportedly abused: glues/adhesives, nail polish remover, marking pens, paint thinner, spray paint, butane lighter fluid, gasoline, propane gas, typewriter correction fluid, household cleaners, cooking sprays, deodorants, fabric protectors, whipping cream aerosols, and air conditioning coolants.
How can you tell if a young person is an inhalant abuser?
If someone is an inhalant abuser, some or all these symptoms may be evident:
Unusual breath odor or chemical odor on clothing.
Slurred or disoriented speech.
Drunk, dazed, or dizzy appearance.
Signs of paint or other products where they wouldn't normally be, such as on the face or fingers.
Red or runny eyes or nose.
Spots and/or sores around the mouth.
Nausea and/or loss of appetite.
Chronic inhalant abusers may exhibit such symptoms as anxiety, excitability, irritability, or restlessness.
What could be other telltale behaviors of inhalant abuse?
Inhalant abusers also may exhibit the following signs:
Sitting with a pen or marker near nose.
Constantly smelling clothing sleeves.
Showing paint or stain marks on the face, fingers, or clothing.
Hiding rags, clothes, or empty containers of the potentially abused products in closets and other places.
What is a typical profile of an inhalant abuser in the U.S.?
There is no typical profile of an inhalant abuser. Victims are represented by both sexes and all socioeconomic groups throughout the U.S. It's not unusual to see elementary and middle-school age youths involved with inhalant abuse.
How does a young person who abuses inhalants die?
There are many scenarios for how young people die of inhalant abuse. Here are some of them:
A 13 year-old boy was inhaling fumes from cleaning fluid and became ill a few minutes afterwards. Witnesses alerted the parents, and the victim was hospitalized and placed on life support systems. He died 24 hours after the incident.
An 11 year-old boy collapsed in a public bathroom. A butane cigarette lighter fuel container and a plastic bag were found next to him. He also had bottles of typewriter correction fluid in his pocket. CPR failed to revive him, and he was pronounced dead.
A 15 year-old boy was found unconscious in a backyard. According to three companions, the four teenagers had taken gas from a family's grill propane tank. They put the gas in a plastic bag and inhaled the gas to get high. The victim collapsed shortly after inhaling the gas. He died on the way to the hospital.
What can you do to prevent inhalant abuse?
One of the most important steps you can take is to talk with your children or other youngsters about not experimenting even a first time with inhalants. In addition, talk with your children's teachers, guidance counselors, and coaches. By discussing this problem openly and stressing the devastating consequences of inhalant abuse, you can help prevent a tragedy.
If you suspect your child or someone you know is an inhalant abuser, what can you do to help?
Be alert for symptoms of inhalant abuse. If you suspect there's a problem, you should consider seeking professional help.

Contact a local drug rehabilitation center or other services available in your community, or:

1) National Inhalant Prevention Coalition, 1-800-269-4237 or on the World Wide Web at www.inhalants.org

2) National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Service, 1-800-662-HELP

3) National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, 1-800-729-6686

or www.health.org

Inhalants

What Are They?

Most inhalants are common household products that, when inhaled, cause a psychoactive (mind-altering) effect. There are literally hundreds of inhalants, including everyday products such as nail polish remover, glue, gasoline, household cleaners, and nitrous oxide ("laughing gas," which can be found in whipped cream dispensers and is often inhaled via a balloon). Inhalants also include fluorinated hydrocarbons found in aerosols such as hairspray, spray paint, and household cleaners.

Although the wide range of chemicals found in different products can have different effects, inhalants generally fall into three categories: solvents, gases, and nitrites.

Solvents include:

Certain industrial or household products, such as paint thinner, nail polish remover, degreaser, dry-cleaning fluid, gasoline, and glue

Some art or office supplies, such as correction fluid, felt-tip marker fluid, and electronic contact cleaner.

Gases include:

Some household or commercial products, such as butane lighters, propane tanks, whipped cream dispensers, and refrigerant gases

Certain household aerosol propellants, such as those found in spray paint, hair spray, deodorant spray, and fabric protector spray.

Medical anesthetic gases, such as ether, chloroform, halothane, and nitrous oxide

Nitrites include:

Cyclohexyl nitrite (found in substances marketed as room deodorizers)

Amyl nitrite (used for medical purposes)

Butyl nitrite (previously used in perfumes and antifreeze, but now an illegal substance)

What Are the Common Street Names?

Common slang for inhalants includes "laughing gas" (nitrous oxide), "snappers" (amyl nitrite), "poppers" (amyl nitrite and butyl nitrite), "whippets" (fluorinated hydrocarbons, found in whipped cream dispensers), "bold" (nitrites), and "rush" (nitrites).

How Are They Used?

Inhalants can be breathed in through the nose or mouth in a variety of ways:

"Sniffing" or "snorting" fumes from containers

Spraying aerosols directly into the nose or mouth

Sniffing or inhaling fumes from substances sprayed or placed into a plastic or paper bag ("bagging")

"Huffing" from an inhalant-soaked rag stuffed in the mouth

Inhaling from balloons filled with nitrous oxide

Because intoxication lasts only a few minutes, abusers frequently try to make the high last longer by continuing to inhale repeatedly over several hours.

How Many Teens Use Them?

National surveys report that more than 22.9 million Americans have abused inhalants at least once in their lives. Abuse of inhalants often starts early. Some young people may use inhalants as an easily accessible substitute for alcohol. [One national survey, conducted in 2003-2004, found that 2.5 percent of 4th-graders had used inhalants at least once in the year prior to being surveyed.

According to a NIDA-funded survey of drug use among 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders, students in 8th grade regularly report the highest rate of inhalant abuse. Use of inhalants gradually increased from 1976 until 1995 and then steadily declined until recently. The 2004 NIDA survey reported an increase in use among 8th graders. The survey reported that 17.3 percent of 8th-graders, 12.4 percent of 10th-graders, and 11.9 percent of 12th-graders had tried inhalants at least once in their life.

In the United States in 2002, about 40 deaths were associated with inhalant abuse.

WHAT IS NIPAW? WHAT DO MEMBERS GET? HOW DO I JOIN?

One in five students in America has used an inhalant to get high by the time he or she reaches the eighth grade. Parents don't know that inhalants, cheap, legal and accessible products, are as popular among middle school students as marijuana. Even fewer know the deadly effects the poisons in these products have on the brain and body when they are inhaled or "huffed." It's like playing Russian roulette. The user can die the 1st, 10th or 100th time a product is misused as an inhalant.

Prevention through education has proven to work against this popular form of substance abuse. This is why the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition has developed National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week (NIPAW), an annual media-based, community-level program that takes place the third week in March. NIPAW is designed to increase understanding about the use and risks of inhalant involvement. It is an inclusive program that involves youth, schools, media, police departments, health organization, civics groups and more. It has proven to be an effective means of mobilizing communities to reduce inhalant use. Almost 2,000 organizations and individuals from 46 states participated in the last NIPAW campaign.

Does NIPAW work? Yes. Results from Texas, where extensive state-wide NIPAW campaigns have been conducted, have been remarkable. Between 1992 and 1994, there was a reduction of more than 30 percent in elementary school inhalant use and a reduction of more than 20 percent at the high school level (based on state agency surveys of more than 176,000 students). This translates into over 100,000 students who may have used inhalants but didn't.

Who should join? NIPAW Partners have included sponsors from state government agencies (education, health, alcohol & drug, etc.), state associations such as retailers, medical and pharmacy groups, state alliances of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, local anti-drug coalitions, community and regional drug and alcohol councils, police departments and DARE officers, district attorneys, scout troops, firefighters, the National Guard, PTO/PTA chapters, faith communities, civic and voluntary organizations, student councils, local retailers, schools, individual parents, Poison Control Centers, local medical communities (hospitals, emergency medical services, individual doctors and nurses, retailers, pharmacists, etc.) and TV and radio stations - just to mention a few. If you fall into any of these groups and want to prevent or reduce inhalant use in your community, this campaign is for you. The campaign can be conducted anytime and anywhere there is a need for inhalant awareness education.

If you have an interest in reducing inhalant usage in your area, this campaign is for you.

WHAT DO I GET WHEN I JOIN NIPAW?

Each NIPAW Partner receives a Local Coordinator's Kit and weekly NIPAW UPDATES detailing what activities are happening around the country and what is working in various communities. The kits are available in England and English/Spanish.

The kit includes:

Up to date statistics about inhalant use in the country.

A comprehensive "How To" guide to conduct a local media/awareness campaign, inhalant education and background information, suggested campaign activities, tips on working effectively with the media, camera-ready art for print reproduction (with space to add local identification) for:

Ø bag stuffers

Ø window flyers

Ø posters

Ø newspaper/magazine print ads

Ø brochures

Ø handout flyers

Ø sample copies of:

Ø letters to the editor

Ø op eds

Ø radio scripts

Ø editorials

Ø news releases

Ø media advisories

Ø camera-ready art for overhead presentations

Regular NIPAW UPDATES indicating what other Partners are doing and any new statistics and information that become available tips for teachers and a list of NIPAW Partners in your state

(Print art will be available in two versions in each kit: one with the products depicted and the other without the products. Coordinator's kit will be available in English and Spanish.)

HOW DO I JOIN NIPAW?

Joining is easy.

Either e-mail NIPC with your name, organization, address and phone number or call 1-800-269-4237 to add your organization to our list of NIPAW Partners.

NIPC waits to include the latest national inhalant statistics ("The Monitoring the Future Survey," available in December) in the Local Coordinator's Kit. Accordingly, 2007 kits are not mailed to Partners until the end of January.

National D.A.R.E. Day, 2007

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

White House News

Each year, Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) teaches millions of children across our country how to resist drugs and violence. On National D.A.R.E. Day, we honor the individuals who help our Nation's young people avoid the dangers of substance abuse and become productive citizens.

For more than two decades, D.A.R.E. programs have taught America's youth about the devastating effects of drug use and encouraged them to lead drug-free and violence-free lives of purpose. By opening the lines of communication between law enforcement, educators, and students, all those involved in D.A.R.E. help save lives and stop drug use before it starts.

My Administration is dedicated to fighting drug use throughout our country. The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign is working with the Partnership for a Drug-Free America to teach our youth about resisting the pressure to use drugs. Additionally, the Helping America's Youth initiative, led by First Lady Laura Bush, encourages community partnerships that bring together families, faith-based and community organizations, and schools to help make a positive impact on the lives of young people. Through the Strategic Prevention Framework and the Drug Free Communities Program, we are also helping communities to develop effective local strategies to prevent substance abuse. By working together, we can reduce illicit drug use and help every child realize the promise of our country.

Youth development programs like D.A.R.E. encourage our Nation's children to make healthy choices that lead to a better future. This year's National D.A.R.E. Day is an opportunity to renew our commitment to building strong, drug-free communities.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States do hereby proclaim April 12, 2007, as National D.A.R.E. Day. I urge all young people to make good decisions and call upon all Americans to recognize our collective responsibility to combat every form of drug abuse and to support all those who work to help our children avoid drug use and violence.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.

GEORGE W. BUSH

D.A.R.E

Here is a little background on the DARE program. I have included a link below to their web site. I have also included a second one back at the top of this page.

D.A.R.E.'s primary mission is to provide children with the information and skills they need to live drug-and-violence-free lives.

The mission is to equip kids with the tools that will enable them to avoid negative influences and instead, allow them to focus on their strengths and potential. And, that's exactly what D.A.R.E. is designed to do.

Additionally, it establishes positive relationships between students and law enforcement, teachers, parents, and other community leaders. Every youngster should have the opportunity to grow-up healthy, safe, secure, and equipped with the skills needed to succeed in life. Contemporary America, however, is rampant with challenges that could keep children from a positive life path.

D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a collaborative program in which local law enforcement and local schools join together to educate students about the personal and social consequences of substance abuse and violence.

The D.A.R.E. curricula is designed to be delivered sequentially from grades K-12. First developed in 1983, D.A.R.E. has undergone multiple revisions as research findings increased knowledge of effective substance abuse prevention among school-aged youth.

Please visit DARE's web site for important information.

www.dare.com

National Sheriffs’ Association 2007 Resolutions

NATIONAL SHERIFFS’ ASSOCIATION RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE

DRUG ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION (D.A.R.E.)

WHEREAS, The National Sheriffs’ Association recognizes the nationwide seriousness of drug abuse and violence by our nation’s youth, and the urgent need to use and to expand school-based prevention education programs throughout the nation; and

WHEREAS, The day-to-day struggle against alcohol abuse, tobacco, drugs and violence requires a long term national, state and local effort and commitment; and

WHEREAS, since 1983, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (“D.A.R.E.”) has taught millions of young

people how to recognize and to resist the pressure to be involved in drugs, gangs and violent activities; and

WHEREAS, The D.A.R.E. Program underscores a nationwide commitment and dedication to help our nation’s youth to “just say no” to drugs and to violence; and

WHEREAS, By promoting positive youth development, D.A.R.E. Programs across our nation are helping children and young people make the right choices and build lives of purpose; and

WHEREAS, The D.A.R.E. Program allows law enforcement personnel to enter our nation’s classrooms to answer difficult questions about drugs, violence and crime, teaches students how to avoid temptation, and encourages open communication between young people and local law enforcement officers; and

WHEREAS, The D.A.R.E. Program strengthens our local communities and provides our children and young people with a strong foundation and model for success; and

WHEREAS, D.A.R.E. Instructors, along with parents, teachers, health care professionals and all other interested parties who help our nation’s youth grow into responsible, successful adults are strengthening our country and contributing to a future of hope for everyone; and

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED,

That the National Sheriffs’ Association acknowledges and actively supports the effort of D.A.R.E. Programs to significantly reduce/eliminate use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs and violent behavior by our nation’s youth.

BE IF FURTHER RESOLVED,

That the National Sheriffs’ Association urges Sheriff Offices across our nation to utilize D.A.R.E. Programs in their local communities.

METH

This series of articles about “meth” was written by my friend and fellow Elk, Gary Robinette. Gary Robinette is a retired FBI agent of 26 years who resides in Cartersville. He heads a consulting group that provides police training and expert consultation in law enforcement litigation. This is a very informative article about meth.

Bartow Country has endured an epidemic level of meth labs, sellers and users. Our Sheriff and his department have worked diligently to stop the making and distribution of the dangerous drug.

If you have any information regarding meth activity or any other drug related issues, contact the Bartow County Sheriff department.

Tip Line: 770-382-5050 ext. 9-6090

This is the web site for “BAM” or Bartow Against meth. http://www.bartowagainstmeth.org/index.html

The Methamphetamine epidemic in Bartow County:

Editor’s note: This is the first of four columns dealing with the manufacture and use of methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine, also known as meth, ice, crank, speed, etc., is a current scourge that is wreaking misery and havoc in the lives of an alarmingly increasing number of people across America today. The consequences of this phenomenon touch all of us, inasmuch as the escalating addiction rate to this drug spawns its own crime wave. Addicts who are now unable to hold down jobs must steal and rob to finance their insidious habits. Young men may turn to burglary, auto theft, and armed robbery; and young women may resort to shoplifting, forgery, and prostitution to support their habits. According Chief McCain, Cartersville PD, meth is currently, the most serious drug problem confronting law enforcement and the community in Cartersville and surrounding Bartow County. He stated that although a significant quantity of the drug is being produced locally in makeshift “meth labs,” the main supply of the drug is being imported into Georgia after having been smuggled into the United States, primarily across the Mexican border.

