THE ABC'S OF LSD

by Peggy Farrell

Where Did LSD, One of the Most Hallucinogenic Substances Ever Invented or
Consumed By Man, Come From?

LSD comes in a variety of forms and has just as many names. It can be found
laced on sugar cubes, absorbed into thin squares of paper (pictured), in
gelatin squares (window panes), and in tiny tablets known as microdots.

Where did LSD, one of the most hallucinogenic substances ever invented or
consumed by man, come from?

Lysergic acid diethylamide was synthesized by Dr. Albert Hoffman in 1938,
according to the Drug Enforcement Agency's Web site. It was considered an
effective tool in early efforts to learn more about mental illness because
of its ability to mimic a chemical in the human brain. However, the
hallucinogenic effects of the drug were unknown until Hoffman ingested some
of the drug himself in 1943.

LSD comes in a variety of forms and has just as many names. It can be found
laced on sugar cubes, absorbed into thin squares of paper, in gelatin
squares (window panes), and in tiny tablets known as microdots, according
to the Web site.

DEA public information officer Mary Vaira said "LSD was popular during the
60s, but today it can be found on the club scene. Young teen-agers and
people in their early 20s are the most likely age bracket to be using the
drug."

The drug is produced in a crystalline form and then diluted to a liquid,
which is laced onto ingestible forms. Acid, blotter,California sunshine,
cid, blue microdot, doses and trips are a few of the more popular names
that LSD users have for the drug. But LSD also can be smoked, inhaled
through the nose or injected. It is so potent that a normal dose is
considered to be about one millionth of a gram.

LSD is manufactured in makeshift chemical labs often hidden in northern
California, and then distributed to other parts of the United States from
the San Francisco Bay area, according to the DEA.

If parents suspect their child is using the drug, they can be on the
lookout for a number of physical signs: dilated pupils, excessive
perspiration, a rapid heart rate, changes in body temperature, shivering
and goose bumps, a loss of appetite, sleeplessness and mood swings.

LSD users often have high blood sugar levels, as well as a distorted sense
of perception. Users can experience visual changes, and their ability to
correctly interpret depth, time and movement can become extremely impaired.
Even judging the size and shape of an object, or judging the abilities of
their own bodies can be distorted to dangerous levels. If a user attempts
to drive a car or use machinery, he or she could cause injury to others and
to themselves, the Web site said.

The effects of an LSD trip can last as long as 12 hours, and even after the
effects begin to wear down, the user can suffer from extreme feelings of
anxiety and depression. Although LSD is not addictive, users can develop a
psychological dependence on the drug, medical experts said.

While some people believe it is difficult to detect kids using the drug,
others say detection should be easy.

According to Adarsh Soni, director of emergency medicine at St. Mary
Medical Center in Middletown, detecting LSD use is easier than discovering
the use of some other drugs. "In a way, it is easy to spot because children
using LSD usually can't act normal. With other drugs like cocaine or speed,
a child can try to hide it, but with LSD they have hallucinations. They see
things that aren't there. They hear things that aren't there. It is
basically a drug-induced psychosis," said Soni.

But, long after a trip from LSD appears to be over, users can have a sudden
reoccurrence. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, flashbacks
and bad LSD trips are part of the risk for those who use LSD. And, chronic
users run the risk of long-lasting psychoses, severe depression and even
schizophrenia.

DRUG INFO -GOOD AND BAD -JUST A CLICK AWAY

by Lillian Kafka

There are thousands of Web sites that appear in a search for LSD.
Which one will your child choose?

You've heard the warnings about letting your kids surf the Internet
unattended.

Need another reason? How about the 70,000 Web sites that pop up when a
child searches for "making LSD"?

The content of those sites - including recipes for making the
psychoactive drug and warnings against its effects - vary depending
which Internet search engine you use.

Type in a search phrase and thousands of sites appear in seconds.
Depending on the search engine used, that kind of information could
hurt your kids or help them. Some search engines produced more
anti-drug sites than others did, but many turned up at least some
pro-drug sites.

With a search on Google.com, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media
Campaign's Web site appeared in a sponsored link at the top when
drug-related key words are entered. The site - theantidrug.com - could
help parents who want tips about the warning signs of drug abuse.

