Primer for Local Parents:

FIRST STEP IN DRUG PREVENTION IS TO GRASP THE PROBLEM

Accepting the fact that drugs are in your neighborhood is the first step
toward prevention. To help our children, we must have an understanding of
the illegal drug situation in our community. Only then can we engage our
child in a serious conversation about the dangers of drug use. Drugs do not
discriminate; they destroy equally.

A recreational drug user uses illegal drugs to socialize on the weekends or
at parties and occasionally during the week. A drug abuser or addict is
physically or psychologically addicted to a drug and believes he or she
must have the drug daily to function. A soft drug is a drug with a low
potential for addiction and provides a tempered high. A hard drug is a drug
with a high potential for addiction and provides a drastic high.

Among children under the age of 21, alcohol - usually purchased legally by
adults and then provided to our children - is the most used and abused drug
throughout the country.

Marijuana Most Used Marijuana is the illegal drug most used and abused by
our youth in Central Virginia. Marijuana is a green and brown leafy
substance often referred to as a soft drug. When used recreationally over a
period of two to four years, marijuana can cause major medical problems
with the user's reproductive system. The active drug in marijuana is
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a central nervous system depressant. This drug
lingers in the fatty tissue of the body, primarily in the reproductive
systems of both men and women, for as long as 90 days per use. When smoked,
it emits an odor that resembles burning rope.

Marijuana also impairs short-term memory, affects judgment, and slows the
body's motor skills. Because of its ease of cultivation and widespread
distribution, it is readily available in Central Virginia for $5 to $10,
packaged as hand-rolled cigarettes or in plastic baggies. A person high on
marijuana will have constricted pupils, slow hand-eye coordination, labored
motor skills, slurred or slow speech, and a craving for high-fat content
foods known as the munchies.

Crack cocaine is the most frequently used "hard drug" in our area. Because
the drug is a central nervous system stimulant, a crack cocaine user will
experience an elevation in heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and
energy. The stimulant ages the organ systems of the body at a rapid rate,
and thus abuse of the drug can result in premature death. Because crack
quickly addicts the user psychologically, very few recreational users exist.

Moving Beyond City Limits Readily found in urban environments, crack
cocaine maintains its popularity in the city; however, it is making inroads
in suburban and rural communities in Central Virginia. On the street, it is
sold in $10 and $20 crystals resembling rock candy in varying shades of
white, gray, beige, and brown. The crystals are then smoked in a makeshift
pipe.

An individual high on crack will have dilated pupils and exhibit a
hypersensitivity to any outside stimulus; body movements will be rapid and
exaggerated. The user has a propensity for violent behavior and experiences
a feeling of super-strength. This drug has been the catalyst of epidemics
of violence in many areas of our country over the past decade.

Heroin, once popular only in the inner city, is becoming increasingly
popular with young adults in Richmond's suburbs because of the introduction
of high-purity heroin that can be snorted. Without the perceived dangers of
contracting AIDS or hepatitis from needle use, the stigma is removed.
Heroin is manufactured from a morphine base, which makes it a central
nervous system depressant and strong painkiller. Heroin is the most
physically and psychologically addictive illegal drug, and recreational
heroin use is rare.

Once dependent, if the user does not receive his daily dose, he may become
ill, and his body may lapse into respiratory failure. A heroin user will
have tightly constricted pupils that are unresponsive to light. He also
will appear sleepy and unaware of his surroundings. The user will be happy
and calm.

Most Overdose Deaths This drug erodes the liver, kidneys, immune system,
and other bodily functions. Heroin is sold on the street in small plastic
or glassine bags for $25 to $35 in a white, beige, or tan powder form.
Still a popular street drug, it is primarily sold in Richmond, with users
from surrounding counties traveling to the city to make their purchases.
This drug has caused the most overdose deaths in our area over the past few
years. In 2000, the area recorded 30 heroin overdose deaths in the combined
jurisdictions of Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, and Richmond. Of the 30
deaths reported, 24 occurred in Chesterfield and Henrico, five in Richmond,
and one in Hanover.

Ecstasy is rising in popularity among high school and college students in
Central Virginia. Ecstasy is nicknamed the "love drug" or "hug drug"
because it's a potent form of methamphetamine that stimulates the central
nervous system and heightens all the body's senses. Ecstasy will give the
user a feeling of unlimited energy and a desire for touching and physical
stimulation. In addition to a long-lasting and pleasant high, some users
experience mild hallucinations. Ecstasy is very popular on the "Rave" dance
scene, and it is replacing other designer drugs as the date-rape drug of
choice in our area and the country.

The medical research on the effects of Ecstasy is in the early stages;
however, preliminary findings are frightening. Research conducted at Johns
Hopkins University has found that recreational use attacks the brain
directly by depleting serotonin levels. In many recreational users, large
black holes develop in the brain where once-functioning brain tissue
resided. The damage that recreational Ecstasy use inflicts on the brain is
permanent. Researchers now report that even one use of Ecstasy can cause
permanent brain damage.

Extroverted Behavior Ecstasy is purchased in a small-pill form at an
average price of $25 to $35 a pill. The pills are usually white, pastel, or
bright colors, and bear popular commercial logos like car brands and
computer companies. A person high on Ecstasy will exhibit the behavior of
an extrovert; be highly sensitive to light and touch and can be sexually
aroused; and will possess increased stamina and strength. He or she will be
happy and playful, with lowered inhibitions.

Other drugs such as LSD, PCP, methamphetamine, and often-misused popular
prescription medications such as Ritalin, OxyContin, and various
anti-depressants are no less dangerous and are being abused in Central
Virginia. If you are interested, the Drug Enforcement Administration
Website at www.dea.gov provides links to vast quantities drug-related
information.

We need to be involved in the lives of our children. Be a parent, not a
friend, and be honest with your kids about drugs.

Joe Dombrowski is a Richmond-area enforcement supervisor for the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration. This is his first column as a 2003 Commentary
Columnist.