Who is affected? Addiction to this drug occurs mostly among people who are in the prime of their lives. I have seen estimates that indicate most users are under the age of 40, with 60 percent of the meth users in America being under the age of 23. A shocking 25 percent of users are under the age of 18. Meth addiction is now appearing in high schools and middle schools, crossing the lines of rural and urban America. The drug has become prevalent at “rave parties,” and young females are trying it to lose weight (meth is an appetite suppressant), only to find that they have become immediately and helplessly addicted.

Meth can be smoked like marijuana, inhaled like cocaine, injected like heroine, or swallowed. It is a very powerful drug that upon first use often creates instant psychological and physical craving for more. Get this – 85 percent of first time users become instant addicts. Did you hear that? 85 percent of people who may just want to experiment with friends one time, out of curiosity, or bowing to peer pressure, can find themselves helplessly locked into a downward spiral that renders them unrecognizable to even their closest friends in a very short period of time. The typical meth addict (who could become the boy or girl next door, your best friend, or your child or parent) lasts about two years. If they do not get out and successfully achieve rehabilitation, they are likely, within 24 months, to be in jail, in a mental institution, or dead, either from the wasting effects of the drug itself, or suicide. Detoxification takes a week to 14 days, and usually occurs not in a hospital or rehab center, but rather in jail. Treatment is not easy. Meth recovery takes a whole lot longer than other forms of substance abuse rehab. The 28-day Alcoholics Anonymous program does not work for methamphetamine addicts, and the treatment process, to be successful, can take 12 – 18 months of abstinence and therapy.

Meth is easy (albeit highly dangerous) and cheap to manufacture, and due to the rising number of people who have become addicted and must have it at any cost, it is a very profitable commodity.

Meth has traditionally been recognized as a white man’s drug. However, it is rapidly making its way into all ethnic, racial, and economic levels of American society. It is mutually addictive to rich and poor, showing no discrimination. It simply takes those of means longer to go through their savings and assets, and all of their meaningful relationships, before hitting rock bottom.

As concerned citizens, we can help. Chief McCain advised that if you know someone who is selling drugs, or a place where drugs are being sold or manufactured, you can call Crime Stoppers and provide the information anonymously. If the information results in an arrest, you qualify for a cash reward of up to $1,000.00. McCain advised that callers do not have to give their identities. They are given a code number. The caller can then check in at a later date to determine if an arrest has been documented under the code number. If so, the caller goes to a designated local bank and gives the code number to a designated bank officer, who then turns over an envelope containing the cash reward. It is as simple as that.

It should be emphasized that Crime Stoppers is not a law enforcement project. The initiative for the program came from local businesses and community leaders. Area law enforcement agencies are partners to the program. If you have information, call the Crime Stopper Anonymous Tip Line at 770-606-8477.

Next week- Just what is methamphetamine?

Just what is methamphetamine?

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of four columns on the manufacture and use of methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine has actually been around for about a century, and has been used by truck drivers trying to stay awake for a long haul, soldiers trying to stay alert, weight loss, and legitimate medical purposes. However, in its current form and strength it is deadly, and was outlawed over 30 years ago as an illegal Schedule II drug when the high risk for abuse was officially recognized.

What is methamphetamine? It is a central nervous system stimulant. It is also a poison that will eventually kill you, one way or the other, at the worst, or will totally ruin your life, your health, and your looks, at best, if you become hooked (and 85 percent of first time users get just that – hooked). It will cause a productive young working man, with small children, to become an unemployed, divorced, sick, down and out jailbird with nothing to look forward to but an early and ugly death. It will turn a young stay at home mom who wants to “keep going” into a woman who abuses and neglects her children, ceases to practice personal hygiene, demonstrates paranoid or violent mood swings, and throws her life away for the need of this horrible drug that she comes to crave more than anything. It can turn a high school girl into a rotten-toothed hag who can appear to age 30 years in just 12 months. It can turn the average teenaged boy into a physically ravaged dropout with a criminal record.

All of this for what may start out as just a little fun. Methamphetamine causes the user to experience an initial rush that can last for 15 – 30 minutes, and a high that lasts all day. It creates instant addiction on the part of most first-time users. The first-time user can become so absorbed in the effect of the drug that an instant craving for more follows immediately. The craving will be satisfied, and the user is now an instant addict. However, as use continues and tolerance builds up, more and more of the stuff must be taken by the user, more frequently, to satisfy the craving. The habit becomes the user’s life, and it all goes downhill from there, barring some miracle of intervention.

Meth addicts become irresponsible and unpredictable people who cannot hold jobs. They must eventually go through everything and everyone they value to support the habit. Eventually, the user must resort to crime in order to raise the money needed. If institutionalization does not occur, either in jail or a mental health facility, death is a predictable outcome for the habitual user, often within 24 months of first-time use.

But just exactly what is methamphetamine as a street drug? Well, it is a substance that results from putting a whole lot of different ingredients together to be “cooked” down to the final product. The ingredients that go into meth are basically non-prescription cold medicines, household solvents, acids, and farm fertilizer. Cold tablets containing pseudophedrine, the acid removed from batteries, drain cleaner, anhydrous ammonia, camping fuel, canned engine starter, and anti-freeze are common ingredients assembled to mix and cook into the final powdered or crystallized concoction.

Meth comes in a number of forms. The version typically found at youth “raves” is called “yaba”, and takes the form of reddish orange or green tablets, or is packaged in gelatin capsules. It is sometimes packed or “laced” into cigarettes or cigars. It is often cut with caffeine and is swallowed, melted and the fumes inhaled, or crushed and “snorted” through the nose. The version known as “ice,” or “crystal meth,” is a clear crystalline substance that is hard and resembles rock candy. It is tasteless and odorless when burned, and is usually smoked through a pipe. The “crank” version is a powder form, compressed into “rocks.” This usually has a red tint to it, or is off-white or tan in color, and is injected intravenously or smoked. Some meth is pretty cheap, but users hooked on the more potent varieties, like “crank” will have to pay as much as $1,000.00 an ounce to keep their habits satisfied.

It is easy to understand how this combination of deadly toxins, when ingested into the body, will cause organ and heart failure, wasting away, and severe mental illness and paranoia (This is your brain on drugs), over a relatively short period of time. At the end of this unfortunate spiral, suicide can seem to be an attractive alternative to a continuing life of despair in the mind of a meth addict.

You may ask, “If all this is true, why would anybody in their right mind ever use the stuff, even once?” Good question. The reason may be that people who do not make the stuff, or are not law enforcement officers, or who have not witnessed first hand the devastation of the life of a meth user, just don’t think about what they are using, and have no knowledge of the likely consequences.

Education may help someone say no, or may help someone intervene in the life of a friend or family member before it is too late. That is why I chose this topic. I hope a lot of folks will read and share. If one life is saved or changed this will prove to be a good work.

How to recognize a meth user:

Editor’s note: This is the third of a series of four columns on the manufacture and use of methamphetamines.

So far, I have discussed what methamphetamine is, how it works to ruin habitual users and destroy families, and why it is at the root of major crime problems in this part of Georgia. I mentioned that intervention in the life of someone who has been unintentionally and insidiously “hooked” on this drug from hell is the only reasonable course of salvation for a meth addict. But how does one intervene in the life of a friend or family member who is starting down this slide to oblivion? Recognizing the signs is the first step.

Signs of meth abuse include an unusual state of alertness or agitation. Persons on a high can demonstrate inappropriate nervousness and sweating. Excessive talking, rapid talking, and rambling from one unrelated subject to another are symptomatic of a meth abuser. Dilated pupils, sunken eyes, teeth grinding, loss of appetite, and sleeplessness, are clues. Sudden poor personal hygiene, including body odor and dental neglect, as well as other radical changes in behavior, are symptoms of habitual substance abuse. In the case of a stay at home mother who takes the drug to “keep going,” she may exhibit compulsive cleaning as a symptom.

Meth abusers also commonly exhibit extreme paranoia, which makes them dangerous during contacts with police, or with property owners who may encounter the meth addict during the commission of a home burglary or theft of personal property.

The physical deterioration of a meth user can be seen early on, because abuse of the drug takes a major toll on the body. Long-term effects can include severe brain, liver, kidney, lung, and heart damage. Heart failure is a fairly common side effect of long-term use. The ruin of a person abusing methamphetamine comes quickly. Within two years, most meth addicts are in jails, mental institutions, or the cemetery.

Initial signs may include a drastic change in personality, such as signs of violence, short-temperedness, unreasonable irritability, impatience, and aggression.

Meth addicts will characteristically talk way too fast and way too loud. Meth abusers are never tired and never hungry. The effect of physical fatigue that is not being registered by the brain, and rapid weight loss, are signs that are easily observed by family, friends, and fellow students. The effects take longer to register when the drug is taken by mouth, as in the case of truck drivers and people trying to work double shifts. When the drug is injected or smoked, symptoms appear quickly, usually in a matter of weeks.

Signs in a dependent child may include aloofness and inability to look a parent or sibling in the eye, sudden lack of interest in family activities, sudden loss of interest in personally favorite activities, arguing, temper tantrums, wearing sunglasses indoors, rapidly declining grades, and skyrocketing cell phone bills.

Any person can exhibit any of the above-described symptoms over a short period of time due to coping with unfortunate life situations. However, people close to the person experiencing difficulty are usually aware of the circumstances. It is the appearance of a number of these symptoms for no apparent reason, and symptoms that become long term or increasing in number or severity, that should be cause for alarm.

Treatment for meth addiction is not an easy road. The initial detoxification, or purging of the drug from a person’s body, can take as long as two weeks, and will probably require voluntary or involuntary institutionalization for that period. The treatment program that follows can take over a year, and oftentimes includes involvement with a support group that meets on a regular basis. Contacting your city or county mental health agency is a good place to start getting information if you want to intervene. Reporting your concerns to law enforcement, family members, the family physician or pastor, or a trusted teacher or counselor at school may be the way you can do your part to help save a life.

Recognizing a meth lab – what to look for:

Editor’s note: This column is the last of a four-part series on the manufacture and use of methamphetamine.

With the exception of large scale operations in places like Mexico, where methamphetamine is manufactured specifically for the purpose of being smuggled into the United States and sold, most meth labs in America are small, thrown together operations that can even be portable.

Police find meth labs in the trunks of cars, and in campers. There is a reason for this. The “cooking” of methamphetamine in its various forms produces a strong and unmistakable odor. Consequently, meth labs are sometimes designed for portability so they can be transported to largely uninhabited rural areas and sparsely occupied campgrounds. Many times, the lab will be housed in a shed or a house out in the country.

However, people have been known to mix and cook this toxic gruel in their basements and garages in subdivisions, or rental properties at the lake. The “cooker” just needs to be able to hide the smell for the few hours it takes to make up a batch of the stuff. Large exhaust fans are sometimes employed to dissipate the odor before it becomes concentrated and strong.

This is a crime that goes largely undetected by the police, who cannot be (and, frankly, don’t want to be) everywhere at once. Most successful law enforcement operations in this field rely upon tips from informants and concerned citizens. If you were to spot a meth lab in operation and tip off the police, there is no telling how many lives you might save in the long run. But how do you recognize a meth lab? Well, read on.

The following clues, especially if two or more are present, can be indicative of a meth lab in operation.

1. The strongest indicator, like I said, is the odor of ammonia or solvents emanating from a house, trailer, garage, shed, camper, etc.

2. Unusual “security” precautions, like “No Trespassing” signs suddenly being posted on the property.

3. Windows constantly blocked off from outside view by curtains, fabric, paper, etc.

4. Constantly running exhaust fans, or windows that are left open at all times, even during bad weather.

5. Trash containing unusual quantities of bottles and other containers.

6. Trash that contains coffee filters with red stains, lithium batteries that have been broken open, large quantities of cold medication packaging, empty spray cans of engine starter (ether is an ingredient of meth), empty containers of drain cleaner, anti-freeze, camping fuel, and solvents.

7. Propane or other pressurized tanks that are fitted with makeshift valves and tubing, especially if corroded with blue-green deposits.

8. The presence of an unusual amount of bottles, jugs, tubing, funnels, salt, and acids.

9. A high volume of visitors who come and go at all hours of the day and night.

10. Apparently ceaseless activity inside by people who seem to never sleep.

11. Premises occupied by people who don’t appear to have jobs, but have money and pay bills with cash.

12. Bizarre or violent behavior exhibited by people associated with the premises.

Unused byproducts of meth manufacture are too often dumped by the roadside; or the toxic waste is poured into a stream or creek for disposal.

If you think you have found an unattended meth lab, or you have run across parts of a lab discarded by the side of the road, or by a stream or creek bed, do not touch anything. Call the police immediately, and keep your distance. The manufacture of meth involves the mixing of chemicals that produce volatile and explosive combinations that are usually stored in unsuitable containers. The mere movement of a container could cause the contents to become instantly unstable, and explode. A significant number of meth “cookers” have come to their end during the cooking process. It is a very dangerous business.

If you think you have spotted a meth lab, call the police. If you prefer to remain anonymous, and may be interested in receiving a reward for your tip, call the Crime Stoppers Anonymous Tip Line at 770-606-8477 in Cartersville and Bartow County.

Let me say, once again, that if you know someone you suspect has become hooked on meth, please intervene in some appropriate manner. The symptoms to look for are paranoia, persistent depression, excessive sweating, body odor, bad oral hygiene and rotting teeth, rapid speech, inappropriately loud talking and rambling disjointed conversation, flushed appearance, tenseness, irritability, confusion, and nervous activity that can become obsessive, like scratching, picking at the skin, rocking, and hand wringing, as examples. Chronic meth abusers will suffer sudden and extreme weight loss, and will exhibit an inability to sleep and a loss of interest in food. Sudden bouts of dizziness are common. People on meth, who may otherwise have enjoyed a clear complexion, will often begin to exhibit scars, severe acne, and open sores.

*** In the article Gary had included a picture of a woman before and after meth. If you go to the Bartow Against Meth web site you can see what the drug does to you as an addict. ***

September 6, 2007

ONDCP Media Campaign Launches New Meth Prevention Initiative

The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign launched its Anti-Meth Campaign this week in conjunction with National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month. The new campaign highlights the dangers associated with meth use for the individual, families, and communities and delivers a message of hope, with stories from people in recovery and community leaders who are making progress in the fight against meth. The effort includes advertising, news media outreach, and online resources.

Research shows that while teen meth use is down significantly in recent years and past month use is less than one percent, young adults continue to use the drug. In fact, among young adults age 18 to 25, there are nearly 200,000 current meth users. Thanks in large part to the efforts of community groups and law enforcement over the last several years, there has been great progress in fighting meth—data show that the number of domestic meth labs continue to decline and results from workplace drug testing show meth use is down—but there is more to do. New ONDCP resources can help you prevent meth use in your community and get help for those in need.

