Drug Trends and
Awareness
Commander Dave Gillespie
5th District-Germantown
Montgomery County Police
Our Agenda
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Alcohol
Marijuana
Synthetic Drugs
Prescription Drugs
Heroin
Strategies
#1 Abused Drug is Alcohol
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ALCOHOL
Alcohol Trends
•15% of high school students have had 5
or more drinks in a row within a couple of
hours (binge drinking).
•10% of middle school & 29% of high
school students have one or more drinks
frequently. ('Everyone' is not drinking.)
•Over 20% of middle school students and 56% of high school students
had at least one drink in their lifetime.
•Drinking & driving is still a problem. 17% of middle school
students and 19% high school students rode in a car driven by
someone who had been drinking alcohol.
•~2013 Maryland Youth Risk Behavior Survey Montgomery County Data)
Read the Fine Print
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Alcohol kills 6.5 X more youth than all other
illicit drugs combined.
Alcohol consumption by college students is associated with
1,700 Deaths, 599,000 injuries, and 97,000 cases of sexual
assault each year.
Youth ages 12-17, who drank within the past year, 39% had
reported one serious problem and 18% had built up tolerance.
www.family first aid.org
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Youth who began drinking before 15 years old are 4
Times more likely to develop alcoholism than those
who wait until 21.
Source: Marin Institute
Marijuana
Social Acceptance has Changed
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55% of Americans support legislative efforts
to legalize marijuana, according to a new
NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
District of Columbia decriminalized marijuana
and is moving toward legalization.
Maryland has decriminalized Marijuana and
there is potential for it to be legalized here in
the near future.
Legalization/Decriminalization
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Legalization
• The act of making something “legal”
• Still Illegal for those under 21 years
old
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Decriminalization
• The act of removing criminal sanctions on
an act, article and/or behavior
Facts about Marijuana
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How many states is it legal for
recreational use?
– 2 States (Colorado and Washington)
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Decriminalized
– 16 States and D.C.
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Medicinal Uses
– 23 States.
Why Legalize Marijuana?
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Increased Tax Revenue
– Colorado reported $184 Million in the
first year.
Colorado reports a 77% decrease in state
court marijuana cases.
Less people in jail
Treat as a disease so Offenders get
treatment
Use revenue to fund prevention programs
The Negative Effects of Marijuana
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Irritant to the lungs - Frequent marijuana smokers
can have many of the same respiratory problems
experienced by tobacco smokers
Cough, frequent acute chest illness, and a
heightened risk of lung infections.
One study found that people who smoke
marijuana frequently, but do not smoke
tobacco, have more health problems and
miss more days of work than those who don’t
smoke marijuana, mainly because of
respiratory illnesses.
Can contribute to lung cancer.
Gateway Drug – Risky Behavior
Marijuana and Mental
Health Issues
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Associations have been found between
marijuana use and:
– Mental health problems
– Depression
– Anxiety
– Suicidal thoughts among adolescents, and
personality disturbances.
– Lack of motivation to engage in typically
rewarding activities.
Marijuana is Addictive
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Contrary to common belief, marijuana
is addictive.
– Estimates from research suggest that
about 9% of users become addicted to
marijuana
– This number increases among those who
start young (to about 17%, or 1 in 6)
– And among people who use marijuana
daily to 25-50%.
Marijuana Facts
•In Montgomery County, 7% of middle schoolers and 33% of
high schoolers have used Marijuana 1 or more times in their life.
~2013 Maryland Youth Risk Behavior Survey
•Marijuana is a Gateway Drug; it can lead to the abuse of harder
drugs, particularly when started at a young age. ~“Challenging
Marijuana Myths” message from the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse
•According to the National Institutes of Health, Marijuana’s addictiveness is
not debatable: 1 in 6 kids who ever try marijuana, will become
addicted to the drug.
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DrugFacts: Marijuana. www.drugabuse.gov
•Marijuana use is associated with mental health issues (anxiety,
depression, panic and psychotic episodes) as well as similar health issues
as chronic tobacco users.
~DrugFacts: Marijuana www.drugabuse.gov
Brain scans are now showing irreversible, detrimental effects of
marijuana on the developing adolescent brain. ~www.drugfree.org
Problems with Marijuana
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Increase in Drugs at Schools in
Colorado
Gateway Drug
Risky Behaviors
Available to kids of all ages
Higher THC Levels
Becoming a Capital Enterprise
– Marketed on Internet and in
Vending Machines
Marijuana Cocktails
Chocolate Buds
Classic Candy Bars
Mixed Messages to our
Youth
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Society wants marijuana legalized, yet THC
levels are higher and more harmful.
– Highs can be more like someone on PCP.
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– Yet many still insist Marijuana is not
harmful to your health?
The paradox of legalizing marijuana at the
same time the country is experiencing
record numbers of Heroin OD Deaths.
Vaping - The newest Smoking
Trend you need to know about!!!
