Westside Reader October 2015

10 • Westside Reader
October 2015
Drugs
continued from Cover
with some involving heroin, according to information
from law enforcement officials. In
2010, there were five confirmed drug-related
overdoses; seven in 2011; 16 in 2012; four in
2013; five in 2014, and at least seven this
year.
How the community responds to drug use
has changed radically over the past 30 years,
Quashen said. In addition to the SCV, Action
operates counseling and rehabilitation facilities
in areas including the Antelope Valley,
Simi Valley and Glendale.
There was a time, he said, when many in
the community avoided the reality of drug
use.
“Nobody wanted to talk about it,” he said.
That’s since changed. Schools throughout
the SCV promote awareness of the dangers of
drug abuse and promote sober living, and in
addition the SCV Sheriff’s Station, city of
Santa Clarita and other community organizations
provide resources.
One of the biggest links to youth drug use,
Quashen said, it’s the nature of home life.
Citing a statistic that parents of children
age 12 and up spend, on average, between 2-
10 minutes daily with their kids, Quashen
said many kids wind up spending much of
their time with their friends or by themselves,
and can fall prey to strong peer pressure.
He said the path to drug abuse starts with
the continual breaking of contracts to one’s
self, he said. In other words, “I’ll never do
that”-type promises. It typically starts with
tobacco use and gets progressively worse,
with people using to marijuana before progressing
to harder, illicit drugs such as heroin.
There are a number of kids, Quashen said,
who are “fence sitters” — on the fence between
living a life of either positive or negative
choices, depending on their influences,
family and peers.
“Those are the kids picking up bad habits,”
he said, “and the kids being lost.”
According to the National Institute on Drug
Abuse, in 2013 there were about 7,800 new
drug users per day and more than half were
under 18. Additionally, more than half of new
illicit drug users begin with marijuana, and
the next most common are prescription pain
relievers and inhalants.
Kids are starting to use drugs at younger
and younger ages, Quashen said. Indeed, drug
use, particularly marijuana, continues to be
on the rise, according to a 2015 report by the
NIDA. A 2013 survey of nearly 70,000 people
found that between 2002 and 2013, the percentage
of Americans 12 and older who used
illicit drugs in the past month increased from
8.3 percent to 9.4 percent. Additionally, marijuana
users increased from about 5.8 percent
of those 12 and older in 2007 to 7.5 percent
in 2013.
How Heroin Works
Frequently injected with a hypodermic
needle, but sometimes smoked or snorted,
heroin is converted by the body into morphine,
binding itself to pain and pleasure receptors
throughout the body. The short-term
effects include a rush of euphoric feelings, followed
by several hours of an urge to sleep
and a slowed heart rate and breathing.
Regular use results in altered brain function,
according to the National Institute on
Drug Abuse. The results of habitual use include
an increased tolerance, and resulting
need of more of the drug for the same “high”;
increased dependence to avoid withdrawal
symptoms; and ultimately, addiction.
In the SCV, “there are still narcotic overdose
deaths and heroin use as there is in every
community across the country,” said Det.
Mike Velek of the SCV Sheriff’s Station, “so as
a community we need to remain vigilant in
keeping the topic of drug use and abuse as a
topic of conversation on a regular basis.”
The Prescription Link
Quashen said there are increasing cases of
what he calls “accidental” addiction, among
individuals who have no prior history of drug
abuse but who have been prescribed
painkillers. Continual use can lead to addiction,
he said, with users building up a tolerance
to the drug. Additionally, as it becomes
more expensive to buy prescription
painkillers — or when prescription refills are
refused because of federal prescription tracking
guidelines — he said users will turn to
cheaper, illicit drugs available on the street.
Painkillers and heroin are both opioids,
which is why the transition from prescription
painkillers to drugs such as heroin can be a
quick slippery slope, according to NIDA reports.
“There are stronger and better pain medications
available now, but doctors need to
educate patients on the risks,” he said, adding
Action has treated individuals who were at
one point taking up to 30 doses of Vicodin a
day.
Since 2010, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department’s Juvenile Intervention
Team, or J-Team, has been conducting symposiums
and raising awareness of drug risks
in the SCV, particularly focusing on heroin
and marijuana. Recent symposiums have focused
on the dangers of heroin and the effects
of marijuana on the brain. A 15-year
veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, Velek
has been with the team since it started. In
that time, he’s seen progress along with continued
concerns, including an increasing
trend among young marijuana users shifting
to so-called “edibles.”
“Parents need to get educated on what
these are and what they look like,” he said. “As
a community we need to remain vigilant in
keeping the topic of drug use and abuse as a
topic of conversation on a regular basis.”
Cookies With a Kick
Frequently baked as cookies or brownies,
marijuana edibles carry a much more potent
delivery of THC — the principal psychoactive
element of the drug — than what comes from
smoking the drug. For example, a single THClaced
cookie might contain about 60 milligrams
of the cannabinoid, but is intended to
be eaten as six single servings. In other
words, a user who eats the whole edible at
once runs the serious risk of marijuana intoxication.
Echoing Quashen’s thoughts on the change
in attitude toward acknowledging drug problems,
Velek said progress has been made over
See Drugs, page 14
Signs and Symptoms of
Teen Substance Abuse
There’s no easy way to figure out if your
teen is using drugs or alcohol. As you’ll see,
many of the signs and symptoms of teen
substance abuse listed below are also, at
times, typical adolescent behavior. Many
are also symptoms of mental health issues,
including depression or anxiety disorders.
If you’ve noticed any of the changes related
to substance abuse listed below, don’t
be afraid to come right out and ask your
teen direct questions like “Have you been
offered drugs?” If yes, “What did you do?”
or “Have you been drinking or using
drugs?” While no parent wants to hear a
“yes” response to these questions, be prepared
for it. Decide, in advance, how you’ll
respond to a “yes.” Make sure you reassure
your child that you’re looking out for him
or her, and that you only want the best for
his or her future.
Of course, not all teens are going to ‘fess
up to drug or alcohol use, and a “no” could
also mean your child is in need of help for
mental health issues. That’s why experts
strongly recommend that you consider getting
a professional assessment of your
child with a pediatrician or child psychologist
to find out what’s going on. In the case
of teen substance abuse, don’t be afraid to
err on the side of caution. Teaming up with
professionals to help your teen is the best
way to make sure he or she has a healthy
future.
Personal Appearance
● Messy, shows lack of caring for
appearance
● Poor hygiene
● Red, flushed cheeks or face
● Track marks on arms or legs (or long
sleeves in warm weather to hide marks)
● Burns or soot on fingers or lips (from
“joints” or “roaches” burning down)
Personal Habits or Actions
● Clenching teeth
● Smell of smoke or other unusual smells
on breath or on clothes
● Chewing gum or mints to cover up
breath
● Heavy use of over-the-counter preparations
to reduce eye reddening, nasal
irritation, or bad breath
● Frequently breaks curfew
● Cash flow problems
● Reckless driving, car accidents, or
unexplained dents in the car
● Avoiding eye contact
● Locked doors
● Going out every night
● Secretive phone calls
● “Munchies” or sudden appetite
Behavioral Issues Associated with
Teen Substance Abuse
● Change in relationships with family
members or friends
● Loss of inhibitions
● Mood changes or emotional instability
● Loud, obnoxious behavior
● Laughing at nothing
● Unusually clumsy, stumbling, lack of
coordination, poor balance
● Sullen, withdrawn, depressed
● Unusually tired
● Silent, uncommunicative
● Hostility, anger, uncooperative behavior
See Signs and Symptoms, page 14