OVERDOSE DEATH STUNS CAMPUS

WSU Offers Help, But Few Take It

The recent increase in drug-related fatalities hits so close to home
that one must wonder why they are occurring in the first place. And
furthermore, what kind of an impact do they have on college students?
A WSU janitor discovered early last Wednesday the body of a man who
died from an apparent drug overdose, in a bathroom in the Life
Sciences building. Though his identity has yet to be released, the
man, in his twenties, was found with a stash of needles on his person.

Within the next few days, 12 drug overdoses were reported in and
around Detroit - caused by drugs like heroin, cocaine and fentanyl, a
powerful anesthetic. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration, the highly potent drug is most commonly administered
intravenously - that is, with a needle.

The news of the on-campus overdose came as a shock to many WSU
students - because it seems that, to many, hardcore drug use isn't a
commonplace activity in a college environment.

"You always hear about marijuana - but rarely anything harder than
that," said Brittany Brown, a junior at WSU. "I was so shocked about
the entire thing - how they got it, why they had it on campus. I
figure, if you're going to do drugs, why do it at school? Why there,
of all places?"

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, over half
the population between the ages of 18-25 have participated in some
form of illicit drug use. And a 2003 survey by the U.S. Department of
Justice indicated that 5.4% of college-goers used cocaine within the
past year - a number which has more than doubled since the previous decade.

The Wayne State University Police Department doesn't have any
accessible statistics on the frequency of drug use in the student body.

There are, however, university-sponsored facilities provided for
students who may need help.

The most immediate resource is Wayne's State Counseling and
Psychological Services N located on the fifth floor of the Student
Center. CAPS is a confidential service that provides therapy and
support for students who need it.

"We do have students come in here with drug problems," said Dr. Jan
Collins-Eaglin, director of CAPS. "However, it's a very small number,
because we don't have a substance abuse program."

CAPS instead refers students to external services, such as the
University Psychiatric Center's Substance Abuse Program. However,
Gary Rhodes, the program director, said "We don't treat any students
now. The people we treat are suffering with severe opiate addictions
- - such as heroin or cocaine."

The lack of students in treatment may be positive news, but it
doesn't include the occasional few that fall through the cracks.
After all, quite often, those who are in treatment have already taken
the initiative to help themselves. "When an individual goes into
treatment, they may have begun to recognize that chemical use is
interfering with certain aspects of their lives," said Rocco
Marciano, director of clinical programs at UPC Jefferson.

Reaching out to those who show suspicious behaviors is probably the
best way in which to prevent the tragedies such as those that
occurred in the last week.