Pubdate: Sun, 26 Jan 2014
Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL)
Copyright: 2014 News-Journal Corporation
Contact:  http://www.news-journalonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/700
Note: gives priority to local writers
Author: Chet Bell
Note: Bell is CEO of Stewart-Marchman-Act Behavioral Healthcare in
Daytona Beach, the lead mental health/substance abuse agency for
Volusia and Flagler counties.

DESPITE TEENS' CAUTION, 'CLUB' DRUGS A LOCAL THREAT

The University of Michigan's 23rd annual survey of alcohol and drug
use among 8th, 10th and 12th graders, "Monitoring the Future,"
provides insight into the changing nature of youth drug use. It
reports that teens are "more cautious" about using synthetic drugs.
This is good news, but gives many people pause. What about the
non-synthetic drugs we always have been concerned about - alcohol,
marijuana, cocaine? These continue to be the most widely abused drugs
among teens. But in recent years, synthetic drugs, manufactured rather
than found in nature, have emerged as powerful, easy to obtain, and
sometimes perceived as at least quasi-legal - at least until law
enforcement agencies and lawmakers can identify the exact chemical
compositions and make them illegal to possess or sell.

The study found that nationally, the use of synthetic marijuana - also
known as "K2" or "Spice," dropped sharply this year among teens
surveyed. And less than 1 percent had used "bath salts" - synthetic
cathinones that mimic a cocaine or amphetamine-like high. In addition,
the study noted that the percentage of 12th graders who see great risk
in using bath salts increased to 60 percent from 35 percent in 2011.
And use of alcohol has dropped dramatically to its lowest rates since
the mid-1990s.

While this all may sound encouraging, the reality is that alcohol
abuse among teens is widespread. One in five 12th graders reported
binge drinking - five or more drinks in a row - in the two-week period
prior to being surveyed. However, in comparison, in 1980 twice as many
kids reported binge drinking.

The news on marijuana is not as encouraging. Perhaps reflecting
changing social standards, marijuana use has been drifting higher in
recent years after more than a decade of steady decline. In states
with medical marijuana laws, a third of the kids surveyed said that
one of their sources of the drug was from another person's medical
marijuana prescription. Something to think about if medicinal pot gets
on the ballot in Florida later this year.

Finally, there's "Molly," the most recent highly publicized synthetic
"club" drug. Molly is purported to be "pure" MDMA. It's manmade,
similar in effect to methamphetamine. Molly is supposedly a
repackaging of Ecstasy - same drug, same effect. It's known as a club
drug because its effects are valued in the dance party scene -
high-energy and euphoric.

The local impact

Currently at Stewart-Marchman-Act, approximately 5 percent of our
adolescent outpatients and 10 percent of adults report using Molly at
least once. Most report limited use in social situations and not as a
primary drug. Clients report the "high" they get varies considerably.
Their impression is confirmed by the Daytona Beach Police Department.
Daytona Beach Police Sgt. Eric Savercool notes that several years ago,
Ecstasy or Molly was imported from Canada and most often was pure
MDMA. However, most of what is being marketed today as Molly locally
is imported from China, and is more akin to capsulated bath salts than
MDMA. Savercool notes that over the past two years, synthetic drugs
have become a primary problem for law enforcement, while prescription
drug possession has dropped dramatically as a result of enforcement
efforts and the eradication of pill mills.

So that leads us back to the "Monitoring the Future" study that says
bath salt use is declining. In Daytona Beach, at least, that appears
suspect. Perhaps a better description is that a new generation of
synthetic drug users are falling prey to criminal organizations that
are using bait-and-switch tactics, leading users to blindly ingest
substances without really having a clear knowledge or understanding of
what they are actually using. It's always been a "buyer beware" market
when purchasing illegal drugs. For kids these days, the synthetic
drugs appear to be more dangerous, and less understood, than ever.

What do we do about it? Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's office
has been vigilant in issuing emergency rules whenever new synthetic
drugs are identified and then working with the Legislature to add them
to the growing list of controlled substances. A long list of synthetic
substances was banned last session and at least four more will be
addressed in the 2014 session.

Most importantly, in our homes we need to continue to educate our kids
about the benefits of good physical and mental health, the danger
posed by drugs to their health and by being involved in our kids' lives.

Drug abuse prevention starts at home, with the simple act of being
concerned and aware about where are kids are, who they are with and
what they are doing. There are criminal elements out there trying to
entrap our kids into drug use and the abuse that follows.

Bell is CEO of Stewart-Marchman-Act Behavioral Healthcare in Daytona
Beach, the lead mental health/substance abuse agency for Volusia and
Flagler counties.  
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