The site also has articles describing the link between drug
trafficking and terrorism. There is an online quiz to test your
knowledge about drugs, and parents can sign up for the anti-drug
parenting tips e-mail list.

But what if this site doesn't satisfy kids' curiosity and they want to
know what these drugs feel like? They could easily find sites that
describe the experience of doing drugs.

They also could stumble onto directions for how to make many types of
drugs using households items.

Some sites warn that the experiments are difficult and ingredients are
hard to obtain. For example, the U.S. Department of Justice Web site
says making LSD and other drugs requires the "knowledge and skills of
a trained chemist."

But people have experimented anyway.

The California Department of Justice posted pictures of what happens
when the homemade drug lab fails. There is a picture on that site -
http://www.stopdrugs.org - that shows someone who burned to death in a
fire at a home lab.

Want information about what's on the Web?

The National Drug Intelligence Center's Web site at
http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs/682/productn.htm can provide it.

DRUGS IN SCHOOLS: A ROLL CALL?

by Jo Ciavaglia and Joan Hellyer

Wondering How Widely Available Illegal Drugs are in Your High
School?

Wondering how widely available illegal drugs are in your high school?
Consider asking a shampoo girl at the local hair salon.

That's what one Pennsbury middle school teacher did. The answer from
the local high school senior is that there are plenty.

"She told me that drugs are so rampant in her school district," said
the teacher, who asked that his name not be used. "She mentioned all
these drugs to me - heroin, cocaine, LSD, Ecstasy, valium - and said
they are readily available.

"I was pretty amazed," he added. "I didn't think it was
bad."

The ongoing problem of drugs in schools returned to the public
consciousness this week after a Bucks County grand jury's seven-month
investigation uncovered a drug ring that operated for four years in
three Neshaminy schools and the Bucks County Technical High School in
Bristol Township.

The ring's two main suspects, Donald Bound Jr., 26, of Ford Avenue in
Hulmeville, and one of his alleged suppliers, Harry Giordano, 22, of
Marlboro Road in Lower Makefield, surrendered to authorities this week.

The men face a slew of charges, including possession with the intent
to deliver LSD and, in Bound's case, statutory sexual assault because
authorities said he started a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old
girl when he was 22.

Bucks County Judge David Heckler yesterday lowered Giordano's bail
from $1 million to $100,000. A family member posted 10 percent, or
$10,000, and he was released. A telephone number left on the bail
records was traced to Giordano's father, Harry W. Giordano, a Lower
Makefield chiropractor.

Bound remained in the county prison for lack of $1 million
bail.

Bound's girlfriend, whose name was not released, also was arrested and
charged with selling the drugs at Neshaminy High School. Since her
alleged crimes occurred while she was a teen, she will be prosecuted
in juvenile court.

Prosecutors allege that between 1997 and 2001, Bound bought drugs,
including the illegal hallucinogen LSD - also called acid - from
Giordano and recruited his girlfriend and other students to help sell
them. One student said he began dealing drugs for Bound in the seventh
grade.

Students working for Bound allegedly roamed the school halls, offering
$5 drops of the drug from a bottle of liquid breath freshener or LSD
laced sugar cubes for $10 each, according to a Bucks County grand jury
indictment.

A 17-year-old Lower Southampton boy testified that, as a student, he
would go to the breakfast table at Neshaminy High School, collect
money and drop LSD on student's tongues. The 10 to 20 teens would then
"trip" on the drug the rest of the school day, according to the indictment.

"It's not surprising that drugs are in schools," said Kevin Knowles, a
Neshaminy Middle School teacher. "It's to the extent that they are in
schools [that] is the question. Districts have to do what they can to
the extent they can to go after them."

Bucks County schools are no strangers to drug-related problems.

Judy Beck, who has a son at Neshaminy High School and a daughter at
Neshaminy Middle School, says drugs in school were a problem 30 years
ago when she was a Bucks County high school student.

"Our basketball team was suspended because of drug use in 1973. ...
The situation has never gone away," the Middletown resident said.
"It's definitely a scary time for us parents. I am concerned about the
drug use at the high school. I'm sure that it exists."

Indeed. Of the 2,240 referrals to student assistance programs in Bucks
County last year, 11 percent were for violations of school drugs and
alcohol policies, according to the state Department of Education.

