Dare:
This year millions of school children around the world will benefit from D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), the highly acclaimed program that gives kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence. D.A.R.E. was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles and has proven so successful that it is now being implemented in 75 percent of our nation’s school districts and in more than 43 countries around the world. D.A.R.E. is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.
Dangers of new Synthetic drugs
Bath Salts
Legal, synthetic drugs are increasing in popularity, and are now starting to also gain the attention of authorities. Making and Selling Synthetic Drugs The drug under investigation is bath salts, also known as Ivory Wave or Purple Wave. This substance is manufactured using MDPV, or methylenedioxypyrovalerone, and other substances. Authorities, however, are unsure of what other chemicals are even in this drug. This and other synthetic drugs are created by chemists who make small changes in molecules of known substances to form new drugs. Ivory wave is growing in popularity among young people, mainly because it is legal and cheap. It can be found in convenience stores and on the Internet, and is usually labeled as bath salts. But the intended use for getting high is common knowledge among young people, and is all over the Internet. This drug is not even labeled for human consumption, and some packages even have a warning label on them, but that may be just to cover up the intended use from authorities. However, as with any substance that becomes more and more popular, a greater number of people suffering adverse affects are coming to the forefront, and the authorities are becoming aware. The American Association of Poison Control Centers has had 251 calls about bath salts this year already, compared to 236 calls about it throughout all of last year.
Side Effects of Bath Salts
Bath salts, though still legal, can cause effects among users similar to cocaine, meth, or LSD. The drug can be snorted like cocaine and it can cause extreme energy, rapid heart beat, insomnia, chest pain, heart attack, and stroke. It is also known to cause hallucinations, psychosis, and paranoia, which can be very concerning. “People are becoming violent, or psychotic, and sometimes the psychosis is lasting a week or longer, which is quite unusual.” said Dr. Karen Simone, Director of the Northern New England Poison Control Center in Portland, Maine. (1)
Know the Dangers of Legal Drugs
The federal government is investigating a few different synthetic drugs, and most likely will have many more as these synthetic drugs continue to be developed. The DEA has taken steps to fast track a ban on the synthetic drug K2, or legal weed, that quickly spread across the country. Ivory wave, so far, has proven to be a more serious health risk than K2. Emergency rooms across the country have seen patients on bath salts that are agitated and psychotic, that can’t be calmed with regular doses of sedatives. This drug, and others like it, will most likely be made illegal in the near future. Until then, parents need to be aware of what their children are getting involved with, and warn them of the dangers of these legal substances.
K2
It’s not uncommon for new drugs or synthetic substances to come along that pose a danger to users. But it’s a little less often that a substance causes such a stir that it gains popularity quickly among new users. K2, also known as “LegaI Weed” or “Spice” is not new, but there is a new craze for it right now. It was created in the mid 90’s by a Clemson University chemist. The chemical, similar to pot, can be sprayed on herbs, flowers, and tobacco leaves, and smoked. It was picked up and used right away by some pot users that were looking for the same effects as marijuana. However, it was not until this year that is became a part of the teen scene.
The Popularity of K2
K2 is growing in popularity quickly. This year, more than 1259 calls have been made to poison control centers about this substance, compared to 14 calls last year, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers. Last year, no one knew about the drug, and this year, experimenters are finding themselves in the emergency room with symptoms like high temperatures, racing heartbeat, and high blood pressure. It has many of the same effects on the user are marijuana, it is cheaper than marijuana, it is hard to detect, and it isstill legal in 39 states.
The Debate over Banning
In a world where there is such a debate over the legalization of pot, K2 will most likely add to that debate. Already, because of the negative side effects and the rush for young people to get their hands on K2, 11 states have banned lt. However, the way this drug can be marketed makes it hard to regulate. It can be sprayed on herbs and sold under different names, or marketed as incense or even bath salts, making it hard to monitor. For those people that are pushing for the legalization of marijuana, K2 is an easy alternative. They argue that you can’t control every substance that comes along, so these less potent drugs should be left alone so people can have a good time.
Negative Effects of K2
There are a few problems with K2. First of all, people are not using it responsibly if they are making calls to poison control about it or visiting ERs because of it. Secondly, the spike in popularity itself is cause for concern. Just like many of the other trends that teens find for fun, there is the possibility for it to become a misused substance very quickly, if it isn’t already. Thirdly, this substance is known for its contaminants. There is sometimes no telling what all is in a batch of K2. The most important thing is for people to be educated about the dangers of this and all substances. Sometimes the fact that things are legal makes people forget that they can still be harmful. It should not be necessary for the government to make something illegal before people realize the dangers of abusing any drug.
Prescription Drug Abuse in Rural areas
Some slightly surprising new data suggests that where a teen lives may influence whether or not they abuse prescription drugs. The 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that teens living in rural areas are 26% more likely to use prescription drugs for non-medical uses than are urban teens.
Urban vs. Rural Teens
Prescription drug abuse has skyrocketed in our country in the last 15 years, increasing 212% among teens from 1992 to 2003. With prescription drugs being prescribed more and more by doctors, teens find it easy to gain access to their choice of drugs in family members’ medicine cabinets, or buying them from friends. The interesting finding in the study is that teens in rural areas are significantly more likely to abuse prescription drugs than urban teens, while illicit drug abuse rates are the same for both urban and rural youth. There will need to be more research on the habits of rural youth to determine why the prescription abuse is more prevalent among them. Maybe these teens have more time on their hands, or are less educated on the risks of prescription drug abuse, or feel they are less likely to get caught by law enforcement. But this study shows that this group of teens should be the target of more anti-drug campaigns.
Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse
Prescription drugs that are used non—medicaIly are often considered gateway drugs. Teens that experiment with prescription drugs, even occasionally, are statistically more likely to use illicit drugs as they get older. They are also more likely to smoke, drink, and get caught up with gambling and other impulsive activities. Just because a teen lives in a rural area, however, doesn’t mean that they are necessarily going to use prescription drugs. There are some factors that the study found that greatly decrease even rural teens’ likelihood of using drugs. First of all, living in a two parent household reduces the risk by 32%. Attending school, effectively treating health and mental health problems, and having parental involvement also decreases the risk of substance abuse among these teens. In fact, all teens and pre-teens benefit greatly from positive parental interactions. Parents don’t often take their role seriously enough, but parents still hold a lot of power in their teens’ lives, attitudes, and behaviors. Families that spend quality time together, wherever they live, have teens that are less likely to do drugs, smoke, or drink. That’s why things like eating dinner together at least a few nights a week makes a world of difference for teens. Conclusions from this study do not suggest a bleak future for our rural youth. With a little bit of attention on this population, including drug- prevention education, prescription drug abuse can be decreased among this group.