Electronic Cigarettes used
to smoke THC
E-Cigarettes
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Prescription
Drug Abuse
Prescription Drug Abuse
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Every day in the US, 2,500 youth (12 to 17)
abuse a prescription pain reliever for the
first time.
In the US alone, more than 15 million
people abuse prescription drugs, more than
the combined number who reported abusing
cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants and
heroin.
Prescription Drug Abuse
in Teens
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In 2005, 4.4 million teenagers (aged 12 to 17) in
the US admitted to taking prescription painkillers.
– 2.3 million took a prescription stimulant such as
Ritalin or adderall.
– 2.2 million abused over-the-counter drugs such
as cough syrup.
– The average age for first time users is now
13 - 14.
Triple “C” - Cough, Cold & Coricidin
Prescription Drug Abuse
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A 2007 survey in the US found that 3.3% of 12-17
year olds and 6% of 17- to 25-year-olds had
abused prescription drugs in the past month.
Prescription drug abuse causes the largest
percentage of deaths from drug overdosing.
Of the 22,400 drug overdose deaths in the US in
2005, opioid painkillers were the most commonly
found drug, accounting for 38.2% of these deaths.
Prescription Drug Abuse
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According to the National Center on Addiction and
Substance Abuse at Columbia University, teens who
abuse prescription drugs are:
– Twice as likely to use alcohol,
– 5 Times more likely to use marijuana,
– 12-20 times more likely to use illegal street
drugs such as heroin, Ecstasy and cocaine than
teens who do not abuse prescription drugs.
Prescription Drug Abuse
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In 2007, the Drug Enforcement Administration
found that abuse of the painkiller Fentanyl killed
more than 1,000 people that year in the US. It is
thirty to fifty times more powerful than heroin.
Prescription drug abuse causes the largest
percentage of deaths from drug overdosing.
Depressants, opioids and antidepressants are
responsible for more overdose deaths (45%) than
cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and
amphetamines (39%) combined.
Dr Ziscovici – The Pill Mill
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http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/07
/silviu-ziscovici-rockville-doctorarrested-on-drug-distribution-charges105628.html
Heroin Addiction
The Heroin Epidemic
MD Dept. of Health & Mental
Hygiene Report (2007-12)
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Identified a shift from prescription opioid use to
heroin
The increase coincides with a reduction in
prescription opioid-related deaths and an increase in
heroin overdose deaths
The largest group (statewide) of heroin-related
deaths was primarily for those b/n the age of 15-24
The increase has been roughly the same among
male/female
Despite the increase in Heroin Deaths Montgomery County had the lowest death
rates for Total Intoxication in the state.
Heroin Use
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Heroin use increased since 2011.
– New regulations impacted the ability to access
Oxycontin.
– Heroin is more accessible and cheaper
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Users can snort powder or inject
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National trend, not just a local issue
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Highly Addictive
Heroin Use and Deaths Rise
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The number of heroin users in the U.S. jumped
almost 80% from 2007 (373,000) to 2012
(699,000).
Overdose deaths attributed to heroin reached
3,094 in 2010, up 55% from 2000
New users typically start off smoking or snorting
the powder, then move on to injecting
About 80% of people trying heroin for the
first time previously used prescription pain
drugs
Heroin Deaths By Age - Montgomery
County, MD
10
8
6
2013
2014
6
3
1
2
Under 19
Source: Official and unofficial police data
1
20 - 29
30 - 39
40 - 49
1
0
Over 50
Updated: 8/5/2014
2014 Heroin Deaths By Gender and
Race
Total 22
Deaths
2014
HM BF
5% 4%
BM
14%
WF
4%
WM
73%
Source: Official and unofficial police data
Updated: 10/15/2014
Heroin Fatal Overdose Comparison
By District
7
5
5
4
4
3
3
3
2
1
1
0
1D
Source: Official and unofficial police data
2D
3D
2013
4D
5D
2014*
6D
* Data Updated 10/15/2014
Parenting Recommendations
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Understand the pressure on kids today
Talk with your kids and “open the dialogue”
Set clear boundaries and hold kids
accountable
Get to Know your children’s friends
Set curfews
Set a positive example
Talk w/kids about making good choices
Limit Risky Behaviors
It only takes 1 time for Heroin to control
your life.
Parenting Recommendations Con’t.
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Take notice of risky behaviors
Check your child’s room and vehicle
Check social media web sites
– Facebook, Vine, Instagram, etc.
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Secure prescription drugs (Safe) or dispose
of them safely.
Participate in DEA “National Prescription
Drug Take Back Day”
Get your kids drug tested if you have
suspicions
CHECK YOUR KID’S CELL PHONE!!!!
Community Problem and Social
Problem
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Everyone needs to work together
Teach responsible behavior
Hold children accountable- “See something,
say something”
Commitment to After School Resources
– Recreational Programs
– Technical Skill training
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Faith Community Involvement
Prevention, Treatment and
Rehabilitation!!!
Questions/Discussion
Captain Dave Gillespie
Commander, 5th Dist.-Germantown
David.gillespie@montgomerycountymd.gov
240-773-6200