In 1996-97, 13 percent of the 1,714 SAP program referrals in Bucks
schools were for violations of school drug and alcohol policies and
another 43 percent were for drug and alcohol related behavior
concerns. (The 2000-01 SAP report didn't separate drug- and alcohol-
related behavior problems.)

Local administrators and school boards concerned with keeping drugs
out of their schools have enacted zero-tolerance policies that suspend
or expel students for drug-or alcohol-related infractions, and
created student assistance and intervention programs.

Earlier this year, Neshaminy and Pennsbury school boards authorized
using search dogs trained to detect illegal drugs and frequently
abused prescription drugs to conduct random searches of lockers, cars
in the student parking lot and other school property.

"We're not playing games," Neshaminy school board President Steven
Schoenstadt said. "The dogs are so good they've smelled Aqua Velva in
a locker because there was enough alcohol in it. They found two
marijuana seeds. Those dogs don't let anything get by them."

Schoenstadt said he doesn't see any new anti-drug efforts being
enacted because of this week's arrests.

"The reason for the indictment is almost 3 years old. We have evolved
our no tolerance policy over the last five, six years. It's ongoing
and we have strengthened it," he said.

But some teachers say they've received little training on spotting a
child who might be using a specific illegal or frequently abused
prescription drug. They add that little is known about what kinds of
drugs are popular in specific schools or districts.

"I thought LSD was a thing of the past personally," the Pennsbury
teacher said. "I didn't think it was as popular."

Teachers know to look for "suspicious" behavior outside a student's
normal routine and that they should report such behavior to school
officials, nurses or parents.

A few years ago, the Pennsbury middle school teacher said he contacted
the school nurse about a student with "glassy" eyes. He later learned
the student suffered from allergies and was taking medication that
made him drowsy.

"You're looking for a change in a student and that can be any number
of things - listlessness, drugs, emotional mood change," said
Neshaminy's Knowles, who is also president of the district's teachers
union. "You look for significant change in position. For instance, a
straight-A student all of a sudden drops off the edge."

But determining whether a student is on drugs is not always as easy as
observing how they act. Some drugs are apparently difficult to spot.

"LSD, to my knowledge, doesn't exhibit symptoms that are easy to pick
up," Knowles said. "You can't necessarily tell when students are on
LSD. I have seen kids on drugs, depressives that are much easier to
pick up."

The kids suspected of using the drug might not be getting caught
because LSD does not show up in most urine tests, said Robert
Sanzione, a juvenile court supervisor.

"It's a very difficult drug to detect," he said.

But others disagree, including Adarsh Soni, director of emergency
medicine at St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown. The director said
detecting LSD use is easier than discovering the use of some other
drugs. "In a way, it is easy to spot because children using LSD
usually can't act normal," Soni said.

Can school officials do more to prevent drug use on school grounds or
get a kid help if they suspect he or she is in trouble?

Beck, the Middletown mom, said she supports using drug-sniffing dogs.
She said she believes that discourages kids from bringing drugs to
school. She'd also like to see the DARE anti-drug awareness program
expanded beyond elementary school.

"Definitely, I would like to see more in the middle and high school,"
she said. "It looks like [school officials] are trying. I'm not sure
what more they can do."

"It all stems back to the parents," she added. "It's very important to
keep talking to your children."

The Pennsbury middle school teacher suggested that local districts
should do more to educate their teachers about signs and symptoms of
specific types of drug use. He also suggested doing anonymous surveys
of the community and students about drug use to learn what kinds of
drugs kids are using.

Neshaminy has been a "prototype" of what schools should to do
intervene when student drug use is suspected, Knowles said. "We have a
very, very active staff that realizes that these things go on and look
for it. We try to assist and try to intervene, but no district is
immune," he said. "I think the Neshaminy School District is ahead of
the curve."

When teachers notice a sudden change in a student's behavior, the kid
is referred to the NEST team in each secondary school. The Neshaminy
Educational Support Team consists of teachers, nurses and guidance
counselors in each school and is a centerpiece of the district's
anti-drug team.

Neshaminy also has ASSIST programs in its elementary schools, along
with drug awareness and intervention. "We're realistic enough to know
that it doesn't just start at the secondary level," Knowles said.

Schoenstadt said schools are mirrors that reflect what is going on
around them.

