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Drugs & InhalantsReport: Ecstasy growing in popularity with teens (February 2002): Research from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America indicates that Ecstasy ranks third, behind only alcohol and marijuana as the drug of choice for America's teens. Although many users believe Ecstasy is harmless, research actually suggests that the drug causes brain damage and impaired memory. In an effort to combat trends, Partnership for a Drug-Free America is beginning a series of advertisements depicting Ecstasy as potentially fatal.
Harder drugs on the rise -- Recent research shows that marijuana (which can be 10 times stronger than it was in the '60s) is on the decline -- and harder drugs like Ecstasy is on a dramatic rise -- among teens. Tragically, some drug addicts were born that way, with drugs already in their system. And others were made that way by parents or caregivers.
Watch Out for the Signs of Drug Use: Typical signs of methamphetamine use: prolonged periods without sleep; refusal to eat; picking at skin; easily agitated; aggressive; grayish, leather-like skin; sores on skin; rapid and severe weight loss; paranoid behavior; tooth loss; strange body odor; lack of caring about things previously important. Typical signs of inhalant use: a chemical smell on the clothing; tremors; hearing loss; memory loss; red eyes; runny nose; and sores around the mouth. (Make sure, however, that these symptoms aren't from chemical poisoning in the child's environment (see the Safer Child Poison Control page) Typical signs of methamphetamine manufacturer or distributor of illegal drugs: frequent visitors at all hours; frequent late-night activity; windows consistently covered; unemployed, yet spending money on expensive personal items; paranoid or excessively watchful behavior; extensive home security; smoking outside the house; windows open all year; chemical odors coming from clothing or from house, garbage cans, or detached buildings; large purchases or regular discarding of household products such as over-the-counter cold and asthma medications containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, red phosphorous, hydrochloric acid, drain cleaner, battery acid, lye, lantern fuel, and antifreeze.
Research: A Single Dose Might Do It: Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, reported in the May 31, 2001, issue of "Nature" that a single injection of cocaine induced a long-lasting (between 5 and 10 days) effect in the brains of rats and mice. Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D., Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), said the findings "on the impact of cocaine on the memory and learning circuits of the brain may help explain the switch from occasional drug use to addiction. This study emphasizes the dangers of even experimenting with cocaine and other illicit drugs." Researchers said the findings might be important not just for the early stages of addiction, but also for relapse, in which a single exposure to cocaine after a period of abstinence can induce "renewed drug-seeking behavior." Cocaine Cravings Get Stronger: Researchers at the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) also reported in July 2001 that craving for cocaine seems to increase, rather than decrease, in the days and months after drug use has stopped. Researchers say the results of the study, reported in the July 12, 2001 issue of "Nature," help to explain why "addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease." Ecstasy Can Do Long-term Damage to the Brain: Researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) say that Ecstasy seriously impairs brain mechanisms controlling memory, learning, sleep and mood control -- and that the brain damage can persist for years. Researchers say the next step is to find out whether the changes from use of the popular "club drug" are permanent -- or if the brain can eventually recover.
Watch out for signs of meth labs in hotel rooms and houses you might purchase: A frightening drug quickly spreading through communities is methamphetamine -- made exclusively from chemicals. See the Safer Child Expert Voices page for an article on methamphetamine from the Pocatello/Chubbuck Narcotics Task Force. Methamphetamine is a growing problem for law enforcement. It's highly addictive, volatile, toxic, and cheap. We're told that people who cook methamphetamine will sometimes use hotel rooms to better elude the police. Because of the volatile and toxic nature of meth chemicals -- and especially the cooking process, you should be on the lookout for iodine stains, a strong chemical odor, or acid marks in the room -- particularly around the sinks, toilets or bathtubs. A high-priced room might help you avoid such problems -- but it won't always. If you come across any of these things, find another room and alert management, and/or police. You may want to make a habit of renting rooms near the front desk, as meth cookers would probably cook at some distance from management. Also be alert to such signs of meth activity in a house you're thinking of purchasing or renting (and don't depend on your real estate agent to know whether there's been a problem at the house, or to tell you if there has). Police detectives have told us they would never personally buy a house that had once been the site of a meth lab. We've also been told that once a meth lab has been in a house, the house should simply be condemned.
Inhalants can be any of the following: rubber cement, air freshener, glue, cooking spray, spray paint, nail polish remover, gasoline, markers, correction fluid for typewriters, hair spray, propane or other common household items. Children who inhale such items can suffer memory loss, muscle spasms, bone deterioration, brain damage and/or cardiac arrest. Watch for these warning signs that your child is inhaling: chemical smell on child or child's clothing, tremors, hearing loss, red eyes, runny nose, sores around the mouth, changes in behavior, memory loss, empty cans and rags, excessive use of breath mints or gun. Make sure, however, that some of these symptoms aren't from chemical poisoning in the child's environment (see the Safer Child Poison Control page).
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