Drug Readings
Please THINK before you PRINT. Go Green
1. Rohypnol A Date Rape Drug
Estimated to be seven to ten times more potent than valium, Rohypnol
produces profound, prolonged sedation, a feeling of well-being, and shortterm memory loss.
Legally prescribed in England and 26 other countries for insomnia and as a
preoperative anesthetic, it has never been approved for use in the United
States. However, in the mid-1990s it became increasingly popular among
U.S. teens and young adults as a "party drug." Tasteless, odorless, and
colorless, it became a tool of predators who spike the drinks of
unsuspecting young women and then rape them. The drug causes sedation
within 15 minutes and the effects are boosted further by alcohol or
marijuana. In some cases women report passing out and awakening briefly
to find themselves being sexually assaulted. In other cases, they have no
memory of being raped, although there is evidence of it. There seems to be
a common thread of "I can't remember what happened to me."
There are about a dozen other date rape drugs, but none seem to have the
exact characteristics of Rohypnol, mainly deep memory loss and paralysis
of the victim's extremities, and the fast-acting nature of the drug.
Prosecution for date rape is already difficult; this drug compounds the
problem because the victims do not recall what happened.
Smuggled into the United States from Mexico or Colombia, the drug has
gone by various street names, including "roofies" or "roches." It has been
widely available on campuses for $1 or $2 a pill. In Mexico, it costs about 50
cents a pill. Gangs are known to have used the drug in rapes of minors. To
combat the sharp increase in trafficking and possession of the drug, in late
1996 the DEA declared Rohypnol a Schedule 1 drug thereby placing it in
the same category as heroin and LSD. This provides a minimum 10-year
prison term for simple smuggling offenses. And the Drug-Induced Rape
Prevention and Punishment Act of 1996 adds up to 20 years to the prison
sentence of any rapist who uses a drug to incapacitate a victim.
The Rape Treatment Center of the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center
offers the following helpful guidelines for young women to protect
themselves from date rape drugs:
1. Don't drink a beverage you did not open yourself.
2. Don't exchange or share drinks with anyone.
3. Don't accept a drink from a punch bowl.
4. Don't drink from a container that's being passed around.
5. Don't leave your drink unattended.
6. Don't drink anything that has an unusual taste or appearance.
7. If someone orders you a drink from a bar, accompany the person who
orders the drink and watch it being poured. Carry the drink yourself.
Friend, T. (1996, June 20). 'Monster' drug soon to be on same list as LSD,
heroin. USA Today, pp. 1A, 2A.
Manning, A. (1996, October 29). Memory
loss makes cases tough to prove. USA Today, pp. 1D, 2D.
2. Caffeine Is It Harmful?
Caffeine is perhaps the most popular, as well as one of the most ancient,
drugs. Nearly everyone ingests this drug every day in the form of coffee,
tea, cocoa, soft drinks, or headache remedies. The drug occurs naturally in
more than 60 plants and trees that have been cultivated by humans since
the beginning of recorded history.
Caffeine is one of the methylxanthines that stimulate certain
neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. It can temporarily
increase heart rate, metabolism, and stomach-acid secretion. In addition, it
dilates some blood vessels and constricts others, it wards off drowsiness,
and it increases alertness. Research has indicated that caffeine shortens
reaction time but has little effect on verbal fluency, numerical reasoning, or
short-term memory. Although some researchers have claimed that caffeine
may enhance an athlete's endurance, evidence is inconclusive. Caffeine can
produce trembling, chronic muscle tension, throbbing headaches,
depression, and insomnia, depending on weight and physical condition, as
well as the amount consumed.
Many of the inconsistencies in the literature on the effects of caffeine may
be explained by failure to distinguish between habitual caffeine consumers
and the volunteer who only ingests large doses over the course of an
experiment. A dose of 250 milligrams (about two cups of brewed coffee),
for example, may have no effect on a regular coffee drinker but may
temporarily raise the blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose
concentration, and cholesterol level of a nonuser.
Does caffeine have lasting adverse effects on a person's health? At one time
or another caffeine has been accused of causing pancreatic cancer, heart
disease, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, and birth
defects. A recent review of the literature concludes that a healthy adult can
continue to enjoy coffee or tea with very little negative effect
In its review of the research on caffeine, Consumer Reports on Health
stated that America's favorite drug poses health risks only for certain
susceptible people. Here is a brief summary:
-For those with hypertension, ingesting the drug before exercise or during
stressful periods may accentuate the temporary boost in blood pressure
produced by caffeine.
-Consuming caffeine in moderation does not seem to produce abnormal
heart rhythms. Still, people who experience palpitations should try to
avoid caffeine to see whether that helps.
-Women who regularly consume more than
300 mg of caffeine daily may reduce their chances of becoming pregnant
and increase their chances of having a miscarriage or delivering an
underweight baby.
-Caffeine may cause bone loss in postmenopausal women who have a low
intake of calcium, that is, less than 800 mg per day. Even if they get enough
calcium, those postmenopausal women who have other risk factors for
osteoporosis may want to play it safe and avoid large doses of caffeine.
