What to do in an emergency.

Should the worst happen and you find your child drowsy or unconscious, its important you know what to do. It could save their life.

Firstly, make sure they have got fresh air.

Then turn them on their side and try not to leave them alone (otherwise if they are sick, they may inhale vomit).

Dial 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Finally, collect any powders, tablets or anything else that may have been used in taking the drug - give them to the ambulance driver.

How to spot drug taking.

It isn't easy - especially when a child first tries drugs or takes them occasionally. Many signs are just like the normal signs of growing up. So if your child suddenly becomes moody or distant - don't jump to conclusions.

· Sudden and regular changes of mood.

· Unusually aggresive.

· Loss of appetite.

· Gradual loss of interest in school, hobbies, sport, friends etc.

· Increasing evidence of lying or other furtive behaviour.

· Loss of money or other objects from the house.

· Unusual stains, marks or smells on the body or clothes or around the house. However, don't expect to find neat piles of white powder lying around, you are more likely to find some possible evidence of drug use rather than the drugs themselves. for example :- Scorched pieces of tin foil. A homemade pipe. The remains of a cannabis cigarette with small cardboard tube filter.

Getting Help.

Fistly, local help services if there are any will be listed in the phone book or at the front of good publications like the Thomson Local Guide. Failing that, the following may be able to help :-

Release - runs a 24 hour emergency telephone service, particularly useful if someone has been arrested for a drug offence. Release also has a drugs advice line, available during normal office hours. TEL 0171 603 3700.

Adfam National, the charity for families and friends of drug users, provides a national helpline offering information and confidential support - TEL 0171 638 3700

Families Anonymous - self help support group for parents of drug users that has branches in various parts of the country. TEL 0171 498 4680

 

What You Should Know About Drugs and Solvents.

You should be aware that drugs and solvents have side effects which can range from dangerous to terminal and the effects can be made even worse if they are mixed together or with drink etc.

If the user is suffering from depression, anxiousness, agression etc drugs will not solve the problem and if anything, will probably make it far worse. As drugs directly affect the mind and body, the user will be in less control over basic movements like walking etc and in addition would be a positive danger to themself and others by attempting to use machinery or drive etc.

You get what you pay for ? NO you do not ! Unlike purchases in shops where you know what you are buying, the same cannot be said of drugs. They may have been mixed with many other things including, laxatives, other drugs, sugar etc. Strength can vary greatly between one batch and another.

Amphetamines.

also known as (aka) speed, uppers, sulphate, sulph and whiz.

Amphetamines arouse the body, giving a sense of energy and confidence but feelings of anxiety and irritability take over. With Amphetamines, there is no such thing as enough. To maintain the effect, regular users have to take increasing doses. Every time they stop, they feel depressed and very hungry. Resistance to disease is lowered which can obviously have serious effects on their health.

Barbiturates.

aka Barbs, Blues, Reds, Sekkies.

Injecting barbiturates is one of the most dangerous forms of drug misuse.

People misusing barbiturates tend to develop a tolerance to them and then a physical as well as mental dependence. Sudden withdrawal can even kill ! The effects can include irritability, nervousness, sleeplessness, faintness, sickness, twitching, delirium and convulsions.

Cannabis.

aka dope, blow, wacky backy, grass, shit, hash.

Cannabis makes people feel more relaxed and talkative. It can also reduce the ability to carry out complicated tasks including driving etc. Frequently inhaled cannabis smoke will cause bronchitis and other breathing disorders and may also lead to lung cancer.

Cocaine.

aka snow, rock, coke, crack, base.

It is sometimes injected but most commonly sniffed through a tube into the nose and absorbed in to the blood stream.

Cocaine produces feelings of mental exhileration, well being, indifference to pain and illusions of physical and mental strength. These feelings however can give way to anxiety and even panic. The effects tend to peak quickly and lessen rapidly. The drug then has to be taken more often to maintain the high and leads to dependence.

Crack is cheaper than cocaine but far more dangerous. The initial high is followed by unpleasant after effects which not only encourage compulsive use but can also lead to dependence.

Ecstasy.

aka E, mdma, dennis the menace, rhubarb and custard, new yorkers, love doves, disco burgers, phase 4.

Many deaths are recorded for users of Ecstasy including some by people who have never used it before.

Ecstasy can come in tablet form, different coloured capsules and sometimes in liquid form. Can cause heat stroke if taken in a warm atmosphere. Studies also suggest that it may damage certain brain cells and useage over a prolonged period could cause liver damage.

Ecstasy Update November 1997

Further findings on the harm Ecstasy can do to the brain have just been released by scientists at Baltimore University in the United States.

In the release they have discovered direct evidence that using ecstasy can alter the brain and its ability to produce Seratonin which is naturally produced in the brain and controls mood. Ecstasy reduces the amount of the Seratonin that the brain can produce and this causes, wild mood swings, depression and memory loss. The effects of this can last for years, even after giving up its use.

Heroin.

aka smack, junk, H, skag.

Heroin is sometimes smoked, sniffed or injected. Heroin depresses brain activity, widens blood vessels and causes constipation. It makes people feel drowsy, warm and content and appears to relieve stress and discomfort. However, once physical dependence is established this pleasure is replaced by the need to get more and more just to get the same effect. Overdosing leads to unconsciousness and coma and often death from breathing failure.

LSD.

aka acid.

A man made substance needing only minute quantities. The effects depend on mood, location and dose and can include, distortion of sight and hearing and a feeling of being outside the body. Bad trips can lead to depression, dizziness and panic.

Magic Mushrooms.

Similar in effect to an LSD trip but much quicker starting and shorter lasting. Although they can lead to hallucinations they can also bring on feelings of vomiting and stomach pains. One of the biggest dangers is that several mushrooms found in the UK are extremely dangerous and can kill. It is also very difficult to tell some of these apart.

Solvents.

Solvents are found in a variety of products and when inhaled give a similar effect to alcohol. Users can be injured through accidents due to their location and risk death by choking on their vomit. Heavy solvent abuse can result in lasting damage to the brain and has been known to cause kidney and liver damage. Users can die even at their first attempt because their air passages are frozen and they are therfore unable to breathe.

Tranquillisers.

aka tranx, benzos, eggs, jellies.

Tranquillisers lessen alertness and affect driving and other skills where concentration are required. They can also release aggression and if mixed with alcohol can cause death. Dependence is fairly common among long term users. Once they stop taking them, they can feel confused, irritable and anxious and unable to carry on with their normal routine.

The Additional Dangers of Injecting.

· Infection where injecting equipment is unsterile and shared. The most serious infection is HIV (which causes AIDS), but also hepatitis.

· Abscesses and thrombosis and other conditions from injecting drugs in pill form that were never intended for injection.

· Gangrene (from hitting an artery instead of a vein) and blood poisoning caused by a wound becoming infected.

· Overdose when a drug (of unknown strength) is delivered directly into the bloodstream.

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