DRUG ARRESTS SOARING IN TUSCALOOSA AREA

Whether it's marijuana or cocaine, increasing use of methamphetamines,
popular college drugs such as ecstasy or LSD or abuse of prescription
drugs such as Adderall, UA students are no strangers to illegal or
controlled substances.

Reports show the Capstone, in addition to its alcohol reputation, is
also a place where drug abuse of various types occurs.

"Any time you've got young adults, they create a fairly lucrative
market for drug dealers," said Capt. Jeff Snyder of the West Alabama
Narcotics Task Force.

The Statistics

From January to March, the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force made 407
drug arrests and filed 497 drug related charges on those arrests.

Preliminary statistics from the University of Alabama Police
Department indicate the UAPD filed nine drug-related reports from
January to March, resulting in eight arrests.

Snyder said the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force made 1,254 drug
arrests in 2002. In 2003, the task force made 1,562 drug arrests and
confiscated drugs with a total street value of $1.8 million during the
year.

Snyder said the task force is seeing an increase each year in the
number of drug arrests it makes and the amount of drugs it
confiscates, but he said that increase would also be seen in any
narcotics unit that is properly doing its job.

The West Alabama Narcotics Task Force is a multi-agency task force
composed of officers from the Tuscaloosa Police Department, Northport
Police Department, Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Department and UAPD.
The task force is responsible for the investigation of narcotic
offenses in the Tuscaloosa County area.

Tim Hebson, director of the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and
associate dean of students, said 42 drug cases have been reported to
Judicial Affairs from June 30, 2003, to April 14, 2004.

Most Common Drugs

UAPD Capt. Lee Harris said the most common drug offenses reported on
campus involve marijuana, but drug-related arrests make up only a
small portion of the total arrests made by the UAPD.

Snyder said the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force confiscates mostly
marijuana and cocaine but is seeing an increase in meth use. Snyder
said the use of marijuana and cocaine is at a stable level, but meth
use is increasing and spreading.

Snyder said he was not certain Tuscaloosa deserved a reputation as the
"cocaine capital of the South," but he said the city did have a
somewhat different market for drugs due to its high proportion of
young adults attending the three college campuses in the area.

Snyder said drugs popular with young adults, such as marijuana,
ecstasy, powder cocaine and LSD, are becoming more common, but
prescription drug abuse is also an issue.

The most commonly abused prescription drugs are hydrocodones such as
Lortab, Lorcet and other painkillers, Snyder said. Another
prescription drug often abused is Adderall, a drug commonly prescribed
for people diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Snyder said Adderall is abused more frequently by college students
than by members of other demographics.

"They like to take it to help them stay awake to study," he
said.

UA student tells Adderall story

One freshman UA student told The Crimson White she never used Adderall
until she started college, even though she was familiar with students
who used the drug in high school.

The student, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said she used
the drug to help her stay awake to write papers.

"I heard people talking about how it helps you focus," she said. "I
took it to help me focus and to stay awake."

After using the drug five or six times, the student said she decided
to quit taking Adderall when a friend convinced her to stop taking the
drug.

"I've made my worst decisions when I was on Adderall, even worse than
when I was under the influence of alcohol," she said. "The decisions I
regret the most were [made] when I was on Adderall."

The student said that once she was on the drug, she would take it
again even when she did not need it to stay awake because she liked
the jittery feeling it gave her. She also said she felt "cracked out"
on the drug, which gave her feelings of invincibility.

Dr. Pat Hubbs, a physician at the Russell Student Health Center, said
chronic use of Adderall can develop a psychological dependence on the
drug. When taken in high doses over an extended period of time,
Adderall can result in sleeping problems and irritability. Hubbs said
a severe manifestation of the drug is psychosis.

Since Adderall is classified as a Schedule 2 controlled substance,
someone with a prescription for the drug cannot call in a refill,
Hubbs said. The RSHC pharmacy does not carry Adderall, but RSHC
physicians will prescribe the drug to a student after an examination.
In addition, the student will need documentation and a recommendation
from a psychologist confirming the diagnosis before the student can be
prescribed the drug.

The student who admitted Adderall abuse told The CW she had not been
diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, and she bought the drug from another
student whom she believed had a prescription for it.

Snyder said most prescription drug abusers purchase the drug from
someone who has it legally, forge a prescription for the drug or
purchase it online. Snyder said many people who abuse prescription
drugs acquired an addiction because they did not know how to take the
drug properly when a physician prescribed it.

But Snyder said other people view the prescription drug market as a
way to make money.

"If you sell [prescription drugs], you're no better than a cocaine
dealer," he said.