ILLICIT DRUGS: THE HIGHS AND LOWS

This week's C&C feature examines the controversial, and sometimes deadly,
world of illegal drugs. Through research, expert opinion and interviews
with former users, The Gazette has compiled a profile on the nature,
side-effects and inherent physical and mental dangers of common illicit
drugs in today's society.

The World of illicit drugs: The good, bad, ugly and really ugly

Ecstasy

What is it?

Whether you know it by the name "E," "XTC" or "the love drug," Ecstasy
(MDMA) is a synthetic drug that has both stimulant and hallucinogenic
properties.

Ecstasy comes in different shapes and sizes. "Each pill is stamped with a
different logo [ranging from Scooby Doo characters to pretty butterflies],
but this does not ensure the quality or potency of the drug - different
manufacturers may use the same logo," explained one former ecstasy user.

How do you use it?

Ecstasy is commonly swallowed in its pill form, although it is possible to
crush the tablet or purchase the drug in a powder form and snort. The use
of ecstasy should be followed with plenty of water, especially when taken
at clubs or raves. According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health,
ecstasy increases one's heart rate, body temperature and blood pressure;
when combined with dancing all night, the drug can result in severe
dehydration and possible kidney failure if not countered with lots of water.

What are the effects on the body?

Besides ecstasy's ability to increase one's heart rate, blood pressure, and
body temperature, excessive use and failure to drink enough water can lead
to kidney failure, heart failure, strokes and seizures. According to The
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, "People with high blood pressure,
heart or liver problems, diabetes, epilepsy or any mental disorder are the
most vulnerable to the potential dangers of ecstasy."

How does it feel?

Although every pill has its own strength, ecstasy produces feelings of
pleasure and closeness with others. "It's a feeling of complete euphoria,"
explained one user. "You become really relaxed and can have some crazy
hallucinations. Once, while I was on E, my boyfriend and I went for a walk
along the water. We were convinced that we had seen a bridge across the
water, which we found out that next day wasn't really there. We also
thought we saw dead people and walruses floating in the water - it was
really scary."

- -Kasia Iglinski

Mushrooms

What is it?

Popularly known as "magic mushrooms" or "shrooms," some mushrooms contain
Psilocybin and/or Psilocin - chemicals similar to seratonin.

How do you use it?

Shrooms can be consumed in their dried form or as a white powder. Or, if
you're in a Martha Stewart mood, they can be added to brownies or cake mix.

Prospective users should choose to take the drug in an area that they feel
secure.

What are the effects on the body?

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health claims that prolonged use of
shrooms can lead to a greater tolerance to the drug and psychological
dependency.

Jenna Allen, health education coordinator at Western's Student Health
Services, provided information claiming the physical effects of shrooms can
include "numbness, vomiting, muscle weakness, tension, 'flashbacks,' and
high temperatures and seizures in children."

How does it feel?

Shrooms inhibit concentration, increase heart rate and cause hallucinations
that can occur 30-60 minutes after consumption. The hallucinations can last
up to four hours.

"One night at my boyfriend's apartment, we were all convinced that the TV
anchor was an alien because his eyes became reptilian - it was so weird,"
one former shroom user explained.

However, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health,
"Sometimes, for no obvious reason, hallucinogen users take a 'bad trip'
[and] suddenly feel paranoid and intensely anxious about losing control.

- -Ila Seegobin

COCAINE

What is it?

Derived from the Erythroxylon coca bush, commonly found in several South
American countries, cocaine is a member of the stimulant family of drugs.

How do you use it?

Cocaine is most commonly snorted, but it can also be rubbed into the skin
or mixed with water and injected. "Freebasing" is another available method
of use, which involves purifying the cocaine by heating it and smoking the
residue.

Snorting the drug is the safest method, although, it can cause damage to
your nose and sinus glands. Crack, a smokeable form of cocaine. has
recently risen in popularity due to its low cost. Although this is the
quickest way to get high, it is also the most dangerous, because users
often have no way of knowing what solvent was used in the process.

What are the effects on the body?

Cocaine causes an increase in body temperature, blood pressure and heart
rate. Users' pupils are often dilated, and mental alertness is high.

Western sociology professor Paul Whitehead warned that cocaine addicts are
also frequently addicted to depressants.

"At the end of a cocaine run, what [users] end up having to do is take a
depressant to come down from the cocaine and then be able to sleep," he
said. "So, one of the things about cocaine addiction is it is very often
tied to an addiction and overuse of tranquilizers of various kinds. You get
this cocaine-up and this barbiturate-down that can create a lot of damage."

