and social terms

The cost in physical and social terms

HEAVY, prolonged use of tobacco, alcohol and yaqona already are creating social problems, and the arrival of cocaine and heroin in the region threatens worse to come.

Director of the Fiji Council of Social Services, HassanKhan said hard drugs had arrived in the more affluent circles of society, but that alcohol, tobacco, yaqona and marijuana addiction were larger scale problems at present. The FCOSS has been compiling a library of preventive material on these drugs because they have been closely associated with its work on social problems such as broken marriages and violence.

The co-ordinator of the Texans’ War on Drugs, Beverly Barron, said early use of softer drugs is likely to progress to harder options. Barron, who was invited by the United States Embassy to talk to Fiji students and parents in schools last month, said drug addiction was likely to start with tobacco, beer and wine, then progress to liquor, then marijuana, then other illicit drugs. Young people aged under 15 are especially vulnerable to developing dysfunctional drug use patterns, and early use tended to be associated with problem behaviour such as lying, stealing and poor school performance, she said.

Yaqona or kava: Also known as Grog, is made by crushing the root of a pepper plant called Piper methysticum and mixing the dry powder with water. Effects include numb lips

and mouth, feeling drowsy or sleepy, unco-ordinated limb movement, weak muscles, decreased appetite and allergic reactions such as running eyes and nose or puffy eyes.

Drinking a lot in a short time can cause chest pains, higher blood pressure, and upset stomach. Confusion and halluci nations sometimes occur. Long-term effects include skin going yellow and scaly, hair falling out and weight loss. Some reports suggest dependency.

Yaqona was traditionally used only by men in ceremonies, but today it is widely used.

Alcohol: Even low doses can impair judgment and co ordination. Low to moderate doses can increase aggression, including spouse and child abuse. Moderate to high doses impair higher mental functions, altering ability to learn and remember information. Very high doses cause respiratory depression and death.

Continued use can lead to dependence. Suddenly stopping its use can produce withdrawal symptoms, including severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations and convulsions. Long-term effects of taking large quantities, especially when combined with poor nutrition, can permanently damage vital organs such as the brain and liver. Mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy can give birth to infants with fetal alcohol syndrome. These infants may suffer from mental retardation and other irreversible physical abnormalities. Research indicates children of alcoholics are at greater risk than other children of becoming alcoholics.

Tobacco: Smokers are more likely to contract heart disease. Lung, larynx, esophageal, bladder, pancreatic, and

kidney cancers also strike smokers at increased rates. Chronic, obstructive lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis are 10 times more likely to occur among smokers.

Smoking during pregnancy can cause spontaneous abortion, preterm birth, low birth weights, and fetal and infant deaths are more likely. Cigarette smoke contains some 4000 chemicals, several known as carcinogens. The most dangerous substance is nicotine, which is highly addictive.

Cannabis: All forms (marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, hashish or hash oil) have effects ranging from increased heart rate, bloodshot eyes, a dry mouth and throat and increased appetite, to impairing short-term memory and comprehen sion, altering sense of time and ability to concentrate, coordinate and acquire new information. It can produce paranoia and psychosis. Users inhale the unfiltered smoke deeply so it can damage the lungs and pulmonary system. It contains more cancer-causing agents than tobacco smoke.

Psychological dependence can be extreme.

Inhalants: Inhaling Nitrous Oxide, Amyl Nitrite, Butyl Nitrite, chlorohydrocarbons and hydrocarbons can cause nausea, sneezing, coughing, nosebleeds, fatigue, lack of coordination and loss of appetite. Solvents and aerosol sprays decrease heart and respiratory rates and impair judgment.

Amyl and butyl nitrite cause rapid pulse, headaches, and involuntaiy passing of urine and feces. Long-term effects can be hepatitis or brain damage. Deep inhalation or taking large amounts can result in disorientation, violent behaviour, unconsciousness or death. High concentrations can cause

suffocation by displacing oxygen in lungs or depressing the central nervous system. Long-term effects include weight loss, fatigue, electrolyte imbalance and muscle fatigue. Repeated sniffing can damage the nervous system.