The Campaign is designed to raise awareness about the dangers of meth while providing a message of hope that communities and individuals can recover from the effects of this devastating drug. The Campaign’s messages focus on the availability and efficacy of treatment for meth and the importance of community involvement. The Campaign includes three “Open Letter” print advertisements. The letters highlight the effectiveness of meth treatment and community involvement, while dispelling myths about the drug and who is using it. ONDCP has partnered with key law enforcement, treatment, and prevention organizations to co-sign the letters.

Signatories for Open Letter ads include: National Narcotics Officers' Associations' Coalition (NNOAC), Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC), National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP), State Association of Addiction Services (SAAS), American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), National Drug Enforcement Officers Association (NDEOA), National Association of Counties (NACO), Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCA), National Council of State Legislators (NCSL), and National Association of Social Workers (NASW). The first of these Open Letter ads, “Teresa,” is available for download and customization by local organizations at www.methresources.gov., with additional Open Letter ads following in October and November.

Another key element of the Anti-Meth Campaign is a powerful photo exhibit titled “Life after Meth,” featuring a collection of moving testimonials and portraits of former meth users, law enforcement officials, and treatment providers. These photo testimonials will be available as downloadable posters at www.methresources.gov. New resources for community-level use also include banner and radio ads available for use by local organizations, with some restrictions.

The paid portion of the Anti-Meth Campaign includes television, radio, print, and Web advertisements that will be launched in eight States where meth prevalence and treatment admissions rates are high (Alaska, Washington, California, Oregon, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky). The Campaign is expected to run through March 2008 in those markets. The Campaign will extend to four additional States through limited print advertising in Minnesota, Wyoming, Alabama, and Utah; and nationally through earned media outreach and online resources.

I wanted to add this because I have daughters and I have warned them repeatedly about the information written below. I have gone to the DEA web site and others and ask them to read about what can happen to them if them don't keep there wits about them at all times. I tell them all the time, never ever pick a cup back up after you have set it down.

Because some drugs are colorless, tasteless, and odorless, individuals who want to intoxicate or sedate others can add them to beverages. In recent years, there has been an increase in reports of certain drugs used to commit sexual assaults.
The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that over 430,000 people in this country are victimized by sexual assault each year; and three out of four victims are acquainted with their attackers. Many of the women who report being raped by an acquaintance also report unusual symptoms such as black-outs and hazy or no memories surrounding the attacks. The growing popularity of ‘rape drugs’ like Rohypnol, GHB (Gamma-hydroxybutyrate), or Ketamine as tools of submission among sexual offenders accounts for much of the complexity surrounding these cases
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate is a central nervous system depressant that has been rejected by the medical community as having any useful purpose. The greatest concern about this clear, odorless and virtually tasteless liquid is abuse by individuals who put it in unsuspecting women’s drinks for the purpose of sexual assault, often placing their victim’s life at risk during the assault.
Since 1990 – the DEA has confirmed 65 deaths due to GHB ingestion
In Michigan – 5 deaths have been linked to GHB ingestion
Since 1998 – 1300 emergency room visits due to GHB ingestion
In 1997, two California men were convicted of over fifty counts of sexual assault for drugging women with GHB at ‘Raves Parties’ and nightclubs over a two-year period. Many of the victims were unaware they had been assaulted until they identified themselves in photographs that had been seized by law enforcement officials.

Reducing the Risk of a Drug Facilitated Rape:

Drug-facilitated rape has occurred more frequently in recent years. Although the tasteless drugs are hard to detect, there are precautionary steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of this crime.
Do not leave beverages unattended.
Do not take any beverages, including alcohol, from someone you do not know well or trust.
At a bar or club, accept drinks only from the bartender or server.
At parties, do not accept open-container drinks from anyone.
Be alert to the behavior of friends. Anyone appearing disproportionately intoxicated in relation to the amount of alcohol they have consumed may be in danger.
Share this information with friends and talk about ways to look out for each other when you are at parties or social events.
Warning Signs and Side Effects of Rape Drug Ingestion
A person experiencing GHB ingestion / withdrawal, could exhibit one or more of the following symptoms:
Euphoria, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, impaired motor skills, tremors, insomnia, anxiety, hallucinations, nausea, sweating, vomiting, memory loss, slurred speech, reduced inhibition
Symptoms may occur from onset (5 – 15 minutes) through recovery (3 – 12 days).
In large doses, GHB can cause seizures, respiratory depression, permanent coma, and death.
Actions to take if you think you have been drugged or sexually assaulted
If you feel confused and suffer memory loss or are experiencing other sudden, unexplained symptoms after drinking a beverage, call a family member, friend, and the police.
Get to a safe place and call a rape crisis center (1-800-656-HOPE) for information or support.
After you report an assault to the police, DO NOT shower, bathe, douche, change clothes, or straighten up the area until medical and legal evidence is collected. These actions will destroy valuable evidence needed to apprehend your assailant.
A sexual assault kit will be completed. A urine specimen will be taken along with a possible blood test. Forensic analysis can detect traces of synthetic drugs in urine up to 96 hours after ingestion.

CLUB DRUGS

During the last 10 years, law enforcement agencies, hospital emergency rooms, poison control centers, and others have observed an alarming increase in the popularity of some very dangerous substances known collectively as "Club Drugs." This term refers to drugs being used by young adults at all-night dance parties, known as "Raves."

The use of Club Drugs can cause serious health problems and, in some cases, even death. Used in combination with alcohol, these drugs can be even more dangerous. In addition, uncertainties about the drug sources, pharmacological agents, chemicals used to manufacture them and possible contaminants make it difficult to determine toxicity, consequences, and symptoms that might occur.

Following is a list of popular "Club Drugs":

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB)
Ketamine
Rohypnol
Methamphetamine
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)
Nitrous Oxide

Ecstasy is the most popular club drug, known as the ‘hug drug’, because it lowers sexual inhibitions. It can cause severe dehydration, sleep disturbances, hypertension, as well as memory loss and brain damage. An overdose can cause a significant increase in body temperature (malignant hyperthermia) leading to a cardiovascular system failure and death from stroke or heart attack.

WHAT IS A "RAVE PARTY?"

"Rave Parties", also known as "Raves", are 12-hour dance parties. Once found only in big city abandoned warehouses, Raves are becoming more mainstream. They often take place at dance clubs for teens and are advertised as drug and alcohol free parties.

Users of club drugs needlessly expose themselves to potential date-rape situations, increased use of other drugs, unprotected sex, as well as physical and mental harm.

What Is It?

Ecstasy is a slang term for an illegal drug that has effects similar to those of hallucinogens and stimulants. Ecstasy's scientific name is "MDMA," short for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a name that’s nearly as long as the all-night dance club "raves" or "trances" where ecstasy is often used. That's why MDMA is called a "club drug."

MDMA is synthetic—it doesn't come from a plant like marijuana does. MDMA users often make the drug in secret "labs"—in trailers, basements, and even kitchens—hidden around the country. Other chemicals or substances are often added to, or substituted for, MDMA in ecstasy tablets, such as caffeine, dextromethorphan (in some cough syrups), amphetamines, or cocaine. Makers of ecstasy can add anything they want to the drug. So the purity of ecstasy is always in question.

What Are the Common Street Names?

Slang words for MDMA are ecstasy, E, XTC, X, Adam, hug, beans, clarity, lover's speed, and love drug.

How Is It Used?

MDMA is usually taken by mouth in a pill, tablet, or capsule. These pills can be different colors, and sometimes the pills have cartoon-like images on them. Some MDMA users take more than one pill at a time, called "bumping."

How Many Teens Use It?

According to a 2005 NIDA-funded study, many smart teens are turning their backs on MDMA. Since 2001, the percentage of 8th-graders who have ever tried MDMA has dropped from 5.2% in 2001 to 2.8% in 2005. The drop for 10th-graders was from 8.0% in 2001 to 4.0% in 2005, and 12th-graders have had the greatest decrease, from 11.7% in 2001 to 5.4% in 2005. According to 12th-graders, MDMA also seemed to be less available in 2005, which is good; but fewer 8th-graders saw “great risk” in occasionally using MDMA, and that’s not so good. It means that 8th-graders may not understand the health risks of using MDMA as well as they should.

Is MDMA Addictive?

Like other stimulant drugs, MDMA appears to have the ability to cause addiction. That is, people continue to take the drug despite experiencing unpleasant physical side effects and other social, behavioral, and health consequences.

No one knows how many times a person can use a drug before becoming addicted or who’s most vulnerable to addiction. Genetic makeup, living environment, and other factors probably play a role in a person’s susceptibility to addiction.

Successes in the Fight against Drugs:

President’s Goals: In 2002, the Bush Administration set ambitious goals to reduce drug use. The first was to lower drug use by 10 percent over 2 years. We exceeded that goal: youth drug use dropped by 11 percent over 2 years. The second was to lower drug use by 25 percent over 5 years. We nearly reached that by achieving a 23 percent decline since 2001 for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders combined. Reductions in illicit drug use among 8th and 10th graders exceeded the President’s goal, falling 30 and 26 percent since 2001, respectively.

Impact on Demand:

Teen drug use: 840,000 fewer teenagers are using illicit drugs now than in 2001. This is a 23% decline since 2001.
Marijuana: Current marijuana use by teens has dropped by 25% since 2001.
Meth use: Current meth use among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders plummeted 50% since 2001.
Ecstasy: Since 2001, current use of Ecstasy has been slashed by 61% for 8th graders and 54% for both 10th and 12th graders.
Cocaine: Between 1986 and 2006, past year cocaine use among high school seniors dropped by more than half (55%).
Steroids: Since 2001, current use of steroids by teens (8th, 10th, and 12th graders combined) has dropped 20%.
LSD: Since 2001, current LSD use has dropped by an astounding 60% by 8th graders, 53% by 10th graders, and 74% for 12th graders.
Workplace drug use, Drug use among workers declined to a 17-year low in 2005.
Workplace meth use, 2006 workplace drug tests show a 45% decline in meth use among employees nationwide, a 2-year low.

2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

New national survey reveals drug use down among adolescents in U.S. successes in Substance Abuse Recovery Highlighted. But Officials Express Concern over rising prescription drug abuse

Current illicit drug use has declined among the nation’s adolescents, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced today, at the start of the 18th annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.

The rate of adolescents ages 12 to 17 acknowledging drug use in the past month dropped from 11.6 percent in 2002 to 9.8 percent in 2006. This level is similar to the level in 2005 (9.9 percent).

This initial report from the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) also indicates use of cigarettes decreased from 2002 to 2006 for people ages 18 to 25. However, the level of underage drinking, ages 12 to 20, remained unchanged since 2002, at 28.3 percent in 2006.

Among the most notable findings was that the level of current marijuana use among youth ages 12 to 17 declined significantly from 8.2 percent in 2002 to 6.7 percent in 2006. The decline in marijuana use was particularly pronounced in adolescent males.

“The trends in general are very encouraging. Parents and communities are doing a great job helping more and more children make the right choice when it comes to illicit drug use,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt. SAMHSA is an agency of HHS. “We also need to do more to help people who are already addicted by providing access to a wide array of effective treatment and recovery support programs.”

“Drug use is a terrible drag on our society and our economy,” said the White House’s National Drug Control Policy Director John P. Walters. “Outdated notions casting drug use as a 'recreational' or 'lifestyle' choice have resulted in generations of persistent and ruinous drug use. But we know that this is a problem that can be made smaller. Fewer teens using drugs today means fewer Americans suffering destructive consequences tomorrow.”

One area of concern highlighted by the survey was the growing role of misuse of prescription drugs. For example, non-medical use of prescription drugs among young adults increased from 5.4 percent in 2002 to 6.4 percent in 2006, due largely to an increase in the non-medical use of pain relievers.

“The abuse of prescription drugs for non-medical reasons is of increasing concern,” said SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D. “These are potent drugs that can have serious and life-threatening consequences if misused. Parents in particular need to be aware of this problem and take steps to prevent these medications from falling into the wrong hands.”

The complete survey provides statistical breakdowns for many types of substances including marijuana, prescription drugs, cocaine, methamphetamines, and heroin.

In general, the 2006 survey reveals that an estimated 22.6 million persons (9.2 percent of the population ages 12 and older) may have had either substance abuse or dependency problems in the past year. Of these, 3.2 million were dependent on or abused both alcohol and illicit drugs; 3.8 million were dependent on or abused illicit drugs but not alcohol; and 15.6 million were dependent on or abused alcohol but not illicit drugs.

The survey also showed that 2.5 million people received substance abuse treatment at specialty facilities in 2006.

The survey also shows that the problems of substance abuse and mental illness are often intertwined. For example, 34.6 percent of 12 to 17 year olds who had a major depressive episode in the past year had used illicit drugs – as opposed to 18.2 percent of youths who had not experienced a major depressive episode during this period. In 2006, 3.2 million youths ages 12 to 17 had at least one major depressive episode.

Overall, the survey indicated 30.4 million adults had at least one major depressive episode in their lifetime.

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month recognizes the accomplishments of people in recovery, the contributions of treatment providers, and advances in substance abuse treatment. This year’s theme, “Saving Lives, Saving Dollars,” highlights the enormous benefits recovery offers to individuals, loved ones and society in general.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health is an annual survey of approximately 67,500 people including residents of households, non-institutionalized group quarters and civilians living on military bases. The complete survey findings are available on the web at http://oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUHLatest.htm. Electronic versions of Recovery Month materials are available at http://www.recoverymonth.gov/.

"CAT"

Methcathinone is a highly addictive illegal drug with the street name "CAT." It is usually homemade from ingredients, including dangerous acids, obtained with little difficulty in most communities.

Users are drawn to Cat because it produces a burst of energy and a feeling of invincibility, accompanied by a state of well-being and euphoria. They pay for their high, however, in the crash that inevitably follows.

The first instance of the illegal manufacture of Cat in the United States is believed to have occurred in Michigan in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

Effects

Damage to the brain and body can be devastating, especially when users progress to the point where they binge on the drug for several days. While in this state, paranoia engulfs them, and they suffer hallucinations and experience excruciating nervousness and anxiety. Appetite decreases or disappears entirely during the binge, often leading to long-term weight loss. The body becomes dehydrated, and an array of other unpleasant symptoms are experienced:

Ø Pounding heart

Ø Headaches, stomachaches

Ø Shakes

When the binge is over, usually because the supply of methcathinone has been exhausted, depression clamps down. Users become irritable and argumentative. They drive associates away as they cope with acute social withdrawal.

When sleep finally comes, it may last 24 hours. Rest does not always restore a sense of well-being, however. Users may be drained of energy for as long as several weeks.

How it is used

Cat is typically snorted like cocaine, although injection by needle is preferred by some. It is also possible to take Cat orally, by mixing it with a beverage such as coffee or soda drinks.