How does it feel?

As a stimulant, cocaine causes the user to experience immediate feelings of
euphoria, well-being and confidence. Users often become very alert and
talkative, and usually find their appetite decreases.

"Coke makes me aggressive, not necessarily violent - although I've seen
that in other people - but like I can take on the world," says one cocaine
user.

- - Chris Webden

CRYSTAL METH

What is it?

Crystal meth is part of the amphetamine family and was developed by a
Japanese chemist in 1919. Today, it is legally used in the treatment of
attention deficit disorder and obesity, but it is prescribed with great
caution.

Crystal meth is created through different mixtures of highly volatile,
toxic substances.

How do you use it?

Smoking crystal meth delivers an almost instantaneous dose of pure drugs to
the brain, providing an immediate rush, followed by a feeling of euphoria
that can last anywhere from two to 16 hours.

It is often sold in a powder form, which can be either snorted or injected.
Crystal meth is the solid form of the drug, which is smoked in a pipe.

What are the effects on the body?

Smoking crystal meth causes an increase in both body temperature and blood
pressure. In some cases, the drug can lead to hallucinations, paranoia and
sometimes psychotic behaviour.

"After extreme use of crystal meth, I've seen friends put in
straightjackets because the effects of crystal meth can be confused with
schizophrenia," a frequent crystal meth user explained.

How does it feel?

Methamphetamine stimulates the central nervous system, causing both
alertness and elation. Often this results in an obsessive cleaning, but,
for most users, the real thrill comes from a sense of sexual liberation,
which can result in wild, abandoned sexual experiences that can last for hours.

- - Chris Webden

LSD

What is it?

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), or better known simply as "acid," is a
potent mood-altering drug. It is derived from a fungus that grows on rye
and other grains.

"Acid is a dirty drug," explained a former user. "There is a good reason
acid is only $5 a hit - it is often mixed with household cleaners, so you
really don't know what you are getting."

How do you use it?

LSD is mainly taken orally. Pure LSD is a crystalline powder that is
odourless with a slightly bitter taste. Acid is "dropped" orally, usually
inserted under the tongue. It can also be absorbed into skin, so it must be
carefully handled.

What are the effects on the body?

Acid users experience a rise in their body temperature, heart rate and
blood pressure, as well as sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry
mouth and tremors. Users may also suffer from the unpredictable replay of
certain aspects of an acid trip.

How does it feel?

The effects of LSD take up to four hours to set in and are highly
unpredictable. Visual hallucinations are especially potent, and users often
experience a crossing over of sensations in which they begin to hear
colours and see sounds.

- -Kasia Iglinski

In case you say "yes"

DISCLAIMER: The Gazette in no way endorses the use of illegal drugs.
However, realistically, drug experimentation does frequently take place at
the university level. The information appearing in this weeks Campus &
Culture is intended to explain the potential harmful side-effects of drug
use, as well as provide some perspective for those who choose to ignore
these potential dangers

How to roll a joint... How to smoke a bong... How to snort a line... How to
shoot up safely...

In case you say "yes"

DISCLAIMER: The Gazette in no way endorses the use of illegal drugs.
However, realistically, drug experimentation does frequently take place at
the university level. The information appearing in this weeks Campus &
Culture is intended to explain the potential harmful side-effects of drug
use, as well as provide some perspective for those who choose to ignore
these potential dangers.

How to roll a joint:

1) Purchase the weed. If you're a novice, it is probably best to begin with
a "dime" (weed lingo for about 10 grams of pot - enough for one joint).
Dimes should run about $10-$15, depending on how stingy your dealer is.
It's difficult to ascertain the quality of the weed, but try to ensure that
it is neither too damp nor too dry.

2) Break down all the buds (small little balls of the weed). Some
"partakers" put the dime in a shot glass and use small scissors to break
the weed down into a finer substance. If the weed is not broken down enough
it will not burn well and it will be a waste of money.

3) Grab a Zig-Zag (rolling papers available at any convenience store) and
place the weed just above the centre of the paper. Many people prefer using
two papers. Try to align the weed so that it nearly stretches to the ends
of the paper, but leave a little room.

4) Dampen the end of the rolling paper and firmly roll the joint so that it
is approximately one centimetre thick. Twist the ends of the paper. You now
have a joint - all you have to do is light it.

5) Light the joint.

