Do you D.A.R.E.?

Instead of my regularly scheduled discussion of a completely different issue, I have decided that today's entry will revolve around drugs and drug abuse. Obviously I refer mainly to illegal drugs, such as cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines, and hallucinogens. However, there are some prescription and over-the-counter drugs that can be taken improperly. I will try to refrain from discussing those drugs in this blog. Also, please note, I am not taking a stand for either side of the argument. My personal preferences aside, this is simply to state facts.

Anyone who has taken a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) class knows the dangers of drugs. But allow me to go over the basics one more time. Drugs are taken in various manners, from inhalation, to ingestion, to injection. When taken in sufficient quantities, they induce a state of euphoria known as a "high." In some cases, that high might also lead to a low. Eventually, however, the euphoria passes and the individual must somehow obtain more of the drug to repeat the effect. Over time, the dosage required to create the effect increases as the body becomes resistant to the drug. Most drugs also carry the risk of dependency.


Having re-iterated the basics of drug use, perhaps it is time to list a few interesting facts, courtesy of SADD. SADD was previously mentioned in the blog about alcohol.

• Half of teens (50%) have tried an illicit drug by the time they finish high school.
• Two-fifths of 8th graders (41%) and almost three fourths of all 10th graders (73%) consider marijuana to be easily accessible; compare these figures with the percentage of 12th graders - 86%.
• Nationwide, 25.4% of students had been offered, sold, or given an illegal drug by someone on school property.
• Youths ages 12-17 who believed their parents would strongly disapprove of their using a particular substance were less likely to use that substance than were youths who believed their parents would somewhat disapprove or neither approve nor disapprove.

With those statistics in mind, I will now briefly discuss two or three drugs. I will attempt to provide some basic history, relevant statistical data, and some health effects. For this, I will be referencing the White House Drug Policy website.

The first drug I would like to discuss is cocaine. Cocaine is a drug that can be smoked, snorted, or injected. Initially, it was used by doctors because of its ability to act as an anesthetic and to limit bleeding.

• Approximately 8.8% of college students and 14.3% of young adults (ages 19-28) surveyed in 2005 reported lifetime use of cocaine.
• The 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) indicated that there were 872,000 persons aged 12 or older who had used cocaine for the first time within the past 12 months. This is a statistically significant reduction from 2002 when there were more than one million past year cocaine initiates.

Cocaine stimulates the nervous system. Its use can lead to constricted blood vessels and increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. It is extremely addictive and smoking or injecting the substance leads to a more rapid addiction. Smoking crack leads to a short high, lasting 5-10 minutes, while a high from snorting can last up to 20 minutes. Users who smoke or inject the substance are at even higher risk of bodily harm. Some of these risks include coughing and shortness of breath. Users who inject run the risk of transmitting or acquiring diseases from shared needles.

Cannabis is a general term for any drug that comes from the cannabis sativa plant. These products include marijuana, hashish, and sinsemilla. They are all psychoactive, containing the chemical THC. Marijuana, the most common from of cannabis, is generally smoked. But it can also be brewed into a tea and ingested.

• The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) study by the Centers for Disease Control (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.
• According the to Bureau of Justice Statistics, approximately 77.6% of State prisoners and 71.2% of Federal prisoners surveyed in 2004 that they used marijuana/hashish at some point in their life.

Use of marijuana can lead to issues including memory loss, increased heart rate, panic attacks, and tolerance. Marijuana leaves users at a greater risk for respiratory system cancer as it contains 50-70% more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke. THC affects the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory formation.

The last drug I am going to discuss is methamphetamine, or meth. Meth affects the central nervous system and can be administered by injection, ingestion, smoking, and snorting. It increases activity and decreases appetite. It has limited use in the medical field for narcolepsy, attention deficit disorders, and obesity.

• Approximately 4.1% of college students and 8.3% of young adultes (ages 19-28) surveyed in 2005 reported lifetime use of amphetamines.
  

When used for extended periods, amphetamines lead to addiction, insomnia, mood disturbances, and violent behavior. Other effects are similar to those created by hallucinogens such as LSD or PCP. These include hallucinations and delusions that can last for years after meth use has stopped.

Please feel free to add any other information you have or to discuss the use/effects of drugs.

~Interminable Immediacy