Ingredients

Ø The recipe for methcathinone includes some relatively benign ingredients but also the following:

Ø Sodium dichromate, commonly used to refine petroleum

Ø Sulfuric acid, usually in the form of battery acid

Ø Sodium hydroxide, obtainable over the counter as lye-based granular drain cleaners

Ø Toluene, a paint thinner

Muriatic acid, used by masons to scrub dried mortar off the face of bricks

Risk to Children

While Cat appeals mainly to those in their 20s and 30s, there have been users as young as 15. Because the drug is relatively inexpensive, law enforcement authorities are concerned that it may find a market among even younger children.

Environmental/Effects

Illicit production of methcathinone produces a carcinogenic toxic waste as a byproduct. Although producers of the drug typically make it for use in a close-to- home market, they show little concern for the pollution they spread.

The toxic waste left after the finished product emerges is often dumped in waterways, contaminating fish, well water and wildlife.

If instead it is flushed down the drain, it contaminates septic systems. If simply dumped on fields or vacant land, it contaminates acreage used for crops or grazing, or it taints land upon which homeowners may build.

There is no safe way to dispose of the toxic waste except through legitimate toxic waste disposal facilities.

Penalties

People who manufacture methcathinone or assist others in doing so, perhaps by serving as go-betweens to buy ingredients, are being prosecuted under a number of federal statutes. Manufacturing or possession with intent to distribute, for instance, is a violation of Section 841(a)(1) of Title 21 of the United States Code and is punishable by a prison term of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $1 million.

Credits:

***Provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.***

Printing and distribution of You Can't Trust CAT is funded by the Elks Drug Awareness Program, which is sponsored by the Elks National Foundation.

Illicit drug use among youth is a serious concern of parents, schools, communities, and governments across the country. Overall drug use among young people peaked in 1979, then declined steadily throughout the 1980s before climbing again between 1992 and 1997. Since then the rate of use among youth has stabilized or decreased slightly. Specifically, adolescent use of tobacco, alcohol (both illegal for youth), inhalants, marijuana, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine has remained stable. Nonetheless today's levels are still well above those of the 1980s.

One exception to this overall trend is MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), also known as ecstasy, the use of which has spread rapidly throughout the country and is still increasing. The consequences of high overall drug use are increasing, too, evidenced in the growing numbers of treatment admissions and emergency department visits, particularly for the drugs most popular with young users such as marijuana and the club drugs MDMA and GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate).

Young people who use drugs appear to be negatively influenced by many factors, including friends and family members who may use or sell drugs or who do not actively prohibit their use. But these same negative influences can be overcome if parents, schools, communities, and governments work in concert to educate young people regarding the dangers of illicit substances, to effectively monitor their activities and behaviors, and to actively encourage them to stay or become drug free.

Background

The reduction of illicit drug use among the nation's youth has long been a priority of the federal, state, and local public health and law enforcement communities. To this end, the U.S. Government tracks youth drug use via three nationally representative surveys: the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The NHSDA is a home-based survey, while the MTF and YRBS are school-based. Also, while the NHSDA and MTF are annual surveys that monitor drug use only, the YRBS is biennial and monitors several health risk behaviors, one of which is drug use. Despite these and other differences in methodology, these national-level indicators display remarkably similar drug use trends particularly evident among youth.

As part of its efforts to research adolescent drug use and to augment data derived from national-level reporting with information at the local level, the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) developed a teen drug use questionnaire in 2001. A directed research project, the questionnaire was administered via telephone to 300 substance abuse counselors across the nation. The questionnaire comprised approximately 30 questions that covered issues ranging from what drugs are used and how they are acquired to the consequences of their use. Responses to NDIC's questionnaire are not representative of the population as a whole but provide anecdotal reporting that, combined with demand and law enforcement sources, helps illustrate adolescent drug use from several perspectives.

Initiation

Age and use statistics indicate that young people typically first experiment with tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, and marijuana. The age of initiation for each of these substances is lower than for any other illicit substance. According to the latest data from NHSDA, the mean age at first use of tobacco is 15.4; alcohol, 16.3; inhalants, 16.4; and marijuana, 17.0. This higher onset age for marijuana is consistent with research showing that most youth who initiate marijuana use previously have used tobacco, alcohol, or both, and that some have used inhalants. Moreover, rates of use for these substances have been well above those for other specific illicit substances tracked by prevalence studies. For example, NHSDA data for 2000 show that lifetime use among those aged 12 to 17 was much higher for cigarettes (34.6%), alcohol (41.7%), inhalants (8.9%), and marijuana/hashish (18.3%) than for the next highest specific drug--LSD (3.6%).1

The MTF study, too, shows much higher rates of use for these entry-level substances among eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders, particularly noticeable among the youngest users. For example, MTF data for 2001 show that lifetime use among eighth graders for cigarettes (36.6%), alcohol (50.5%), inhalants (17.1%), and marijuana/hashish (20.4%) was much higher than for the next highest specific drug--MDMA (5.2%).

Data from the 1999 YRBS, which examines the initiation of risk behaviors for tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana--but not inhalants-- support the NHSDA and MTF findings. Among students in grades 9 through 12 nation-wide, 24.7 percent reported they had smoked a cigarette, 32.2 percent had drunk alcohol, and 11.3 percent had tried marijuana before age 13. For all three substances, males were significantly more likely than females to have initiated these behaviors.

Support for the theory that the use of tobacco and alcohol is an indicator of subsequent illicit drug use among youth is demonstrated in NHSDA data for 2000. In that year, 42.7 percent of those aged 12 to 17 who smoked cigarettes reported current use of illicit drugs, compared with just 4.6 percent of nonsmokers. Also, 65.5 percent of heavy drinkers aged 12 to 17 reported current use of illicit drugs, while just 4.2 percent of nondrinkers reported current drug use.2

As young users age, rates of use generally increase, peaking, according to 2000 NHSDA data, between 18 and 20 years of age for current use. During this period, a number of youth who use tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, or marijuana progress to using other illicit substances, and the mean age at first use for other drugs is as follows: hallucinogens, 18.6; cocaine, 19.5; pain relievers, 19.5; stimulants, 19.6; heroin, 19.8; and methamphetamines, 20.0. 3

Anecdotal reporting from substance abuse counselors differs somewhat from national-level data in terms of both drug and age initiation. Respondents to NDIC's questionnaire overwhelmingly answered "marijuana" when asked what drug (other than alcohol) teenagers first use. Tobacco was second, followed by inhalants and prescription drugs. Also, the age of initiation reported by respondents was lower, generally ranging between 10 and 14 years, and some respondents noted use as young as 8 or 9, particularly of marijuana or inhalants. Since substance abuse counselors tend to see more youth who are in trouble because of drug use, these initiation patterns may not be typical of youth in general.

Use

National-level demand indicators show that the overall teen drug use rate has stabilized or decreased slightly. According to the 2000 NHSDA, past year use of any illicit drug among youth aged 12 to 17 decreased from 1999 (19.8%) to 2000(18.6%). But lifetime rates of use remain high. In 2000, 26.9 percent of 12 to 17 year olds reported using an illicit drug in their lifetime, and of these, 18.3 percent had used marijuana/hashish, 10.9 percent had abused prescription drugs, and 5.8 percent had used hallucinogens. These figures changed little from the previous year when 27.6 percent had used any illicit drug, of which 18.7 percent had used marijuana/hashish, 10.9 percent had abused prescription drugs, and 5.7 percent had used hallucinogens.

Similarly, the MTF study indicates that the rate of past year use of any drug by eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders remained relatively stable between 2000 and 2001 (see Table). Changes recorded for tenth and twelfth graders were not significant, and lifetime use rates remain high overall. The MTF study further indicates that 53.9 percent of twelfth graders in 2001 had used an illicit drug at least once in their lifetime. Nearly half (49.0%) reported lifetime marijuana use, 11.7 percent reported lifetime MDMA use, 10.9 percent reported lifetime LSD use, 8.2 percent reported lifetime cocaine use, and 6.9 percent reported lifetime methamphetamine use.

Lifetime use rates covered in the 1999 YRBS are somewhat similar to those in the MTF study. Nationwide, 47.2 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 had used marijuana at least once in their lifetime, 9.5 percent had used cocaine, and 9.1 percent had used methamphetamine.

In agreement with the national-level demand indicators were the substance abuse counselors responding to NDIC's questionnaire who, when asked what drugs teens are using, again overwhelmingly responded "marijuana." Methamphetamine, MDMA, cocaine, hallucinogens, prescription drugs (OxyContin, Valium, Xanax, other benzodiazepines), and inhalants were reported as well.

Data on where and when young people use drugs is somewhat harder to come by than data on the number of users and the frequency of use. But youth surveys and law enforcement sources suggest that drugs continue to have a strong presence in schools across the country. For example, results of the 1999 YRBS indicate that 30.2 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 had been offered, sold, or given an illegal drug on school property within the 12 months preceding the survey. Male students (34.7%) were significantly more likely then female students (25.7%) to experience these situations.

More recently, a 2001 report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University indicates that 60 percent of high school students and 30 percent of middle school students report that drugs are used, kept, or sold at their schools. Also, according to responses to NDIC's National Drug Threat Survey 2001, some state and local law enforcement agencies in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Utah report an increase in drug presence at schools in their areas.

Despite the apparent availability of drugs in schools, most data indicate that young people generally use on weekends and in the late afternoon or early evening after school on weekdays. Data for the 2000-2001 school year from the Parents' Resource Institute on Drug Education (PRIDE) indicate that drug use rates among youth generally are higher during weekends and after school. Drug use among sixth through twelfth graders responding to the PRIDE survey was most prevalent during the weekends for marijuana, cocaine, and hallucinogens. For example, 28.5 percent of the twelfth graders reported using marijuana during weekends, compared with 12.4 percent reporting use after school and 7.9 percent reporting use before school. The time of use for inhalants was more evenly distributed than that of the three drugs mentioned above. In fact, students reported equal or heavier use of inhalants during school hours than after school.

Most substance abuse counselors responding to NDIC's questionnaire also indicated that teens use drugs in the afternoons and evenings after school and on weekends. But several indicated that drug use frequently occurs before school and during lunch as well.

Trends

One of the more notable trends over the past few years concerns the rate of MDMA use, which rose sharply among eighth, tenth, and twelfth graders between 1998 and 2000, according to the MTF study. Past year use of MDMA among twelfth graders, for example, rose from 3.6 to 8.2 percent during that period. While the increase in use slowed between 2000 and 2001 (to 9.2% for twelfth graders), MTF data further indicate that teens' perceive MDMA as increasingly available (see Chart 1). While an increase in actual prevalence of the drug may or may not be true, perceived prevalence could persuade some teens that MDMA use is the norm and thereby increase the likelihood they will try it. Data from MTF further indicate that for the second straight year MDMA use is more prevalent among teenagers than cocaine use.

Likewise, information from the 2001 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) shows that teens' lifetime use of MDMA more than doubled from 1995 (5.0%) to 2001 (12.0%) and is now equal with that of cocaine, crack, and LSD and higher than that of heroin. According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, one factor contributing to the rising use of MDMA is the perception among teens that the drug is "only slightly more dangerous" than tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, and marijuana.

Illustrating the rapid growth of the drug across the country, "ecstasy," or MDMA, was the overwhelming response from substance abuse counselors responding to NDIC's questionnaire when asked what drugs teens currently use that were previously unavailable in their communities. Heroin, prescription drugs (primarily OxyContin), GHB, methamphetamine (including crystal meth-amphetamine), crack cocaine, and hallucinogens were reported as well. Also, some state and local law enforcement agencies in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin reported through the National Drug Threat Survey 2001 that MDMA either was just emerging in their areas or had emerged within the previous year.

Consequences

The consequences of early drug use are shown in the numbers of young people requiring drug-related treatment and emergency health care or exposing themselves to health risks. For example, the 1999 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) indicates that 47 percent of admissions to publicly funded treatment facilities for marijuana abuse were under the age of 20. Moreover, among primary marijuana admissions, more than half (57%) first used the drug by age 14, and 92 percent by age 18. Teens also accounted for more than half of admissions for hallucinogens in 1999: 53 percent were between the ages of 15 and 19.

Data for 2000 indicate that 31 percent of all Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) emergency department cases involved patients aged 25 and under. At least 80 percent of LSD, MDMA, and Rohypnol mentions, more than 70 percent of ketamine mentions, and 60 percent of GHB mentions involved patients aged 25 and under. DAWN data further show that marijuana/hashish mentions among those aged 12 to 17 increased 622 percent between 1990 and 2000.

The use of any drug or alcohol can lower inhibitions and lead to riskier behavior and, subsequently, to potential harm to the user such as exposure to sexually transmitted diseases. The 1999 YRBS results indicate that 24.8 percent of students nationwide who were sexually active at the time of the survey had used drugs or alcohol at the time of their last sexual intercourse. Male students (31.2%) were significantly more likely than female students (18.5%) to engage in this behavior.

A 1999 CASA study that analyzed the YRBS sample from 1997 indicated that 63 percent of high school teens who used alcohol reported having sex compared with 26 percent of those who never used alcohol. Also, 72 percent of teens who used drugs reported having sex compared with 36 percent of those who never used drugs. The CASA study further suggests that teens who use drugs or alcohol are more likely to have sex at younger ages, to have multiple partners, and to be at greater risk of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.

Substance abuse counselors responding to NDIC's questionnaire, when asked what, in their experience, were the consequences of teen drug use, frequently mentioned legal (arrests, violence, criminal activity) and health (emergency room visits, pregnancy, suicides) problems as well as poor family or social relationships. The most commonly reported consequence, however, was poor school performance comprising truancy, cheating, poor grades, disciplinary problems, and expulsions or dropouts.

Influences

Young peoples knowledge and perceptions of illicit drugs are affected, both negatively and positively, by many influences including friends, peers, family members, and television and other media. For example, NHSDA data show that significantly more young people (17%) were likely to be current users of marijuana when a few, some, or all of their friends used marijuana than those reporting none of their friends used marijuana (0.5%). Also, those who knew adults that used marijuana were nine times more likely to be current marijuana users than those who did not know adults that used the drug.

What is more, responses to NDIC's questionnaire indicate that many teens learn how to use drugs--and often acquire them--from their friends, peers, and family members, including parents. Various forms of media also were implicated. For example, some respondents specifically mentioned prime-time news programs that present drug information in such detail that they teach young people how to administer drugs.

Unfortunately many parents are unaware or remain unconvinced of the positive influence they might have in preventing their children from using drugs. According to a 2001 report from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), only 52.0 percent of parents of 12 to 13 year olds believe that monitoring would decrease the likelihood of their children using drugs. Information from the 2001 PATS, however, indicates that one of the biggest risks that teens associate with marijuana use is upsetting their parents. More than two-thirds (66.0%) of teens mentioned this risk in 2001, and this percentage has been relatively stable over the last few years.

PRIDE data for the 2000-2001 school year also support the contention that parents can positively influence drug use rates among their children. Use rates were lower among sixth through twelfth graders reporting their parents talked with them "a lot" about illicit drugs (18.8%) than among those whose parents seldom (28.4%) or never (34.5%) discussed illicit drugs.