-Consuming coffee or soda tends to stimulate the secretion of gastric acid,
which can trigger heartburn in some people and aggravate an existing
ulcer.
-Some research suggests that people who suffer from anxiety problems
tend to feel better when they avoid caffeine.
What caffeine can do for you-and to you (1997, September). Consumer
Reports on Health, 97, 99-101.
Staff (1988, July). Caffeine update: The news
is mostly good. University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, 4-5.
3. The LSD Experience
The relatively brief treatment of LSD-suddenly the drug of choice in the
early to mid-1990s-in the text can be readily extended in class. As the text
indicates, the first "acid trip" was taken in 1943 by chemist Albert
Hofmann, the creator of LSD. Here is his report of his experience following
the accidental ingestion of a small amount of the substance:
Last Friday, April 16, 1943, I was forced to stop my work in the laboratory
in the middle of the afternoon and to go home, as I was seized by a
particular restlessness associated with a sensation of mild dizziness. On
arriving home, I lay down and sank into a kind of drunkenness which was
not unpleasant and which was characterized by extreme activity of
imagination. As I lay in a dazed condition with my eyes closed (I
experienced daylight as disagreeably bright) there surged upon me an
uninterrupted stream of fantastic images of extraordinary plasticity and
vividness and accompanied by an intense kaleidoscope-like play of colors.
The condition gradually passed off after two hours.
Variously called acid, sugar, big D, trips, or micro-dots, LSD is an
extremely potent hallucinogen. The average dosage that will produce
changes in consciousness, or what are called psychomimetic effects, is
approximately 0.5-1.0 micrograms of LSD per kilogram of body weight. So
if you weigh 150 pounds, 1/20,000 of a gram will have an effect. Even more
remarkable is that if such a dosage is taken orally, only about 1 percent of it
will ever reach the brain. Although the use of LSD probably does not
produce either physical or psychological dependency, the user does
develop a tolerance for the drug very quickly. Dosage levels become
effectual after three or four days of use.
Psychologist Timothy Leary described his experiences with the drug as
being religiouslike and believed that the drug made him more creative. He
argued that LSD gave him insights into daily life, religion, and philosophy
that he would not otherwise have had. After advocating that his students
try it, he was relieved of his academic responsibilities at Harvard
University.
As the text notes, one's mood and mental set color the LSD experience.
When applied to a sugar cube and ingested, LSD takes 30 to 45 minutes to
show effects. Then for a period of 8 to 10 hours, the user experiences
changes in sensory perception and great variations in emotion, including
feelings of depersonalization and detachment. These changes are most
acute between the second and fourth hour of the LSD experience.
Vision seems to be the sense most affected by the drug. Although there is a
feeling of perceptual sharpness, illusions develop as both people and
objects in the immediate environment seem to change shape and color,
walls and other objects become wavy, and bizarre shapes and designs that
have no basis in reality appear to the user. One type of sensory experience
may also be translated into another, as music is perceived visually or red is
seen as "warm" or blue as "icy" feeling. Time perspective may change.
Some individuals are unable to distinguish between past, present, and
future.
Although early proponents of the drug suggested that it helped them to
achieve personal insight-particularly of their "place in the universe"-and
enhanced their creative activity, critics have noted that the drug disrupts
the balance between intuition and analytic reasoning that is required for
genuine creation. Moreover, it affects motor abilities, preventing the user
from communicating new insights. The experience is also accompanied by
elevated heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure, and faster,
more erratic breathing. Some experiences, referred to as "bad trips," can be
harrowing and traumatic. Hallucinations, even of one's own body image,
can be grotesque and threatening. People may feel completely out of
control or believe they can fly, walk on water, or perform some other
amazing feat. There may be a feeling of paranoia and fear not only of
strangers but also of friends and relatives. Depression and acute anxiety
may lead to dangerous acts, the most extreme being suicide.
A small minority continue to experience mental confusion, perceptual
distortions, and poor concentration for days after the experience. In very
rare cases, individuals have complained of disturbances years after being
exposed to LSD. Finally, some experience "flashbacks"-spontaneous,
involuntary recurrences of perceptual distortions-months later. These are
reportedly every bit as vivid as those experienced during the original trip.
Unprepared for this recurrence, people may react with fear, anxiety, and, in
some cases, psychotic behavior.
Wallace, B., & Fisher, L. (1991). Consciousness and behavior (3rd ed.).
Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
4. Is Marijuana Good Medicine?
In 1996, public opinion polls typically found that more than 60 percent of
American people support legal access to medical marijuana. California
became the first state to allow marijuana to be used for medical purposes.
Since then, several other states have approved its use to curb pain and
nausea. More than 51 million Americans now live in the 8 states where
medical marijuana users are protected by state law. Still other states are
actively considering such action. At the same time, the U.S. Justice
Department continues to prosecute marijuana law violators, including
some medical users, at a record pace. State and local police make
approximately 700,000 marijuana arrests in the United States each year.
