PARENTS ARE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST DRUGS

Unbelievable, Amazing, Absolutely Awesome.

The "Wonder Drug of the World" is here. Simply take a little bit of this
wondrous new substance and you'll be a new person.

Guaranteed. You too will experience euphoria beyond your wildest
imagination. Not into the party scene?

Well, this new miracle drug offers a little, make that a lot of something
for everyone.

Just try this marvel and you will almost see the fat melt away while adding
incredible muscle bulk. That's right, no more torturous diets or grueling
workouts.

Too busy to worry about physical fitness - don't give up just yet. A little
bit of this drug will enable you to sleep for only two to four hours and
you will feel terrific the next day. That's right, you workaholics and
otherwise busy people will experience productivity beyond imagination. Just
think kids, party all night then go to school without being tired and look
terrific at the same time. What's more, this wonderful drug is absolutely
harmless. In fact, if someone passes out from this substance, do NOT call
911. It will be a waste of time, besides, they'll simply sleep it off. We
guarantee that our wonderful product will change your life forever.

Does this sound appealing?

This is the kind of description that some sources use to describe the drug
GHB (gamma-hydroxy-butyrate), otherwise known as G, Home Boy, Scoop,
Firewater, Liquid E, Grievous Bodily Harm, etc. There are over 80 different
street names for this substance.

Actually, I agree with one part of this claim.

GHB will definitely change your life forever.

But not in a positive way. Many people, including adolescents, fall victim
to these false claims and experience devastating consequences. Sure, like
any drug, there is an initial euphoria and feeling of sociability. For a
short period, you will function with little or no sleep and possess a
much-improved physique.

But like many other substances, these results are short lived and the end
result is all too often a ruined life or even death. The following story
describes some of the horrors experienced by a GHB user. We'll refer to our
character as "John."

John, a young bodybuilder, heard about GHB and decided to try it. After
all, he would look better and be more productive at the same time. Being
into physical fitness, John would never consider taking illegal drugs.

He even stayed away from alcohol.

The information about GHB being used as a date rape drug didn't apply to
him either - he was not that kind of person. Besides, this was not "really
a drug," it was more of a health product than anything else. So John gave
it a try and was impressed with the results. Unfortunately, within a short
time, several red flags appeared.

John sometimes woke up in a panic because he suddenly stopped breathing
during the night.

He also experienced something known as the "head snap." Several times while
brushing his teeth, his head involuntarily dropped and struck the mirror.

On one occasion, the mirror was broken.

Another day, he crashed into the oven, breaking off the door handle.

The promised results of GHB were wearing off quickly.

John now needed a fix of GHB every couple of hours just to function properly.

If he missed a dose, he would experience sweating in an unusual way - the
palms of his hands and soles of his feet would ooze a thick, waxy sweat.

His heart would race and his blood pressure soared.

John needed a fix to feel better and quickly.

As he poured a GHB analog into a Styrofoam cup, he noticed that the
substance was melting the cup away. John now had an idea as to just how
much trouble he was in. Things continued to get worse.

John became an introvert, sometimes not going out for weeks at a time. He
began to exhibit bizarre behavior, such as waking up in the night and
having a family member find him sleeping on the street.

Sometimes he would be found lying on the floor urinating on himself.

He would also make crude, nasty remarks to whoever was present, and act
very violently.

I don't know if John lived or not.

Sure, the physical effects of GHB are disturbing, but the horror does not
end there.

Since GHB is relatively new to the drug scene, doctors have limited
information as to detection and treatment techniques. As a result, most GHB
overdoses are not diagnosed properly, therefore, medical professionals
treat the patient as they would for other drugs. Unfortunately, GHB is not
like any other drug. This misdiagnosis frequently yields tragic results.

Some GHB addicts die during detox or even commit suicide. To put it
bluntly, the withdrawal syndrome from this drug is worse than heroine and
is in fact considered life endangering. There's no antidote for this drug -
people often need to be put on life support until the effects pass.

Moreover, the ingredients to manufacture this deadly substance is easier to
obtain than one would like to believe.

Nonetheless, I am not going to elaborate on this for obvious reasons.

However, I would like to encourage any concerned parents to contact me, as
I strongly feel that you need to be aware of the availability and
identification of GHB analogs in order to protect your children.

What's even more disturbing is the fact that the information at the
beginning of this article is the kind of things that some sources utilize
in order to get our children to try this horrible drug. With this in mind,
I behoove every parent to share the articles in this series with their
children and make certain that they understand the devastating effects of
this and other club drugs.

Knowledge is power, and remember, you are the first line of defense in the
fight against drug abuse.

Editor's note: For more information, contact Cpl. Lawson at 419-838-6651,
ext. 132. This is the second in a series of columns by Cpl. Lawson. The
next column will run in next month's Health Section.