Pubdate: Tue, 26 Feb 2002
Source: Ames Tribune (IA)
Copyright: 2002 Iowa Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  http://www.amestrib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/963
Author: David Grebe

DRUGS 101: SEMINAR HELPS WORKERS RECOGNIZE DRUG USE

Marijuana and chocolate have the same impact on the brain. There's one 
difference: It takes 25 pounds of chocolate to get to the same high as 
puffing on a joint.

Marijuana and chocolate have the same impact on the brain. There's one 
difference: It takes 25 pounds of chocolate to get to the same high as 
puffing on a joint.

That was one of the observations at Monday's "Drugs 101" seminar sponsored 
by Youth and Shelter Services.

Stimulants, sedatives, hallucinogens and other drugs - legal and otherwise 
- - were all discussed. About 50 social workers listened to the presentation 
given by prevention specialist Denise Denton of YSS.

Denton, who lost two parents to lung cancer, did not exclude tobacco from 
the list of deadly drugs.

Tobacco kills far more people - 430,000 by some estimates - than heroin, 
which takes 4,000 lives a year. Of course, part of the reason is that 
tobacco is used by more people, is more socially acceptable is cheaper and 
is marketed heavily.

It's also a slower killer.

Alcohol comes at a high price, too. The indirect and direct monetary cost 
of alcoholism to the economy is $100 billion annually, according to 
psychiatrist Dr. James Trahan, who spoke later at Mary Greeley Medical 
Center's monthly board meeting.

And the abuse of prescription drugs also has appeared on the nation's radar 
screen. Xanax (generically known as alprazolam), an anti-anxiety 
medication, can become more of a problem than a solution for some people.

"Our challenge in programming is to get some (of these people) into 
cognitive and behavioral therapy," Denton said. In many cases, she said 
prescription drugs for anxiety and depression should be a "first line of 
defense" to help people get back on their feet.

One of the problems with sedatives such as Xanax - as opposed to 
opium-derived drugs such as heroin - is that withdrawal can cause death.

"With heroin (withdrawal) you'll only feel like you want to die," Denton 
said. The phrase "kicking the habit" derives from the kicking and 
convulsing addicts go through withdrawing from heroin.

Another prescription drug, the painkiller OxyContin, has become a favorite 
of some. Used properly in pill form, it isn't dangerous. But if crushed and 
snorted, it can create a dangerous high.

It has been estimated that 10 percent of prescription drugs end up being 
abused or on the black market, Denton said. President Bush's niece was 
recently charged with trying to fraudulently obtain Xanax.

And, of course, the drug most commonly associated with the rural Midwest 
came up as well - methamphetamines.

The history of amphetamines is a curious one - Denton said the substance 
was used by both Allied and Axis forces during World War II.

"Nobody thought it was addictive until after the war," she said.

Amphetamines make it possible to stay up for long periods of time, not feel 
hungry and feel as though everything is fine - until it creates paranoia or 
psychosis.

The reason methamphetamines are sometimes called "crank" is because one of 
the first groups that "speed" was popular with was bikers, who hid the drug 
in the crankshaft.

Signs of methamphetamine use include blurred vision, rapid weight loss, 
dilated pupils and bad breath.

Another problem with the drug is that it can drain all the nutrients from 
the body, which can make hair fall out.

Far too many friends and family of meth addicts end up enabling them, 
hoping it will make them better. It usually doesn't work, Denton said.

And most users are forced to end up as dealers and makers - and cooking 
meth has hazards of its own.
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MAP posted-by: Alex