Even if only one percent of those arrested were using marijuana for
medical purposes, then there are more than 6000 medical marijuana arrests
annually. Thus far, the federal government has not prosecuted any doctors
who recommend marijuana to patients. In 1998, by a vote of 310 to 98, the
U.S. House of Representatives opposed state "efforts to circumvent" federal
laws by legalizing marijuana "without valid scientific evidence." The Senate
concurred.
Is marijuana good medicine? In early 1999, the National Academy of
Sciences reported in a study commissioned by the White House that
marijuana can be effective in treating chronic pain, nausea, and AIDsrelated weight loss. The study also rejected the common notion that
marijuana use leads to the abuse of other drugs. At the same time, the
report argued that marijuana is no wonder drug. Its effects "on the
symptoms studied are generally modest, and in most cases, there are more
effective medicines available." The report also soundly criticized the
delivery system. University of Michigan researcher Stanley Watson, a codirector of the study, stated that "marijuana has potential as a medicine,
but it is undermined by the fact that patients must inhale harmful smoke."
Finally, the report called for further research.
Interestingly, there are several U.S. citizens who have won federal
government approval to smoke marijuana. Irvin Rosenfeld, a 43-year old
Florida stockbroker, is one. He smokes 10 to 15 cigarettes daily to control
pain from a rare form of cancer that was contracted when he was 10.
"There's not as much tension, not as much pain," says Rosenfeld, whose
muscles and blood vessels stretch over tumors on the ends of his arm and
leg bones.
However, marijuana is used illicitly by many glaucoma and AIDS sufferers
who rely on it to control their symptoms. In a 1991 study of oncologists, 48
percent said they would prescribe marijuana if they could, and 44 percent
said they had recommended it to patients. The 1999 National Academy of
Sciences report did not support proponents who claim marijuana is helpful
in combating glaucoma, migraine headaches, and movement disorders
such as Parkinson's disease.
What are the arguments against its legalization, at least for medical
purposes? Federal government officials fear that any sanctioned use would
lead to further liberalization of drug laws, which could in turn lead to
increased drug use. Others argue that newer drugs and therapies do what
marijuana once did particularly for nausea from chemotherapy. Moreover,
smoking marijuana is harmful to the lungs and may produce both
hormonal and reproductive problems.
Under Attorney General John Ashcroft, the Justice Department ruled that
the federal Controlled Substances Act bars any medical use of marijuana.
In late 2002, two seriously ill medical marijuana patients in California
charged the federal government, Drug Enforcement Administration chief
Asa Hutchinson, and Attorney General John Ashcroft with violating the
Fifth, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. As of this
writing, the cases are ongoing (see
http://www.mpp.org/releases/nr100802.html).
McMahon, P. (1999, March 18). Panel: Pot can be medicine. USA Today,
1A.
Rogers, A. (1997, January 13). Seeing through the haze. Newsweek
Factors in Drug Use
Deborah Franklin's "Is There an Addictive Personality?" provides an
excellent summary of the factors supporting drug use. As she points out,
most researchers now believe that a combination of biological,
psychological, and social influences push drug users to addiction. Franklin
cites the following factors.
1. The nature of the drug itself is important. The more intense the euphoria
and the faster it is over, the more likely it is that users will take large doses
of the drug often. This explains why crack cocaine is more likely to produce
dependency than the slower-acting powder cocaine and why both drugs
are more likely to be addictive than a hallucinogen such as LSD.
Furthermore, if a drug triggers painful withdrawal symptoms, as is
characteristic of alcohol, barbiturates, and narcotics, a heavy user is more
likely to continue use to avoid the pain.
2. Biological factors are also important. Having had an alcoholic parent
increases the risk of a drinking problem, partly because of inherited body
chemistry. Abuse of other drugs may also have a genetic component. Some
researchers believe that certain people experience the exhilaration of a
drug's high, as well as the pain of withdrawal, more acutely than others
because of genetic differences in the way their bodies metabolize the drug.
Although there is a lot of evidence that the use of narcotics to control the
pain of cancer or surgery does not lead to addiction, the use of narcotics to
control chronic back pain or migraines may do so; because small doses may
be ineffective, people will increase the dosage in hope of obtaining relief.
3. Psychological factors that seem to support drug use include feelings of
depression, low self-esteem, powerlessness, and the absence of values-for
example, religious tenets-that encourage sobriety.
4. The social factors contributing to drug use include a barren environment
that offers few opportunities or alternative pleasures. Urban slums,
prisons, and war zones are prime examples. Social norms also govern the
acceptability of drug use. For example, in the United States, it is generally
permissible to drink alcohol in the early evening but not in the morning.
It's okay to get drunk on a Friday night with friends but not alone on a
Monday night. Finally, having a plentiful, cheap drug supply increases use,
especially if most of one's friends and mentors are drug users.
Franklin, D. (1990, November/December). Is there an addictive
personality? In Health, 44.