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Are you writing a paper about
drugs or looking for general information?
Accurate statistics on drug use are sometimes hard to find
since individuals might be hesitant to report, even anonymously, that they are
engaging in illegal activities. If you are studying substance use among high school
and college aged individuals, go Monitoring the Future
http://monitoringthefuture.org/.
The Drug Abuse Warning Network
http://dawninfo.samhsa.gov
posts information on emergency room admissions related to drug use. The Drug Enforcement Agency
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/index.htm
keeps statistics on drug arrests. National Institute of Drug Abuse
http://www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/
has individual fact sheets on drugs of abuse. These fact sheets can help you to understand the effects
of each of the drugs. If you are looking for some first person accounts of what it is
like to use certain drugs, the Vaults of Erowid
http://www.erowid.org/index.shtml contains
information on many substances.
Assessment
Some people who need drug counseling or drug treatment
do not seek the needed help because using drugs is illegal here in the
United States and therefore on campus. You are not at risk for being
expelled from the University or being arrested because you ask for help.
You might also not want to get counseling or drug treatment because
you may see yourself as being very different from the image that you
might hold about who needs help. Consider the following questions, not
as an attempt to diagnose yourself, but as an opportunity to look at
your drug use.
- Do you use your drug to forget about a bad day or to improve your mood?
- Do you feel guilty about your drug use?
- Have you tried to cut down and have been unable to do so successfully?
- Have you harmed yourself or someone else because of your drug use?
- Do you need to use more of the drug in order to get the same effects?
- Do you get moody when you don't use your drug?
- Have you had medical, social, financial, family, legal, or academic problems as a result of using drugs?
- Do you use more than one drug at a time (such as alcohol and pain medication, methamphetamine and heroine, etc.)?
- Are you using drugs and then taking risks such as driving or having unintended/unprotected sex?
- Has a close blood relative been diagnosed with an addiction?
(Source: Adapted from NIAAA's Alcohol Screening Day Assessment tool)
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you may wish to talk to someone about your substance use.
Help is available
Emergency 911
Health Education Center 824-9355
Student Health 824-5301
Campus Police 824-5223
Counseling Center 824-6457
Help is also available off Campus
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (800) 662-HELP, www.samhsa.gov, www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov
Helping A Friend
Are you concerned about a friends substance use? Don't
be shy talking to that friend. After all, anyone would be lucky
to have a friend like you who is concerned.
Sometimes, concerned friends hold back because
they don't want to lose the friendship or play the role of a therapist
or parent. Put yourself in your friend's shoes. Wouldn't you want
someone to reach out to you? Here are some tips:
- Be honest with yourself and your friend.
Are you using drugs as well? Are you concerned because your friend
is spending more time with friends who use drugs and you are feeling
left out? Consider why you want to talk to your friend in the
first place.
- Know your limits. If your friend is
actively using drugs, that person may not agree with what you
are expressing. Your friend might get angry or defensive. Even
if your friend is willing to get treatment, know that you should
not take on the role of therapist (even if you are studying to
be one).
- Use I statements. Talk about your
concerns. Let your friend know what you have observed. You can
never be wrong about your own feelings.
- Brainstorm solutions. Familiarize
yourself with the list of resources both on and off campus. Think
of solutions not on the list. Ask your Friend to consider the
costs and benefits of the possibilities.
- Get help yourself. Are there other
friends who are also concerned? Talk to them about your concerns,
but avoid disrespecting your friend by gossiping. Find people
who will support you if the talk with your friend does not go
as planned. However, keep your talk about you and your feelings.
- Listen. We have twice as many ears
as we do mouths. Ever wonder why? Listen with your mouth closed.
Avoid listening with an agenda such as waiting for the opportunity
to make your point. Reflect on what your friend is saying.
- Find the right time. There will never
be the perfect time. However, find a time when your friend is
sober. Make sure you have enough time to really talk and listen.
- Ask open ended questions. If you only
ask your friend questions that have yes or no answers, you will
find it hard to get to the bottom of what your friend is really
feeling.
- Believe in yourself. No matter what
happens, your friend is lucky to have someone like you who cares.
Staying Safe
Unfortunately, people are sometimes given drugs without knowing. People might slip something into your drink because the person thinks it would be fun for you or because someone wants to render you unconscious.
What you should know about protecting yourself from GHB and other club
drugs:
- Do not take drinks from a stranger.
- Do not leave your drink unattended.
- Don't drink from open containers like a punch bowl
- Drink from tamper-proof bottles or cans, and open them YOURSELF.
- Be wary of drinks that taste salty or soda that is flat; these
can be signs of GHB.
- Also avoid a substance called GBL. It turns into GHB in your
body. (You might as well just have taken GHB.)
- Be suspicious of eyedroppers, mouthwash bottles and bubble solution
-- they are often used as GHB containers.
- If you think you may have been drugged:
- Call 911. Many of the people who
are dead from GHB would be alive if their friends had called
911. The sooner a victim can get medical help, the better
the chance of saving a life.
- Ask for a urine test if you are
concerned about unwitting ingestion. Police and hospitals
often use blood tests to identify drugs, but GHB is only in
the blood for four hours. It can be identified in urine for
longer.
If an unconscious victim is vomiting, turn the
individual on either side to avoid choking or suffocation.
The easiest way to stay safe is to avoid drugs altogether. No one monitors drugs for quality control. Your drug dealer does not look at your overall health before giving you a drug as a doctor might. There are many unknowns. Most UC Irvine students do not use illegal drugs. If you want to avoid drug use:
- Socialize with other people who do not use drugs. Then you do not
have to explain your decision.