Complementing these findings are results of a 2000 CASA survey. The survey correlated teens' risk of substance abuse with 12 possible actions the teens attributed to their parents. Some of the parental actions included monitoring media exposure, monitoring school performance, knowing where teens are after school and on weekends, and expressing disapproval of drug use. Results of the CASA survey indicate that teens whose parents monitor such activities are at one-quarter the risk of smoking, drinking, and using illegal drugs.

Education

Attitudes drive behavior, and national drug education campaigns over the years may have had an effect on the attitudes of youth toward drug use. Overall drug use declined from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, a period marked by campaigns such as the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and "Just Say No" programs. Drug use then increased from the early to mid-1990s, a time of conflicting drug-related messages, some of which glamorized the use of drugs.

The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign implemented by ONDCP in January 1998 appears to have influenced attitudes especially toward marijuana use, an area the campaign principally targeted. Although the prevalence studies are not designed to evaluate the campaign's effectiveness and definitive evaluation is not yet complete, some data suggest a positive impact. For example, NHSDA data for 2000 show that 81.9 percent of those aged 12 to 17 had either seen or heard a drug prevention message outside of school in the previous year. Moreover, the 2001 PATS suggests that frequent exposure to antidrug messages correlates to fewer teens reporting lifetime (38%), past year (30%), and current (19%) use of marijuana than less frequent exposure (see Chart 2).

Conversely, use rates for MDMA, a drug not specifically addressed in the original media campaign, have risen since 1998. In response, the first national education campaign focusing on MDMA was initiated in February 2002. The campaign has been designed to educate parents as well as teenagers and consists of both television and print advertisements that deliver messages about the very real dangers associated with MDMA use in an effort to change the perception that it is a harmless drug.

The D.A.R.E. program also launched a new curriculum that began in limited areas in fall 2001. The new curriculum targets older students by shifting from fifth to seventh graders and incorporating a supplementary program for ninth graders. To counter the theory that some education programs make drug use seem more prevalent than it is and thus encourage youth to see it as a social norm, the revamped D.A.R.E. program allows students to challenge perceived norms through peer discussion groups.

Outlook

Despite relatively stable to slightly declining overall drug use among young people, rates of use are still relatively high. Moreover, the consequences of drug use to the nation's youth and the ever-present threat of emerging drugs, such as MDMA, demand constant attention.

As long as drugs remain available to young people, antidrug education must be a priority for policymakers and law enforcement as well as for parents and schools. Only through consistent and ongoing antidrug messages from family, friends, schools, and governments--and the supported efforts of youth themselves to remain drug free--can adolescent drug use be substantially reduced.

Sources

Centers for Disease Control
Youth Risk Behavior Survey
University of Michigan
Monitoring the Future Study
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
NDIC National Drug Threat Survey responses
NDIC Teen Drug Use Questionnaire responses
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Parents' Resource Institute on Drug Education
Partnership for a Drug-Free America
Partnership Attitude Tracking Study
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Drug Abuse Warning Network
National Household Survey on Drug Abuse
Treatment Episode Data Set

End Notes

1. Lifetime use is defined as use of a drug at least once in a user's life; past year use, at least once in the preceding 365 days; current use, at least once in the preceding 30 days.

2. The NHSDA defines "heavy" alcohol use as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the past 30 days.

3. Includes non-medical use of any prescription-type pain reliever or stimulant; does not include over-the-counter drugs.

****Excepts taken from DEA web site.**** Take the time to go to the sites listed and educate yourself about illegal drugs and what they can do. ****

NIDA

A Letter to Parents

The only way to prevent your child from using drugs is to be open, talk to them, warn them, be aware of everything going on in your child's life.

Marijuana is the illegal drug most often used in this country. Since 1991, lifetime marijuana use has almost doubled among 8th- and 10th-grade students, and increased by a third among high school seniors (19). Our research shows that accompanying this upward pattern of use is a significant erosion in antidrug perceptions and knowledge among young people today. As the number of young people who use marijuana has increased, the number who view the drug as harmful has decreased. Among high school seniors surveyed in 2003, current marijuana use has increased by about 54 percent since 1991. The proportion of those seniors who believe regular use of marijuana is harmful has dropped by about 30 percent since 1991 (19).

These changes in perception and knowledge may be due to a decrease in antidrug messages in the media, an increase in prodrug messages through the pop culture, and a lack of awareness among parents about this resurgence in drug use—most thinking, perhaps, that this threat to their children had diminished.

There's a dialogue going on. If there is experimentation, I'm going to know and be able to respond.

Because many parents of this generation of teenagers used marijuana when they were in college, they often find it difficult to talk about marijuana use with their children and to set strict ground rules against drug use. But marijuana use today starts at a younger age—and more potent forms of the drug are available to these young children. Parents need to recognize that marijuana use is a serious threat—and they need to tell their children not to use it.

We at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) are pleased to offer these two short booklets, Marijuana: Facts for Teens and Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know, for parents and their children to review the scientific facts about marijuana. While it is best to talk about drugs when children are young, it is never too late to talk about the dangers of drug use.

Talking to our children about drug abuse is not always easy, but it is very important. I hope these booklets can help.

Nora D. Volkow, M.D., Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse

A study prepared by The Lewin Group for the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimated the total economic cost of alcohol and drug abuse to be $245.7 billion for 1992. Of this cost, $97.7 billion* was due to drug abuse. This estimate includes substance abuse treatment and prevention costs as well as other healthcare costs, costs associated with reduced job productivity or lost earnings, and other costs to society such as crime and social welfare. The study also determined that these costs are borne primarily by governments (46 percent), followed by those who abuse drugs and members of their households (44 percent).

The 1992 cost estimate has increased 50 percent over the cost estimate from 1985 data. The four primary contributors to this increase were: the epidemic of heavy cocaine use the HIV epidemic an eightfold increase in state and Federal incarcerations for drug offenses, and a threefold increase in crimes attributed to drugs.

More than half of the estimated costs of drug abuse were associated with drug-related crime. These costs included lost productivity of victims and incarcerated perpetrators of drug- related crime (20.4 percent); lost legitimate production due to drug-related crime careers (19.7 percent); and other costs of drug-related crime, including Federal drug traffic control, property damage, and police, legal, and corrections services (18.4 percent). Most of the remaining costs resulted from premature deaths (14.9 percent), lost productivity due to drug-related illness (14.5 percent), and healthcare expenditures (10.2 percent).

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)** conducted a study to determine how much money is spent on illegal drugs that otherwise would support legitimate spending or savings by the user in the overall economy. ONDCP found that, between 1988 and 1995, Americans spent $57.3 billion on drugs, broken down as follows: $38 billion on cocaine, $9.6 billion on heroin, $7 billion on marijuana, and $2.7 billion on other illegal drugs and on the misuse of legal drugs.

Trends in Use:

Since 1975, the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey has studied annually the extent of drug use among 12th-graders. The survey was expanded in 1991 to include 8th- and 10th-graders. It is funded by NIDA and is conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. The goal of the survey is to collect data on past month, past year, and lifetime(1) drug use among students in these grade levels. The 32nd annual study was conducted during 2006.(2)

Decreases or stability in abuse patterns were noted for most drugs from 2005 to 2006. Below are the key findings, based on data from the 2006 MTF and, in some instances, from other recent MTF survey data. For individual drugs, a decrease or increase is noted only if statistically significant; other trends are considered stable and are not highlighted below.

Positive Trends:

Any illicit drug – Since the peak years of drug abuse in the mid-1990s, there have been decreases among all three grades in the “any illicit drug” category. Based on 2006 data, past year prevalence has fallen by 37 percent among 8th-graders since the peak year in 1996. The peak year for past year abuse among 10th- and 12th-graders was 1997; since then, past year prevalence has fallen by 25 percent among 10th-graders and by 14 percent among 12th-graders. Combining all three grades, past month abuse for any illicit drug has dropped by 23 percent since 2001.

Marijuana – Lifetime marijuana abuse decreased among 10th-graders, from 34.1 percent in 2005 to 31.8 percent in 2006. Past year prevalence of marijuana abuse fell by 36 percent among 8th-graders since their peak year of abuse (1996) and by 28 percent among 10th-graders and 18 percent among 12th-graders since their peak year of abuse (1997). Perceived availability(3) of marijuana fell among 10th-graders, from 72.6 percent in 2005 to 70.7 percent in 2006.

Methamphetamine – Past year and past month abuse of methamphetamine decreased among 10th-graders from 2005 to 2006 (2.9 percent to 1.8 percent for past year; 1.1 percent to 0.7 percent for past month). Among 12th-graders, perceived risk of harm from trying crystal methamphetamine (“ice”) increased from 54.6 percent in 2005 to 59.1 percent in 2006.

Prescription Drugs – Past year abuse of OxyContin decreased among 12th-graders for the first time since its inclusion in the survey in 2002, from 5.5 percent in 2005 to 4.3 percent in 2006. Perception of harm from trying sedatives/barbiturates “once or twice” increased among 12th-graders, from 24.7 percent in 2005 to 28.0 percent in 2006. (This question is asked only of 12th-graders.) (See also Negative Trends.)

Inhalants – After some increases in recent years, there were no significant changes from 2005 to 2006 in the proportion of students in the 8th, 10th, and 12th grades reporting lifetime, past year, or past month abuse of inhalants.

Cigarettes/Nicotine – Lifetime abuse of cigarettes decreased among 10th- and 12th-graders from 2005 to 2006 (38.9 percent to 36.1 percent for 10th-graders; 50.0 percent to 47.1 percent for 12th-graders). Past year abuse of bidis (small, flavored cigarettes from India) decreased among 12th-graders, from 3.3 percent in 2005 to 2.3 percent in 2006. (This question was asked only of 12th-graders from 2005 to 2006.)

Crack Cocaine – Past year abuse of crack decreased for 10th-graders, from 1.7 percent in 2005 to 1.3 percent in 2006.

Heroin – Among 8th-graders, past month heroin abuse decreased, from 0.5 percent in 2005 to 0.3 percent in 2006. Perceived risk of harm from using heroin "once or twice" or "occasionally" increased among 12th-graders from 2005 to 2006. Among 10th-graders, perceived availability of heroin fell, from 19.3 percent in 2005 to 17.4 percent in 2006.

MDMA (Ecstasy) – Among 10th-graders, perceived availability of MDMA decreased from 30.2 percent in 2005 to 27.4 percent in 2006. (See also Negative Trends.)

Anabolic Steroids – Among 12th-graders, perceived risk of steroid abuse increased, from 56.8 percent in 2005 to 60.2 percent in 2006. (This question is asked only of 12th-graders.)

Alcohol – Lifetime and past year abuse of alcohol decreased for 12th-graders from 2005 to 2006 (75.1 percent to 72.7 percent for lifetime; 68.6 percent to 66.5 percent for past year).(4)

Negative Trends:

Prescription Drugs – Past year abuse of OxyContin and Vicodin, first measured in 2002, continued at levels that raise concern. Past year abuse of Vicodin was 3.0 percent among 8th-graders, 7.0 percent among 10th-graders, and 9.7 percent among 12th-graders in 2006, remaining stable but at relatively high levels for each grade. Despite a drop in past year abuse of OxyContin among 12th-graders in 2006, abuse among 8th-graders has nearly doubled since 2002 (from 1.3 percent in 2002 to 2.6 percent in 2006).(5) (See also Positive Trends.)

MDMA (Ecstasy) – From 2005 to 2006, the percentage of 8th-graders decreased who saw great risk in using MDMA "once or twice" (40.0 percent to 32.8 percent) and in using "occasionally" (60.8 percent to 52.0 percent). Also, disapproval of MDMA use decreased among 8th-graders from 2005 to 2006 for trying "once or twice" (75.0 percent to 66.7 percent) and taking "occasionally" (77.9 percent to 69.8 percent). (See also Positive Trends.)

Hallucinogens – From 2005 to 2006, the percentage of 8th-graders decreased who perceived risk of harm from "taking LSD regularly" (44.0 percent to 40.0 percent) and who disapproved of using LSD "once or twice" (58.5 percent to 53.9 percent).

Race/Ethnicity Differences – Key Findings for 2006:

(Observed differences between categories have not been evaluated for statistical significance.)

African-American students have lower rates on the following MTF measures compared with White or Hispanic students:

Past year illicit drug abuse among 12th-graders

Any illicit drug other than marijuana," in all three grade levels

Cigarette smoking

Alcohol abuse among 10th and 12th grade students

Among African-American, Hispanic, and White 12th-graders, Whites have the highest rates of past year illicit drug abuse.

Prevalence of past month alcohol abuse is higher among Hispanic 8th-graders than their White or African-American counterparts.

Gender Effects – Key Findings for 2006:

(Observed differences between categories have not been evaluated for statistical significance.)

Past year use of "any illicit drug" is roughly the same for males and females in the 8th, 10th, and 12th grades.

Use of "any illicit drug other than marijuana" is slightly higher among females than males in the 8th and 10th grades, but is higher among males in the 12th grade.

Drugs that continue to show a clear gender difference in prevalence of abuse are anabolic steroids and smokeless tobacco (both are more likely to be abused by males than females) and amphetamines and methamphetamine (more likely to be abused by females).

Marijuana abuse is more prevalent among males than females in all three grades.

There is a continuing pattern of higher abuse rates of OxyContin and Vicodin among males compared with females in the 12th grade.

Declines and Increases from 2005 to 2006:

(Reported differences are statistically significant.)

Females – Past year abuse of methamphetamine declined among 10th grade females, from 3.0 percent in 2005 to 2.0 percent in 2006. Past year abuse of MDMA among 12th grade females increased, from 2.7 percent in 2005 to 4.0 percent in 2006.

Males – Declines were noted among 10th grade males in past year abuse of methamphetamine, from 2.6 percent in 2005 to 1.7 percent in 2006. Declines were noted among 12th grade males for past year abuse of any illicit drug, from 42.1 percent in 2005 to 37.5 percent in 2006; marijuana, from 37.6 percent in 2005 to 32.7 percent in 2006; OxyContin, from 7.4 percent in 2005 to 5.3 percent in 2006; amphetamines, from 9.1 percent in 2005 to 7.4 percent in 2006; and ice, from 2.5 percent in 2005 to 1.5 percent in 2006. Declines also were noted among 12th grade males for past month prevalence of alcohol abuse, from 50.7 percent in 2005 to 47.3 percent in 2006; binge drinking, from 33.4 percent in 2005 to 29.8 percent in 2006; cigarette abuse, from 24.8 percent in 2005 to 22.4 percent in 2006; daily smoking, from 14.6 percent in 2005 to 12.0 percent in 2006; and smoking _ pack or more per day, from 8.0 percent in 2005 to 6.2 percent in 2006.

