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PKc THE HERALD October ItSi DRUG AN DAL GET THI Why do some people use drugs Just what is a drug problem Drugs have been part of restore a healthy chemical balance times involve the use of alcohol the man since the beginning or lo bolster faltering body processes drinking of toasts wine in religious toffee tea alcohol laxatives vitamins heroin Some for example if used to excess may H While prescription drugs have rituals the sealing of a bargain I solvents and so on the lilt noes on and on interfere with he normal bowel function and early C opium Was used In Mesopotamia The first known brewery operated in I in C but there is dence that people used alcohol far back as the Stone Age Here are some the reasons why people use drugs today provided by the local Addiction Research office MEDICAL Physicians prescribe drugs to combat infection or pain to restore a healthy chemical balance r lo bolster faltering body processes While prescription drugs have enormous therapeutic value there is evidence of significant misuse of some of them Over prescribing doctor shop ping and lack of awareness on the part of the user all contribute to this In addition too high a consumption of some nonprescription drugs pro duce harmful effects on health HOSPITALITY AND FRIENDSHIP Many ceremonies of everyday life dating back to ancient drinking of toasts wine in religious rituals the sealing of a bargain RELAXATION Low amounts of alcohol marijuana coffee and opium make some people more ease In social situations Tranquillizers and sedatives given on prescription are sometimes used without medical supervision HI The desire to belong to a certain group or to show that one belongs makes some people use drugs as alcohol marjluana to bacco or solvents Drug committee work important A spinoff group of Ihe CHICKtN program the Abuse Commit tec of Hills was formed lo council drug abusers and to prevent drug ibuse Drug Abuse Committee originated under Ihc auspices of the Optimist CHICKEN program but now operates on Us own from the Community Services building on Street Our function is treat ment referral and assessment says Program Consultant Kristin We provide treatment to young adults or people experiencing difficult with drug abuse in their The Drug Abuse Committee is a profit organization funded by federal and regional government and liXii community groups Its concern is the provision of treatment on an out patient basis to druj their families Committee IDAC sponsors HYTKS Youth Theatre Ensemble sup port and personal growth group for young adults IS to years old specializing in traditional therapy and group Ihcrapyj Crisis intervention individual and family counselling and referrals appropriate community resources such as Welfare and Youth Employ Services arc available to all group members Although DAC has only a part time therapist results or the 19B7B8 treatment year ore Impressive Counselling sessions Here maintain by clients mosl of them under years of age they began treatment Of those being treated per had served time for or been convicted of alcohol or drug related offences Ten of the BO clients were referred lo residential treatment programs although at least 15 or more should have been but wire unwilling or unable according to The Committee receives about 0 per from parents or friends of drug abusers requesting information The speaks at various evnl- including St Josephs Hospital in Hamilton Correction Institution High School High School the Ashgrove Institute the Salvation Army and the Ni rth Distress Hit DACs drama group per formed or 10 pre teen fjoups in eluding the Just Say No rally In Hamilton the CHICKEN club kick off and mid die school and public school tunc linns They held two drug and alcohol free rock concerts A new group is forming in October this mi nth fc r the next performing ye Coffee tea alcohol laxatives vitamins heroin solvents and so on the list goes on and on They are all drugs some more prone lo abuse lhanothera and a Illegal under any stances says staff with the local Addiction Research Foundation office The word drug traditionally means something which a doctor prescribes for Ihe treatment of a disease or a disorder or something which one can buy for the same purpose in a drugstore without a prescription A cough remedy for example or a laxative Drugs also include substances such as heroin and morphine which were originally used medically lo re pain but which now are also manufactured and sold Illegally on the street as drugs of pleasure Many of the drugs which arc most widely used for medical reasons and about which public concern has arisen such as cannabis an LSD have no tradition illy recognized medical use and are not sold In drugstores Scientists also generally classify as drugs many things which we use as part of our normal diet or as of accepted social practices coffee and lea tobacco alcohol and various spices are examples Other chemicals which are manufactured for do mestic or Industrial purposes arc now sometimes also used to Induce states of intoxication These include In duslrial solvents cleaning fluids nail polish remover and model inegluc Any substance which affects the body can be abused There arc two pes of drug problems medical and individual medical problem arises when a drug causes Injury In the physical or mental well being of the user This is the sort problem which is associated with the concept of as a disease II Is also the sort of problem that can arise from mis use prescribed or prescription drugs Whenever you buy prescription drugs an ant vitamins a laxative or a cough remedy read the packi Some laxatives for example if used to interfere with the norma bowel function and a rious Irritation Using many limes the recommended doses of vita A end D can have serious affects on health temporary system disturbances Excessive use of pain relievers containing ASA or paracetamol can cause serious kidney or liver damage or bleeding of the stomach lining Abuse of cough medicines or strong pain relievers containing a narcotic ingredient such as codeine can lead to dependence When a doctor prescribes a drug make sure you know what It Is and what aide effects might be expected Also whether caution Is necessary In combining the drug with other drugs or in performing complex tasks such as driving the body