- Know the reasons why you choose not to use drugs.
- Stand up for yourself and your decisions by using statements that
begin with "I".
- If you find yourself wanting to try drugs, consider your reasons.
Are there other ways to fulfill those needs? Some people use drugs
because the feel good and want to feel better. Other people use drugs
because they feel bad and want to make themselves feel "normal." What
are your reasons? If you already feel good, congratulations! If you
feel bad, get the help and support you need- legally.
Are you Hosting a Party?
If you are planning a party, plan to be a good host.
Parties were meant to be fun. If you are going to serve alcohol
at your party, these tips will help you to keep your guests safe
without taking away from anyone's good time. Recently, students
at other universities have been held liable for the actions of drunken
guests. The goal of your party is probably not for you to have to
end up in court or paying heavy fines because of something someone
else did. Here are some ideas of how to keep your guests and you
from having to clean up anything other than some left over drinks
and food.
- Find something else for guests to focus on
so alcohol is not the only reason for people to socialize.
Themes around TV shows, holidays or other events give people something
to chat about without relying on alcohol for "social lubrication."
- Avoid hosting a party with drinking games.
Drinking games not only promote drinking, but also cause people
to lose track of how much they have drunk, causing them to get
drunker than they expected.
- Serve food so people are not drinking on
empty stomachs. However, avoid salty foods (even though
they are so easy to prepare) because people will get thirsty and
drink more.
- Choose someone to be the designated host.
The host can keep an eye out for people who have had too much
to drink. Most people go to parties without anything bad happening.
The host is there just in case someone starts to do something
regrettable (like "hooking up" when he/she typically
would not, urinating on the lawn, picking a fight, etc.)
- Find designated drivers before anyone has
started drinking. So often the designated driver is the
person with the biggest car, the one who is least drunk or the
one who has the most experience driving under the influence. Remember
that in California, a Blood Alcohol Content greater than 0 is
above the legal limit. An underage drunk driver will have suspended
license.
- Spot the person who has had too much to drink.
Of course the best way to keep your guests safe is to keep them from
getting drunk in the first place. However, if someone has slurred
speech, is losing motor coordination, is getting loud and obnoxious
or is crying it may be time for that person to switch to a non alcohol
containing drink. Always remember that nothing will sober a person
up other than time so avoid those failed strategies of the cold shower,
coffee or exercise. All these will give you are wet, caffinated or
sweaty drunk guests.
So you may be wondering, if I have to do all this,
then why bother having a party in the first place?
Well remember that a lot of what makes for happy occasions is never
spontaneous. You did not get to college spontaneously. You did not
buy your first car spontaneously. Good parties
take a little planning.
Besides, you probably were already planning to
go buy the beer? Just think, when the party is over, you won't have
to clean up vomit, help your friends put their relationships back
together or have strangers asleep on your floor.
Curious About Your Own Substance
Use?
Do you have questions about
your drinking?
How do you know where the line might be between
being a moderate or problem drinker? E-CHUG
There are people on campus who can help you decide. If you want
to read more on this topic before you talk about it, click below
http://www.alcoholscreening.org/
What is my Blood Alcohol Content?
http://www.intox.com/wheel/drinkwheel.asp
Sex, alcohol and drugs automatically
go together in many people's minds. However, if you make the wrong
decision, you can end up with a lot more than just a hang over.
Did Your Friend have
Too Much to Drink?
If your friend is passed out and you are not sure
if the person is just "sleeping it off" or is in trouble,
remember FADED
FADED
- A quick and easy way to help a friend who has had too much
to drink.
If your friend has had too much to drink, and
you are not sure about your friend's condition, call 911. The following
information is intended as a quick and easy way to help a friend
who had had too much to drink and when to call for help.
Feel for
Pulse
The best place to look for a pulse is on the wrist. Grab the person's
wrist, placing two-three fingers right below the thumb. Feel for
the space between the tendons and the bone. Count to five. Check
for pulse while you are leaning over to check for breathing. You
should not perform CPR or administer other First Aid unless you
are properly trained to do so. Regardless of if you are trained,
someone should call 911 before you administer CPR or First Aid.
If you can't find a pulse on the wrist, check the neck.
Assess for
Breathing
Lean over, put your ear to his/her mouth to count their breathing.
If breathing is irregular (10 seconds or more between breaths) or
extremely slow (fewer than 8 times per minute), your friend needs
help. Make sure that the airway is open.
Determine
Sleeping Status
Is your friend passed out or asleep? A person who does not wake
up after vomiting or whose skin is blue needs help. If your friend
is asleep, make sure they are on their side so that vomit will not
cause choking. Roll your friend onto his/her side and place pillows
both front and back to keep the person from rolling.
Emergency
Call to 911
Don't hesitate to call 911 if your friend is in trouble. Calling
911 from a campus phone will connect you to the Campus Police who
will help direct paramedics to your location. Calling from a cell
phone will not connect you to the campus police. Give emergency
personnel very specific directions. Send someone out to the street
to direct paramedics to your location.
Do NOT Leave
Your Friend Alone
If it is not necessary to call emergency personnel, wake up your
friend frequently (every 15 minutes or so) to make sure your friend
is safe. If your friend does not awaken easily, get help.
This information is in no way an endorsement of
underage or at risk drinking. The most effective way to avoid the
negative effects of alcohol is not to drink.
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