Drugs

Drugs are quite readily available all over the country and teenagers, if not school kids, nearly always know who is using, who is dealing and what the prices are locally.

Don’t try to fool yourself into thinking that your child cannot be entangled in the drugs scene. It has been known for pushers (people who sell drugs) to give ‘free samples’ of drugs to young people to get them hooked. They will soon be back with a craving for more, but this time they will have to pay. It isn’t unheard of for a pusher to seed a marijuana cigarette with crack cocaine, to trap a young user into addiction to harder drugs, and so expand his customer base and profits.

Young people often give in to peer pressure. Some young people just want to see what all the fuss is about, especially in the club and rave scene where ecstasy tablets are so inexpensive and so readily available. They try just one tablet. Unfortunately it has been known for that first tablet to kill.

If they survive and they enjoyed the rush of the drugs they used they may want the same feeling again, so they become a frequent and possibly addicted user. Some young people don’t notice any effects from their first drug experience, which may be because they were conned and what they swallowed was aspirin or baking soda. In some cases the drugs they took were so diluted that there was no effect. Those young people may decide the experience isn’t worth the money, risk, hassle and never take drugs again, but some may move to other more powerful drugs to experience the high they hear and read about.

The bottom line is that drugs are out there, and your child is at risk of trying them one way or another.

I won’t preach about drug taking. The facts are widely known, and there are a number of resources available to explain the potential threats drug use brings. Most school authorities, colleges, libraries, youth clubs, local authorities and even the local police can advise and make presentations to groups on the problems and risks of using illegal drugs.

Signs of drug use

The signs of drug use are not always clear. They change with the age and health of the person concerned, the drugs that are being used, the strength and frequency of the drug use and even with the way in which those drugs are used.

There are some signs that may indicate drug use. If you see somebody you know who is in a drugged state, you will be able to see that something is wrong with them. If they hide away while using drugs, you might only see them when they are not actually under the influence of drugs, but eventually you will see changes even then. Generally the changes are in behaviour, appearance, health and character. For example, they may become withdrawn or violent, they might start stealing or committing other crime to get enough money to feed their habit. You might not be able to see any signs that a loved one is using illegal drugs, or you may see some of the following signs.

• Their character changes and they may
  • go from lively to withdrawn
  • go from shy to wild child
  • switch moods suddenly
  • become ill-tempered and even violent.
• They may lose interest in, or ignore, school or college work, and their marks start to slide.
• They may skip school or college quite often (it is worth checking with their school if you see other signs to check if they are attending).
• They may abandon their favourite hobbies, sports, friends and stop watching their favourite television shows.
• They may start spending time with a new group of people, who you find scruffy, rude and lazy. That is if they don’t hide these new friends from you!
• They may lose interest in food and start skipping meals, making silly excuses.
• They may seem unable to concentrate, unable to hold a conversation and unable to get anything done.
• They may make things up to excuse themselves. Because it is easy to see through the lies you may challenge them and find that they become angry and storm out, or even resort to destructive violence.
• Their sleeping patterns may change. They may be out until the early hours and then sleep from 8 am until late afternoon for example. When they wake they may be edgy and go straight out.
• They may lose interest in their appearance, not bothering to wash, brush their hair, bathe, change their clothes etc.
• If they have developed an expensive drug habit, money and small valuable objects may start to vanish, but they will deny all knowledge of the theft.
• You may find clear evidence of drug taking:
  • unknown pills, powder or herbal material in little packets or bags.
  • vials of medication, hypodermic needles.
  • burnt tin foil, smoke-stained spoons, funny-looking smoking pipes.
  • smoking an obviously hand-rolled cigarette.
  • little black or brown knobs of cannabis resin.
  • needle marks on their arms, legs, and feet.
  • you may find them in a drugged coma, or so far gone that they appear to be in a coma.
  • they may come home with valuable property, and you don’t know where it came from, and next day it is gone.
  • they may have large sums of money that seem to go as quickly as they appear.
  • you find bags of ‘used’ glue, a lot of empty solvent or lighter fuel cans in their room, or the bins.

Widely-available drugs

Below is some information on the names, street names, use and effect of some common drugs.

Name: Cannabis. The leaf of a plant.

Street names: marijuana, weed, draw, grass, hash, ganja.

Use and effects: Usually smoked. Effects include:

Behavioural: Feeling relaxed and talkative. Anxious and paranoid. Confusion. Perceptual and conceptual changes. Lack of concentration. Giddiness. Euphoria. Heightening of senses. Disorientation. Short-term memory loss. Affects coordination increasing the risk of accidents. Heavy use by people with disturbed personalities can bring on temporary mental disorders.

Biological: Increased pulse rate. Reddening of eyes. Dryness of mouth. Increased hunger (‘munchies’). Sedation. Nausea. Change in blood pressure and blood temperature. Impaired driving skills. Increased risk of respiratory disorders (lung cancer).

Name: Cocaine. A white crystal powder or small ‘rocks’.

Street names: Change frequently and include – blow, coke, charlie, rock, crack.

Use and effects: Usually snorted, smoked or injected. Effects include:

Behavioural: Feelings of well being. Alertness and confidence. Sometimes feelings of anxiety and panic. Frequent use can cause restlessness. Confusion and paranoia. After-effects can cause depression. With regular use feelings of happiness are replaced by an uncomfortable state of restlessness, excitability, nervousness and suspicion.

Biological: Reduced hunger. Tiredness and indifference to pain. Feeling of great physical strength and mental capacity. Can cause hallucinations. High doses can cause death from breathing failure or heart attack. Weight loss and sickness. Confused exhaustion due to lack of sleep. Snorting cocaine can damage nostril tissue.

