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Suffer The Little Children

WHAT  ABOUT  DRUGS

Types of drugs

There are three main types of drugs – depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens. 

 

The following defines drugs that are most commonly misused, describes their uses, abuses, and effects, and lists the common symptoms they produce.  In these days and times, it is particularly important that those responsible throughout the community-especially parents, teachers, law enforcement officials, and employers - know such basic facts about the drug problem that they can be alert for the signs of possible drug misuse, and thus know when to seek expert help for the victims.

 

Although alcohol is still the most widely used - and misused of all drugs, the stress will be directed toward several of the other drugs which are becoming an increasing cause for concern.

 

DEFINITIONS:

 

Drug:  A substance which by its chemical nature alters the structure of function of the living organism.  A drug is any chemical substance that alters modern perception, or consciousness, and is misused to the apparent injury of the individual or society.

 

Tolerance:  A state in which the body's tissue cells adjust to the presence of a drug.  However, the body must readjust virtually all of its normal functions to compensate for the presence of a narcotic or drug.  As the body's tolerance grows, increased quantities of the drug are required to produce the desired effect.  Tolerance to one drug may result in a cross-tolerance to other drugs in the same family.

 

Habituation (Psychological dependence):  The psychological dependence produces a desire (not a compulsion) to continue taking drugs for the sence of improved well being.

 

Physical Dependence (addiction):  This occurs when a person cannot function normally without the repeated use of a drug.  If the drug is withdrawn, the person has severe physical and psychic disturbance.

 

Harmful Drugs:  Every drug is harmful when taken in excess when aspirin and, of course, alcohol.  Some drugs can also be harmful if taken in dangerous combinations or by hyper-sensitive people in minute or ordinary amounts.

IDENTIFYING THE DRUG USER:

 

A drug user does everything possible to conceal his habit.  So it is important to be able to recognize the outward signs and symptoms of a drug user.  One should know these symptoms, it is important for us to realize that the drug problem is so complex that even experts sometimes have difficulty making accurate diagnosis.  Seek professional advise and help from the experts, such as various agencies specializing in drug problems, and physicians.

 

It should also be remembered that a person may have a legitimate reason for possessing a syringe and needle, he may be a diabetic or having tablets and capsules (they may be proscribed by a doctor.  Having the sniffles and running eyes may be due to a head cold or an allergy.  Unusual or odd behavior may not be connected in any way with drug use.

 

Drugs other than narcotics can become addicting.  Some people have acquired and addiction to sedatives and certain tranquilizers.  Stimulants in very large doses and addictive.

COMMON SIGNS OF DRUG MISUSE:

 

     1.  Changes in attendance at work or school.

     2.  Change from normal capabilities (work habbits, efficiency, etc.)

     3.  Poor physical appearance, including inattention to dress and personal hygiene.

     4.  Wearing sunglasses constantly at inappropriate times ( indoors or at night, for instance) to hide dialated or                   constricted pupils.

     5.  Unusual effort made to cover arms in order to hide needle marks.

     6.  Association with known drug users.

     7.  Stealing items which can be readily sold for cash (to support a drug habit).

INDICATIONS OF POSSIBLE MISUSE:

DEPRESSANTS (barbiturates)

 

     A.  Symptoms of alcohol intoxication, without the odor of alcohol on breath.

     B.  Staggering or stumbling.

     C.  Falling asleep while at work.

     D.  Appearing disoriented.

     E.  Slurred speech.

     F.  Pupils dialated.

     G.  Difficulty concentrating.

STIMULANTS: (Amphetamines)

 

     A.  The person may be excessive active, irritable, argumentative or nervous.

     B.  Excitation, euphoria and talk ativeness.

     C.  Pupils dilated.

     D.  Long periods without eating or sleeping.

NARCOTICS:

     A.  Scars ("tracts") on the arms or on the backs of hands, caused by injecting heroin.

     B.  Pupils constricted and fixed.

     C.  Scratches frequently.

     D.  Loss of appetite.  Frequently eats candy, cookies and drinks sweet liquids.

     E.  May have sniffles, red watering eyes and a cough which disappears when he gets a "fix."

     F.  User often leaves syringes, bent spoons, cotton, needles, metal bottle caps, medicine droppers and                                      glassing bags in locker or desk drawers.

     G.  The user is lethargic, drowsy, and may go on the "nod" (i.e. and alternating cycle or dozing and awakening.)

     H.  During withdrawal the addict may be nauseated and vomiting.  Flushed skin, frequent yawning, and muscular              twitching are common.

MARIJUANA:

     A.  In the early stages of marijuana usage, the person may appear

           animatedwith rapid, loud talking and bursts of laughter.  In later

           stages, he may be sleepy.

     B.  Pupils may be dialated and the eyes get pink.

     C.  May have disortions of perception and rarely hallucinations.

 

The marijuana user is difficult to recognize unless he is actually under the influence of the drug, and even then, he may be able to work reasonable well.  The drug may distort his depth and time perception, making driving  or the operation of machinery hazardous.

GLUE SNIFFING:

     A.  Odor of substance inhaled on breath and clothes.

     B.  Excessive nasal secretion and watering of the eyes.

     C.  Poor muscular control (Staggering) within five minutes of exposure.

     D.  Drowsiness or unconsiousness.

     E.  Presence of plastic or paper bag or rags containing dry plastic cement.

     F.  Slurred speach.

     G.  Bad breath.

COMMONLY MISUSED DRUGS:

 

NARCOTICS:

A class of drugs which induses sleep or stupor and relieves pain.  

This classification includes

opiates and their derivatives.