****Excerpt taken from DEA web site http://www.dea.gov/concern/marijuana.html ) I overheard several coworkers who just happen to have kids say how marijuana should be legalized. That it wasn't a bad drug and what was the big deal!. What is a good drug for your kids? Will "pot" lead to harder drugs?****

DESCRIPTION/OVERVIEW

Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. A dry, shredded green/brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves of the plant Cannabis sativa, it usually is smoked as a cigarette (joint, nail), or in a pipe (bong). It also is smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, often in combination with another drug. It might also be mixed in food or brewed as a tea. As a more concentrated, resinous form it is called hashish and, as a sticky black liquid, hash oil. Marijuana smoke has a pungent and distinctive, usually sweet-and-sour odor.(1)

The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The membranes of certain nerve cells in the brain contain protein receptors that bind to THC. Once securely in place, THC kicks off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high that users experience when they smoke marijuana.(2)

CONTROL STATUS

Marijuana is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Schedule I drugs are classified as having a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

STREET NAMES

Grass, pot, weed, bud, Mary Jane, dope, indo, hydro(3)

SHORT-TERM EFFECTS

When marijuana is smoked, its effects begin immediately after the drug enters the brain and last from 1 to 3 hours. If marijuana is consumed in food or drink, the short-term effects begin more slowly, usually in 1/2 to 1 hour, and last longer, for as long as 4 hours. Smoking marijuana deposits several times more THC into the blood than does eating or drinking the drug.(4)

Within a few minutes after inhaling marijuana smoke, an individual’s heart begins beating more rapidly, the bronchial passages relax and become enlarged, and blood vessels in the eyes expand, making the eyes look red. The heart rate, normally 70 to 80 beats per minute, may increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute or, in some cases, even double. This effect can be greater if other drugs are taken with marijuana.(5)

As THC enters the brain, it causes a user to feel euphoric— or “high”—by acting in the brain’s reward system, areas of the brain that respond to stimuli such as food and drink as well as most drugs of abuse. THC activates the reward system in the same way that nearly all drugs of abuse do, by stimulating brain cells to release the chemical dopamine.(6)

A marijuana user may experience pleasant sensations, colors and sounds may seem more intense, and time appears to pass very slowly. The user’s mouth feels dry, and he or she may suddenly become very hungry and thirsty. His or her hands may tremble and grow cold. The euphoria passes after awhile, and then the user may feel sleepy or depressed. Occasionally, marijuana use produces anxiety, fear, distrust, or panic.(7)

LONG-TERM EFFECTS

Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illnesses, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency toward obstructed airways. Cancer of the respiratory tract and lungs may also be promoted by marijuana smoke. Marijuana has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because marijuana smoke contains 50 percent to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke.(8)

Marijuana's damage to short-term memory seems to occur because THC alters the way in which information is processed by the hippocampus, a brain area responsible for memory formation. In one study, researchers compared marijuana smoking and nonsmoking 12th-graders' scores on standardized tests of verbal and mathematical skills. Although all of the students had scored equally well in 4th grade, those who were heavy marijuana smokers, i.e., those who used marijuana seven or more times per week, scored significantly lower in 12th grade than nonsmokers. Another study of 129 college students found that among heavy users of marijuana critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were significantly impaired, even after they had not used the drug for at least 24 hours.(9)

TRAFFICKING TRENDS

Overall marijuana production in Mexico--the principal source of foreign-produced marijuana to U.S. drug markets appears to be increasing. Mexico marijuana production estimates indicate that production in Mexico was relatively low from 2000 through 2002 during a period of drought, increased sharply in 2003 as weather improved, and receded slightly in 2004 (see 2006 National Drug Threat Assessment, Table 5). Moreover, anecdotal reporting and cannabis eradication and marijuana seizure data all indicate that marijuana production in Canada has recently increased, perhaps significantly. Domestic marijuana production also appears to be increasing, according to law enforcement reporting that reveals a significant increase in eradication of domestic marijuana grow sites in 2005. Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP) data indicate that domestic cannabis eradication--occurring primarily in California, Kentucky, Tennessee, Hawaii, and Washington, often on public lands including Forest Service lands (see 2006 National Drug Threat Assessment, Figure 2)--increased steadily from 2000 through 2003, decreased in 2004, and increased sharply to its highest recorded level in 2005. (See 2006 National Drug Threat Assessment, Table 6.)(10)

Most of the foreign-produced marijuana available in the United States is smuggled into the country from Mexico via the U.S.-Mexico border by Mexican DTOs and criminal groups; however, a sharp rise in marijuana smuggling from Canada via the U.S.-Canada border by Asian criminal groups has increased the domestic availability of marijuana produced in Canada.(11)

Mexican criminal groups control most wholesale marijuana distribution throughout the United States; however, Asian criminal groups appear to be increasing their position as wholesale distributors of Canada-produced marijuana. According to law enforcement reporting, Mexican DTOs and criminal groups control most wholesale marijuana distribution in the Great Lakes, Pacific, Southeast, Southwest, and West Central Regions and control much of the wholesale marijuana distribution in the Northeast Region. Although Asian criminal groups are not the predominant wholesale marijuana distributors in any region, these groups, particularly Chinese and Vietnamese groups, now are widely identified in law enforcement reporting as the principal suppliers of high potency, Canada-produced marijuana throughout the country.(12)

The influence of Asian criminal groups in high potency marijuana distribution is likely to increase in the near term. Law enforcement reporting indicates that these groups are increasingly gaining control over much of the high potency marijuana production and distribution in Canada and now appear to be extending their influence in the United States. In fact, law enforcement reporting indicates that the influence of Asian organizations in drug trafficking--particularly the trafficking of high potency marijuana--in the United States is now more significant than that of Russian-Israeli, Jamaican, or Puerto Rican criminal groups (see 2006 National Drug Threat Assessment, Appendix A, Map 3).(13)

Marijuana distribution is widespread throughout the country, as evidenced by the presence of 14 principal distribution centers for the drug, one or more of which are located in nearly every region of the country (see 2006 National Drug Threat Assessment, Appendix A, Map 6). Much of the midlevel and retail distribution of marijuana in these and other cities is controlled by African American, Asian, and Hispanic street gangs; however, independent dealers control most midlevel and retail marijuana distribution in smaller communities and rural areas. In fact, independent dealers are likely to retain control of distribution in smaller communities because they often distribute locally produced marijuana rather than foreign-produced marijuana.(14)

USE/USER POPULATION

Among students surveyed as part of the 2005 Monitoring the Future study, 16.5% of eighth graders, 34.1% of tenth graders, and 44.8% of twelfth graders reported lifetime use of marijuana. In 2004, these percentages were 16.3%, 35.1%, and 45.7%, respectively.(15)

Approximately 74% of eighth graders, 65.5% of tenth graders, and 58% of twelfth graders surveyed in 2005 reported that smoking marijuana regularly was a "great risk."(16)

The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveys high school students on several risk factors including drug and alcohol use. Results of the 2005 survey indicate that 38.4% of high school students reported using marijuana at some point in their lifetimes. Additional YRBS results indicate that 20.2% of students surveyed in 2005 reported current (past month) use of marijuana.(17)

Between 2001 and 2005, marijuana use dropped in all three categories: lifetime (13%), past year (15%) and 30-day use (19%). Current marijuana use decreased 28% among 8th graders (from 9.2% to 6.6%), and 23% among 10th graders (from 19.8% to 15.2%).(18)

ARRESTS/SENTENCING

Between October 1, 2004 and January 11, 2005, there were 1,777 Federal offenders sentenced for marijuana-related charges in U.S. Courts. Approximately 94.9% of the cases involved marijuana trafficking. Between January 12, 2005 and September 30, 2005, there were 4,396 Federal offenders sentenced for marijuana-related charges in U.S. Courts. Approximately 95.8% of the cases involved trafficking.(19)

LEGISLATION

The campaign to legitimize what is called "medical" marijuana is based on two propositions: that science views marijuana as medicine, and that DEA targets sick and dying people using the drug. Neither proposition is true. Smoked marijuana has not withstood the rigors of science – it is not medicine and it is not safe. DEA targets criminals engaged in cultivation and trafficking, not the sick and dying. No state has legalized the trafficking of marijuana, including the twelve states that have decriminalized certain marijuana use.(20)

In the case of United States v. Oakland Cannabis Club the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that marijuana has no medical value as determined by Congress. The opinion of the court stated that: "In the case of the Controlled Substances Act, the statute reflects a determination that marijuana has no medical benefits worthy of an exception outside the confines of a government-approved research project."(21) The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court after the federal government sought an injunction in 1998 against the Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative and five other marijuana distributors in California.(22)

The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a ruling on May 24, 2002, upholding DEA's determination that marijuana must remain a schedule I controlled substance. The Court of Appeals rejected an appeal that contended that marijuana does not meet the legal criteria for classification in schedule I, the most restrictive schedule under the Controlled Substances Act.(23)

TREATMENT RESOURCES

Treatment Publications and Research | Treatment and Patient Education | Treatment Facility Locator

The information below comes from SAMHSA. Which is the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Office of Applied Studies.

Highlights

This report presents the first information from the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). This survey, formerly called the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), is a project of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This survey was initiated in 1971 and is the primary source of information on the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco by the civilian, non institutionalized population of the United States aged 12 years old or older. The survey interviews approximately 67,500 persons each year.

Illicit Drug Use

In 2003, an estimated 19.5 million Americans, or 8.2 percent of the population aged 12 or older, were current illicit drug users. Current illicit drug use means use of an illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview.

There was no change in the overall rate of illicit drug use between 2002 and 2003. In 2002, there were an estimated 19.5 million illicit drug users (8.3 percent).

The rate of current illicit drug use among youths aged 12 to 17 did not change significantly between 2002 (11.6 percent) and 2003 (11.2 percent), and there were no changes for any specific drug. The rate of current marijuana use among youths was 8.2 percent in 2002 and 7.9 percent in 2003. There was a significant decline in lifetime marijuana use among youths, from 20.6 percent in 2002 to 19.6 percent in 2003. There also were decreases in rates of past year use of LSD (1.3 to 0.6 percent), Ecstasy (2.2 to 1.3 percent), and methamphetamine (0.9 to 0.7 percent).

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug, with a rate of 6.2 percent (14.6 million) in 2003. An estimated 2.3 million persons (1.0 percent) were current cocaine users, 604,000 of whom used crack. Hallucinogens were used by 1.0 million persons, and there were an estimated 119,000 current heroin users. All of these 2003 estimates are similar to the estimates for 2002.

The number of current users of Ecstasy (i.e., MDMA) decreased between 2002 and 2003, from 676,000 (0.3 percent) to 470,000 (0.2 percent). Although there were no significant changes in the past month use of other hallucinogens, there were significant declines in past year use of LSD (from 1 million to 558,000) and in past year overall hallucinogen use (from 4.7 million to 3.9 million) between 2002 and 2003, as well as in past year use of Ecstasy (from 3.2 million to 2.1 million).

An estimated 6.3 million persons were current users of psychotherapeutic drugs taken nonmedically. This represents 2.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older. An estimated 4.7 million used pain relievers, 1.8 million used tranquilizers, 1.2 million used stimulants, and 0.3 million used sedatives. The 2003 estimates are all similar to the corresponding estimates for 2002.

There was a significant increase in lifetime nonmedical use of pain relievers between 2002 and 2003 among persons aged 12 or older, from 29.6 million to 31.2 million. Specific pain relievers with statistically significant increases in lifetime use were Vicodin®, Lortab®, or Lorcet® (from 13.1 million to 15.7 million); Percocet®, Percodan®, or Tylox® (from 9.7 million to 10.8 million); Hydrocodone (from 4.5 million to 5.7 million); OxyContin® (from 1.9 million to 2.8 million); methadone (from 0.9 million to 1.2 million); and Tramadol (from 52,000 to 186,000).

Rates of current illicit drug use varied significantly among the major racial/ethnic groups in 2003. Rates were highest among American Indians or Alaska Natives (12.1 percent), persons reporting two or more races (12.0 percent), and Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders (11.1 percent). Rates were 8.7 percent for blacks, 8.3 percent for whites, and 8.0 percent for Hispanics. Asians had the lowest rate at 3.8 percent.

An estimated 18.2 percent of unemployed adults aged 18 or older were current illicit drug users in 2003 compared with 7.9 percent of those employed full time and 10.7 percent of those employed part time. However, most drug users were employed. Of the 16.7 million illicit drug users aged 18 or older in 2003, 12.4 million (74.3 percent) were employed either full or part time.

Alcohol Use

An estimated 119 million Americans aged 12 or older were current drinkers of alcohol in 2003 (50.1 percent). About 54 million (22.6 percent) participated in binge drinking at least once in the 30 days prior to the survey, and 16.1 million (6.8 percent) were heavy drinkers. These 2003 numbers are all similar to the corresponding estimates for 2002.

The highest prevalence of binge and heavy drinking in 2003 was for young adults aged 18 to 25, with the peak rate of both measures occurring at age 21. The rate of binge drinking was 41.6 percent for young adults aged 18 to 25 and 47.8 percent at age 21. Heavy alcohol use was reported by 15.1 percent of persons aged 18 to 25 and by 18.7 percent of persons aged 21.

About 10.9 million persons aged 12 to 20 reported drinking alcohol in the month prior to the survey interview in 2003 (29.0 percent of this age group). Nearly 7.2 million (19.2 percent) were binge drinkers and 2.3 million (6.1 percent) were heavy drinkers. These 2003 rates were essentially the same as those obtained from the 2002 survey.

An estimated 13.6 percent of persons aged 12 or older drove under the influence of alcohol at least once in the 12 months prior to the interview in 2003 (a decrease from 14.2 percent in 2002). These percentages represent 32.3 million persons in 2003 and 33.5 million persons in 2002.

Youth Prevention-Related Measures

The percentage of youths aged 12 to 17 indicating that smoking marijuana once a month was a great risk increased from 32.4 percent in 2002 to 34.9 percent in 2003. There were no changes between 2002 and 2003 in the percentages of youths perceiving a great risk associated with using cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and LSD.

The percentage of youths reporting that it would be easy to obtain marijuana declined slightly between 2002 and 2003, from 55.0 to 53.6 percent. The percentage of youths reporting that LSD would be easy to obtain also decreased between 2002 and 2003, from 19.4 to 17.6 percent.

Most youths (89.4 percent) reported that their parents would strongly disapprove of their trying marijuana once or twice. Among these youths, only 5.4 percent had used marijuana in the past month. However, among youths who perceived that their parents would only somewhat disapprove or neither approve nor disapprove of their trying marijuana, 28.7 percent used marijuana.

Substance Dependence or Abuse

An estimated 21.6 million Americans in 2003 were classified with substance dependence or abuse (9.1 percent of the total population aged 12 or older). Of these, 3.1 million were classified with dependence on or abuse of both alcohol and illicit drugs, 3.8 million were dependent on or abused illicit drugs but not alcohol, and 14.8 million were dependent on or abused alcohol but not illicit drugs.

Between 2002 and 2003, there was no change in the number of persons with substance dependence or abuse (22.0 million in 2002 and 21.6 million in 2003).

In 2003, an estimated 17.0 percent of unemployed adults aged 18 or older were classified with dependence or abuse, while 10.2 percent of full-time employed adults and 10.3 percent of part-time employed adults were classified as such. However, most adults with substance dependence or abuse were employed either full or part time. Of the 19.4 million adults classified with dependence or abuse, 14.9 million (76.8 percent) were employed.