"There are problems in society. There are problems in school. We try
to prevent them from happening, but deal with it if one occurs," the
board president said.

Staff writers Harry Yanoshak and Laurie Mason contributed to this
story.

PROSECUTOR SAYS LSD SALES HARD TO DETECT

by Laurie Mason

Robert Mancini prosecutes drug defendants in county court, and the
deputy district attorney said he is not surprised that he sees few LSD
cases.

"It seems like LSD use is more predominant among young people," he
said. "That's not the case with other drugs we see most like crack,
powdered cocaine and marijuana."

County Juvenile Court officials also say they see few drug cases
involving LSD. No juveniles were prosecuted for using or selling LSD
last year, said Robert Sanzione, a juvenile court supervisor. Most of
the 325 cases prosecuted in juvenile court last year involved
marijuana, he added.

The drug is so low profile, they said.

"Unlike crack addicts, kids who want to buy LSD don't have to drive
around looking for someone selling on a street corner," Mancini said.
"These kids buy through a network of friends."

Detecting LSD sales is hard because the product is so small, Mancini
said.

"What they're selling is no bigger than a postage stamp, so it's easy
to make hand-to-hand sales without someone noticing."

Although a dose of LSD costs about the same as a small dose of crack
cocaine or marijuana - from $5 to $25 - LSD lasts longer, Mancini said.

"A hit of crack lasts about five minutes. One hit of LSD and these
kids are tripping all day."

DRUG RING HAS ROOTS IN NEW JERSEY

By Harry Yanoshak

An LSD Bust in Bucks County Had its Origins in the Largest Drug Bust
in Hunterdon County, N.J.

The investigation that resulted in the arrest of alleged LSD dealers
Donald Bound Jr. and Harry Giordano had its start almost three years
ago in Hunterdon County, N.J., authorities said.

The 1999 Hunterdon drug bust, said to be the largest in that county's
history, nabbed three dozen people. They included several recent high
school honor graduates, varsity athletes and the sons and daughters of
county notables and elected leaders.

One of those arrested was Shannon Cauthon, a 22-year-old Langhorne
resident who identified Bound as her drug supplier when she testified
before a Bucks County grand jury. She's on probation after serving a
year in jail.

Authorities said Bound, an unemployed Hulmeville truck driver for a
Bensalem beer distributor, got the LSD from Giordano, 22, who lives in
Lower Makefield. Giordano, the unemployed son of a chiropractor,
traveled to suppliers in San Francisco and Vermont, authorities said.

The men were arrested Wednesday and charged with several drug-related
crimes. Bound, 26, also was charged with statutory sexual assault. The
grand jury accused him of having sex with a 15-year-old accomplice. He
was 22 at the time.

The New Jersey investigation involved about 100 officers who filed
more than 150 charges against adults and juveniles in Hunterdon and
Mercer counties. Of the juveniles arrested, two attended North
Hunterdon High School, three attended Voorhees High School and five
each had gone to Hunterdon Central and South Hunterdon high schools.

The Bucks County grand jury's indictment said Detective Jeffrey
Farneski of Hunterdon County testified that in August 1999 he
supervised pre-arranged drug sales of 100-dose sheets of LSD-laced
paper and marijuana in Lambertville, the New Jersey river town that
borders New Hope.

Farneski said he obtained a warrant to wiretap hundreds of cell phone
calls. Among the targeted talkers were the Bucks residents, according
to the indictment. Those wiretaps were used to arrest Cauthon and a
juvenile. They identified Bound as their LSD supplier, the indictment
said.

Lower Southampton police also were involved in the investigation. In
mid-October 1999, Detective Ray Weldie monitored pre-arranged buys of
LSD and marijuana from a 17-year-old Neshaminy High School student,
officials said.

Weldie investigated a 16-year-old Neshaminy High School girl who was
hospitalized after taking LSD at school. At that time, Lower
Southampton police recovered boxes of LSD-laced sugar cubes and three
bottles of LSD-laden breath freshener, officials said. That's when
Bucks officials made the connection that dealers were supplying the
drug through the breath freshener.

That ultimately led authorities to Bound and Giordano, who allegedly
packaged the LSD in a liquid breath freshener, said Bucks County
District Attorney Diane Gibbons.