DEALING WITH 'CLUB' DRUGS

A college student's conclusion that use of the so-called "club drugs" in
the Toledo area isn't "that big" is indicative of a lax attitude toward the
use of illegal drugs. Some of that undoubtedly stems from the laissez-faire
view of illegal drugs held by many Baby Boomers.

Law enforcement agencies worry about the spread of the use of club drugs.
Ecstasy is making its way through the inner-city, the suburbs, and rural
areas. Other club drugs are GHB, short for gamma hydroxybutyrate; Ketamine,
and Rohypnol.

The drugs are promoted as safe, producing a feeling of euphoria. But
there's more to it that than. Users clench their teeth, faint, and their
heart rate goes up. Ecstasy raises the body temperature so high that users
"are literally boiling inside their own bodies," as one substance abuse
official said. Long-term effects include dependence, depression,
hallucinations, brain damage, coma, and death.

That's the message that kids are missing. They've been told about the
dangers of using such illegal drugs as cocaine, crack, and heroin. But the
word doesn't seem to be getting through to teenagers and young adults of
the substantial danger of club drugs, which are popular at nightclubs,
bars, and at night-long dances with loud music and lights.

Don't blame drug-abuse prevention and intervention experts for not
delivering the message. A lot of blame for young people's laid-back
attitude about the drugs belongs with their parents, many of them Baby
Boomers who used illegal drugs themselves a generation ago. Consequently,
the view of some of these parents is they shouldn't worry when their own
children experiment with drugs.

But club drugs are illegal substances. Do parents really want their kids
growing up thinking that it's OK to commit illegal acts? Parents would be
better off educating themselves about club drugs, their effects, and where
they are likely to be found.

Laying down the law about drug use always works best from a position of
knowledge. Those parents who used drugs in their youth and now want to help
their children avoid trouble also should try another tactic - honesty.
Sometimes parent-child guidance takes on a greater ring of truth when Mom
or Dad can own up to having made a mistake.