Treatment and Treatment Need for Substance Problems

An estimated 3.3 million people aged 12 or older (1.4 percent of the population) received some kind of treatment for a problem related to the use of alcohol or illicit drugs in the 12 months prior to being interviewed in 2003. Of these, 1.2 million persons received treatment at a rehabilitation facility as an outpatient, 752,000 at a rehabilitation facility as an inpatient, 729,000 at a mental health center as an outpatient, 587,000 at a hospital as an inpatient, 377,000 at a private doctor's office, 251,000 at an emergency room, and 206,000 at a prison or jail. (Note that the estimates of treatment by location include persons reporting more than one location.)

Between 2002 and 2003, there were decreases in the number of persons who received treatment for a substance use problem at a hospital as an inpatient, at a rehabilitation facility as an inpatient, at a mental health center as an outpatient, and at an emergency room.

In 2003, the estimated number of persons aged 12 or older needing treatment for an alcohol or illicit drug problem was 22.2 million (9.3 percent of the total population), about the same as in 2002 (22.8 million). The number needing but not receiving treatment also did not change between 2002 (20.5 million) and 2003 (20.3 million). However, a decline in the number receiving specialty treatment, from 2.3 million to 1.9 million, was statistically significant. This decline was driven by a decrease in treatment among adults aged 26 or older, from 1.7 million in 2002 to 1.2 million in 2003.

Of the 20.3 million people who needed but did not receive treatment in 2003, an estimated 1.0 million (5.1 percent) reported that they felt they needed treatment for their alcohol or drug problem. Of the 1.0 million persons who felt they needed treatment, 273,000 (26.3 percent) reported that they made an effort but were unable to get treatment and 764,000 (73.7 percent) reported making no effort to get treatment.

Among the 1.0 million people who needed but did not receive treatment and felt they needed treatment, the most often reported reasons for not receiving treatment were not ready to stop using (41.2 percent), cost or insurance barriers (33.2 percent), reasons related to stigma (19.6 percent), and did not feel the need for treatment (at the time) or could handle the problem without treatment (17.2 percent).

The number of persons needing treatment for an illicit drug problem in 2003 (7.3 million) was similar to the number needing treatment in 2002 (7.7 million). However, the number receiving treatment for drug abuse at a specialty facility was lower in 2003 (1.1 million) than in 2002 (1.4 million).

Illicit Drug Use

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) obtains information on nine different categories of illicit drug use: marijuana, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, and non-medical use of prescription-type pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives. In these categories, hashish is included with marijuana, and crack is considered a form of cocaine. Several drugs are grouped under the hallucinogens category, including LSD, PCP, peyote, mescaline, mushrooms, and "Ecstasy" (MDMA). Inhalants include a variety of substances, such as amyl nitrite, cleaning fluids, gasoline, paint, and glue. The four categories of prescription-type drugs (pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives) cover numerous drugs available through prescriptions and sometimes illegally "on the street." Methamphetamine is included under stimulants. Over-the-counter drugs and legitimate uses of prescription drugs are not included. Respondents are asked to report only uses of drugs that were not prescribed for them or drugs they took only for the experience or feeling they caused. NSDUH reports combine the four prescription-type drug groups into a category referred to as "any psychotherapeutics."

Estimates of "any illicit drug use" reported from NSDUH reflect use of any of the nine substance categories listed above. Use of alcohol and tobacco products, while illegal for youths, are not included in these estimates.

In 2003, an estimated 19.5 million Americans aged 12 or older were current illicit drug users, meaning they had used an illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview. This estimate represents 8.2 percent of the population aged 12 years old or older.
There was no change in the overall rate of illicit drug use between 2002 and 2003. In 2002, there were an estimated 19.5 million illicit drug users (8.3 percent).
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug (14.6 million past month users). In 2003, it was used by 75.2 percent of current illicit drug users. An estimated 54.6 percent of current illicit drug users used only marijuana, 20.6 percent used marijuana and another illicit drug, and the remaining 24.8 percent used an illicit drug but not marijuana in the past month.
About 45.4 percent of current illicit drug users in 2003 (8.8 million Americans) used illicit drugs other than marijuana and hashish, either with or without using marijuana as well.
In 2003, an estimated 2.3 million persons (1.0 percent) were current cocaine users, 604,000 of whom used crack during the same time period (0.3 percent). Hallucinogens were used by 1.0 million persons (0.4 percent). There were an estimated 119,000 current heroin users (0.1 percent). All of these estimates are similar to estimates for 2002.
The number of current users of Ecstasy decreased between 2002 and 2003, from 676,000 (0.3 percent) to 470,000 (0.2 percent). Although there were no significant changes in the past month use of other hallucinogens, there were significant declines in past year use of LSD (from 1 million to 558,000) and in past year overall hallucinogen use (from 4.7 million to 3.9 million) between 2002 and 2003, as well as in past year use of Ecstasy (from 3.2 million to 2.1 million).
Of the 8.8 million current users of illicit drugs other than marijuana in 2003, 6.3 million were current users of psychotherapeutic drugs. This represents 2.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older. Of those who reported current use of any psychotherapeutics, 4.7 million used pain relievers, 1.8 million used tranquilizers, 1.2 million used stimulants, and 0.3 million used sedatives. These estimates are all similar to the corresponding estimates for 2002.
There was a significant increase in the number of persons aged 12 or older with lifetime nonmedical use of pain relievers between 2002 and 2003, from 29.6 million to 31.2 million. Specific pain relievers with statistically significant increases in lifetime use were Vicodin^®, Lortab^®, or Lorcet^® (from 13.1 million to 15.7 million); Percocet^®, Percodan^®, or Tylox^® (from 9.7 million to 10.8 million); Hydrocodone (from 4.5 million to 5.7 million); OxyContin^® (from 1.9 million to 2.8 million); methadone (from 0.9 million to 1.2 million); and Tramadol (from 52,000 to 186,000).

Age

Rates of drug use showed substantial variation by age. For example, 3.8 percent of youths aged 12 or 13 reported current illicit drug use in 2003. As in other years, illicit drug use in 2003 tended to increase with age among young persons, peaking among 18 to 20 year olds (23.3 percent) and declining steadily after that point with increasing age.
Among youths, the types of drugs used differed by age in 2003, as was true in prior years. Among 12 or 13 year olds, 1.8 percent used prescription-type drugs non-medically, 1.4 percent used inhalants, and 1.0 percent used marijuana. Among 14 or 15 year olds, marijuana was the dominant drug used (7.2 percent), followed by prescription-type drugs used non-medically (4.1 percent) and inhalants (1.4 percent). Marijuana also was the most commonly used drug among 16 or 17 year olds (15.6 percent), followed by prescription-type drugs used non-medically (6.1 percent), hallucinogens (1.9 percent), and cocaine (1.2 percent). Only 1.0 percent of youths aged 16 or 17 used inhalants.
Among all youths aged 12 to 17 in 2003, 11.2 percent were current illicit drug users: 7.9 percent used marijuana, 4.0 percent used prescription-type drugs, 1.3 percent used inhalants, 1.0 percent used hallucinogens, and 0.6 percent used cocaine. Rates of use were highest for the young adult age group (18 to 25 years) at 20.3 percent, with 17.0 percent using marijuana, 6.0 percent using prescription-type drugs nonmedically, 2.2 percent using cocaine, and 1.7 percent using hallucinogens. Among adults aged 26 or older, 5.6 percent reported current illicit drug use: 4.0 percent used marijuana and 1.9 percent used prescription-type drugs. In this latter age group, less than 1 percent used cocaine (0.8 percent), hallucinogens (0.1 percent), and inhalants (0.1 percent).
The rate of current illicit drug use among youths aged 12 to 17 did not change significantly between 2002 (11.6 percent) and 2003 (11.2 percent), and there were no changes for any specific drug. The rate of current marijuana use among youths was 8.2 percent in 2002 and 7.9 percent in 2003. However, there were decreases in rates of past year use of LSD (1.3 to 0.6 percent), Ecstasy (2.2 to 1.3 percent), and methamphetamine (0.9 to 0.7 percent). In addition, there was a decline in past month marijuana use among youths aged 12 or 13, from 1.4 percent in 2002 to 1.0 percent in 2003. Past month inhalant use among youths aged 16 or 17 increased from 0.6 percent in 2002 to 1.0 percent in 2003.
Among young adults, past month Ecstasy use declined from 1.1 percent in 2002 to 0.7 percent in 2003. However, there was an increase in past month nonmedical use of pain relievers, from 4.1 percent in 2002 to 4.7 percent in 2003. Past year use of hallucinogens declined in this age group from 8.4 percent in 2002 to 6.7 percent in 2003, with declines in the use of Ecstasy (5.8 to 3.7 percent) and LSD (1.8 to 1.1 percent). Rates of illicit drug use for adults aged 26 or older were unchanged between 2002 and 2003.

Gender

As in prior years, men were more likely in 2003 to report current illicit drug use than women (10.0 vs. 6.5 percent). However, rates of non-medical use of any prescription-type psychotherapeutic were similar for males (2.7 percent) and females (2.6 percent).
Among youths aged 12 to 17, the rate of current illicit drug use was similar for boys (11.4 percent) and girls (11.1 percent). While boys aged 12 to 17 had a higher rate of marijuana use than girls (8.6 vs. 7.2 percent), rates of non-medical use of any prescription-type psychotherapeutics were 4.2 percent for girls and 3.7 percent for boys (not a statistically significant difference).

Pregnant Women

Among pregnant women aged 15 to 44 years, 4.3 percent reported using illicit drugs in the month prior to their interview during 2002 and 2003. This rate was significantly lower than the rate among women aged 15 to 44 who were not pregnant (10.4 percent). (These estimates are based on combined 2002 and 2003 NSDUH data.)

Race/Ethnicity

Rates of current illicit drug use varied significantly among the major racial/ethnic groups in 2003. The rate was highest among American Indians or Alaska Natives (12.1 percent), persons reporting two or more races (12.0 percent), and Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders (11.1 percent). Rates were 8.3 percent for whites, 8.0 percent for Hispanics, and 8.7 percent for blacks. Asians had the lowest rate at 3.8 percent.
Among youths aged 12 to 17, the rate of current illicit drug use among American Indians or Alaska Natives (19.3 percent) was higher than the rate among all youths (11.2 percent), and the rate among Asian youths (6.5 percent) was significantly lower compared with the overall rate for all youths .
There were no statistically significant changes between 2002 and 2003 in the rates of current illicit drug use for any racial/ethnic subgroup. This was the case both for all persons aged 12 or older and for youths aged 12 to 17.
Although estimates of current hallucinogen use for all racial/ethnic groups combined showed a decrease between 2002 and 2003, this decrease was not evident among Hispanics. Among Hispanics aged 12 or older, the rate of past month hallucinogen use was 0.3 percent in 2002 and 0.5 percent in 2003. Although this was not a statistically significant increase, the rate of use among Hispanics aged 18 to 25 did increase significantly, from 0.7 percent in 2002 to 1.3 percent in 2003.

Education

Illicit drug use rates in 2003 were correlated with educational status. Among adults aged 18 or older, the rate of current illicit drug use was lower among college graduates (5.2 percent) compared with those who did not graduate from high school (9.0 percent), high school graduates (8.3 percent), or those with some college (9.2 percent). However, adults who had completed 4 years of college were more likely to have tried illicit drugs in their lifetime when compared with adults who had not completed high school (51.1 vs. 38.0 percent).

College Students

In the college-aged population (persons aged 18 to 22 years old), the rate of current illicit drug use was nearly the same among full-time undergraduate college students (21.4 percent) as for other persons aged 18 to 22 years, including part-time students, students in other grades, and nonstudents (22.5 percent). The rate of current illicit drug use among college students and other 18 to 22 year olds did not change between 2002 and 2003.

Employment

Current employment status was highly correlated with rates of illicit drug use in 2003. An estimated 18.2 percent of unemployed adults aged 18 or older were current illicit drug users compared with 7.9 percent of those employed full time and 10.7 percent of those employed part time.
Although the rate of drug use was higher among unemployed persons compared with those from other employment groups, most drug users were employed. Of the 16.7 million illicit drug users aged 18 or older in 2003, 12.4 million (74.3 percent) were employed either full or part time.

Geographic Area

Among persons aged 12 or older, the rate of current illicit drug use in 2003 was 9.3 percent in the West, 8.7 percent in the Northeast, 7.9 percent in the Midwest, and 7.4 percent in the South.
The rate of illicit drug use in metropolitan areas was higher than the rate in non-metropolitan areas. Rates were 8.3 percent in large metropolitan counties, 8.6 percent in small metropolitan counties, and 7.0 percent in non-metropolitan counties as a group. Within non-metropolitan areas, counties that were urbanized had a rate of 7.9 percent, while completely rural counties had a significantly lower rate (3.1 percent).
The rate of current illicit drug use in completely rural counties declined between 2002 and 2003, from 6.7 to 3.1 percent. This was largely due to a decrease from 4.1 to 0.8 percent in the nonmedical use of prescription-type psychotherapeutic drugs in rural areas.

Criminal Justice Populations

In 2003, among the estimated 1.4 million adults aged 18 or older on parole or other supervised release from prison during the past year, 24.3 percent were current illicit drug users compared with 7.7 percent among adults not on parole or supervised release.
Among the estimated 4.8 million adults on probation at some time in the past year, 28.0 percent reported current illicit drug use in 2003. This compares with a rate of 7.4 percent among adults not on probation in 2003.

Frequency of Use

In 2003, 12.2 percent of past year marijuana users used marijuana on 300 or more days in the past 12 months. This translates into 3.1 million persons using marijuana on a daily or almost daily basis over a 12–month period. This was the same number as in 2002. However, the number of youths aged 12 to 17 using marijuana daily or almost daily declined from 358,000 in 2002 to 282,000 in 2003. The number of youths using marijuana on 20 or more days in the past month declined from 603,000 in 2002 to 482,000 in 2003.

Driving Under the Influence of Illicit Drugs

In 2003, an estimated 10.9 million persons reported driving under the influence of an illicit drug during the past year. This corresponds to 4.6 percent of the population aged 12 or older. The rate was 14.1 percent among young adults aged 18 to 25. Among adults aged 26 or older, the rate was 3.1 percent. These rates were all similar to the rates in 2002.

How Marijuana Is Obtained

NSDUH includes questions asking marijuana users how, from whom, and where they obtained the marijuana they used most recently. In 2003, most users (56.9 percent) got the drug for free or shared someone else's marijuana. Almost 40 percent of marijuana users bought it.
Most marijuana users obtained the drug from a friend; 77.8 percent of those who bought their marijuana and 81.3 percent of those who obtained the drug for free had obtained it from a friend.
More than half (54.3 percent) of users who bought their marijuana purchased it inside a home, apartment, or dorm. This also was the most common location for obtaining marijuana for free (62.7 percent).
Among youths who bought their marijuana, 30.9 percent bought it inside a home, apartment, or dorm. Among youths who obtained their marijuana for free, 48.8 percent obtained it inside a home, apartment, or dorm.
Almost 9 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 who bought their marijuana obtained it inside a school building, and 4.6 percent bought it outside on school property.

The information listed below comes from Citizen Joe.org.