Cocaine: Powder extracted from the leaves of the coca plant which is inhaled or injected, or a preparation called Crack which is smoked. Cocaine stimulates the central nervous system. Immediate effects include dilated pupils and elevated blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and body temperature. Occasional use can cause a stuffy or runny nose, while chronic use can ulcerate the mucous membrane of the nose. Injecting cocaine with contaminated equipment can cause AIDS, hepatitis and other diseases. Crack or Freebase Rock is extremely addictive, and effects are felt within 10 seconds. Physical effects include dilated pupils, increased pulse rate, elevated blood pressure, insomnia, loss of appetite, tactile hallucinations, paranoia and seizure. Use can cause death by cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.

Other stimulants: Amphetamines, Methamphetaminnes

and additional stimulants such as Ritalin, Cylert, Preludin, didrex, Pre-State, Voranil, Sandrex and Plegine can cause increased heart and respiratory rates, elevated blood pressure, dilated pupils and increased appetite. Users may experience sweating, headache,' blurred vision, dizziness, sleeplessness and anxiety. Extremely high doses can cause rapid or irregular heartbeat, tremors, loss of coordination and physical collapse. An amphetamine injection creates a sudden increase in blood pressure which can result in stroke, very high fever or heart failure. Users report feeling restless, anxious and

moodier. Long-terms users can develop amphetamine psy chosis that includes hallucinations, delusions and paranoia, which cease when use ceases.

Depressants: Barbiturates, methaqualone and tranquilisers. Large doses cause slurred speech, staggering and altered perception. Very large doses can cause respiratory depression, coma, and death. Regular use can result in physical and psychological addiction. Suddenly ceasing to take large doses can lead to withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, insomnia, tremors, delirium, convulsions and death.

Babies born to mothers who abuse depressants may also be physically dependent and suffer withdrawal. Birth defects and behavioural problems also may result.

Hallucinogens: Phencyclidine interrupts the functions of

the neocortex, the part of the brain controlling intellect and keeping instincts in check. It blocks pain receptions so self inflicted injuries can happen during use. A sense of distance and estrangement results, and time and body movement are slowed. Muscular coordination is worse, senses are dulled, speech is blocked and incoherent. Users often exhibit paranoid and violent behaviour and experience hallucinations in later stages. Large doses can lead to convulsions and coma, heart and lung failure. Lysergic acid (LSD), mescaline, and psilocybin cause illusions and hallucinations. The physical effects may include dilated pupils, elevated body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, and tremors. The user may experience panic, confusion, suspicion, anxiety and loss of control. Delayed

effects, or flashbacks, can occur even when use has ceased.

Narcotics: Includes heroin (also known as smack, horse, mud, brown sugar, junk, black tar), codeine, morphine, opium, meperidine and others which initially produce a feeling of euphoria often followed by drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting. Experience constricted pupils, watery eyes and itching may result. An overdose may produce slow and shallow breathing, clammy skin, convulsions, coma and possibly death. Tolerance develops rapidly and dependence is likely. Use of contaminated syringes may result in disease such as AIDS, endocarditis and hepatitis. Addiction in pregnant women can lead to premature, stillborn or addicted infants who experience severe withdrawal symptoms.

Designer drugs: Illegal drugs are defined in terms of their chemical formulas. To circumvent legal restrictions, under ground chemists modify the molecular structure of certain illegal drugs to produce analogs known as “designer drugs”.

Most come in powder form, but some come as tablets or capsules. They can be several hundred times stronger than the drugs they imitate. Symptoms can be similar to Parkinson’s disease: uncontrollable tremors, drooling, impaired speech, paralysis and irreversible brain damage. Analogs of amphetamines and methamphetamines cause nausea, blurred vision, chills or sweating and faintness. Psychological effects include anxiety, depression and paranoia. As little as one dose can cause brain damage. The analogs of phencyclidine cause illusions, hallucinations and impaired perception. □ Compiled from information provided by the US Department of Education, and the FIJI Council of Social Services