6) Lightly inhale the doob as if it were a cigarette - take a couple pulls
and pass it on to a friend. Continue to do this until the joint is too
short to hold without burning.

How to smoke a bong:

Bongs are used most notably to smoke marijuana. They come in all shapes,
sizes and colours, but the general process is all the same.

1) Fill the base of the bong with water (up to the shotty hole).

2) Pack the cone of the bong with marijuana.

3) With your mouth over the opening of the bong, put your finger over the
shotty hole.

4) Light the marijuana packed in the cone.

5) Inhale and repeat as necessary.

How to snort a line:

Also known as "railing," snorting is a common way of ingesting drugs, but
also one of the more dangerous. The time period it takes to get high after
snorting will depend on the drug ingested.

1) Cocaine comes in powder form, but for those who wish to snort ecstasy
(and other pill form drugs) instead of popping the pill, crush the pill
into fine power before you snort it.

2) Use something to gather the powder into thin lines. Typically credit or
bank cards can be used. Beginners should snort a thinner line to begin with.

3) Use a rolled up bill as a pipe between the snorting surface and your
nostril.

4) Snort.

Allen Chen/Gazette

How to shoot up safely:

It is very common for drugs to be injected into the user's bloodstream.
This is the case with crystal meth, cocaine, ecstasy and the often-deadly
heroin. We won't preach about how shooting up is a horrible idea; by now
you should know it's stupid, stupid, stupid. However, if so inclined, do
not share needles to protect yourself from disease, and follow these safety
guidelines:

1) Clean your arm and hands with an alcohol swab (the only kind of alcohol
you want to mix with your drugs).

2) In a comfortable position, insert the needle into a vein in the same
direction as your blood (away from the heart).

3) Pull the plunger back - if you draw blood, you've done well.

4) Take off your tourniquet - if you don't, you risk bursting or bruising
your vein.

5) Push the plunger in slowly.

6) Remove the needle.

7) Apply pressure to the puncture site with a clean cotton swab. If you
have shot it in your arm, raise it above your head to stop the bleeding ASAP.

The new heroin, but not really

Heroin is not a drug anyone takes lightly. Although no longer available for
medicinal purposes in most countries, medical experts have a difficulty
calling heroin a "recreational drug" because of its dangerous and addictive
nature.

The Works is a Toronto health clinic that has garnered the attention of the
media and health care industries. Offering things such as needle exchange,
counselling, tuberculosis and HIV testing, it draws a number of heroin
users through its doors. Most recently, The Works has also been proud to
boast of a methadone maintenance program.

Methadone is an opiate and, although it is commonly used to help opiate
addicts fight an addiction, the drug is still controversial.

"The methadone clinic has a doctor that comes in once a week to see the
patients, write their methadone prescription and make any referrals that
are necessary," explained Jeff Oftofsky, a community supporter and peer
advocate at The Works.

While The Works does not preach sobriety, the methadone program has helped
narcotic users lead more productive lives.

"[Methadone] is an opiate drug like heroin, however, the difference is that
it works for 24 hours, so you don't have to dose constantly. It's legal and
prescribed by a physician," Oftofski said. "It's a synthetic opiate - it's
not from a plant and you don't have to take it every day. You don't get the
same kind of euphoria that you get from heroin or morphine, but it's very
effective at letting a person just be normal."

Withdrawal symptoms from heroin include diarrhea, panting, spontaneous
orgasms and ejaculations, twitching, insomnia, irritability and depression
- - all things that make everday living difficult.

Dr. Michael Cook, a professor in Western's pharmacology and toxicology
departments, stressed that the success of methadone use is dependent on the
individual.

"The major objective [of methadone] is not achieving a high, but preventing
withdrawal," Cook said. "That individual has to have the motivation to have
a normal life and that's sometimes where it breaks down - because some
individuals are not on the methadone program of their own volition. It
works for some and not for others - that's the problem."

The Works is located at 277 Victoria St. in Toronto (416)392-0520.

- -Andrea Chiu

Signs of Overdose

The following are some of the signs of overdose you should be aware of if
someone is using the following potentially deadly drugs - 911 should be
called immediately if such an overdose is suspected:

Ecstasy - extremely high body temperature, hallucinations, breathing
difficulties

Cocaine - nausea, convulsions, vomiting, coma

Heroine - blue skin, heavy snoring (sign of irregular/difficult breathing),
unconsciousness

Sources: www.drugabuse.gov; Drugs, Behavior, and Modern Society by Charles
F. Levinthal; London Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Newfoundland
Health & Labrador Community & Health Services