Microsoft word - june 2013 newsletter (2).doc

Regional Advisory Board of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions

Upcoming Awareness Campaign
SAMHSA is promoting “Talk. They Hear You.”, a new media campaign to help prevent underage drinking among children ages 9 to 15 by providing their parents and caregivers with the resources they need to properly address this issue with their children early. More than 80 percent of children say parents are the leading influencers in their decision to use or not use alcohol. Visit http://www.underagedrinking.samhsa.gov for more information. Did You Know:
Highlights of the 2011 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) Findings on Drug-  In 2011, there were 5.1 million drug-related emergency department (ED) visits; about one half (49%) were attributed to drug misuse or abuse with a nearly equal percentage (45%) attributed to adverse drug reactions.  ED visits involving use of illicit drugs were relatively stable from 2004 (991,640 visits) to 2009 (974,392 visits) but increased from 2009 to 2011 (1,252,500 visits); between 2009 and 2011, the rate of visits involving illicit stimulants increased 68 percent, and the rate of visits involving  ED visits involving misuse or abuse of pharmaceuticals increased from 2004 (626,470 visits) through 2011 (1,428,145 visits); the most common drugs were anti-anxiety and insomnia medications and narcotic pain relievers (160.9 and 134.8 visits per 100,000 population, respectively).  ED visits involving adverse reactions to drugs increased from 1,250,377 visits in 2005 to 2,287,271 visits in 2009; however, no increase occurred between 2009 and 2011 (2,301,059 visits). Is alcohol playing a role in Indiana's fatal crashes? Here are some key facts from Indiana Crash Facts 2011, which details the state's most recent crash data.  In 2011, there were 133 fatal crashes and 140 fatalities involving a vehicle driver legally impaired by alcohol (i.e., blood alcohol content at or above 0.08 g/dL). Impaired drivers comprised 107 (76.4%) of the 140 fatalities.  Generally, the largest numbers of impaired drivers from 2003 to 2011 involved persons between the ages of 21 and 44 years old.  Motorcycle and moped operators had the highest rates of alcohol-impaired crashes of any vehicle class. In 2011, about one in every three motorcycle operators and one in every four moped operators killed in Indiana crashes were legally impaired. Sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks had the next highest rates of impairment in 2011. (IU Public Policy Institute News - On May 7, 2013, Governor Pence signed new legislation regarding synthetic drugs and synthetic drug lookalike substances. Its provisions took effect immediately. Senate Enrolled Act 536 is a comprehensive approach to assist law enforcement and help combat the growing problem of synthetic drugs and their lookalikes. The Indiana Code is I.C. 35-31.5-2-321. In recent years, the marijuana marketplace has been saturated with new methods for ingesting marijuana. One method that is seemingly gaining in popularity is to distill from the marijuana plant the concentrated oils and resin that are thick with THC. In some circles, this sort of liquid is called hash oil, marijuana honey oil or (marijuana) butter. The process requires a fine pulverization of marijuana plant material followed by saturation and a fermentation of sorts in grain alcohol. The formula is then put through various stages of heating and filtration until such time as the distillate takes on the appearance of moderately thick black oil. This phase of the project can be dangerous as fumes from the grain alcohol solvent are in the proximity of a source of heat. Ultimately, the liquid is cooled and prepared for "vaporization." To ingest the rarefied oil, it is recommended that a user fashion an aluminum foil spoon that can contain the oil while heat is applied to the undersurface. When the liquid begins to bubble and pop, a vapor will emerge out of the liquid. The vapor is then inhaled into the lungs through a straw or hollowed out BIC pen. This highly concentrated THC acts as a sort of marijuana martini. If done carefully and with patience, this process can yield a final product that is 140 proof THC (70% +) pure. (Drug Abuse Recognition Journal, May 20, 2013) Diphenhydramine, with brand names such as Benadryl, Sominex, Unisom Sleep Gels, have attracted a following of drug abusers who cherish its hallucinogenic effects that are achieved with ingestion of high doses. Recreational users of this drug can have very divergent experiences while under the influence of it. At low doses, the drug maintains its sedative properties and can resemble the effects of alcohol or other central nervous system depressants. At high doses, the drug tends to interact with a separate set of transmitters and receptors that lead to hallucinogenic effects like LSD, peyote (cactus buttons) and psylocibin (magic mushrooms). The drug is sometimes mixed with prescription opiates to create an enhanced sedative effect that optimizes the effects of drugs like hydrocodone and oxycodone. On the streets, the drug is referred to as "Ben-ee's" or "Som-ee's,” terms that are rooted in the drugs widely recognized brand names. As is the case with other over the counter drugs of abuse, the Internet suffices as an operator's manual for people interested in abusing this drug. (Drug Abuse Recognition Journal, May 20, 2013) For questions, please contact Kelly Sickafoose at [email protected].

Source: http://drugfreesteuben.org/pdf/2013/2013-6-newsletter.pdf