are increased by Ihe simultaneous use nobis any of the tranquillizers opiates or some of the cold remedies Great Is necessary when more than one pre pa ration is used at the same time Many drugs cross the placenta and can affect an born child The time of highest risk to the developing baby is during the first three months of pregnancy but all drugs including prescription drugs tobacco and alcohol are best avoided throughout pregnancy except on the specific order of a physician The other type of drug problem Is the social problem This arises whenever the use of drugs by some members of society puts them in conflict with the rest of society This may occur cither as a result of violation of exist taws or because the use of the drug creates a clash between the behavior values and moral standards of the drug users and those of the non users This happens most often with what we call live or mood altering drugs those drugs which are used primarily for their effects on mood perception and consciousness regardless of whal their normal medical any might be Police try to head off drug problem It ina come as surprise but Region Police lake drug Ihem to parent community group meetings Now dont the wrong idea These drugs are samples of popular narcotic parents should learn to recognize rijui Parents are Inking more of an in In identifying drugs said Peter Hodgson of the Regional Police Criminal Invcstlga tlons Division Hodgson explain that Ihc portable kit taken to show parental groups and locul service groups such as the Club the Rotary Club or the Optimists in eludes 15 types of illegal drugs one small bottle of liquor various nor colic Males cannabis pipes a roach clip I for holding Ihe burning remains of marijuana or hashish cigarette and roiling p ipers for cannabis hushish hashish oil mariji I jho called magic mushrooms LSD tablets lysergic an hallucinogenic LSI In blotter form Isoikcd into paper speed hi tiies Seconal dexednne nicotine cigarettes and loose The Idea is to prevent narcotic of fences before they happen through education said Hodgson Our mandate in Ihe drug bureau is first of all drug investigating in eluding street trafficking he said but added thai the drug squad is proactie meaning they react to an ongoing drug situation And Police arrest minor drug offenders those with narcotics for personal use instead of for the purpose of trafficking to prevent Ihe dealers from dealing Facts about tobacco the lobacco plant tabacum and the plant most potent in nicotine were named in honor of Jean Nicot trench ambassador to in the lseos according to the Addiction Research Foundation was an publicist of the plant medicinal and other Virtues dur int decades following Ihe discovery of its use among tribes of North and America by early explorers Tobacco use is now almost universally condemned as major cause of ill health In Canada the current annual cost of tobacco- re la disability ex the amount collected in taxes on tobacco sales Sav to the community resulting from the premature dealhs of most smokers and consequent noncollection of retirement and other benefits have not been calculated About 1 billion was spent in Canada during on tobacco products close lo for each of the 6 million smokers Canadians have one of the highest per capita tobacco consumption rates in the world Nearly all of Canada tobacco is grown in Ontario where It is the most cash crop accounting for more than per of the province s total crop value More than per cent of the crop is made Nicotine is an extremely toxic substance Two or three drops of the pure on the tongue will rapidly kill an The lowest reported fatal dose is milhgrims typical cigarette contains 1520 milligrams of nicotine As normally smoked less than 1 mill yam from cigarette reiches the and thence the brain The amount reaching Ihe blood vines considerably depending among other things on whether the is filtered or of the filter the depth and requenc of and the length of the butt Samples are stored in small plastic Jars llmt show the substance ruv and Its form Included in the w dry up the demand Police crack down on the drug users Hilton Police are crack in down on drag and alcohol testimony and analyi abuser Here Police Con table Rao m for k demonstrate the breathalyzer ylem ued for lion before convicted i Thl full of drug lugg around to parent and community meetings by police The contain IS narcotic ubiUnce and various narcotic aid well a a mall of II The I to how pare nil and potential drug offender bow It Identify Illegal drug Ilerld Cocaine is the drug of the eighties according lo the Regional Police Criminal Investiga Division Cocaine white crystals derived from Ihe cocoa shrub has an anaesthetic effect on the user and is gaining popularity in Hallon says police headquarters Sgt Peter Hodgson The drug usually sells for over a gram price Is com down and he purity is gelling higher said Sgt Hodgson Purity refers to the amount of co caine in a substance sold Illegally on the street Cocaine is cut mixed with sugar or other substances ex plained the I A typical seizure is in the to per cent range he said This compares to the average pun which Is to per cent Cocaine also called blow sugar coke and snow is by the user in different manners It con be snorted through the nose with a straw like apparatus It can be smoked with cannabis or other colics it can be Injected with a Inge or may be freebased a process that uses a flammable substance to heat the cocaine Cocaine has surfaced on the streets of but its more lelhal counterpart crack is not yet on epidemic There Is crack in Toronto so will probably be here within a year said Sgt Hodgson But police are cracking down on cocaine offenders biggest cocaine bust occurred at the end of July this year when worth of pure cocaine per cent uncut was confiscated by the Halton police force in conjunction with the and the Waterloo regional police ALL BAKE CONFECTIONS LTD 24 Ontario St Georgetown WaStyport The Effort of the Drvg Abuse Commfttae 8731863 TIRE AUTOMOTIVE CENTRE Mam Slreel Georgetown 8775119 PACKAGING CAN LTD TO THE FOOOMOUSTRr ALWAYS TO HELP 301 Armstrong Ave Georgetown 8776931 35 Todd Road Georgetown 8775227 BARRAGERS CLEANERS LAUNDROMAT SAME DAY SERVKE ALTERATIONS REPAIRS COMPLETE DRY SERVtE 166GUELPHST HAYESDANA INC CHASSIS PRODUCTS DIVISION TRAILER AXLE 1 20 Avenue George low call 877