“Krokodil” Appears in U.S. (Nov
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The Safety Net U P C O M I N G SUPPORT AND PREVENTI ON DECEMBER 2013 OBSERVANCES MADD’s Tie One on for Safety Campaign “Krokodil” Appears in U.S. (Nov. 28-Jan. 1) National Drunk and Krokodil is an ultra-cheap heroin way to save a patient’s life. 10 years. She started using Drugged Driving substitute that counts crushed The drug – chemically called krokodil a month before her Prevention (3D) codeine pills, gasoline, cooking desomorphine – became popular hospitalization, and is in Month (December) oil, iodine, hydrochloric acid, in Russia about 10 years ago as a extremely critical condition. paint thinner and lighter fluid National No Name- cheap replacement for heroin. It Dr. Abhin Singla, the hospital's among its toxic ingredients. Calling Week is up to 10 times cheaper than director of addiction services, (Jan. 20-24) When a person injects the drug, heroin and produces a similar, says regarding the patient, it destroys tissue and turns the National Drug Facts but much shorter, high. “When she came in, she had the skin scaly and green. Week (Jan. 27- The first U.S. cases came to light destruction that occurs because Feb. 2) Because of its effect on skin and in Utah and Arizona in late of this drug over 70 percent of muscle, it is called krokodil (as in her lower body.” National Teen September of this year. Within crocodile). Gangrene and Dating Violence the first two weeks of October, Awareness Month amputations are common, and five more cases were discovered (February) the toxic mix of chemicals used in Illinois. In addition, the to produce the drug dissolves Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics is jawbones and teeth, much like investigating the deaths of two methamphetamine. men in late 2012 as being caused Many addicts suffer brain damage by krokodil. Some of the patients INSIDE THIS and speech impediments from have said they learned how to ISSUE: the drug, but it is from the fact it manufacture the drug Singla calls the drug “frightening.” often causes blood vessels to themselves, but in most of the He adds, “It almost immediately Drugs and Driving: 2 burst – leaving foul-smelling cases the users thought they had starts to destroy blood cells and A Fatal Mix wounds to fester on the body – purchased heroin. blood vessels, literally causes Gun Violence in 2 that krokodil acquired its sinister For now, the cases in Arizona, gangrene from the inside of the Movies name and reputation. Illinois and elsewhere in the U.S. body coming out.” Singla also noted the average life expectancy (Not So) New and remain unconfirmed. Frank 3 after the first use of the drug is Emerging Drugs LoVecchio of Phoenix-based Banner Poison Control Center, one to three years in Russia. Sports/Diet 3 which first received reports One recovering krokodil addict Supplements May of krokodil use in Arizona, said told Time Magazine in 2011, Contain Meth-Like the DEA requires the original among the dozen or so addicts Chemical injected substance – not merely she shot up with, "practically all positive urine tests for codeine of them are dead now. For some Teen Dating 4 Violence Pictures of users in Russia show or desomorphine metabolites – it led to pneumonia, some got blackened fingertips, large open in order to confirm the drug’s blood poisoning, some had an Media Influence on 4 wounds, and even exposed bone use. artery burst in their heart, some Adolescent Alcohol where skin has fallen off. got meningitis, others simply Use One of the patients at Presence Prolonged or even short-term St. Joseph’s Medical Center in rot." use can damage blood vessels, Joliet, Illinois, is a 25-year-old Sources: Time Magazine, USA muscle, cartilage, and bone, and woman who has used heroin for Today, CBS Chicago, The amputation is frequently the only Partnership at Drugfree.org Jarrod McCraw, Safety and Security Director Don Novak, School Security Coordinator Lisa Callaham, Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist http://sdfs.ucps.k12.nc.us P A G E 2 Drugs and Driving: A Fatal Mix Drugged driving has been a Results of the study led 23 times for those who were safety issue of increasing public by Guohua Li, MD, DrPH, positive for both alcohol and concern in the U.S. and many professor of Epidemiology and drugs. other countries, but its role in director of the Center for While heightened risk of fatal motor vehicle crashes had not Injury Epidemiology and crash involvement associated been adequately examined. In a Prevention, show that 31.9 with driver drug use was new study conducted at percent of drivers involved in comparable across Columbia University's Mailman fatal car crashes (“cases”) and demographic groups and School of Public Health, 13.7 percent of drivers geographic regions, Dr. Li researchers assessed the interviewed at the roadside cautions that findings need to association of driver drug use, survey (“controls”) tested be carefully interpreted. First, as well as the combination of positive for at