OPIUM (apaver Somniferum)

     Description:  The dried, coagulated milk of an unripe opium poppy.

     Identification:  A dark brown, coagulated, plastic - like substance.

     Methods of use:  Opium may be smoked through a long stemmed

                                    pipe.  It has for the most part been replaced by it's

                                    more powerful derivatives, morphine and heroin.

     Slang terms:  "Opium", "OP", "Pen Yan", "Hop", "Tar", "Black Stuff".

MORPHINE:

     Description:  Medically, the preferred drug for the relief of pain.  Morphine is widely                  used addicts, particulary when heroin is difficult to obtain.  It is derived from crude                    opium.  Tolerance builds rapidly.

     Identification:  An odorless, light brown or white crystalline powder. Morphine may appear      on the market as tablets, capsules or in powder form.

     Method of use:  Morphine is either injected as a liquid, or taken by mouth.  It acts on                  the central nervous system as an analgesic or pain killer.  Traces of morphine                              detectable by laboratoy techniques remain in the body for six to eighteen hours.

     Signs and symptoms:  Much like those of the more commonly misused drug, heroin.

     Slang terms:  "White Stuff", "Hard Stuff", "M", "Morpho", "Unkle", "Miss Emma."

     Identification:  Most often found as an odorless, white, off white, or light brown powder.

     Methods of use:  The most common administration is intravenous (mainlining).  A drug user's "work kit" is used to convert heroin into a solution.  The kit generally contains matches, a teaspoon with a bent handle or small metal bottle cap, medicine dropper, hypedermic needle, and a piece of cotton. The powder is put into a spoon, mised with water and heated to form a solution.  The solution is then injected generally into into the blood stream.  He may use his belt as a tourniquet to make a vein stand out.  Heroin is also taken by mouth.  When injected underthe skin, the term "skin popping" is used.  The effect is slower and less intense.

     Signs and symptoms:  (see Narcotics Section),  Detectable in body (urine) within ten hours.

     Slang terms:  "H", "junk", "Harry", "Horse", "White Stiff", "Snow", "Joy Powder", "Sugar", "Smack".

     Identification:  A white crystalline powder or tablet added to various liquid (cough syrup).

     Method of use:  Most often taken internally by swallowing the liquid.  On

     occasion, addicts will boil cough syrup to reduce the solution to a higher concentration of codeine.  Period of                    detectability in body (urine) within ten hours.

     Slang terms:  "School Boy", "STP", "Serinity", "Tranquility and Peace", "DOM...

MESCALINE  (trimethoxphenylethyamine)

     Description:  Mescaline is obtained from the peyote cactus.  Hallucinogenic

     effects of a full dosage may last up to twelve hours.  Peyote is the "button" that

     grows on the peyote cactus.  Peyote has a long history dating back to its ue

     by indians in religious ceremonies.  No valid medical use is known.

     Identification:  The peyote is dried and group into a powder, dark brown in

     color.  It is often put into gelatin capsules.

     Signs and symptoms:  Similar to those of LSD but usually a more intense

     stimulation of visual sensation.

     Methods of use:  Mescline (peyote) is always taken by mouth, although a

     few cases of injection have been reported.  Because of its bitter taste, peyote

     is usually taken with tea, coffee or soda.

     Slang terms:  "Peyote", "Buttons", "Plants".

DMT (Dimethyltryptamine)

     Description:  DMT is a synthetic compound of tryptamine.  It produces effects

     similar to LSD but of shorter duration.  With DMT the high lasts from one to

     three hours depending upon the dose.  DMT is found as a natural constituent

     in seeds of various West India and South America plants.

     Identification:  DMT appears as an orange liquid or orange crystals.  The color

     ranges from bright to dirty orange depending on its purity.  In solution, DMT

     can be injected intraveenously or intramuscularly.  Another procedure is to

     soak marijuana with DMT and then smoke it.  

     Slang terms:  DMT is known to the underground as the "Businessman Special",        or "the Lunch-Hour Trip".

DET (Dimethyltryptamine)

     Description:   DET is a synthetic similar in action to the chemically related DMT.  

     The trip may last two to three hours.  DET is usually in combination with tobacco,

     tea, parsley or marijuana.

     Signs and symptoms:  Time and visual distortion has been reported.

HALLUCINOGENS:

     A.  Behavior and mood vary widely.  The user may sit or recline quietly in a trance                like stage or may appear fearful or even terrified.

     B.  Dialated pupils.

     C.  Increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar.

     D.  May experience nausea, chills, flushes, irregular breathing, sweating and

           trembling of hands.

     E.  There may be changes in sense of sight, hearing, touch, smell and time.

It is unlikely that a person who uses LSD, for instance, would do so at work. since a controlled environment, often involving a friend to promise care and supervision of the user, is generally desired.

HEROIN (Discetylmorphing):

     Description:  Heroin is from two to ten times as potent as morphine and is a synthetic alkaloid form of morphine. The intense euphoria or "high" produced by the drug has made heroin the most popular narcotic among addicts.  Heroin is simnilar to all narcotic drugs in that tolerance to its euphoric effects rapidly devetopes.  As a resut, the user must take larger quanties.  An individual may begin with a dose of two to eight milligrams, but addicts may use as much as 450 milligrams per day as  tolerance is acquired.

CODEINE (Methylmorphine)

     Description:  A weak derivative of opium more commonly misused in the form of narcotic cough preparations obtainable without a rescripton.  Codeine is less addictive than morphine or heroin and less potent in terms of inducing euphoria. Withdrawal symptoms, when they occur, are less severe than with the more potent drugs.  Codeine may be used for the maintenance of addiction or as a temporary replacement for morphine or heroin.

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