Name: Heroin. A powder with a bitter taste that varies from white to dark brown, can come as a tar-like sticky liquid.

Street names: smack, brown, horse, gear, h, junk, skag, jack.

Use and effects: Usually injected, smoked or snorted.

Behavioural: Feeling of great happiness. At higher doses calmness takes over. Usage creates a relaxed detachment from pain, desires and anxiety. Feelings of drowsiness, warmth and contentment. Relieves stress and discomfort. When physically dependent, pleasure is replaced by the relief of getting the drug.

Biological: Pain-killing. Impairs brain activity, affecting reflexes such as coughing, breathing, and heart rate. Widens blood vessels. Constipation. Overdose results in unconsciousness, coma, and death from breathing failure. First-time users often feel sick and vomit. Withdrawal causes uncomfortable side effects such as aches, tremors, sweating and chills, sneezing, yawning and muscle spasms. Weakness and loss of well being may last for several months. Repeated injection causes damage to surrounding blood vessels. Use of dirty needles increases the risk of contracting diseases such as HIV and AIDS.

Name: Ecstasy. Distributed and used in small tablet form, where each tablet is usually imprinted with a symbol or logo.

Street names: XTC, E’s, disco biscuits, hug drug, fantasy, burgers, echoes, love doves, and sometimes names drawn from the symbol imprinted into the tablets.

Use and effects: Usually swallowed; can be crushed and snorted or injected.

Behavioural: Calming effects. Heightened perception of colours and sounds. Anxiety, confusion and paranoia. Feelings of alertness. Emotions seem more intense. Euphoria.

Biological: Bodily co-ordination can be affected. Energy buzz causes people to dance for hours. Users may feel a tightening of the jaw. Nausea and sweating. Increase in heart rate. Usage has been connected with 60 deaths in the UK alone. Causes damage to the brain cells and liver. Can cause insomnia.

Overdose: as illegal drugs are not made to any standard, it is easy for a user to take an overdose because they don’t know how strong each one will be. Ecstasy seems to be commonly used on the club and rave scene. An ecstasy overdose is characterised by 1) rapid heartbeat 2) high blood pressure 3) faintness 4) muscle cramping 5) panic attacks 6) in more severe cases, loss of consciousness or seizures. Because one of the side effects of the use of ecstasy is jaw muscle tension and teeth grinding, users will often suck on sweets to help relieve the tension. In extreme cases, ecstasy may cause hyperthermia (severe overheating of the body), muscle breakdown, seizures, stroke, kidney failure, heart failure and possible permanent damage to sections of brain critical to thought and memory.

Name: Methamphetamines and amphetamines. Methamphetamine is more commonly used. Typically a white powder that easily dissolves in water, or a clear crystal referred to as crystal meth or ice. Also distributed and used in the form of brightly-coloured tablets, sometimes called Yaba which is the name used in Thailand.

Street names: meth, speed, uppers, sulphate, wizz, billy, poor man’s cocaine, crystal meth, ice, glass.

Use and effects: Injecting, snorting, smoking, swallowing.

Behavioural: Some people become tense and anxious or paranoid. People may have very bad mood swings. Gives feeling of self-confidence. Psychological dependency can occur due to people becoming addicted to the high/buzz. Hallucinations, delusions and feelings of persecution with regular, high doses. This can lead to mental disorders.

Biological: Breathing and heart rate increase. Pupils widen. Appetite is suppressed. Comedown includes tiredness and depression, which can last for as long as two days. Tolerance can occur, therefore a higher dose is needed to create the same effects. Long-term use can lead to damage to the heart and blood vessels. Overdose can be fatal. Can cause insomnia and mental confusion. Sleep, memory and concentration are affected in the short term.

Name: LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) is the most potent hallucinogen known to science. Usually sold as small squares of impregnated blotting-style paper, where the squares are printed on sheets with colourful designs. LSD has been known to be used as tablets (microdots), thin squares of gelatin (window panes), impregnated sugar cubes and rarely in liquid form.

Street name: acid, trips, tab, blotters, dots.

Use and effects: Consumption of an amount equal to a few grains of salt will produce vivid hallucinations. An average dose will have hallucinogenic effects for up to eight hours, and 12 hours is not unknown. Flashbacks are quite common, that is where a user reports LSD-type effects days or even months after taking the last dose.

Behavioural: Depression, dizziness, disorientation and sometimes panic attacks. More likely if user is unstable, anxious, or in hostile/unfamiliar surroundings. Long term effects include acute anxiety or brief mental disorders. Brain function can be permanently affected, which can trigger long-term mental illness. Flashbacks can occur years later without warning. Although they can be shortlived, they can be intense and confusing.

Biological: Effects often include strong colours and distortion of vision and hearing and senses – users report ‘hearing’ colours and ‘seeing’ sounds. Reactions may include heightened self-awareness and mystical or ecstatic experiences. A trip may cause hallucinations that can last for hours. Users have little perception of time, space and danger.

If you want to know more, approach your local authority, doctor, library, college etc, and ask about presentations, pamphlets and help in identifying and combating illegal drug use.

Young Adults

You are clearly old enough to be reading this book yourself, and I will assume that you have read the whole book up to this point and will continue to read it all, and that you have achieved a level of maturity where I can speak to you as an adult. You will have realised that in my view the basis of security and safety is common sense, caution, planning and awareness. I have tried to point out vulnerabilities, threats and risks, and then suggest ways that you can avoid them and so stay safe. By reading this book you will learn more than you need to know, which will put you in a position to advise and protect those who are younger than you, are not so mature, or who have not read this book.

Having said that I think that there are a few basic guidelines that young adults need to follow.

Apply my concepts of awareness, common sense and caution. Look out for yourself and those around you and you will have a very pleasant and happy life.