Facts

Every year millions of dollars in illegal drugs enter the United States. Although the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has been fighting a “War on Drugs” for years, drug use and related crimes still remain high - as do their costs to society as a whole. From the lawmaker's perspective, the big question is how best to combat drugs: by cutting off demand through education and treatment or by cutting off the supply through going after drug makers and dealers?

Who's doing what?

Drug use varies – depending on your sex and racial/ethic group - but probably the biggest determinant of whether you're doing drugs or not is your age.

% of Americans who have used illegal drugs:

· In their life: 41.7% (2001) WH;

· In the past month: 8.2% (2003) SAMHSA

Age

% that did illegal drugs in last 30 days - by age (2003)

drugs1:

source: SAMHSA

Sex

· Percentage of Users in Past Month by Sex (2003) SAMHSA

o Men: 10%

o Women: 6.5%

Race/Ethnicity

% that did illegal drugs in past 30 days - by race/ethnicity

source: SAMHSA

Drugs of choice

· Percent of Americans illegally using – in the past month (2003) (SAMHSA):

o Marijuana: 6.2%

o Psychotherapeutics*: 2.7%

o Cocaine: 1%

o Hallucinogens: 0.4%

o Inhalants: 0.2%

*illegal use of prescription pain killers and psychiatric drugs

· Meth madness. Despite the hype about methamphetamines, usage is not skyrocketing. Percent of Americans using meth - in the past month (SAMHSA)

o 2004: 0.2%

o 2003: 0.3%

o 2002: 0.3%

How much and how bad…

Costs

Drugs cost – and not just their street price. The costs to society of illegal drug use are spread between health care expenses, work loss, and property damage, among others.

· Estimate of costs of illegal drug use (WH):

o $181 billion total, including:

§ health care: $16 billion (prevention, treatment, medical consequences)

§ productivity losses: $129 billion (premature death, prison, drug careers)

§ "other" costs: $36 billion (law enforcement and courts)

Crime

· Drug crimes as percentage of all crimes:

o 33.9% of all state felony convictions are for possession or selling drugs (1998) (WH).

· Percent of all prisoners who were using drugs at time of their arrest (WH):

o State prisons: 33% (1997);

o Federal prisons: 22% (1997);

o Jails: 36% (1996) (includes convicted and non convicted inmates).

Dealing

War on Drugs

· Amount spent on war on drugs (2002) (WH):

o Total: $11.5 billion;

o Prevention: $2.1 billion;

o Treatment: $3.1 billion;

o Law enforcement: $6.3 billion.

· DEA arrests

federal DEA arrests made a year

drugs2:

source: DEA

how much the DEA seized - in 2002

Drug	How much
Cocaine	61,594 kgs
Heroin	705 kgs
Marijuana	195,644 kgs
Methamphetamine	118,049,279 doses
Hallucinogens	11,532,704 doses

source: DEA

Treatment (WH)

· Average cost of treatment: $3,145 (1995, in '98 dollars)

· Cost of one year of imprisonment:

o In federal prison: $23,900 (1997, in '98 dollars);

o In state prison: $20,261 (1998);

o In jail: $19,903 (1998).

· Costs saved by treatment/per person: $9,814 (1995, in '98 dollars).

· Number of inmates who are rearrested within six months of release from prison:

o who received treatment: 3.3%;

o who did not receive treatment: 12.1%.

Where the facts are from:

· DEA - Drug Enforcement Administration

· SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

· White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy

White House Drug Czar Awards $74 Million to Fight Drug Use at The Local Level.

(Washington, D.C.) - John Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), today announced the awarding of approximately $74 million in Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grants to 736 communities across the country. Of this amount, $8.9 million was awarded to 90 new local anti-drug coalitions nationwide. An additional $62.9 million will support the continuation of awards to 646 existing community coalition projects that, combined with the new grant awards now serve communities in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Drug-Free Community coalitions work collaboratively at the local level to prevent and reduce drug and alcohol abuse among youth.

In addition, 19 new grants totaling $1.32 million were awarded through the DFC Support Mentoring Program. These funds will advance existing DFC grantees to develop more self-supporting community anti-drug coalitions. Under the Mentoring Program, $1.08 million has been awarded to support 15 continuation grants.

Director Walters said, "Engaging our communities is critical to continuing our progress reducing youth drug use. Drug-Free Community coalitions bring together our individual strengths to push back against our common challenge of substance abuse."

"The Drug-Free Communities program is helping to drive down the number of young people using illicit drugs," said SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, PhD. "These new grants will provide even more resources and tools to additional communities to strengthen their work to prevent drug abuse and promote healthy, productive lives."

The DFC program provides grants of up to $500,000 over five years to community organizations that facilitate citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts. Coalitions are comprised of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement, and the media.

The 90 new grantees were selected from 321 applicants through a competitive peer review process. To qualify for matching grants, all awardees must have at least a six-month history of working together on substance abuse reduction initiatives, have representation from twelve specific sectors of the community, develop a long-term plan to reduce substance abuse, and participate in a national evaluation of the DFC program.

Created under the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, the Drug-Free Communities Program has earned strong bipartisan support from Congress and is one of President Bush's major funding priorities. In December of 2006, Congress passed and the President signed into law a five-year extension of the Drug-Free Communities Act.

ONDCP administers the DFC program in conjunction with SAMHSA.

NIAAA Expert Urges Community Action to Prevent and Reduce College Binge Drinking

Public health officials have increasingly become concerned about the growing rates of binge drinking among college students, with research associating heavy drinking with a host of serious problems—everything from physical injuries and sexual assault to alcohol addiction and death. Here, Dr. Ralph Hingson, Director of the Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), discusses the risks that underage drinking poses, and urges community anti-drug coalition leaders to help curb this problem.

Q. How much of a problem is binge drinking on college campuses?

A. According to the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 45 percent of 18-24-year-olds who attended college said they consumed five or more drinks on at least one occasion in the past month. Studies consistently indicate that about 80 percent of college students drink alcohol and about 40 percent engage in binge drinking.

Q: Why should parents, the community and other stakeholders be concerned about this?

A. This level of heavy drinking among college students is associated with a host of other problems and people other than the drinkers themselves are being affected by this behavior. Our research indicates that an estimated 1,700 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes. In traffic deaths, about half are people other than the drivers. They are passengers and people from other vehicles. In addition to death, in 2001 there were nearly 600,000 college students unintentionally injured while under influence of alcohol; approximately 700,000 students are assaulted by other students who have been drinking and some 100,000 students are victims of alcohol-related date rape. Keep in mind that these figures don’t include 18 to 24-year-olds who are not in college.

Q: Is there a particular period of time when college students are most vulnerable to engaging in heavy drinking?

A. A student’s freshmen year, especially the first six to 12 weeks of school, is a time of greatest concern. For many students, it’s their first time not being under direct parental supervision. They’re entering an environment where there is a lot more drinking going on.

Q. Are there particular risks associated with drinking at an early age?

A. We know that the earlier people start to drink, the greater the likelihood that they will develop alcohol dependence more rapidly. So if we look at people who ever in their lifetime developed alcohol dependence, 47 percent were diagnosable by the time they were 21. Those who started drinking at a young age were more likely to have chronic dependence and less likely to seek help for their problem. Each year that people delay starting to drink, they lower their chances of developing alcohol dependence; of becoming unintentionally injured under the influence; of being involved in a physical fight due to drinking and of being in an alcohol-related motor vehicle crash.

Q. What can parents do to help their children make the right decisions once they get to college?

A. What parents can do begins when they’re children are in grade school and middle school. Parents can make a difference by communicating with their children, by teaching them resistance skills. Parents have a very important role to play, not just by providing one-on-one communication, but also by working collectively within their communities to address this issue.

Q. How important is the role of communities in reducing underage drinking and college drinking?

A. Colleges have a responsibility to address this problem, but they can’t do it alone because this is bigger than what happens in college. Prevention needs to begin long before they get into college.

Q. What are some steps community coalitions can take to curb underage drinking and college drinking?

A. There is a lot of evidence that comprehensive community interventions can help reduce drinking among college-aged persons, including students. One level is at the individual level, where one offers screening and counseling, particularly at trauma centers. Another level is environmental, where community coalitions can enforce the legal drinking age and a variety of other laws to reduce impaired driving. Comprehensive community interventions can intervene at all levels. Right now, there is tremendous concern among people in the community about college drinking so this is a perfect opportunity for community coalitions to bring another group of concerned citizens into their prevention efforts—that means involving the colleges and universities themselves, including faculty, college students and alumni, and parents.

Q. What are some resources that NIAAA has related to underage drinking and college drinking?

A. We have a “Back to College” Fact Sheet that can be useful for parents. Several other resources are available at www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov.

Dr. Ralph Hingson is the Director of Epidemiology and Prevention Research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). This article is part of CADCA's second editorial series featuring national experts from the NIAAA.

Glossary

Addiction: A chronic, relapsing disease characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and abuse and by long-lasting chemical changes in the brain.

Amphetamine: Stimulant drugs whose effects are very similar to cocaine.

Amyl nitrite: A yellowish oily volatile liquid used in certain diagnostic procedures and prescribed to some patients for heart pain. Illegally diverted ampules of amyl nitrite are called "poppers" or "snappers" on the street.

Analgesics: A group of medications that reduce pain.

Benzene: A volatile liquid solvent found in gasoline.

Butane: A substance found in lighter fluid.

Butyl nitrite: An illegal substance that is often packaged and sold in small bottles; also referred to as "poppers."

Cannabinoids: Chemicals that help control mental and physical processes when produced naturally by the body and that produce intoxication and other effects when absorbed from marijuana.

Cannabis: The botanical name for the plant from which marijuana comes.

Coca: The plant, Erythroxylon, from which cocaine is derived. Also refers to the leaves of this plant.

Cocaine: A highly addictive stimulant drug derived from the coca plant that produces profound feelings of pleasure.

Crack: "Slang" term for a smokeable form of cocaine.

Cyclohexyl nitrite: A chemical found in substances marketed as room deodorizers.

Depressants: Drugs that relieve anxiety and produce sleep. Depressants include barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and alcohol.

Ecstasy (MDMA): A chemically modified amphetamine that has hallucinogenic as well as stimulant properties.

Ether: A volatile liquid with a characteristic odor. Used as a medical anesthetic gas.

Fluorinated hydrocarbons: Gases or liquids commonly found in refrigerants, fire extinguishers, solvents, and anesthetics. Freon is one class of fluorinated hydrocarbons.

Hallucinations: Perceptions of something (such as a visual image or a sound) that does not really exist. Hallucinations usually arise from a disorder of the nervous system or in response to drugs (such as LSD).

Hallucinogens: A diverse group of drugs that alter perceptions, thoughts, and feelings. Hallucinogenic drugs include LSD, mescaline, MDMA (ecstasy), PCP, and psilocybin (magic mushrooms).

Halothane: Medical anesthetic gas.

Heroin: The potent, widely abused opiate that produces addiction. It consists of two morphine molecules linked together chemically.

Hexane: A hydrocarbon volatile liquid found in glue or gasoline.

Inhalant: Any drug administered by breathing in its vapors. Inhalants commonly are organic solvents, such as glue and paint thinner, or anesthetic gases, such as ether and nitrous oxide.

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide): An hallucinogenic drug that acts on the serotonin receptor.

Marijuana: A drug, usually smoked but can be eaten, that is made from the leaves of the cannabis plant. The main psychoactive ingredient is THC.

Methamphetamine: A commonly abused, potent stimulant drug that is part of a larger family of amphetamines.

Methylphenidate (Ritalin®): Methylphenidate is a central nervous system stimulant. It has effects similar to, but more potent than, caffeine and less potent than amphetamines. It has a notably calming and "focusing" effect on those with ADHD, particularly children.

Nicotine: The addictive drug in tobacco. Nicotine activates a specific type of acetylcholine receptor.

Nitrites: A special class of inhalants that act primarily to dilate blood vessels and relax the muscles. Whereas other inhalants are used to alter mood, nitrites are used primarily as sexual enhancers. (See also amyl nitrite and butyl nitrite).

Nitrous oxide: Medical anesthetic gas, especially used in dentistry. Also called "laughing gas." Found in whipped cream dispensers and gas cylinders.

Polyneuropathy: A drug that distorts perception, thought, and feeling. This term is typically used to refer to drugs with actions like those of LSD.

Stimulants: A class of drugs that elevates mood, increases feelings of well-being, and increases energy and alertness. These drugs produce euphoria and are powerfully rewarding. Stimulants include cocaine, Methamphetamine, and methylphenidate (Ritalin).

THC: Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol; the main active ingredient in marijuana, which acts on the brain to produce its effects.

Tobacco: A plant widely cultivated for its leaves, which are used primarily for smoking; the tabacum species is the major source of tobacco products.

Toluene: A light colorless liquid solvent found in many commonly abused inhalants, including airplane glue, paint sprays, and paint and nail polish removers.

Trichloroethylene: A liquid used as a solvent and in medicine as an anesthetic and analgesic. Found in cleaning fluid and correction fluid.

****The information below comes from SAMHSA. Which is the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Office of Applied Studies.****

Highlights

Illicit Drug Use

In 2003, an estimated 19.5 million Americans, or 8.2 percent of the population aged 12 or older, were current illicit drug users. Current illicit drug use means use of an illicit drug during the month prior to the survey interview.

There was no change in the overall rate of illicit drug use between 2002 and 2003. In 2002, there were an estimated 19.5 million illicit drug users (8.3 percent).

Alcohol Use

An estimated 13.6 percent of persons aged 12 or older drove under the influence of alcohol at least once in the 12 months prior to the interview in 2003 (a decrease from 14.2 percent in 2002). These percentages represent 32.3 million persons in 2003 and 33.5 million persons in 2002.

Youth Prevention-Related Measures

The percentage of youths reporting that it would be easy to obtain marijuana declined slightly between 2002 and 2003, from 55.0 to 53.6 percent. The percentage of youths reporting that LSD would be easy to obtain also decreased between 2002 and 2003, from 19.4 to 17.6 percent.

Substance Dependence or Abuse

Between 2002 and 2003, there was no change in the number of persons with substance dependence or abuse (22.0 million in 2002 and 21.6 million in 2003).

Treatment and Treatment Need for Substance Problems

Between 2002 and 2003, there were decreases in the number of persons who received treatment for a substance use problem at a hospital as an inpatient, at a rehabilitation facility as an inpatient, at a mental health center as an outpatient, and at an emergency room.

The number of persons needing treatment for an illicit drug problem in 2003 (7.3 million) was similar to the number needing treatment in 2002 (7.7 million). However, the number receiving treatment for drug abuse at a specialty facility was lower in 2003 (1.1 million) than in 2002 (1.4 million).

Illicit Drug Use

Age

Gender

Pregnant Women

Race/Ethnicity

Education

College Students

Employment

Geographic Area

Criminal Justice Populations

Frequency of Use

Driving Under the Influence of Illicit Drugs

How Marijuana Is Obtained

The information listed below comes from Citizen Joe.org.

Facts

Who's doing what?

How much and how bad…

Dealing

Where the facts are from:

The information below comes from SAMHSA. Which is the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Office of Applied Studies.