One thing about my job is that it never gets old...there is always something new to be learned. Drugs and alcohol are one of those things. Unfortunately, this is one of the many issues that face those I try to help. We had a training today that didn't bore me in the least. Some of the things I learned...
- Crank (crystal methamphetamine) got one of its slang names when the Hell's Angels use to hide their packs in the crank cases of their motorcycles.
- Gynomastia (aka "man boobs") can be a result of chronic alcohol use. Not marijuana use.
- Cocaine prices have dropped to compete with meth. Meth has been historically cheaper to buy. Utah is seeing a rise in cocaine use.
- Crystal meth often has an orange or pink cast to it. This is due to the psuedophedrine that is used in the manufacturing. The psuedophedrine tablets (Sudafed) are often red in color.
- Numbers of meth labs are decreasing in the western United States. Meth is manufactured less expensively in Mexico. Most of Utah's current supply of methamphetimine is from Mexico.
- THC the main ingredient in marijuana is more potent than in the 70s and there are long term effects of chronic cannabis use. One of these effects includes a significant increase in lung, throat and mouth cancers with marijuana users who also smoke tobacco.
- Those addicted to Oxycontin often move to Heroine due to the fact that the Oxycontin is much harder to obtain...it's easier to buy the Heroine vs. rob pharmacies.
- We know the brain experiences physiological changes with drug use - even the first time the substance is used. The amygdala (back of the brain) is responsible for impulsive behavior develops first in humans. The prefrontal cortex (front of the brain) is responsible for logic and does not fully develop until the age of 25. Substance abusers are found to have an enlarged amygdala and a smaller prefrontal cortex. Also, imagine how substance use in adolescents would affect brain development.
- The baby pacifiers that are seen with adolescent/young adult groups have to due with ecstasy use. The rave drug causes dry mouth. Sucking on a pacifier helps to produce saliva.
2 comments:
I remember in sixth grade that it was all the "rave" to suck on pacifiers. You could actually get them at the grocery store in the 25 cent machine. I thought it was always a stupid fad, even then, but I'm sure somehow you could link it to the Ecstacy use in the early 90s.
I can't believe City Market promoted ecstasy use!
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