STIGMA OF DRUG USE CHANGING

Is the war on drugs a fight against stereotypes?

According to many officials, the stigma of being associated with
drugs, for whatever reason, has slowly changed through the years.

"Not only has the stigma changed, so has the mentality of those
involved in the drug culture. There used to be shame attached to being
arrested for drug use," Clay County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy
Rob Gambill said. "But today, so many of the people arrested think
it's nothing to worry about, almost like it's s right of passage. They
think it gives them street credibility and lifts them above their peers."

Gambill and Sheriff Mike Heaton, along with various other law
enforcement agents -- who will remain unidentified because they are
actively involved in drug investigations -- recently agreed to speak
with The Brazil Times about residents' concerns that drugs have
invaded their community.

One potential contributing factor for this new attitude is highly
controversial: The pervasive way the entertainment industry depicts
criminals and drug use as a "cool escape" to the problems of life and
as socially-normal behavior in adult-oriented movies, television
programs, music and video games.

"To some extent, although no one really knows how much, these things
are a definite influence on young people," Heaton said. "Whatever the
reasons, attitudes have definitely changed. Suspects are not
embarrassed by their drug activity. Many are proud of it."

However, law enforcement officers experience the reality of the
situation.

When arrested, most suspects involved in drug activity tell officers
they want out of the drug culture.

"They often cry and admit that they want to stop using and
participating in criminal activities connected with drugs, but they
just don't know how," an undercover officer said. "The drugs have
taken hold of their lives and they can't get out. You can tell that
they are being honest. They're lost. They really don't know how to get
out."

On the flip side, the "dramatic license" of the entertainment industry
regarding fictional crime dramas and forensic-based television
programs has changed the real-world expectations of the public.

"Justice takes longer than 30 minutes," an undercover officer said.
"There's a lot of manpower necessary to make a strong case for the
prosecution and conviction of a suspect in any criminal investigation.
The real world isn't like an episode of 'CSI.'"

Another factor law enforcement officers believe is creating problems
is a "generational theory" that rationalizes drug use, which goes
something like "what one generation despises, the second will learn to
tolerate and the third generation, and so on, will ultimately accept."

Another potential trend is how easily accessible prescription drugs
are in society.

"We live in a society where if something is wrong, just take a pill
for it," an undercover officer said. "The medication is all over the
media and inside easily accessible medicine cabinets that are
literally everywhere."

Since the war on drugs began to focus on the devastation of street
drugs, officials and parents have made it a point to make children
understand the consequences of using these substances.

A recent study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) showed a
23.2 percent decline in teen use of illicit drugs like marijuana,
crack and cocaine over the past five years. However, the recreational
use of prescription medications such as the painkiller Vicodin is
steadily increasing.

According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
(ONDCP), each day, approximately 2,500 teens in the United States try
a prescription painkiller to get high for the first time.

The knowledge that prescription drugs are dangerous is often
overshadowed by the perception that something obtained so easily is
relatively harmless.

Even many adults tend to perceive prescription drugs are safer to
abuse than street drugs, with only about 30 percent of parents making
it an effort to talk to their children about the risks of these drugs.

Statistics regarding drug abuse are difficult to track outside of law
enforcement sources, which only track arrest information. There are
individuals struggling with addiction, who have yet to be caught up in
some form of criminal activity but might seek drug-related medical
attention, which is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996.

However, there are public health surveillance systems.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Drug
Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) collects and monitors data on patients of
all ages who visit emergency room for drug-related visits across the
nation.

The information collected ranges from infant to senior citizen
patients, who have mistakenly been given or taken too much medication
to those seeking treatment related to negative side effects from the
medication, or those seeking treatment for drug abuse or
"reconsidered" suicide attempts involving drugs.

Drugs included in the data collected, range from illegal drugs like
heroin, cocaine, marijuana and Ecstasy, to prescription drugs such as
Vicodin and OxyContin and over the counter (OTC) medications such as
cough and cold remedies, inhalants and alcohol.

According to a DAWN study in 2005, an estimated 1,449,154 emergency
room visits in the United States involved drug misuse or abuse, with
598,542 of the visits made because of non-medical use of prescription,
OTC medications or dietary supplements.

A third of these drug misuse/abuse visits were related to drugs used
in combination with alcohol.

"People really don't know what they're dealing with when they mess
with prescription drugs. Thinking it can't be bad if a family member
takes it, is an incorrect assumption," Heaton said. "There's a reason
these types of drugs are prescribed by a doctor. If not taken
correctly, the end result can be lethal. Someone, somewhere is
combining alcohol, illegal and or prescription drugs to create a new
high. It's happening right here in our community, right now."

Energy drink crisis

The Journal of American College Health recently published a report
about the link between health problems for teenagers who consume large
amounts of energy drinks and the potential for risky and aggressive
behavior, including unprotected sex, substance abuse and violence.

Classified as "dietary supplements," a review or approval by the
United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not required
before these products hit store shelves. Researchers at Johns Hopkins
University researchers have determined many of the most popular energy
drinks contain more than five times the caffeine than is found in an
average soda. A newer energy drink on the market, Wired X505, contains
505 milligrams of caffeine per 24-ounce serving, compared to 12-ounce
servings of Coke Classic, at 34.0 milligrams, and Pepsi, at 37.5 milligrams.

While research data doesn't mean the drinks cause bad behavior, it
does suggest regular consumption of "high-caffeine" energy drinks may
be a potential red flag for parents concerned their children are
taking risks with their health and safety.

Many caffeine researchers find nothing wrong with ingesting a single
serving of an energy drink, but others are concerned with the side
affects connected with people becoming dependent on the hundreds of
various beverage brands on the market.

Depending upon an individual's body weight and tolerance, ingesting
300 milligrams or more of caffeine can lead to symptoms that are
similar to overdoses of other stimulants.

Signs of caffeine intoxication can include restlessness, insomnia,
excitement, irritability, and increased urination.

Significantly larger overdoses can cause mania, depression, delusions
and disorientation.

In severe cases, medical officials report caffeine overdose can be
deadly.

Local law enforcement officials confirm they are finding more and more
suspects in possession of empty energy drink cans.

"It's happening here, to what extreme we're not sure," Clay County
Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy and former drug enforcement officer
Rob Gambill told The Brazil Times. "After a teen party or while
cleaning their child's room, parents might not think anything about
finding numerous cans lying about. But, if mixed with alcohol or
drugs, it can be a bad combination."