By Sara Strong
A group of concerned parents and community members plan to attend the Rock County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Oct. 1. They asked to be on the agenda to discuss the county's drug problem and personal struggles that have resulted from drug use.
They will request consideration for the county to designate an officer to work specifically on drug issues.
Those issues do exist in Rock County, as evidenced by an increasing turnout at a support group for friends and family of drug- or alcohol- dependent youth.
Even if law enforcement can't afford a special drug officer or if families aren't aware of problem in their homes, it's valuable to know how drug use starts and how to prevent it.
Stephanie Pierce oversees the support group and works for chemical dependent services within Luverne Community Hospital.
Prevention is always a better course of action than treatment, though.
Pierce said, "Cell phones are a big part of it. A parent can ask, 'Are you at Sarah's?' and they can say 'Sure.' Cell phones don't allow for accountability."
The usual parenting advice still holds true for drug prevention. Pierce said, "Constantly ask where your kids are and what they're doing. Know their friends. Know what they're doing at home."
Pierce said that in her work, she sees dependent young adults struggling most commonly with methamphetamine addiction, with marijuana and alcohol following.
"Marijuana seems to almost be the drug of choice to start now," Pierce said, comparing it to alcohol years ago.
Although family members and friends are often the most concerned about dependency issues, they can also be the first to expose an addict to the drugs or alcohol.
Older siblings or friends are common gateways to drugs.
And obviously, the younger a user starts, the more difficult it is to stop. Pierce often sees addicts who started use at 14 years old.
"It takes six months, from when [a young person] first uses, to develop a dependency. An adult will take longer," Pierce said.
Drugs 101
The education needed on drugs is different from what many parents received as they were growing up. That's because drugs - even marijuana - are stronger than they were 20 years ago.
They are also readily available.
Methamphetamine, or speed, has gotten attention locally, with a number of production labs being stopped by local law enforcement and families seeing the effects of it firsthand.
Meth is more common in the Midwest now, after rapidly gaining popularity across the country.
It is a stimulant that sends a message to the brain to produce more dopamine. Hours after ingestion, the feel-good chemical, dopamine, isn't turned back on, and the brain wants more meth to pick up the slack.
Other drug stimulants allow the brain to repackage the dopamine, but methamphetamine doesn't. Instead, the brain cells release another enzyme that diminishes the dopamine and kills it off for a long time.
With repeated meth use, there is a chemical change in the brain that lasts a long time and can create a violent, irritable person incapable of feeling happiness or having fun, even months after the meth use stops.
Methamphetamine can be used by smoking, snorting or injecting.
Symptoms of meth:
increased alertness
paranoia
hallucinations
aggressive behavior
violent behavior
loss of appetite
acne or greasy skin and hair
depression
convulsions
severe weight loss (meth eats away fat and muscle)
putrid body odor
open sores on the skin
liver damage
stroke or heart attack
Meth is made from:
lantern fuel
drain cleaner
battery acid
cold tablets
rock salt
sulfuric and muriatic acid
Another drug may be making its way to Rock County. MDMA (ecstasy) is an especially trendy drug for high school and middle school students in other parts of the country.
The drug produces peaceful feelings and is often called the love drug.
It can heat the body up to 108 degrees in some cases and dehydrates the body. (Brain damage can occur at 104 degrees.)
Many users of MDMA think they are counteracting the dehydration by drinking large quantities of water. But other ingredients that don't allow the body to use the water properly are sometimes in the drug, so people have actually overdosed on water in those cases.
Most people don't die from ecstasy use but live to pay the consequences. Brain damage is a serious risk this type of drug user faces. Sexual predators also seek out groups of people who are using MDMA because they are easy to prey upon.
Signs of ecstasy use include teen-agers with pacifiers in their mouths. The drug stimulates nerves that control jaw movement and results in teeth grinding so the pacifier is used for protection. But even with that minor precaution, users frequently end up with no enamel after repeated use and teeth grinding.
More information
Some Web sites may help people still vague on drug terms or symptoms of use:
www.clubdrugs.org
www.drugarm.com.au
www.addictions.com/slang.htm