least one non- a positive test indicates that drugs and alcohol, with the alcohol drug. Overall, drivers the driver had used the drug risk of a fatal crash. They found testing positive for drugs were detected but does not that drug use is associated with three times as likely as those “...drug use is necessarily mean that the a significantly increased risk of testing negative to be involved driver was impaired by the fatal crash involvement, in a fatal crash. Among the associated with drug at the time of crash or particularly when used in drugs studied, depressants survey. Secondly, variations in a significantly combination with alcohol. presented the highest risk, individual tolerance and Data for the study came from followed by stimulants, pharmacological properties of increased risk of two national sources narcotics and marijuana. different drugs make it difficult sponsored by the National Elevated blood alcohol levels to determine drug impairment. fatal crash Highway Traffic Safety were found in 57 percent of Also, there is no uniformly involvement, Administration: the 2007 the cases and 8.8 percent of accepted definition of National Roadside Survey of the controls, and the risk of impairment for different drugs. particularly Alcohol and Drug Use by fatal crash involvement “The possible interaction of Drivers and the Fatality increased exponentially as drugs in combination with when used in Analysis Reporting System these levels rose. About one- alcohol on driving safety has (FARS), a repository of fifth (20.5 percent) of the cases combination long been a concern,” said Dr. investigation data for all tested positive for alcohol and Li. “While alcohol-impaired with alcohol.” crashes on public roads that one or more drugs, compared driving remains the greatest resulted in at least one fatality with 2.2 percent of the threat to traffic safety, these within 30 days of the crash. controls. Compared to drivers findings about drugged driving FARS also contains detailed who tested positive for neither are particularly noteworthy in information about the crash alcohol nor drugs, the odds of light of the increases in the circumstances as well as fatal crash involvement availability of prescription individuals and vehicles increased by more than 13 stimulants and opioids involved in the crash. This is times for those who were (painkillers) over the past the first study to use both data alcohol-positive but drug- decade.” sources to quantify relative negative, more than double for risks of fatal crash involvement those who were alcohol- Source: Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, associated with different drugs. negative but drug-positive, and news release, Sept. 25, 2013 “You have to Gun Violence in Movies According to Ohio State "Based on what researchers wonder why with gun violence. University researchers, the have found, it is not good for we are seeing "The trend of increasing gun amount of gun violence in teens to be viewing this much violence in PG-13 movies is this surge in PG-13 films has more than gun violence in films," he said. disturbing because … those gun violence tripled since 1985, the year the Overall, findings showed that are the films kids are most in PG-13 rating was introduced. the rate of violent sequences attracted to," Bushman movies, when "It is shocking how gun use nearly quadrupled from 1950 said. "In addition, these movies it is not has skyrocketed in movies that to 2010. Since 1985, 94 essentially provide young appearing in are often marketed directly at percent of the movies studied people scripts for how to use G-, PG- and the teen audience," said (367 in total) had one or more guns in real life, as we have R-rated films.” professor of communication five-minute segments that seen in copycat killings. It is a and psychology Brad Bushman, included violence. Overall, the bad situation." co-author of the study. films contained 700 segments Source: The Ohio State University SUPPORT AND PREVENTI ON P A G E 3 (Not So) New and Emerging Drugs Our youth are exposed to an ever- promethazine mixed with clear methods are used to vaporize changing landscape of drugs of soda (Sprite, Mountain Dew) and alcohol, generally spirits or “hard abuse on a daily basis. Following are flavored with Jolly Ranchers or liquor,” and inhale the vapors; some of the most common current Skittles; ingredients are mixed commonly used methods include trends: together and drunk; pressurizing with air, pouring over LSD/acid/psychedelic mushrooms – Salvia Divinorum – an herb found in dry ice, or heating the alcohol; hallucinogenic drugs; comes in southern Mexico and Central and Kratom – a tree found in Southeast powder or on liquid-infused paper South America; fresh leaves can be Asia; leaves can be chewed or that is swallowed or dissolved in chewed but generally are dried and brewed into a “tea.” Small amounts the mouth; smoked like marijuana to produce a act as a stimulant, but large Molly – purported to be “pure mild hallucinogenic effect; amounts have a sedative effect.